A Summons

As the sun rose above the horizon, the land was bathed in it's warm glow. Trees, fields, rivers, homes. All were illuminated by that bright orb, heralding the arrival of the new day. But, by far, the greatest sight in this early morning was the grand city of Canterlot. The ancient capital of this land and it's people, built into the side of a huge and imposing mountain, with it's spires of white and gold glowing in the light of the sun, served as a shining beacon to all who may have seen it from afar. It was a beautiful sight, and one that remained to be witnessed by all of it's denizens, many of whom now arose from their slumber, ready to meet the day and busy themselves with their trades and livelihoods. By the time the day had been alight for an hour, the city was abuzz with activity, with men, women and children all going about their business, happy and content.

But, within the walls of that city, there was one place where there was instead a sense of worry and hesitancy. In one of the many ivory towers of Canterlot, in one of the highest floors, there was a girl. Bearing dark-purple hair tied up in a bun, with thick black-rimmed spectacles upon her eyes, and clad in the simple brown robe of an acolyte, this young lady was at a simple desk, adorned with nothing more than a small flower pot, and an open book. The latter object was currently the focus of the girl's attention, as her eyes read the current passage over and over again. She was focused, and very nearly obsessed with what was written there, and yet, through it all, she bore a degree of nervousness to her. However, after several minutes of this, she finally looked up, gazing upon the small flower within the pot before her, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Well, Twilight...here goes nothing," she whispered to herself.

Closing her book, the girl, Twilight, slid it to one side for the time being, her eyes never leaving that small flower. Leaning forward, she raised her right hand, bringing it closer to the unmoving plant. But, before anything else could occur, she was interrupted by the unmistakeable creaking sound of her chamber door. Turning, she looked upon a new arrival to her room. A boy, younger than her by a year or two, with a lavender skin tone and bright green hair. It was a colour matched in his fine-looking clothing. But by far, the most notable thing about this youth was his eyes. They too were green, but bore the look of a serpent. A far cry from the regular human eyes of Twilight. And yet, besides that, he was, by all appearances, another of her people, smiling to her and giving a brief wave.

"Morning, Twilight!"

But Twilight herself was less than happy, adjusting her glasses slightly before replying.

"Spike! What have I told you about barging in during my practise sessions?"

Realising he'd made something of a blunder, Spike chuckled nervously, before closing the door behind him, again causing a creak as he did so. But it seemed as if Twilight could not stay mad at him forever, and after shaking her head at him for a moment, got back to work. Yet again, her eyes focused on the flower, causing Spike to take a keen interest in what was happening. He watched as Twilight once more raised her hand, taking a few calming breaths before, at last, starting in earnest. Her raised hand began to glow a bright purple shade, and as this occurred, she started to look strained, with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. But, not long afterwards, the flower too began to glow, leading to a small smile on Twilight's part.

"That's it...come on...come on...bloom!"

The glow intensified as the seconds rolled by, but, when the spell reached it's apex, Twilight found, to her dismay, that the aura around the flower simply vanished, as if there were no spell there at all. And the flower itself remained as it had been the entire time; just a bud. Seeing this, Twilight simply stared at the thing for a minute, saying not one word. Spike watched, now starting to seem a little worried about the girl. His fears were soon justified, as Twilight let out a loud groan of annoyance, slamming her head down against the wooden desk.

"It's hopeless! Why doesn't it ever work?!"

Spike watched her for a while, seeing her repeatedly bang her head against the table, before taking a few steps forward. Raising his own hand, he gently placed it upon her shoulder, gaining her attention. When Twilight looked to him, she saw him bear a friendly smile.

"It's still early days, Twilight. I mean, you only learned that spell, what, a week ago? Give it time."

The look on Twilight's face made it clear that she was unconvinced, prompting him to continue.

"Come on, Twilight! You know you're a good mage! Everyone at the school thinks so, remember?"

To that, Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, at essays and studies. But at actually practising it? Ugh!"

Again, her forehead made contact with the table, causing Spike to shake his head at this sight. Under normal circumstances, he might have spoken further to her, but, mere moments later, he was prevented from doing so, as the creak of the door could be heard yet again. Both youths turned, and both gained a look of surprise when they saw who it was. A man, older than them by at least five years, entered the chamber, bearing a mop of somewhat unkempt blue hair, and clad in bright and shining golden armour. This garb was adorned with the emblem of the sun, and as he entered, it glistened in the morning rays that still poured through the chamber window. Before this newcomer had a chance to say anything, however, Twilight leapt from her chair, rushed forward and embraced him in a tight and unexpected hug.

"Shining!"

Although he took a moment to recover from this, Shining quickly broke into a smile, embracing the girl in return.

"Yeah...it's good to see you too, sister."

After a while, the two finally parted from this, and it was here when Shining finally noted Spike's presence. The moment he caught sight of the youth, the golden-clad man stood at attention, giving a slight bow to him.

"My Prince. Greetings."

Spike rolled his eyes at that.

"Seriously? How many times, Shining?"

Standing normally once more, Shining cleared his throat a little before replying to that.

"Apologies. Old habits and all that."

The chuckle Spike let out after that made it clear that no offense was given, and so Shining turned his attention yet again to his sister, who was still smiling eagerly towards him. It was a sentiment reflected in her tone as she finally spoke up.

"So, how's the guard so far?"

Shining smiled back as he answered.

"It's going great, Twily. There's always something to do. A difficult profession, to be sure...but worth it."

A happy squeal escaped the girl, and she reached forward, grabbing hold of her brother's hand and starting to pull him further into her chambers.

"You've got to tell me all about it!"

Unfortunately, her enthusiasm was short-lived, as Shining stood firm where he was, resisting her tugs. This caught her attention immediately, and she turned to him, tilting her head in confusion. A silence followed, and Shining, just for a moment, seemed almost concerned about something. But, in the end, he steeled himself, letting out a sigh before speaking up again.

"Twilight...I'm afraid...I didn't come here just to catch up."

Upon hearing that, Twilight let go of him, looking to him with curiosity, as did Spike. As before, Shining struggled to get his words out, but, when he finally spoke, there was a clear tone of discomfort to him.

"Sister...I've been ordered to escort you. There has been a summons. You are required...at the palace."

Silence fell yet again as Twilight stared at her brother. The way she looked at him made it clear that she was expecting this to be a jest on his part. And yet, as the moments continued, it became all too obvious to her that her brother was being serious about this. Turning, she looked upon Spike, who seemed just as dumbfounded about this as she was, before looking back to Shining.

"The...the palace? But...why?"

Frowning slightly, Shining gave his answer, his voice one of seriousness.

"Twilight...you've been asked for...by the Queen."

The Queen's Chosen

If one were to describe Twilight as being nervous, they'd probably be making the biggest understatement of the century. The poor girl was, at this very moment, struggling to even breathe properly, walking down the long and elaborate halls of the royal palace itself. Not a single word had left her lips since her brother's declaration, and speaking of whom, that very man was there, walking alongside her, as ordered. Spike was there as well, although, given that this was his home, he was somewhat less worried than his friend was. As for Twilight herself, her heavy breathing echoed throughout this place, and she never let her eyes stray beyond the red carpet they walked along. On the rare occasion she did look up, all she saw was more hallways, and the fully-clad soldiers of the royal guard, standing like silent golden statues.

"Don't worry, Twilight," a voice spoke.

Turning, she looked upon Spike, who gave her a friendly smile.

"Maybe it's good news. Why knows? Maybe she wanted to take you on personally or something."

To this, Twilight let out a sigh, shaking her head.

"Be serious, Spike. Everyone knows she doesn't take on apprentices anymore. Not since the last one, anyway."

Spike might have wanted to console her further, but he knew it would have been a losing battle. As for Twilight, she counted the moments, not that this did her any good, feeling her heartbeat increase as she got closer and closer to their destination. But, it wasn't long before she felt something. A warmth upon her shoulder. Turning, she saw her brother, smiling down at her, offering her silent comfort. Needless to say, it did little to remove her fears from her, and yet, she nevertheless welcomed it, returning the smile as she took yet another deep and calming breath. But, as expected, there came a time when they arrived at their goal; an ornate and ancient-looking wooden door, adorned with the symbol of the sun. As expected, two of the guard stood adjacent, both of whom saluted Shining as they approached. Twilight's brother returned the salute, but, as he turned to speak to her, another voice was heard instead.

"Excellent. You're on-time I see."

Turning, all three looked upon a new arrival to this scene. A woman, older than Twilight but not quite as old as Shining, clad in a very sensible business-like garb, coloured with many blacks and dark-blues. Like Twilight, her hair, also purple, was tied up in a bun. However, unlike Twilight, she was currently carrying herself in a far more professional manner, with both hands clasped behind her back and regarding the three carefully, raising an eyebrow as she did so. Shining, clearing his throat, took a step forward before addressing her.

"Miss Rarity. Always a pleasure. How go your duties?"

The woman, Rarity, gave a short nod to that before replying.

"Just the usual, Sir Shining. Reports of gem hunters in the wilds. Riots among the Gryffs. Nothing her Grace isn't used to hearing these days."

Shining regarded her, casting a glance to the nearby door before looking back to the woman.

"Speaking of whom, is her Grace ready to receive us?"

Rarity gave another nod.

"Indeed. So I suggest you not keep her waiting any further. She and my mistress do so hate waiting."

Hearing that, Twilight took a sudden and very nervous-sounding gulp.

"Your mistress? You mean...her...her sister?! Princess Luna is here as well?"

Looking upon the stuttering younger girl, Rarity again gave a nod.

"Correct."

As one would expect, Twilight was becoming a nervous wreck at this point, but, as before, Shining placed a hand upon her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. Twilight appreciated the gesture, but at this point she had long abandoned any hope of going through this ordeal in a calm manner. However, during this sister-brother bonding moment, Spike had elected to walk closer to Rarity, bearing a confident smile and giving a slight bow of his head.

"Lady Rarity. How nice it is to see you again."

The older woman turned to the Prince, regarding him with the kind of smile one wore when doing their best to appear cordial.

"Prince Spike. I hope the day greets you well?"

Spike chuckled to that, raising a hand and scratching the back of his head as he continued.

"All the better, now that you're here."

To her credit, Rarity kept her calm demeanour up well in the face of such obvious flirting. And, fortunately for her, it wasn't something she had to put up with for much longer, as Spike was then distracted by the distinct sound of somebody trying to clear their throat. Turning, the youngster gazed upon Shining, who silently used his head to gesture to Twilight, who was still shaking with nerves. Getting the picture, Spike gave a somewhat apologetic look to the older man before looking to Rarity once more.

"On second thoughts, perhaps we'll catch up later."

Rarity nodded, stepping to one side and gesturing to the door.

"In that case, I shan't keep you."

Twilight looked to her, nodding briefly before looking to Shining, and then to Spike. Both of them tried to offer her looks of reassurance, but it did little to help. Instead, she simply elected to try a few more deep breaths, before mustering up what courage she could. She stepped forward, right for the doors, a move which gave the nearby guards cause to start moving themselves. The each took a door and gave an almighty push, opening it for the approaching youth. With that last barrier between her and her goal now removed, Twilight's eyes widened, as she now looked upon something she never once dreamed she could ever see; the throne room.

As one would expect from the literal seat of power for the realm, it was a magnificent sight to behold. Pristine white columns of marble reaching up to the impossibly high ceiling. Stained glass windows, depicting every major and important event in their history. A red carpet, clean and shining. All these things and more adorned this place, giving off an air of sophistication the likes of which you were not likely to find anywhere else. But, impressive though this place may have been, that was not what held Twilight's focus right now. Instead, her eyes never left that which was at the very end of that massive room. The throne of their people, golden, adorned with many jewels, and, like everything else, with the symbol of the sun carved into many places.

However, it was not longer after seeing this that her attention fell, naturally, to the one sitting upon the chair. A woman, many years her elder, and yet still bearing an almost youthful beauty to her. Her hair a combination of many colours, flowing in the gentle breeze that flowed through this place. Her garb, a long white dress, which was worn alongside many golden ornaments, such as bracelets and a necklace. And upon her head, a crown, which glistened in the sunlight that poured through the many windows here. Queen Celestia. Her monarch, her leader, and the most revered mage in their nation. Needless to say, Twilight was at a loss for words over all of this, which was not something that could be said for the Queen herself.

"Good day to you, Miss Sparkle. I see you received my summons."

Now, Twilight had imagined the voice of her monarch many times over the course of her life. In her mind, she had created this voice of power, of strength. The kind of voice where none would speak against it, simply because of how commanding and forceful it was. And yet, that was not the voice that had just spoken to her. Instead, what she had heard was soft, kind, motherly even. It was not the tone one expected from someone as famously powerful as Celestia. Unfortunately, before the girl had a chance to answer, another voice entered the fray.

"She is punctual. A good sign."

Now this voice was far more akin to what Twilight had imagined. It was direct, with a distinct edge to it, and it wasn't long before the bearer of that voice made herself known. Stepping forth from behind the shadow of the throne, looking upon Twilight with narrowed eyes, was another woman, and one the girl knew in her heart could only have been one person; Princess Luna. She was, in all honesty, a complete contrast to Celestia in virtually all ways one could imagine. Her garb was not a bright white dress, but something that could far more appropriately be called armour, shaded in the same blacks and blues that rarity had been wearing. Azure bracers, greaves, chest-plate and helmet all worked together to create a dangerous image, not helped by the stern look she was giving her right now. But Celestia, seeing Twilight almost shaking, even from this distance, spoke up yet again.

"Be mindful, sister. I doubt the young lady is used to circumstances such as these."

Luna looked to her sister through the corer of her eye, before giving a brief and direct nod. Afterwards, she raised her hand, gesturing to Twilight to come forth. Although the young mage hesitated, she nevertheless did as instructed, though took slow steps to get there. Shining and Spike walked alongside her, as always, and, after a few minutes, all three were at the base of the steps leading up to the throne. Celestia stared at her guest for a while, but, it wasn't long before her gaze fell instead upon the young boy at her side. And here, she broke into a genuine smile.

"And good day to you, my son."

Smiling back, Spike gave a respectful bow.

"Mother."

As he rose, he looked over to Luna.

"Auntie."

Although she briefly rolled her eyes at that title, Luna eventually cracked a smile of her own, nodding back to the youth as she did so. It was not long afterwards when Celestia began to continue.

"I have often wondered of the friend you have spoken of. And even I had not imagined that it would be this meeting when we were finally introduced."

Immediately, Twilight's head snapped in Spike's direction, looking utterly mortified at the notion that her friend had spoken to Celestia of her in the past. Spike, for his part, seemed somewhat embarrassed by this himself, and so turned away, lest he look directly at Twilight. As for Celestia, she took a moment to be slightly amused by this, but, after clearing her throat, gained the attention of the two youths once more.

"Twilight...though I may technically be the head of your school, you and I have never met."

Twilight nodded to this, albeit only briefly.

"Indeed, your Majesty. Though...I do not fault you. You are very busy, I'm sure."

Her tone was genuine, and Celestia smiled in appreciation.

"You are too kind, young one. Though, in truth, I have often lamented that I do not spend enough time in those duties."

Gradually, her smile became a knowing smirk.

"Although, from what I've heard, your teachers are nevertheless impressed with your studies. Some have even informed me that they do not recall ever meeting a student as devoted to her work as you."

A blush formed upon Twilight's cheeks, and she nervously poked her fingers against each other.

"Th...thank you, your Majesty."

Unfortunately, as pleasant as this conversation was, Luna, it seemed, was far from being amused by it, and so leaned closer to her sister, whispering so the young girl could not hear.

"Celestia...this is not why you asked her here."

For just a brief moment, the Queen cast a frown in her younger sister's direction, but, soon afterwards, returned to smiling. After staring at Twilight for some time, she let out a sigh, before speaking up, this time, loud enough so that all in this grand room could hear.

"Leave us."

The response was immediate, as all of the golden guards lining the room gave a salute to their monarch, before moving as one, turning in unison towards the great doors. But there was one among their number who did not act so quickly. Shining, who had been standing beside Twilight this whole time, and now bore a look of hesitancy. Twilight looked to him for a time, but in the end, he too began to walk away. However, he was halted once more by the voice of the Queen.

"Not you, Sir Shining. You, I think, may remain."

Shining was, understandably, surprised at this, but nevertheless gave a bow to his leader, resuming his place beside his sister. This collection remained where they were, never saying a word, and waiting for all of the guards to leave them. After a full minute, this had occurred, and the creaking of the throne room's door gave way to the loud and clear sound of them closing. Now alone from the prying eyes of others, Celestia leaned forward, staring intently at Twilight.

"Tell me, Twilight. Though your days are no doubt filled with learning the intricacies of magic, do you, perhaps, recall the old tales? The stories of yore and the legends of our people?"

Naturally, Twilight was a little taken aback by such a question, looking to her brother for a moment. Unfortunately, he seemed to be just as in-the-dark on this as she was, and so shrugged his shoulders to her. Looking back to Celestia, Twilight adjusted her glasses slightly before, at last, starting to respond.

"Well...yes. I mean, my brother used to tell me those stories all the time when I was little."

Celestia gave a brief nod.

"Indeed? And which stories were these?"

Twilight took a moment to think back on her childhood before answering.

"All sorts. The stories of a nation filled with crystal. Tales of the mad god of chaos. The legends of ancient heroes and heroines. They were some of my favourites when I was younger."

A smile formed on Celestia's face.

"Then tell me...did you ever, perchance, heard of the legend...of the Elements of Harmony?"

A silence fell after the Queen's words, and for whatever reason, Twilight could feel, for lack of a better word, cold. There was something in the air after her leader had spoken that she just couldn't explain. Even so, she had been asked a question, and so endeavoured to answer it. Thinking hard, she spoke softly.

"Well...I don't remember it as much as the other stories, but...I think I could tell you some of it."

Again, Celestia nodded.

"Please...do so."

Clearing her throat, Twilight did as she was asked.

"The story was that, long ago, further back than any other time in the world, there was strife. Light and darkness, struggling for dominion over all. In their need to achieve victory, the forces of light crafted six magical objects. The Elements."

Twilight watched as Celestia looked to her with interest, as indeed did everybody else. While certainly uncomfortable with this kind of attention, she nevertheless did her best to continue under the circumstances.

"A great battle was fought, and, using the Elements, those who followed the light drove the darkness from our world forever."

Here, now that the story had come to an end, Celestia rose from her chair. Twilight, seeing this, took a deep gulp, watching as her monarch took the steps down to meet with her. When she was finally down, barely a few feet away from the girl, the older woman clasped her hands behind her back, looking to her with utter seriousness. It was a feeling reflected in her tone as she finally spoke.

"What if I were to tell you...that the Elements are real?"

As before, a silence fell upon the group, and the three youngers, Twilight, Shining and Spike, all looked to Celestia with dumbfounded expressions. There was shock, surprise, even disbelief. Even Spike could not quite grasp what his Mother had just said here, but like the others, he too said nothing. As for Twilight, she was, naturally, having a difficult time just thinking of what it was she wanted to say. But, in the end, she said perhaps the only thing one could say in her position.

"Your...your Majesty? I...I'm not quite sure how to say this, but...are you being serious?"

To this, Celestia narrowed her eyes somewhat.

"Are you suggesting I would lie about something like this?"

Realising what her remark must have sounded like, Twilight immediately slapped her hands over her mouth, dropping to both knees and looking down at the ground, averting her gaze from her leader.

"I'm sorry! I...I don't know what came over me! I swear, I didn't mean to...!"

But, she was halted form this, strangely, by the sound of laughter. Slowly, she looked up, and saw that Celestia was indeed letting out a hearty laugh, much to the confusion of both her and her companions. Luna stood nearby, remaining just as stoic and serious as ever, but Celestia, after finally letting her laugh run it's course, gestured for Twilight to stand. The girl hesitated, but only for a moment, and after getting to her feet, waited for her leader to speak. She did not have to wait long.

"Forgive my words, Miss Sparkle. In truth, I'd have been disappointed if you'd accepted my declaration that easily."

However, moments later, her expression became stern once more.

"But I meant what I said. The Elements are real."

Hearing this, Twilight turned to Shining, then to Spike, before gazing yet again to Celestia.

"They...they are?"

Celestia nodded.

"Indeed. Though, as you might expect, it is not knowledge we typically broadcast to the world. The existence of these artefacts has been a closely guarded secret of my family for a long time."

The moment Twilight heard that, one question above all entered her mind.

"But...if that's true, then...why tell me about it?"

Celestia paused, and for just a second, Twilight could have sworn that she saw hesitancy within those older eyes. In these moments of silence, Celestia looked over her shoulder, right to Luna. The younger royal looked back to her, giving a brief nod, causing Celestia to sigh before returning her gaze to Twilight.

"Because, Twilight...it is my wish that you go forth into the world...and find them."

The silence that followed those words was so intense that not even their own breathing could be heard. Like she had done so many times today, Twilight stared at her monarch, expecting, and perhaps even hoping, that this was all some elaborate joke being pulled on her. However, in time, it dawned on her that, sadly, there was no such fortune for her. Celestia was looking to her with utter seriousness. She had meant every word of it. She had meant it. And that, perhaps more than anything else she had heard today, struck her deep. Her breathing was heavy at this point, but the Queen, to her credit, gave the youth all the time she needed to get her thoughts in order. When Twilight finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"You...you want me...to find them?"

Celestia nodded.

"I do. I understand that this is a shock to you. And believe me when I say that this is not an easy choice to make. But even so...this is a task that needs to be undertaken. And I have selected you to do it."

To say that the younger people in this room were struck with confusion would have been a great understatement, as they all looked to one another, hoping that they might have some help to offer. Unfortunately, there was none to be had. However, after another brief round of silence, it was Shining who now stepped forward and spoke.

"Your Majesty. If I may?"

Celestia regarded him for a moment before giving a brief nod, granting silent permission for him to continue. Nodding his head, Shining carried on.

"Your Grace, if it is indeed your intention to send my sister on a dangerous mission such as this, I humbly ask that I be sent alongside her."

Looking to him, Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"You, Sir Shining?"

Shining nodded.

"Yes. I mean no disrespect to Twilight..."

Turning, he looked upon the girl in question with genuine concern in his eyes.

"...but she has never ventured beyond the walls of our city before. She knows little of what to expect out there. And, if I may speak on a more personal note...by her own admission, her skills in magic are far from complete. Were she to encounter difficulties, I am not confident she would be able to defend herself."

Hearing all of this, Twilight looked to her brother. Though she may be loathe to admit it in this place, he was right. Her skills were lesser than many of her colleagues, and she herself had made comment on it many times by now. But, while it somewhat irked her to hear of her brother speaking this way, she knew, in her heart, that he was doing it out of love and concern for her. And for that, she could not begrudge him. So, slowly, she offered him a small smile. However, this moment as short-lived, as Celestia's voice could then be heard cutting through the silence.

"I'm afraid I must decline your request."

Both Twilight and Shining turned in her direction, with the latter especially being taken aback by this.

"Your Grace?"

Celestia let out a sigh before starting to explain herself.

"I appreciate your reasons for asking. Believe me, if it were my younger sibling, I would ask no less."

Luna rolled her eyes behind her sister, but stayed silent as the latter carried on.

"But you must understand...this is something she must do without you. Her guardian you may be...but you cannot be there for this."

Shining stared at her for some time after this, and, ever so gradually, started to narrow his eyes. Twilight, naturally, started to become worried about how her brother might react to this, and her fears were about to become justified as she saw him start to move forward. With lightning-fast reactions, she held up her hand, barring his path, causing him to look at her. In this moment, brother and sister looked to one another, right into each other's eyes. No words were spoken, and yet, there was an understanding there. Shining's expression softened, though it was clear that he was still unhappy about this. Letting out a sigh, he gave his sister a nod, causing Twilight to offer him another smile. But, moments later, she looked to Celestia with a concerned look of her own.

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but my brother was right about one thing. I have no experience in this kind of task. I've never gone too far from home before. So why choose me above a soldier, an experienced mage, or...or...anyone?"

Celestia regarded the young girl, seeing her look to her with expectancy. The monarch, for a few seconds, appeared deep in thought, perhaps considering how best to word this. But, in the end, when she spoke, she did so in that same motherly tone of hers.

"Twilight...do you trust me?"

As one would expect, Twilight was a little confused by such words, and yet, she nevertheless answered.

"Well...of course. You're our leader. Our protector. The one who..."

But, she was prevented from saying anything else when Celestia raised her hand.

"No, Twilight. I am not asking if you revere me. That much is obvious. I'm asking...if you trust me."

Twilight stopped, looking right into the eyes of her leader. Here before her was a woman she had often hoped of meeting, and yet knew very little about her personally. She had heard of the great deeds she had accomplished, how wise and respected she was, yet as a person, Celestia was always a mystery to her. Now, here, in this place, she looked into those older eyes, seeing nothing but honesty there. Whatever the reason, whatever the thinking that had caused the Queen to choose her, it was a genuine one. Twilight knew this, even though she could not understand why. Slowly, the girl gave a nod, exhaling deeply as she did so.

"Yes...I do trust you."

To this, Celestia smiled in a warm manner.

"Then trust me when I say...it must be you."

But, moments later, her expression became serious once more.

"So, Twilight Sparkle. Will you undertake the quest for the Elements of Harmony?"

Again, the girl paused, and in this silence, she turned to her brother, who, as before, looked to her with concern and worry. She then turned to Spike, who had been quiet throughout much of this meeting. He too seemed worried about her, for which she was immensely grateful. Then, she looked forward, casting a brief glance to Princess Luna, who, as always, looked to her with scepticism. And finally, she looked back to Celestia. A great weight was felt on her heart in this moment, for she knew how important a task was being given to her. It was an opportunity, and a danger. A chance to do something perhaps more worthwhile than anything she had ever considered doing in her life. And so, when she looked into herself, thinking on everything that had been said to her, she knew what her answer would be.

"Yes...I will try to find them."

The moment Twilight's words has been spoken, Celestia's smile returned, and she gently placed her hand upon the girl's shoulder.

"I am glad to hear it. Know this, Twilight. Your journey will begin on the morrow, when the sun first rises above the horizon. When that happens, you will leave the city, and journey west for a day. When that day comes to an end...you will know the next step."

The words were cryptic, that much was certain, and yet, Twilight did not question her leader. Instead, she gave a nod, which was returned by Celestia soon afterwards. Moments after, the youth looked to the Queen, seeing her gesture with her hand, a silent permission that she had been given leave to go. Realising this, Twilight gave a deep bow, taking a few steps backwards as she did so. When she was far enough away, she stood tall once more, spinning around and making her way back to the great doors of the throne room. Never did she look back, and yet she could hear the footsteps of her companions following her as she walked, right to the doors. Once there, she found that they were opening to her approach, with the guards still on the other side. After leaving the room, and finally hearing it close behind her, she looked to her brother, her expression still one of shock.

"Well...um...I suppose...I had better start packing."

First Step

As per usual, the city of Canterlot had enjoyed another peaceful and uneventful night, with only the lights of the night watch there to illuminate the place. But, as with all nights, it eventually came to an end, and the dim glow of the sun could be seen rising near the horizon. Soon, dawn would break, and the people of the city would awaken, ready to carry on their days, like every day before them. But, at the very front of that city, just beyond the massive gates leading out of the metropolis, was Twilight. As asked of her, she was waiting for that sunrise, and had prepared herself for the long journey that was ahead of her. Gone were the brown acolyte robes that she had worn before, and instead, her garb was that of a short purple dress, covered mostly by a large blue robe.

The girl stared out at the sky, occasionally turning her head to the right to see the sun still slowly about to rise. In the end, she let out a sigh, raising her hand and rubbing her temples.

"What am I going to do?" she asked.

"Well, you could say goodbye, for one thing."

A smile crept onto the girl's face with the arrival of the second voice, and she spun around. Sure enough, it was Shining, smiling to her as he walked down the street to greet her. For a moment, Twilight stepped once more within the boundaries of the city, stopping just short of her brother. The man lifted his hand, wherein Twilight saw he was carrying a brown backpack.

"I think you forgot this."

A blush formed on Twilight's cheeks, but she nevertheless accepted her brother's gift in an appreciative manner, smiling to him as she slipped it on. However, it wasn't long before her sibling started to look to her with worry, casting a glance to the world beyond before looking right back at her.

"I...I wish you didn't have to do this."

Twilight's smile faded, and she gave a short nod.

"I know. But...you and I both know how important this is."

A sigh escaped her brother after hearing that.

"I do. Still...I'd feel a lot better if I was coming with you."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to be prevented from doing so when yet another voice began to speak out.

"Well, you're in luck, Shining. Because she won't be going alone."

Both siblings turned, and here, they gained a similar look of surprise, seeing that there, walking towards them, was Spike. He was dressed as he usually was, with the exception that, like Twilight, he too was carrying a backpack upon himself. Although at first confused by this, Twilight's eyes widened with shock, as realisation now dawned upon her.

"No, Spike! You can't!"

But the Prince, it seemed, was unconcerned with this.

"Pardon me, Twilight, but I seem to recall that Mother's wish was that Shining not accompany you. She never said anything about someone else coming along."

Twilight looked like she was, naturally, about to dispute that point, but was halted a second time when Spike continued.

"Besides...you look me in the eye right now and tell me that you think you'll be perfectly fine out there all by yourself."

At this, Shining turned to his sister, curious to see what her reaction would be. As for the girl herself, she looked like she was desperately trying to think of some answer to give her best friend, opening and closing her mouth in several false starts as she did so. But, in the end, she simply let her shoulders slump in a clear sign of defeat, much to Spike's glee.

"Thought so."

Spinning around, Twilight let out a grunt of annoyance.

"Ugh! The Queen's gonna kill me for this!"

To that, Shining folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What about me? Unlike you, I'm actually going to be here when she find out about this!"

Twilight turned to look upon her brother, followed shortly by her casting a look in Spike's direction. A silence fell between the three youths, during which they simply stared at one another. Then, at the end of it all, Twilight, in spite of just how serious a predicament she was in, started to giggle. It started quiet at first, but then got louder as time went on. And she was not alone in this either, as both Spike and Shining started to join in. It was, needless to say, a welcome reprieve from the stress Twilight had been going through recently, and when her laughter died down, she took a moment to wipe a tear away from her eye. However, as she regained focus, her smile faded once more.

"It's time."

Seeing the serious look on her face, both Spike and Shining turned to see what she was looking at. It was the sun, now having finally broken above the horizon. The stated time had come, and her journey had begun. Knowing this, Twilight shut her eyes tightly, and, before her brother could react, she leapt forward, embracing him in a tight hug. Shining, for his part, bore a soft look on his face, returning the embrace. The two siblings stayed together like this for some time, never saying a word, all while Spike gave them their moment. In the end though, they finally parted, and Twilight looked up to her brother, bearing a small smile.

"Goodbye, brother."

Shining returned the smile.

"Goodbye, sister."

Twilight kept her eyes upon him for as long as she could, before letting out a sigh, turning and facing the gates yet again. She paused for just a moment, letting the weight of her task wash over her. But, in the end, she steeled herself, and though she had never done so before, took that first step beyond her hometown.

Though it was far higher than any other point in the city, the balcony atop the royal tower was not as windy as one might expect. There was a breeze, to be sure, but it was gentle and warm. Celestia was there, as ornately-garbed as ever, standing at the edge of that balcony, looking out upon her beloved city. Her eyes drifted from the rising sun in the East, to the front gates. Even from this distance, she could see them. Two figures walking beyond the outermost walls, out onto the roads leading beyond their city. A sigh escaped her upon seeing this, but she said nothing, at least, not until she heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching her from behind.

"Good morning, Luna."

Sure enough, Princess Luna walked alongside her, staring out as she did. For a time, there was nothing but silence between the two sisters, but, after a few minutes of this, Luna broke it.

"So...it has begun."

Celestia nodded.

"Indeed. It is a risk, I know...but one that needs to be taken."

Luna nodded back, but, for a moment, seemed hesitant about something. She mentally wrestled with herself for a time, only to look right at Celestia as she spoke.

"Your boy has gone with her."

Celestia's face was a stoic one as she replied.

"I know."

To this, Luna was taken aback.

"You know?!"

Hearing the surprise in her sister's voice, Celestia turned to face her.

"Spike is of age now, Luna. Old enough to make his own decisions. Besides..."

A sly smirk crept onto her face as she continued.

"...you and I both know that, even if I did forbid him from going...he'd have found some way to go anyway."

Luna considered that for a time, before letting out a deep sigh and nodding.

"True enough."

As before, the two sisters looked out from their balcony, seeing the two figures walk further and further away from the city walls. The mood turned ever more serious as time went on, which was reflected in Celestia's tone of voice when she finally started speaking again.

"You are certain, Luna?"

The Princess nodded.

"I am. Though I wish it were not so."

Celestia's eyes shut tightly.

"Unfortunate. I had hoped such a day would not occur within our lifetime...but if that day has indeed arrived...then we have no choice but to see this quest done."

Looking to her sister, Luna narrowed her eyes somewhat.

"I stand by what I said, sister. You should have told her."

To this, Celestia shook her head.

"If I had...then she would have been doing this for the wrong reasons."

Luna looked away, relenting that point, though seeming no less satisfied about it.

"An inexperienced youth, sent out to venture into a world she knows nothing of. Tasked with finding artefacts the world thought lost. And all to..."

She didn't finish, and instead took on a look of great discomfort. Celestia noted this, allowing her own face to soften considerably. She reached out, placing her hand upon her sister's shoulder, gaining her attention. There was a moment of understanding between the siblings, and while Luna looked no happier about all of this than Celestia was, she seemed to have at least come to some kind of acceptance about it, giving a brief nod as she looked away once more. As for Celestia, her smile faded as she too looked to the horizon, her face one of worry as, at long last, Twilight and Spike passed too far to be seen.

"...May the light protect us all."

Awakening

Far from the walls of Canterlot, far from the eyes of many peoples, far from even the barest hint of civilisation, there was a forest. Old, and teeming with many wild animals, this was a dangerous place. The early morning saw that ancient woodland filled with a dense fog, obscuring the sight of any who would have wondered within it's boundaries. But, right at the heart of that great expanse of trees, there was a structure. It's crumbling walls and ruined towers made it very clear that, whatever this place might have been in another lifetime, those days were gone. This was a ruin, shattered and broken to any who would have gazed upon it. Vines and weeds had seeped in over the ages, claiming it and making it as much a part of the forest as the surrounding trees. Truly, this was a forgotten place.

However, that did not mean it was completely abandoned. For within it's walls, in an old and empty hallway, there were three men. They were a savage-looking sort, clad in many animal furs. One was of fairly average build, the second was far shorter, and the third was a great brute of a man. As the fog of the early morning seeped in, these three, who were sitting around a small campfire, started to shiver. The largest of them looked to the middle-sized man, bearing a look of annoyance as he did so.

"Why in the world did we ever come to this forsaken place, Rover?"

The other man, Rover, looked back to him, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't blame me for this, Fido! How was I supposed to know there'd be nothin here? An old, forgotten castle, not touched for ages. There was bound to be some treasure here!"

The third man, the shortest, let out a dry chuckle at that.

"Treasure? Ha! Ain't no treasure here, brother. No treasure at all!"

Rover turned to him and growled slightly.

"We'll find somethin somewhere else then, Spot! Don't go on complainin!"

But complaining certainly seemed to be the order of the day, as Fido reached into his pocket, pulling out a very unappetizing piece of bread, and holding it in an accusing manner towards his brother.

"At least let us go out and find some real food! We ain't had nothin but maggoty bread for three stinkin days!"

To this, Rover let out a grunt of annoyance before throwing another small stick onto the fire.

"Ugh! Fine! We'll go out and find a rabbit or somethin. But no promises, ya hear?"

Fido continued to grumble at that, but contented himself with that declaration for the time being. A silence fell over the three for a time, during which they continued to shiver, even in spite of being so close to their fire. Then, just for a moment, a gust of wind blew through that ancient hall, causing all of them to turn in the direction it had come from.

"Huh...strange," Rover commented.

The other two nodded, but were unable to say anything, as they were all suddenly jarred from their sitting positions by a brief, yet violent tremor. None of them had expected it, yet they were all thrown to the ground from it. Scrambling to their feet, they looked to one another, bearing fearful expressions. They said nothing, but stayed exactly where they were, as if expecting another. Their suspicions were soon confirmed, as yet another tremor occurred, this time just bringing them to their knees. As they started to pant with concern, they noted that there, on the stone ground beneath them, there was a crack that had not been there before.

"What the...?" Fido remarked.

However, like before, his words were halted when another shock to the ground caught them off-guard. This one widened the crack beneath them, causing them to suddenly feel like they should start moving away. But they couldn't, for another tremor arrived, then another, and another. On an on it went, causing many of the already-crumbled walls around them to keep on falling down. For safely, the three men grouped together, but all kept their eyes on that crack, as if instinct alone told them to do so. Then, to the surprise of all of them, the shaking stopped. At first, they looked to each other with a sense of relief, even to the point of smiling, Unfortunately, those smiles were short lived.

"What...what is...where...?"

The expressions of the three men became ones of horror. That voice was unfamiliar, and yet, it had been the manner in which they'd heard it which terrified them most. It was as if the words had been whispered into their very minds, rather than through their ears. Needless to say, they were more than a little worried about this, and started to look around.

"Um...hello?" Spot asked.

His words were answered, though not in the way he and his brothers might have expected. The moment his utterance had been heard, the great crack on the floor finally burst forth. But, what emerged from it's depths was not something any of them could readily recognise. It was as if mist and shadow were one, and poured forth from the ground like a geyser, spreading all around them in a nightmarish display. None of them dared move while this occurred, and so they remained still, watching as this creeping darkness continued to surround them. Then, when the emergence of this force at last seemed to have halted, it happened again. The voice.

"Long...long...long has been the sleep. What is the world now? How...why...why now?"

They were the words and ramblings of a madman, confused by all around him, and so, as one might expect, the three brothers were less than eager to respond to it. So, they simply let that voice carry on in it's madness.

"Something...something stirs. Something has begun. A first step, taken. The light...the light of yore. It cannot be...and yet...it is."

A silence fell, but only briefly, as the voice spoke up once more.

"...The Elements."

Needless to say, the three brothers cast nervous glances at one another, and before long, they started to slowly inch themselves backwards, hoping to get away from whatever this thing was. Unfortunately, fate, it seemed, had other things in store for them, as this imposing voice addressed them once more.

"You!"

The brothers stopped, quaking in their boots.

"Y...y...yes?" Rover asked.

"Be thee of the dark...or the light?"

Rover, understandably, looked like he had no idea what was going on, and so simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I...I don't know."

A silence fell, but it was a short one.

"Hmmm...brutish...simple...undisciplined."

The voice sounded, for lack of a better word, disappointed, and yet, in time, it started to speak with more interest in it's tone.

"And yet...you may serve."

The brothers looked to each other, still bearing concerned expressions. The voice had, to their dismay, started to sound like that of someone who was taking a very unhealthy interest in something. And yet, their fear persisted, preventing them from trying to move away at this point. Rover, looking to his brothers, cast them a glance before turning yet again to the darkness.

"Um...serve?"

"Yes...you will serve. You will obey."

To this, Rover took an action that he knew full well would be a mistake on his part; he spoke out.

"And...if we don't?"

The response to that question was immediate, and regretted, as each of the brothers started to find themselves surrounded by the dark fog that had covered so much of this place. They felt it glow closer to them, like a fist balling close, and it wasn't long before they started to feel the strain of it. Tighter and tighter the darkness gripped them, until, eventually, it reached a point where it felt like it was going to crush them entirely. Rover, feeling the breath being squeezed from his lungs, gasped out.

"Al...alright! We'll serve!"

At that, the darkness relented, releasing them, which, naturally, caused them to collapse to the ground. After taking a moment to catch their breaths, they looked up as this unknown force spoke yet again.

"Then go...do my will. Find that which I seek. Find...her."

The brothers, of course, seemed more than a little confused by this.

"Er...her?" Spot asked.

Once more, the darkness started to convulse, and the brothers shied away form it. Fortunately for them, this was not an attack, but something else entirely. The shadows around them began to condense, concentrate into a single mass in front of them, twisting and reshaping with every instant. Then, in the midst of it all, the brothers would see that there, right in the centre of that darkness, was a face. Sculpted from the darkness, the face was crude, and yet, there was still just enough details for them to get a good idea of the face. It was a girl, younger than all of them, with hair worn in a tight bun, and glasses upon her eyes. None of them recognised her, but neither did they dare speak of it. Instead, they stayed quiet as the face vanished within that dark ether.

"Go forth...find her...bring her!"

Seeing an out at long last, the three men immediately got to their feet, scrambling to get away as fast as they could. The shadows, for their part, let this happen, and when the brothers were at last gone, only IT remained within this place. It stayed there, twisting as always, until, in the end, it started to form yet another shape. This time, it was not face, but a hand, which very quickly balled into a tight fist.

"Come to me...bearer."

Doubts

A warm glow was bathing many of the trees along the old and hobbled roads, with the sun setting beyond the far-away hills. All around, there was the start of the usual sounds of the night, from owls hooting to the chirping of crickets. In a secluded spot, away from the worn paths, Twilight was sitting on a small stone. Her face was that of concentration, and she looked to the pile of twigs that lay before her. Even in the failing light, she never let her gaze stray from it. Not even when Spike returned to her, carrying a handful of further wood, did she ever look up to him. As for the Prince, he raised an eyebrow at this display, watching as his friend began to raise her hand towards the static twigs on the ground. Here, he put on a smile, knowing full well where this was going.

And his instincts soon proved to be correct, as Twilight's hand soon began to glow with that magical aura of hers. Beads of sweat fell down her brow, and her breathing became heavier. A spell was her goal, and the twigs were her target, as evidenced when they too began to glow. Moments passed, but, at the end of it all, the glow faded, leaving Twilight both exhausted and disappointed. Spike, for a time, watching as his friend stared at her failure of a spell, looking down to the ground with sadness in her eyes. Letting out a sigh, he walked closer, dropping his own twigs onto the established pile, which gained her attention.

"Watch yourself," he said.

Although confused at first, Twilight soon understood what was going on, and began to scoot back a bit. Spike, for a moment, simply stared at the wood, before then closing his eyes. He took in a deep breath, then another, and another, before placing one foot behind the other. He drew one hand back, balling it into a fist, before thrusting the air in front of him, as if to punch something. The effect was immediate, as a sudden burst of green flames shot forth from his hand, aimed straight at the twigs. Although taken aback at this, Twilight watched with interest as the wood caught fire immediately. However, it wasn't long before the green of Spike's fire soon became the traditional orange she was used to. As she stared at this new campfire for a while, Spike took a seat on a similar stone nearby, and it was here that he finally heard her speak.

"I will always be amazed at that, Spike. The way your magic works."

But Spike simply shook his head.

"I keep telling you, Twilight. It's not magic. It's just...just..."

After failing to get his thoughts in order, the young Prince let out a chuckle.

"You know what? I don't even know what to call it. Even after all this time. It's not magic...but it's mine."

Twilight's expression became a blank one for a moment, as she once more looked to the fire close by. Spike watched her as she did this, and knew well from experience when she was deep in thought about something. Minute after minute passed, and still, there was nothing but silence between the two youths. While this persisted, Twilight took a moment to take her glasses off, before rummaging around in the pockets of her robes before pulling out a handkerchief. She used the cloth to clean her two lenses, before once more placing it upon her face. After sitting quietly for another couple of minutes, she let out a sigh of her own.

"Spike...what am I doing out here?"

The Prince looked to her, but said nothing as she continued.

"I mean...I know your Mother chose me, and I'm willing to do what she wants, but..."

Clenching her fists upon her knees, Twilight looked down to the ground.

"...why me?"

Spike considered that, though spoke as if he was just as much at a loss on this as she was.

"I can't say. I mean, no disrespect to Mother...but she's always seemed to know more than she's letting on, even to me."

Looking to his friend, Spike's face softened.

"Whatever we may think... I'm sure she had her reasons."

At this, Twilight looked to him with a frown.

"But what reason could there possibly be for me to be her choice? You know how bad I am at casting spells. A quest like this needs someone...someone who actually know what they're doing! And I...I don't!"

Hearing that, Spike let out a chuckle.

"Neither do I."

A dark glance from Twilight soon shut the Prince up, and he looked away in a nervous manner. As for Twilight, her look was one of sadness once more, as she rubbed her temples in a clear sign of stress.

"I...I can't do this, Spike."

Looking to her, Spike took on a look of concern.

"What?"

Twilight turned to him again.

"I can't do this! The Queen has given me such an important task, and I...I just don't think I can do it!"

Standing up from her chair, Twilight let out a pained grunt.

"Ugh! Why is this happening?! Why me?! Why did I ever say yes to this?!"

Needless to say, Spike was at a loss on how to help her. However, after giving her all the time and space she needed, he watched as she sat back down again. Here, he let out a sigh, standing up from his own stone before moving over to her, wherein he sat next to her.

"Twilight...I'll be the first to admit that you're not exactly a professional adventurer. You're not the best at magic and, frankly, sending you out for something like this as your first experience of outside life probably wasn't the best choice my Mother could've made."

Looking to him, Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to assume that the comforting part of this speech is on it's way."

A chuckle escaped Spike before he continued.

"I know it may look like you have everything going against you right now. I know it probably looks like you're the poorest choice to go out and find these things. But..."

Turning to her, the young Prince smiled.

"...remember...my Mother chose you. Celestia, the Queen. The wise leader who has led us through thick and thin. If she thinks you an do this...then I believe her."

Twilight sat there, looking more than a little taken aback by her friend's words. But, like with his Mother, she saw nothing but honesty in his eyes. It took a while, but eventually, she let out a deep exhale, after which, she afforded him a small smile.

"Thank you, Spike. I...I guess I needed to just vent a little."

Nodding back to her, the Prince gently placed his hand upon her shoulder. However, soon after, her smile faded as she looked once more to the fire.

"But it still doesn't do us any good. We've followed Celestia's instructions to the letter, to no avail. Journey west for a day. Well...we've done that, and all we've found is an empty spot by a road."

Spike let out a sigh, nodding in agreement. But, it wasn't long afterwards when, yet again, Twilight stood up from her stone, much to Spike's surprise.

"Wait...what's that?" she said.

Spike, though still surprised, looked ahead to where his friend's eyes were pointing, though he squinted his own to do so.

"Um...what?" he asked.

Twilight looked down to him for a moment before looking forward again, raising her hand and pointing.

"There! I think...is it? Yes! It's a light!"

Spike's eyes widened at that, as he too now stood up.

"Really?!"

He squinted yet again, and this time, sure enough, he saw that his friend had the right of it. There was indeed a light, though a small one, far away from their current position. What it was, he couldn't say, but he had little chance to think on the matter, as Twilight immediately started running forwards, much to his shock.

"Twilight!" he called out.

But the girl was already off, smiling widely as she kept her eyes upon that distant light.

"This is it, Spike! I know it! I don't know what we'll find there...but this is it!"

Seeing her run off, Spike let his shoulders slump in defeat, after which he cracked a small smile before starting to run off after her.

"Well...at least she's got her enthusiasm back."

The Tavern Scene

Now, when Twilight first saw that light in the distance, her mind, naturally, conjured up all sorts of ideas as to what it might have been. This was, after all, the exact place that Celestia herself told her to go, so of course it should be special. Foremost in her mind was the image of some wise old hermit, living meanly in the wilds, or perhaps the abode of some famous mage. What she had not been expecting, however, was a tavern. Built of stone and timber, this place, dubbed "The Corner Ale", according to the sign that hung above the front door, certainly looked cosy enough, even if such a place wasn't usually on Twilight's list of go-to locations. And speaking of whom, the young girl simply stood outside of it, staring at it intently, all while Spike, having finally caught up with her, stood by her side, as always.

"Well...at least it's something," he remarked.

But, before Twilight had a chance to respond to that, the doors of the tavern flung open, and one of it's patrons, an older man, began to stumble out of it. Twilight and Spike took an instinctive step backwards as he approached, but it soon became clear to the youths that this fellow was already well beyond any assistance from them at this point, as evidence by the idiotic grin he gave.

"Are...are you my Mommy?" he asked drunkenly.

And just like that, he collapsed, face-first, right into the ground. Needless to say, Twilight and Spike were rather taken aback by this unexpected turn their journey had thrown at them. Even so, they both knew without saying that this was, at the end of the day, the only place within miles that they had come across with any people in it. They did not speak to one another, but, one look at Twilight's face made it clear to Spike that she intended to go in there, leading to a long sigh on his part. Twilight, in the meantime, took a few calming breaths, before finally taking a few steps forward. Raising her hand, she pushed the door of the tavern open, and finally stepped inside, with Spike following her as usual.

The interior of the place was about as busy as one could expect. Men and women from all over the kingdom seemed to have gathered here, from a few rough-looking mercenaries sitting in the corner, to some prospective adventurers at the bar itself. The tavern was awash with the loud chatter of a hundred different people, and Twilight and Spike could barely hear themselves think because of it. Still, they entered in earnest, making their way past several other patrons to get to a small table in a relatively quiet corner. Sitting down, they continued to look around the place, Twilight growing ever more concerned as she did so.

"I...I was not expecting to come to a place like this."

Spike nodded, though tried putting on a smile for her sake.

"Well, at least the place has some...er...character."

"That's one way to put it."

The arrival of the second voice caught both youths off-guard, and their heads spun in the direction of the one who had spoken. There, standing beside their table, was a girl a few years older than Twilight, who was wearing what could accurately be described as a tasteful tavern girl outfit, mostly light-blue in colour. However, this stood in stark contrast to her hair, perfectly straight, which was a dark shade of pink and stopped just past her shoulders. She smiled to both of them, and yet, there was something about that smile that the two couldn't quite put their fingers on. Had they been asked to describe this girl, the term they'd have come up with would be "happy, yet tired-looking". As for the mystery girl herself, she placed a hand on her hip, keeping up her smile as she looked from one to the other.

"You're both new here, aren't you?"

Although hesitant at first, Twilight soon nodded to that, eliciting a brief giggle from the girl.

"Nice to meet ya. Name's Pinkie. So...what can I get ya?"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to suddenly gain a look of realisation. Swiftly, she leaned in closer to Spike.

"Do you have any money with you?"

To that, Spike looked to her with widened eyes.

"What?! No! You know Mother never lets me near any gold!"

Looking somewhat embarrassed that she had failed to remember such a fact, Twilight slapped her hand against her forehead, all while Pinkie looked on with amusement. The tavern girl waited patiently for her newest customer to get her thoughts in order, and when Twilight finally did speak, it was with a somewhat nervous tone to her.

"Um...I don't suppose there's any free drinks here...is there?"

Now, in most cases, one would expect that somebody working in a tavern would be rather upset or offended by such a question. But this did not seem to be the case with Pinkie, who simply kept that same smile as she answered.

"Two glasses of water it is."

And with that, she was off, heading straight for the bar, no doubt to get their drinks. As for Twilight and Spike, they stayed sitting, watching all of the other customers in silence. A few times, it looked as if there was going to be some kind of dispute or even brawl about to occur, much to Spike's amusement, but with each case, all it took was Pinkie clearing her throat to gain the attention of the customers in question, at which point any chance of a fight soon disappeared. Naturally, Twilight was intrigued by this, but was unable to question it, as Spike then leaned in to speak with her.

"So...what do we do?"

To that, Twilight let out a sigh.

"I...I don't know, Spike. This is the only place we've seen all day. I was hoping there'd be some clue, some sign of where we're supposed to go, but..."

She didn't finish, but then, she didn't need to. Spike already saw the disappointment in her face, and was, in turn, feeling quite down himself. However, before either of them had an opportunity to do anything about this situation, Pinkie returned to them, and, as promised, was carrying two glasses of water. After placing them at their table, she brushed aside a few strands of pink hair from her face before speaking up.

"You just let Auntie Pinkie know if there's anything else ya need, okay?"

Spike and Twilight nodded to that, and in response, Pinkie was about to turn and leave them. However, before she did so, Spike's eyes widened, and he spoke up.

"Wait!"

Both Pinkie and Twilight were taken aback by this outburst, causing Spike to look a little embarrassed. But, after clearing his throat, he spoke to the tavern girl.

"I...I don't suppose you know about any really important...um...magical stuff around here, do you?"

Twilight, eager to hear an answer to such a question, turned to Pinkie also, just in time to hear the latter let out a hearty laugh.

"Magic? Here? Kid, the only stuff around here even close to magical is when people actually remember to pay me my tips."

Needless to say, the other two looked disheartened by this, looking down at their as-yet un-drunk glasses of water. Pinkie noted this immediately and, for a moment, her smile faltered. She appeared deep in thought for a moment, and then, as before, her smile returned in it's fullest, and she reached forward, placing one hand upon the shoulder of both youths, gaining their attention.

"Tell ya what. We've got a spare room upstairs that's just gathering dust right now. If you're on your way somewhere important, you can always stay there for the night."

Looking to her, Twilight gained an appreciative smile.

"That's...that's very kind of you."

To that, Pinkie let out a brief scoff.

"Pfft! It's nothing! Just being a good host."

Twilight continued to smile at that, resulting in a nod on Pinkie's part, after which she started to move away once more, ready to deal with her other customers. As time went on, and the night truly began in earnest, the patrons began to thin, as indeed did the water in Twilight's glass. As things became quieter and quieter, however, she continued to look less than enthusiastic about their situation, something which Spike did not fail to notice about her. Sighing, he reached forward, gently placing his hand upon hers, causing her to look up at him.

"Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure things will be better in the morning."

Even in spite of everything that had happened, and the lack of any real success thus far, Twilight couldn't help but smile at her friend's attempts at comforting her.

"I hope so, Spike. I truly do."

Sweet Dreams

The moment Twilight opened her eyes, she knew something was off. Gone was the small room she and Spike had gone to at the tavern, and so was Spike himself for that matter. No, all around her, Twilight saw nothing but darkness, and eerie purple mist seeping both above and beyond. This was no normal place, and finding herself here was, as one would expect, somewhat unnerving. But, rather than simply panic, she elected to start walking around, looking left and right as she did so. But, no matter how far she walked, or where she looked, it was all the same thing everywhere. Needless to say, this was starting to get to her, and fear slowly crept into her heart, to the point where, at long last, she finally started to speak up, albeit in a hushed and timid voice.

"He...hello?"

No voice was heard to answer her, only the silence that had persisted since she first arrived in this place. Taking a gulp, Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, only to halt herself when, in the midst of it all, she finally heard a sound. It was the distinct sound of footsteps. Someone, or, dare she say it, something, was coming towards her. Realising this, she spun around, and here, she immediately caught sight of something. A figure, veiled in the shadows that surrounded her, far in the distance, approaching her with intent, and the footsteps growing louder with every moment. Instinctively, Twilight took a fearful step backwards, once more calling out.

"Hel...hello? Is...is somebody there?"

The figure drew closer and closer, and the poor girl began to shake out of pure nervousness. Eventually, she found herself frozen in place, unable to move or speak, lest something worse happen to her. In time, the figure drew so close, that Twilight was driven into such a state of panic that she shut her eyes tightly, too afraid to even look at it. Then, as she waited, the footsteps stopped, and the silence returned once more. She waited with baited breath for something to happen, but, when that something finally occurred, it was not what she had been expecting.

"Open your eyes, Twilight Sparkle. There is nothing to fear here."

The voice was commanding, and yet, to Twilight, also familiar. Slowly, she did as she was told, cracking open one eye and gazing upon the figure before her. There, standing tall and proud, clad in her distinct blue and black armour, was none other than Princess Luna. Realising who it was, Twilight opened her other eye, and looked on at the Princess with awe. Then, realisation soon crossed her face, and she bent the knee, looking down at the ground before speaking in a deferent tone.

"Princess!. I...I was not expecting you."

Luna nodded, and then, without saying a word, gestured to Twilight to stand. The young girl gave a silent nod before doing so, though still looked understandably nervous as she looked to the younger of the royal sisters. That silence remained between them for some time, with Luna regarding the youth carefully. And as for Twilight, she simply stood there, unsure of what to do or even what to say. But, in the end, she said perhaps the only thing one could say in her position.

"Princess...what's going on?"

To that, Luna raised one hand, gesturing to the darkness around them.

"Pray, Twilight...where do you believe we are right now?"

Though taken aback by such a question, Twilight, ever dutiful, attempted an answer, bearing a look of concentration as she did so.

"Well...I remember going to sleep in the room above that tavern, and...and then falling asleep. Then...then I woke up here."

Luna nodded, though stayed quiet, a clear sign that she wanted Twilight to continue. The young girl thought long and hard about this, and, in the end, her eyes widened. Her look of concentration was instead replaced with a look of shock, and then, of disbelief, leading to her shaking her head slightly.

"No...it...it can't be."

Hearing that remark, the Princess cracked a somewhat sly smile.

"Oh? And what, exactly, do you find so impossible, young one?"

Looking up to Luna, Twilight's face could not be described as anything other than awe, and her voice matched that sentiment.

"Are...are you...performing dream magic?"

A look of pride crossed Luna's face with those words, and she gave a brief nod.

"Indeed. Few in this world know of such a spell, and fewer still have ever been able to cast it. But myself, Celestia, and others in our blood-line have always had a knack for the more...subtle magics of the world."

Twilight took a step backwards, looking from Luna to the darkness around her.

"This...this is a dream?"

Again, Luna nodded.

"It is. And in dreams, my magic can gain me entry. But I do so, not to pry...but to counsel."

Twilight turned to her, her face becoming one of nervousness once more.

"Wha...what do you mean?"

Luna narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Even all the way in Canterlot, I can sometimes feel the thoughts and hearts of those many miles away, including yours and that of my dear nephew. And what I sense from YOU, Twilight Sparkle...is doubt."

The Princess took a step forward.

"You have concerns, yes? And questions aplenty to go with them no doubt."

Twilight looked away, now feeling somewhat embarrassed about what was being said to her. She knew, in her heart, that Luna was here to help, and for that, she couldn't feel anything other than grateful. And yet, the idea of pouring her heart out to one of her nation's most powerful figures, a woman she hadn't even met until a few days ago, was a daunting prospect. However, as she glanced to the side, seeing the older woman look down at her, she knew that this was something that needed to be done, though she took no comfort in that certainty. Looking back to her in earnest, the young girl let out a sigh, giving a brief nod.

"I...I do. There are just so many things I don't know about this. Like why the Queen chose me above all others. I...I know she has her reasons..."

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Celestia always does," she remarked in a somewhat dismissive tone.

Twilight, ignoring those words, nevertheless carried on.

"...but...there's just so much about this that doesn't make sense to me."

Luna regarded her carefully, and for a moment, Twilight felt like she was under a figurative microscope, being examined in every way possible. It was, needless to say, an uncomfortable feeling, and yet, when Luna spoke, it was not with the same commanding authority as before. Rather, her voice was slightly softer now, more akin to that of her older sister.

"Twilight...my sister would not have me here speaking to you, had she the choice. She believes in letting things flow as they will, and has only interfered where she believes necessary. In all times, Celestia has always had confidence in those she has chosen, always believing that things will work out if she simply allows people to find their own path."

For a moment, Luna looked away, narrowing her eyes.

"And while I am not willing to outright defy her wishes on this...I feel that it was not right for you to be sent in blind as you have been."

Again, she looked to the girl.

"I believe that, if nothing else...you should undertake this task with greater knowledge and awareness than you have. And I know that, of the myriad questions you have regarding this task...there is one that looms larger than any other."

Though taken aback by the Princess' insight into the matter, Twilight cleared her throat in a nervous manner, giving a brief nod.

"There is. Though...I fear to ask it."

Nodding, Luna folded her arms before speaking up once more.

"That may be...but I assure you, there will never be a better time to ask...than right now."

Truth it may have been, but that did little to alleviate Twilight's feeling of being overwhelmed by this situation. Even so, she steeled herself, taking a few calming breaths before finally speaking out to her elder.

"Princess...tell me...why do the Elements need to be found? If the stories about them are true, then...then why find them at all? I know they're important, and I know a lot of bad things have happened in our word's history, but..."

Curiosity became prevalent on the girl's face as she continued.

"...but...by-and-large...the world has managed to get by without the Elements for thousands of years. So...why does the Queen want them found?"

Luna stared at the youth, taking in her question and looking, for a while, very much deep in thought. Twilight stayed quiet, giving the Princess whatever time she needed to put an answer together. Luna, for a moment, gained a softened look as she let out a sigh.

"Tell me, young one. Do you recall when you first met my sister and I? You remember her question, that of the tales of yore?"

A nod was all the answer Twilight gave, prompting Luna to continue.

"Well...the story of the Elements is not the only tale you know of that had a kernel of truth to it."

Twilight's expression became one of interest as she heard that, and Luna looked away, staring into the purple mists around them, with her own expression that of an almost-nostalgic look.

"There was a time, Twilight, so long ago...when the world and it's people were so much...so much more than what they are now."

Another sigh escaped her.

"History has forgotten so much of what was, with truth having morphed into legends and songs. But...to those in my family...those tales have never been forgotten."

Looking back to Twilight, Luna's eyes narrowed.

"Back in those ancient times...before the rise of my family...before the first stones of Canterlot were set...it was a time of magnificence."

Slowly, a smile crept onto her face.

"Can you imagine it, Twilight? A time where nothing was impossible? A time where the extraordinary was commonplace. Feats of heroism and awe, accomplished by so many."

Raising one hand, Luna balled it into a tight fist.

"It was a time when peoples of all stripes were incredible. And they were strong. Some, strong enough to shatter stone."

The Princess then looked up, to what, in this place, could supposedly be called the sky.

"A time when there were those who could soar above the clouds, like eagles."

Looking back down to Twilight, Luna's expression was one of determination, and even a little pride.

"And as for we mages...well...our power was unlike anything you could imagine today."

Her sly smile returned.

"You think my sister and I are powerful? What we have accomplished in our lives is nothing compared to what once was. The magics in those early times...they were so immense...so utterly beyond comprehension...that those who wielded them were more akin to gods than mortals."

To say that Twilight was intrigued by this story would have been a great understatement, as she looked on with awe at the Princess, as if she were some great fountain of knowledge. Luna, for her part, took a moment to appreciate being regarded in such a way, before taking on a more stern look and getting right back to business.

"Historians, at least, those who bother with such things, will refer to those far-off times as the dawn age, as they are the earliest times known of our people, even though few details were ever written down."

Looking straight at Twilight once more, Luna's look of pride returned.

"But in truth...it was more of a golden age. A time from which all others are but mere shadows."

The Princess turned, starting to walk away into the darkness, prompting Twilight to start to follow her. As they walked in this ethereal realm, the young girl kept her eyes on the royal woman besides her, listening carefully as the latter continued.

"Many great works were forged in those days, Twilight. And the Elements? They were chief among them."

Here, at last, Twilight spoke.

"But...that still doesn't explain why the Queen wants them."

Luna nodded.

"You are correct. But there is a more...shameful aspect to all of this. One I have yet to speak of."

Naturally, hearing something like that piqued the girl's interest, although, for a time, it seemed as if Luna was less than enthusiastic about speaking of it. Yet, after a while, the Princess stopped walking, with Twilight following shortly afterwards. A silence fell between the two, after which, Luna took a deep breath before speaking up again.

"Doubtless...you are wondering what could have happened between then and now, yes? You wonder why those ancient times could have had such fantastical things...while the present day seems so much...lesser?"

Luna looked to the youth at her side, and while Twilight did not say a word, the look on her face made it very clear that this was indeed what she had been thinking. Luna gave a brief nod to the girl, before looking ahead, narrowing her eyes once more.

"The truth, Twilight...is that for many thousands of years now...magic has been fading from this world."

Twilight looked on with shock at those words, but said nothing as Luna continued.

"Nobody has noticed, largely because of how gradual it has been. But yes...the things that once were...they are gone from this world. The heroes of old? Their like you will not find in the world today. The same can be said of the dragons and other great beasts of the past. The great spells and acts of legends? They too are lesser now. In time, perhaps another thousand years...the extraordinary will be gone from our world altogether."

Of course, after hearing such things, Twilight was, naturally, taken aback by it all. Not about the subject matter itself per se, but that she had been entrusted with it. Her mind raced with all sorts of ideas and questions about this revelation she had been entrusted with, until, at the end, one question above all rose to her lips.

"Then...is that why the Queen wants the Elements found? Does she think having them back will undo what has happened?"

A sigh escaped the Princess, and she looked down at that question. Twilight looked at her and, just for a brief moment, she could have sworn that she saw concern in Luna's eyes. Though about what, she could not say. She remained quiet for the time being, waiting until the Princess finally spoke up again.

"My sister...she hopes for many things regarding those artefacts. But...yes, that is indeed one of the many reasons she wants them found."

Slowly, the Princess looked upon Twilight yet again.

"Much has been lost to the centuries, girl. And much more has faded from what it once was. The Elements, they...they were the greatest accomplishment our kind ever created. To reclaim them once more, to have that power return. It..."

Again, she looked away.

"...it might just be enough to bring those glory days back."

Twilight was, rather expectedly, quite in awe of what she had just heard. It was as if the true weight of her task had been revealed to her for the first time. To think that, by accomplishing such a feat, she may bring back the golden age of her people, perhaps usher in a time of magic that had been unseen for generations. It was a shock to say the least, and one that would no doubt occupy her mind for a long time. But, as for the here and now, she was jarred from her thoughts by the feeling of a hand upon her shoulder. Turning, she looked upon Luna, who looked to her with a soft expression.

"Young one...I realise how daunting this must be for you. I understand that my sister already presented you with such an option, but..."

A sigh escaped her again before she continued.

"...if it is your wish that you not undertake this...please...say so. There is no shame in it, for even the bravest would be overwhelmed by being asked such a thing."

Twilight stood there, staring at her leader's sister for the longest time. Her mind, as always, raced with everything it had taken in. Doubts and worries and confusion all wrestled for control within her mind at this moment. And yet, in the middle of it all, there was something else in there too. A quite certainty. A feeling of yearning she had not known until now. Before, she had been wandering in the dark, never knowing how or why. But now, it was different. Now, for the first time, she actually felt as if she had a grasp on what was being asked of her and, more importantly, what it would mean for her people. For the first time in this entire journey, she knew what was being asked of her, and that, for whatever reason, gave her a sense of confidence that she had not known until now. Slowly, she formed a small smile as she looked up to Luna.

"Princess...thank you for your offer. But...I feel I must carry on with this task."

A moment or two passed before Luna finally reacted to that, and when she did, it was a look of genuine pride. Slowly, she patted the girl's shoulder, and gave a solemn nod.

"That is good to hear, Twilight. If nothing else, my sister has always known how to choose those who are brave and willing."

A small blush appeared on Twilight's face after hearing that, clearly showing embarrassment over being regarded as such. However, this tender moment was short-lived as, just then, Luna started to look away from her. Her expression changed from one of pride to one of, for lack of a better word, worry. Twilight too gained such a look, as she spoke meekly to the older woman.

"P...Princess?"

Luna, for a time, stayed silent, looking far ahead into that darkness, before looking back to Twilight with determination upon her face.

"I regret having to say this to you, Twilight...but I feel that now is the time to wake up."

Twilight looked on with confusion, but had no chance to respond to that, as Luna held up a hand to her, which, for some reason, caused everything around her to go dark. As Twilight began to lose sight of everything around her, she heard one, final utterance from Luna.

"Look out of your window."

Midnight Raid

Twilight awoke with a start, Luna's words still ringing in her ears. She sat up suddenly, once more surrounded by darkness. But this, she already knew, was not the darkness of her dreams, but rather the natural darkness of the room she and Spike had taken lodge in. Squinting, she remembered that she had taken her glasses off to sleep, and so started fumbling around, patting the ground around her until, at last, she found what she was looking for. With her glasses once more upon her eyes, she took a few moments to get used to the light levels. It was dark, to be sure, but, there was just enough light coming out of the window from the stars to give her the means to make out basic shapes. Chief among them, of course, was Spike, as he lay on the floor nearby, breathing steadily in a clear sign of deep sleep. For a time, all seemed calm and well.

Then, mere moments later, Twilight's eyes widened, and she remembered well what Luna had said to her in the end. Her head snapped in the direction of the window, and sure enough, she could see a faint orange glow of some sort from something outside. Frowning, she quietly got up, and walked carefully over to see. Thankfully, for the sake of Spike's continued slumber, she had taken her boots off before going to sleep tonight, so her feet made no noise whatsoever as she took step after step towards that window. Eventually, she reached it, and slowly peered outside. And here, she could see that the glow she had seen was that of a fire from a torch. Squinting her eyes once more, she noticed that the torch in question was being held by three shadowy figures walking about out there. Immediately, she turned to her friend.

"Spike!"

Her words were not a shout, and yet, they had enough urgency in them to accomplish their goal, as the young Prince began to stir from his sleep. Groggily, he opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings for a moment before finally turning to his friend.

"Tw...Twilight? What's up? It's still late out."

Gesturing to the window, Twilight's expression was one of determination.

"You need to get up. I think someone's out there. Someone...not good."

Needless to say, Spike seemed a little incredulous to that claim, but, for the time being, he said nothing. Instead, as he slowly got up, he watched as Twilight moved past him and sat down on a nearby chair. As the girl reached over for her boots, ready to slip them on, the Prince walked carefully to the window himself, peering out just as Twilight had done. And when the latter was finally ready, standing from her chair, she looked to the boy, who turned to her with a similar look of concern.

"Who are they?"

To that, Twilight simply shrugged her shoulders, adjusting her glasses slightly before looking to her friend in earnest.

"I don't know, but...I think we should check it out."

Understandably, Spike seemed less than eager to carry out such an idea, but, seeing the look on Twilight's face, it was clear to him that he wasn't going to be able to deter her on this one. So, letting out a sigh, he gave her a nod, and together, the two started to make their way out of their room. They tried moving as quietly as possible, which, as one would expect, was no easy thing when trying to get somewhere quickly. They passed door after door on their way through the tavern, and one of which, they could hear, had a great deal of snoring behind it. Doubtless, this was where Pinkie was sleeping, so they made sure to be especially cautious around that door. After a while, they made it to the ground floor, and headed straight for the front entrance, making sure to keep it closed and secure after they'd left it.

Now, they were out, and they walked along the grass around the walls, struggling to see in the darkness of the night. But, as before, they saw that same orange glow. Whoever it was that was here, they were just around the corner, leading to an understandable bout of nervousness on the part of both youths. They slowed their pace, stopping just short of the corner of the building, and Twilight herself began to peek around. Sure enough, there they were. A trio of men, clad in animal furs, looking somewhat rough around the edges, and, more to the point, bearing looks of stress and frustration upon their faces. The middle man, the second-tallest, was the one carrying the torch, and looked to his cohorts before speaking.

"Anythin?"

The other two shrugged their shoulders, with the largest of them speaking up in response.

"Nothin. I tell ya, this ere's a waste of our time!"

The little one glowered at his taller companion.

"We ain't got no choice! If that...that...thing doesn't get what it wants, then who knows what it'll do to us!"

There was a look of concern shared amongst the three, and all the while, they had no idea that they were being watched. As for Twilight, she listened in with interest, with Spike close behind, never taking his eyes off her. Then, almost inevitably, Twilight pushed her luck one step too far, and placed one hand upon one of the wooden boards of the wall she was hiding behind. Clearly, it was an old board, which, of course, led to a loud creaking sound the moment she touched it. Her eyes widened with shock, as did Spike's, and for good reason, for now, the three men were alerted to their presence. Before Twilight had a chance to duck behind the walk to keep hidden, the one with the torch held it forward, illuminating things just enough so that her face could be seen. All at once, the men looked on with shock.

"You!" the leader called out.

As one would expect under the circumstances, Twilight was terrified of what was happening. Frozen in place, she watched as the three men began charging towards her, and it was only when Spike placed his hand upon her shoulder that she was jarred out of her trance-like state of fear. Snapping her head in his direction, she looked on as he took on a look of determination.

"We have to go! Now!"

And with that, they were off, running as fast as they could, heading straight for the door back into the tavern. But, barely had they run for a few seconds when Twilight, for some reason, was halted entirely. In their charge, one of the men had reached forward and had gotten a hold of the back of her robe, dragging her back. And Spike only noticed this when she let out a loud scream because of it. He spun around, just in time to see the largest of the men get a hold of her, wrapping his huge arms around her forcefully in an attempt to keep her still.

"Quit yer strugglin, girlie! It's gonna be a long trip!"

Twilight, perhaps out of pure instinct, opened her mouth wide and bit down hard into the arm holding her, leading to a howl of pain from the large man.

"ARGH!!! You little...!"

Raising his other hand, he balled it into a fist, leaving no mystery as to what he planned to do to her next. But, before he or any of the other men had a chance to go any further, they were shocked and taken aback by the sudden arrival of a burst of fire, shooting at them. Instinctively, they leapt backwards, just in time to see the flames hit the spot on the ground where they had been standing. As the grass smouldered, they looked up, and there, standing before them, was a very angry-looking Prince. Spike's stance was an aggressive one, and as he held out his hand towards them, the men saw, to their horror, that it was bathed in green fire. As for Spike's face, it was one of rage, as he narrowed his eyes towards them.

"Let...her...go," he spoke menacingly.

The men, understandably, were rather hesitant to proceed with their plan, especially now that they had an angry, fire-wielding teenager on their hands. They looked to one another, unsure of how to progress, before looking down to Twilight, who was continuing to struggle in their grip. As for Spike, he took a single, threatening step forward, much to the concern of the men, and this, it seemed, was just enough to make them choose. Whatever distant worry they had regarding the source of their presence here, they knew that their immediate fears were far more concerning to them right now. So, slowly, they loosened their grip on the girl, and Twilight immediately burst forth from them, running forward to Spike's side. The look of fear on her face was as clear as day, and Spike looked to her with sympathy.

"Are you okay?"

She was shaken, that much was certain, but she nevertheless gave Spike a nod. The boy nodded back, visibly relaxed at seeing his friend free from those men, but, his expression then turned sour as he faced them once more.

"Now then...what are we going to do with you?"

The men took a step backwards, but, before anyone had a chance to do or say anything else, another voice then made itself known.

"What in Tartarus is going on out here?"

Twilight and Spike turned, and saw, as they'd suspected, that the voice belonged to Pinkie. She had apparently come out to see what all the commotion was, and now stood there with an incredulous look on her face, with her hands planted firmly on her hips as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well? I'm waiting."

Twilight turned to her in earnest, opening her mouth to give some kind of explanation. However, before she got even her first word out, something happened. The leader of the three men, apparently having seen his chance, took the torch he was carrying and violently threw it forward. It was not aimed at the two youths, or Pinkie for that matter, but rather, to a nearby window. The throw found it's mark, and the torch broke through the panels of glass, tumbling into the ground floor of the building. Pinkie, seeing this, took on a look of shock, as did Twilight and Spike, when they too realised what had happened. The effect was immediate, as the fire within soon caught on the nearby wooden furniture, setting it alight. In the confusion, and in the darkness that they now had around them, the leader of the men turned to his cohorts.

"Run for it!"

And with that, they were off, and it was too late before the other three actually noticed they were gone. Now, however, they had more immediate concerns, as the fire within the tavern began to grow and rage uncontrollably. Pinkie, understandably, looked on in horror, rushing to fetch a nearby pail of water, no doubt with the intention of putting it out. Twilight and Spike watched, seeing the older woman burst back into her building, with smoke billowing out of the door behind her as she entered, and for a time, the two were dumbfounded by everything that was happening. But, as before, they shook themselves out of it, looking to each other with a nod before rushing forward, Twilight calling out to her host.

"Pinkie! We're coming!"

A New Course

Another sunrise came to greet the new day, but this time, that morning light found Twilight with neither nervousness nor excitement. Instead, the girl looked on at what lay before her with what could only be described as disappointment. Disappointment in herself, in how little she'd done, and, more importantly, how little she'd done to prevent this. The Corner Ale, the tavern she and Spike had been staying in, the home of their host, Pinkie Pie, was now gone. The fire that had begun the previous night had raged for hours, and while Twilight, Spike and Pinkie had done all they could, in the end, it was a lost fight. Now, the fire had done it's work, and the old tavern was nothing more than a pile of ash, broken timber and scorched stones. As one would expect under the circumstances, the mood was far from comfortable or pleasant.

Twilight and Spike stood beside this scene of devastation in silence, never straying from where they stood. As for Pinkie, she stared at what had once been her home, now gone. She took slow step after slow step towards the ruined pile before her, and while heat still radiated from it, it was clear that this did not phase her. Dropping to her knees, she reached forward, scooping up some of the ash and dust, before allowing it to fall through her fingers, the wind gently carrying it off to parts unknown. Twilight could feel nothing but guilt over what had happened, and while Spike looked to her with a comforting expression, it did little to make her feel better. In the end, she walked towards her host, with her voice nervous and wobbling, saying the only thing she could think to say in the wake of such destruction.

"Pinkie, I...I'm so sorry!"

The older woman said nothing, remaining on her knees and staring out at what had once been her home. In the silence, Twilight hesitated, but only for a moment, before then speaking up once more.

"I...I don't know what to say! I don't know what I can possibly do to make up for this! I just..."

But, this time, she was halted, as the kneeling woman finally spoke up.

"Stop."

Her voice, while sudden and unexpected, nevertheless seemed to be devoid of the anger or bitterness that Twilight had been expecting of her. Instead, after pausing for a few moments, and while continuing to stare at the ash on the ground, Pinkie began to continue.

"Those men...the ones from last night...why were they here?"

Twilight shook her head.

"I...I don't know! I just know they were after me."

Another silence followed, and Twilight turned to Spike, who promptly shrugged his shoulders, making it clear that he knew even less about all this than she did. Then, to Twilight's surprise, Pinkie let out a deep sigh, before then starting to get up off the floor. Twilight took a step back, flinching somewhat. No doubt, she was expecting some tirade, from Pinkie, blaming her for what happened here. But, to the shock of both youths, when the girl turned, she looked neither angry nor disappointed, but rather bore that same smile she had worn when they first met.

"Well then...I guess our first order of business is figuring out why those gentlemen wanted to kidnap a young girl and set fire to my home."

Needless to say, Twilight had not been expecting this reaction from her, and when she saw that smile, she once more felt that feeling the first time she'd met this woman. The feeling she couldn't quite understand. But, she said nothing, watching as Pinkie took a step closer to her, waggling her finger before her.

"And you, Miss Twilight, have been keeping secrets, haven't you?"

Twilight, understandably, started to look a little nervous at this, but again, she was unable to say anything, as Pinkie then continued further.

"People like that don't just go around doing stuff like this for no reason. They wanted you for something. So...what is it?"

Here, Twilight froze. She'd had an inkling as to what this was all about, why she had been the target of those men. But, given the importance of what was expected of her, she was, understandably, loathe to part with such information, especially to someone she'd only met the previous day. But, as a cold wind blew through the scene, and she turned, looking upon the ruins of that place, the ruins of a woman who had taken her in, she was once more overwhelmed with feelings of guilt. She turned to Spike, who looked on, waiting to see what she would do, before looking back to Pinkie. The older woman bore an expectant and even somewhat impatient look to her, and, after a while of thinking hard on the matter, Twilight let out a sigh.

"Spike and I...we're...we're on a mission. An important mission. Given to us by...by...Queen Celestia."

Again, a silence fell, and slowly, Twilight looked up from the ground to Pinkie. The former tavern-owner was, as one would expect, rather taken aback by such information, as she stood there, frozen in place. At first, it looked as if she had been expecting this to be some kind of joke. Perhaps Twilight, for whatever reason, had decided to just make something up to throw her off? But, as the silence persisted, and she looked from one youth to the other, and the seriousness upon their faces, she started to gain a look of realisation. Gone was her smile, at least a little, and she looked away from them. Twilight watched her with nervousness, seeing her wrestle with this new information, before seeing her turn once more to look her in the eye.

"Well, Miss Sparkle...you've gotten yourself in a real pickle, haven't you?"

Nervously, Twilight poked the ends of her fingers together, giving a nod to give her agreement to Pinkie. As for the other woman, she regained her smile in earnest, giving Twilight an unexpected slap on her shoulder before throwing back her head and letting out an almighty chuckle.

"Well, that settles it. I'm coming with you!"

To that, Twilight and Spike looked to her with shock, as the former stuttered a response.

"You...you...you are?"

A brief giggle escaped Pinkie as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course, silly! I'm not gonna let you go off all alone on a super-important mission for the Queen without a little help! Besides..."

Slowly, she turned to the ruins of her home.

"...if I go with you, chances are I'll come across those three guys from last night. And then..."

Just for a moment, her smile faltered.

"...I can have a nice little chat with them about what they did to my home."

Needless to say, neither of the youths felt particularly comfortable about that last part, but, after glancing to one another, they realised that it was going to be nigh on impossible to dissuade this woman from her course. So, after taking a few moments to let out another sigh, as well as to just rub her temples for a bit, Twilight gave a nod to Pinkie, silently granting permission for this, even though she knew full well that the woman would have come along regardless. Pinkie, for her part, responded to this with an even wider smile than before.

"Great! So...what do we do first?"

Twilight, at that question, seemed stumped, but only for a moment, as it was now Spike's turn to add his voice to the proceedings.

"Well...given the confusion from last night, it's not gonna be easy to find out where those guys went. But..."

A look of thoughtfulness crossed his face before he carried on.

"If we're lucky...we might at least get a feel for where they came from. And if we find that...then we might have a better idea what's going on."

To this, Twilight gave a nod.

"Yeah, but...did anyone actually see which direction they walked here from?"

Both Spike and Pinkie shrugged their shoulders to that, and for a moment, it seemed as if that particular line of questioning was at an end before it had begun. But, before any of them could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of rustling nearby. All together, they turned, looking upon a nearby large bush, with it's branches and leaves jostling about furiously. For a brief second, they worried that the men might have returned, but, to the relief of everyone there, it turned out to be someone else entirely. A man, whom Twilight recognised as being the drunk from her first few moments at the tavern, stumbled out of the bush, apparently having slept there all night. As he got up, he gave a wide smile, speaking in a groggy and still clearly drunken fashion.

"I can help you, Mommy!"

On and on they ran, never stopping, even though their lungs demanded that they do so. The arrival of the dawn gave them, at long last, reason to stop, as the night's end made it clear that they had travelled far enough. The three men, exhausted and disappointed from their night's activities were looking even more worse-for-wear than usual, with the smallest of them turning around to see where they had just come from. Sure enough, he could still see a large column of smoke rising from the far horizon, much to his worry.

"This is crazy! We was just supposed to get the girl and get back! Now all this mess has come up on us!"

To that, the middle man looked to him with a scornful look.

"Quit yer complainin! We've done far worse than burn a tavern in the past, remember?"

A look of discomfort crossed the smaller man's face, and, for the time being at least, he stopped. As for the larger of the three, once he had stopped panting, he scratched his head, looking to his leader.

"So...what do we do now?"

Hearing that, the leader of the men shrugged his shoulders.

"How should I know? We can't get the girl, not with that crazy fire-kid with her. And we can't go back. If we do, that thing back there will just...just..."

"Just...what?"

Immediately, all three of them froze. It was as if they were statues, held in place by sheer overwhelming fear. The arrival of that all-too familiar voice was, naturally, a concern for all of them, as their eyes darted about all over the place to try and find it's source. But, unlike that old and crumbling castle, they found no darkness, no shadow or smoke that it could have come from. It was, to their horror, simply here.

"H...hello?" the middle man asked.

Barely a second had gone by before the response came.

"Yes...I can hear you, fool. And I am...less than happy as to your performance."

The three men began to visibly shake with that, now fearing for their very lives. And yet, before they even had a chance to plead their case, the voice returned.

"But...you needn't worry. I realise now that my request of you was...ill-conceived."

Confusion crossed the face of the leader.

"Um...pardon?"

"My thoughts were newly-woken...erratic. I was, for lack of a better word...not myself. I no longer wish for you to capture the girl."

A sigh of relief as big as anything escaped the three men after hearing that, and for a while, they actually felt some measure of joy, knowing that their failure was probably not going to result in some terrible punishment. In fact, so good were they feeling that, after a moment, they gave each other a silent glance, before starting to slowly inch backwards, even though they had no idea where this voice was right now.

"Well then, er, Sir, if you don't mind, I think my brothers and I will just be..."

"No."

The return of the voice halted them instantly, and together, they let out a loud gulping sound, making it very clear just how nervous they were. But, as before, they said nothing. Instead, they kept their mouths shut as the voice continued.

"I still have plans for the girl...and others like her. But for now...I will be taking less...direct means. Plans must be made...and others consulted."

A few seconds of silence passed before this unseen force addressed them again.

"And as for you three...I still have need of...grunts."

Though taking a moment to feel somewhat insulted by such a word, the three nevertheless were unable to say anything, as that voice once more interrupted them.

"In fact...just to make sure you do not fail me again...it might be time for me to take matters into my own hands. And for that...you may yet aid me."

Confusion returned to their faces, and they looked to one another, hoping beyond hope that one of them knew what was going on. But, none of them had any chance to say or do anything, as then, to their immediate horror, they witnessed something that they knew they would remember for the rest of their days, whether they wanted to or not. They saw, all around them, that things had suddenly turned a lot darker, and it did not take them long to realise why. The shadows of the castle were here, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They encircled them, causing them to shake with terror. Then, after a while, the shadows lunged forward, targeting not the group, but rather, just the largest of their number.

The two smaller men watched in fear, as their largest sibling was struck by the smoke-like shadows. He was gripped in them tighter than a fist, and as he struggled, yet further bad news came to him. The darkness pressed forward, forcing it's way into his eyes, his nostrils, his mouth, everywhere it could gain entry. The result was inevitable, as the man let out the sounds of a victim of drowning. He twitched and writhed and convulsed, gasping for air, all while the others could do nothing but stand by and watch. The darkness continued to seep in, going on and on until, at long last, it stopped. The darkness was in him entirely now, and he collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Cautiously, the leader of the men looked on, taking a single step forward.

"F...Fido?"

Then, after a long wait, the man on the ground finally moved, forcing himself up. The other two took a step backwards, and when their cohort looked to them, they saw, to their shock, that his eyes were now as black as night. And when he opened his mouth, what came out was that same, terrible tone they had so come to fear.

"It is time...to get to work."

To the Forest

The sun had finally risen in earnest, and all around the landscape, the trees and the grass seemed all the greener with it's light. With the full-on arrival of the new day, Twilight had, once more, resumed her journey, except that now, the Elements were, for the time being at least, put on hold. For her new task was to discover exactly what it was that had come to find her, what force was behind the unexpected attack from the previous night. And so, on she walked, with Spike just ahead of her on the road, whistling a happy tune to himself. Twilight, a few steps behind, was deep in thought over many matters, from what Luna had said to her in her dreams, to the aforementioned attack on her person not long ago. Unfortunately for her, her train of thought was frequently interrupted by the sound of the upbeat voice to her right.

"So...?"

Turning, Twilight gazed upon her newest travelling companion; Pinkie Pie. While not ungrateful for the older woman's company, having an unexpected addition to her journey was, to say the least, a little off-putting for her. Still, she could not fault Pinkie's reasons for being here, given everything she had lost simply from being associated with Twilight. So, the young girl, after adjusting her glasses as per usual, looked to her fully before offering a small smile.

"Yes, Pinkie?"

Pinkie's smile widened further before she started speaking again.

"So, just so I have this straight in my head, we're on a quest from Queen Celestia?"

"Yes," Twilight replied.

"To find a bunch of old magical whatsits called the Elements of Harmony?"

"Yes."

"And they've been lost for hundreds and hundreds of years?"

"Yes."

"And the Queen decided to send...you?"

A sigh escaped Twilight at that one.

"...Yes."

But Pinkie, rather unusually, did not seem put off by this information in the slightest, as evidenced by the smile she continued to wear.

"Well...it'll certainly be an interesting trip, that's for sure!"

Twilight looked to her, raising an eyebrow and, in all fairness, seeming quite confused as to how anybody could be so chipper after everything they had seen and heard about this situation. But, for the time being anyway, she didn't say anything, and instead watched as Pinkie's attention then turned to the young man ahead of them.

"It's so weird, to think that I'm travelling with the heir to the throne."

Hearing that, Spike let out a hearty chuckle.

"Hate to break it too ya, Miss Pie, but that honour goes to my sister."

For a moment, a look of realisation crossed Pinkie's face, and she snapped her fingers before smiling once more.

"Ah! Right! Princess Mi-Amore!"

Turning, the older woman looked to Twilight yet again.

"How did you ever manage to get in close to royalty like this?"

Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

"It was years ago, back when I first entered Celestia's school. I was taking my first class, trying to perform a simple levitation spell and...well...there he was."

Hearing the two ladies speak of him, Spike looked over his shoulder, smiling to his friend.

"I've always like magic, even though I can't do it myself, so I wanted to see a few classes. I saw Twilight was the only one struggling with that spell, so I went over to see if she could pull it off. By the end of the day, she did."

Twilight offered the boy a small smile in return.

"We've been friends ever since," she answered.

Pinkie grinned to both of them, before then resuming her attention on Spike.

"Still...it is kinda strange that your Mother would let you roam about like that...and like this for that matter."

Again, Spike let out a laugh.

"Well...I'm not really royalty by blood, so I guess I don't have the same restrictions as my sister."

Pinkie took on a look of confusion at that, looking to Twilight for clarification. The younger girl gained a somewhat embarrassed look herself, as if unsure on whether she should speak on the matter, but, one look at Spike, and the nod of permission he gave, and she soon gave Pinkie the answer she sought.

"...He's adopted."

Now, Pinkie, understandably, seemed rather surprised at such information, as anybody would be of course. But, after a while of just thinking about it, she started to nod slowly while stroking her chin.

"Hmmm...that would explain why you don't look that much like the Queen."

Hearing that, Spike looked over his shoulder again, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you know what my Mother looks like?"

Pinkie's smile returned, and she let out a brief giggle.

"Silly! Lots of people know what your Mom looks like! There's all sorts of paintings of her and stuff, remember! In fact, I have one."

At this point, after speaking those words, Pinkie's smile faltered a little.

"Well...I guess...I should say that I had one."

Immediately, both Twilight and Spike were struck with pangs of guilt, knowing full well what Pinkie meant by those words. As one would expect, the mood between the three had become rather uncomfortable all of a sudden, and as such, there was nothing but silence from them for quite a long time afterwards. Instead, they simply focused on their journey, walking ahead at a fair pace for almost a full hour, before any words were exchanged again. And when the silence was once more broken, it was Spike who did the honours.

"So...we're sure this is the right way to go?"

Twilight nodded.

"This is where we were told they came from...so yeah."

To that, Spike gained a look of incredulity.

"Pardon me for saying so, Twilight...but do you think it was really the best idea to follow directions from a drunk?"

Twilight let out a sigh, her shoulder slumping slightly, before giving an answer to that.

"I know it's doubtful, but, at the moment, it's also the only lead we have."

She looked up, ready to hear perhaps some other valid point of criticism Spike might have to use against this particular course. But, before the boy had the chance to do so, Twilight looked ahead, catching sight of something, which caused her eyes to widen with surprise.

"In fact..."

Slowly, the girl started to form a smile.

"...this may not have been such a bad idea after all."

Needless to say, both Spike and Pinkie were somewhat curious as to what could have caused this change in her, but, it didn't take them long to figure out what she was looking at. For as they turned, they saw that there, just ahead of them on the dirt path they'd been walking on, was a very noticeable footprint. Immediately, the three of them rushed towards it, with Twilight kneeling down to get a better look.

"Hmmm...it's deep. It would have definitely been caused by somebody big."

Her eyes narrowed, remembering full-well the large man that had held her last night. But, shaking herself from that thought, she resumed looking at the footprint, and, before long, she spotted another, and then another, joined together by the footprints of other, smaller individuals.

"And they're pointed in the right direction too. So...where did they come from?"

The three of them looked at footprint after footprint, looking ahead to see that the three men must have arrived on this path from off it somewhere, and so, they turned their heads to the left, in the hopes of seeing where that might have been. Instantly, they saw it. A forest, not too far from here. To say that it was big would have been an understatement, as it stretched all the way to the furthest horizon. But, it's size was not the only thing that unnerved Twilight when she looked at it. For when she gazed upon the spaces in-between the ancient-looking trees, all she saw was mist and darkness, as if no sunlight could penetrate it. It took a while, but eventually, the silence was broken between them, this time though, by Pinkie.

"The Everfree Forest."

Twilight and Spike turned to her, bearing expectant looks, prompting her to continue.

"A lot of my customers talked about it. A dangerous place. Not many like going in there, or even near there."

Given that Pinkie had gained an uncharacteristically serious look while speaking about it, Twilight and Spike had little doubt that it was as dire a matter as she was making it out to be. As she turned to look upon it once more, Twilight gained an inquisitive expression, as she started speaking in a low tone.

"I've heard about it. A forest as old as our nation...and maybe even older than that. An expanse of trees so vast and far-reaching...that you couldn't reach the end of it, even if you walked through it for a year."

As one would expect, a description like that caused no end of nervousness for the three, and for a time, Spike and Pinkie looked to Twilight, waiting to see what she would do next. The young lady took a calming breath, and then another, before once more looking down at the footprints. Wherever those men had come from, it was in those woods, that much was certain, even though she was loathe to admit to it. After taking a while to calm herself as best she could, Twilight took a single step forwards.

"Let's go."

The others watched her go and, for a moment, were hesitant to follow. But, in the end, they knew they had to, and so started to join her. As they walked together, Spike, in a rather sarcastic tone, spoke up.

"Maybe a song will help lift the mood?"

And Pinkie, not having actually realised that it was sarcasm, decided to do just that.

"If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise..."

A Walk in the Woods

If it wasn't for the fact that she had seen the sun high in the sky not moments ago, Twilight could have been forgiven for assuming it was almost night-time right now. So thick were the branches and so entwined were the leaves above her head, that light was barely able to make it through to the ground where she, Spike and Pinkie were walking. The relative muddiness of the ground, not to mention the sheer number of fallen leaves and twigs, had all but eliminated whatever tracks they had picked up to enter this vast forest. All around them, there could be heard neither the gentle breeze of the outside, nor the pleasant singing of birds they had grown accustomed to on their trip so far. Instead, all they could hear was a thousand small noises and screeches and calls of creatures they knew not of, both far and close by.

Needless to say, this was a less-than-pleasant place to be right now.

But, on they walked, for they knew that this current path was the only hope they had of figuring out what was really going on. Pinkie, for the first time on this journey, had forgone her usual smile in lieu of a look of concern, one that was readily shared by her two companions. Though Twilight was, admitted, of fairly poor eyesight without her glasses, it was clear to her from looking that even Spike was having trouble seeing ahead of where they were right now. Gloom and mist conspired together to hide their path, or what little of it could be seen anyway. Occasionally, Twilight would look up at the imposing trees around them, taking a moment to wonder, just briefly, how ancient they must have been. Few, if any, would ever seek to come here, or so Pinkie had told them, and after having walked through it for some time now, it was not hard to see why.

"Uh...Spike?" Twilight asked.

Her friend turned to her.

"Yes?"

"Did...did I make a bad call? Bringing us here, I mean?"

Spike's face gave away his hesitancy.

"Well...I'd be lying if I said that I was comfortable right now. I feel like I'm one stray step away from being eaten, to be honest."

To that, Twilight gave a nod.

"Yeah...can't blame you for that one."

Seeing the less-than-happy mood the other two were in right now, Pinkie took a moment to appear deep in thought over something. Then, moments later, she broke out into her now-expected wide grin.

"Hey now, turn those frowns upside-down!"

Looking to her as they continued walking, Twilight and Spike both bore somewhat incredulous looks, eliciting a brief giggle from Pinkie.

"Seriously! You two are both so gloomy! But, think of it this way! I mean, sure, it's a pretty dark and scary-looking place, but, we haven't run into any more trouble yet, right?"

The other two took a few seconds to consider that, and, after a while, they were at least willing to accept that truth, if only because Pinkie seemed to be so trying so hard to cheer them up. A sigh escaped Twilight's lips after that brief silence, and she offered her latest companion a small smile in return, which, inevitably, made Pinkie's smile grow just that little bit wider.

"There we go! You'll see, we'll get to where we're going, and then everything will be-WARGH!!!"

Immediately, her calling out caused the other two to stop, and they spun around. There, they saw that Pinkie had fallen over, apparently having tripped over something. Spike rushed to her side, helping her get up. Fortunately, Pinkie didn't seem that hurt over it, with the only real damage being a bit of mud on the front of her outfit. Fortunately, it was quickly brushed off, and she let out a now-embarrassed-sounding giggle.

"Well...that was unexpected."

Spike shook his head at that kind of response, but, before he had the chance to tell her to be more careful where she was walking, he instead looked over to Twilight, who walked past both of them. He and Pinkie looked to her with interest, seeing her kneel to the ground by where Pinkie had tripped. A look of curiosity gripped her face, and she raised a hand, brushing aside a lot of twigs and leaves and mud from that spot. After a few moments, her eyes widened, and she stood up. It wasn't long before the other two realised what had caused her such concern, for they could now see exactly what Pinkie had tripped over. At first glance, it appeared to be a stone, but, given it's colour and general shape, it soon became clear to all what it really was.

"Is that...a...a gravestone?" Spike asked grimly.

Twilight gave a solemn nod, and she once more knelt down towards it. She reached forward, examining it closely. There were, as one would expect of a gravestone, words written upon it. Unfortunately, through clear weathering and the passage of a great amount of years, there was no way to tell exactly what those words were exactly. Realising this, Twilight took on a look of sadness, because she knew exactly what that meant; whoever this had been, they were now forgotten. But, it wasn't long before a new, and more disturbing thought entered her mind, and she stood tall once more, turning to her companions.

"We need to keep moving."

Here, at least, there was no argument, and both Spike and Pinkie nodded in unison, though waited until Twilight started walking ahead before following them. The atmosphere had been very much darkened by this new discovery, and none of them said a word for some time, instead just walking on and on through this increasingly-terrifying place. Trees and darkness, trees and darkness. That was all any of them could really see, no matter which way they looked. For a while, Twilight was worried on how they were going to do this, how they were going to get any answers, especially since the tracks they'd been following had well and truly gone by now. But, they at least had some good news soon afterwards, as they entered an area with fewer trees than normal. Here, at last, sunlight managed to make it's way to the ground, and to them, causing a smile on the young mage.

"Ah...that's better."

Unfortunately, her smile faded when her life-long friend, Spike, spoke in a nervous tone.

"Um...Twilight?"

The girl turned, and immediately, she saw what had concerned her friend. By way of the greater sunlight, she at last had a better means of seeing what was around them, and could, therefore, see that all around them, there were dozens of glistening eyes, staring out at them from the darkness of the surrounding forest. Spike and Pinkie huddled closer to Twilight, and the latter started to feel more than a little fearful. Her concerns were well-founded it seemed, because not two seconds later, those eyes emerged fully from the gloom, revealing themselves to be a very large, not to mention very hungry-looking pack of wolves. The fearsome beasts snarled and growled at what, presumably, was going to be their intended meal for the day, leading to no end of concern for the three.

"So...ideas?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight said nothing, staying silent to concentrate long enough so that, eventually, her hands began to glow with her magical aura. She didn't know what she was planning to do, or how, but she did know that intimidation probably wasn't going to be an option here. Spike followed suit, setting both hands aflame, ready to fight, just as he had against those three bandits. The wolves, for their part, seemed undeterred by this, and growled all the louder, much to the concern of the others. The animals drew closer and closer, with a fight almost imminent. But then, to the shock of all of them, that was not what happened.

"Okay, that's close enough!"

Taken aback by the arrival of the new voice, the three looked up, but couldn't see where it was coming from. What they could see, however, was the sudden and unexpected arrow that now came shooting down from the branches above, landing just short of one of the wolves. The creature backed up, surprised at this attack, but, sadly for him, it was far from the last of it. Arrow after arrow came pouring down from the sky, like some kind of deadly rain, causing many a wolf to back away, all while not actually hitting any of them. In the end, the creatures snarled angrily at their unseen assailant above, before, at last, turning around and fleeing. Needless to say, Twilight, as well as everyone else, were a little confused as to all of this, as evidenced by the look on the former's face. It wasn't until they were absolutely sure that the last of the wolves were gone before Twilight even said a word.

"What the...?"

But, before anything else could be said, she heard a loud sound, that very much seemed to be the sound of something or someone landing fast behind her. Unfortunately, she couldn't turn fast enough, and very soon, she felt something very sharp poking her in the back, accompanied by the mysterious voice.

"So...care to explain what you three are doing here?"

The Guide

Twilight's breathing was heavy at this point, her hands raised high above her head in a gesture of surrender. She didn't blink, for she was too fearful to do so, and so, all she could do was look ahead, seeing the concerned expressions upon the faces of her two companions. Spike especially seemed worried about her, and for good reason. Whoever it was that was now behind her, it was clear to the young mage that they had no good intentions towards her. The sharp feeling in her back was all the more pronounced as time went on and she remained silent. Then, after a few moments more of this, Spike, having apparently put up with this as much as he was willing to, took a step forward, setting his hands blaze and looking at Twilight's assailant with anger. But, all that did was cause the point in Twilight's back to go just a millimetre further.

"Ah ah ah! I wouldn't if I were you, kid."

The voice, which Twilight could now recognise as that of a woman, had a somewhat gruff tone to it, but nevertheless bore no sign that it was bluffing. As for Spike, he was looking to Twilight, his expression softening as he saw the fear in her eyes. There was hesitancy in him for a while, but, in the end, he let out a sigh, putting out his fire and once more taking a step back. To this, the point in Twilight's back seemed to relent, but only a little, as the unseen voice then spoke to the girl once more.

"Now then, I'll ask you again. What do you three think you're doing in this neck of the woods?"

Nervousness overwhelmed Twilight, and she started sweating a great deal. The need for secrecy battled in her mind against her desire to, in all honesty, avoid being hurt like this. But, after another poke in her back, it was the latter instinct that won out.

"We're...we're on a mission. We came here because we were attacked last night. We...we're trying to get answers."

Silence followed those words, and for a brief moment, Twilight feared that what she'd confessed to would not be enough to help her. But, after staying in this spot, and in this position, for some time, she eventually found, to her relief, that the point in her back finally began to relent in earnest. In time, she couldn't feel anything back there at all, but again she said nothing. That is, until that voice spoke again.

"Alright...fair enough. You can turn now."

At long last, Twilight put her arms down, and slowly, she began to do as asked, turning around so she could finally so who, exactly, had done this. As she'd expected, the one who stood before her was indeed a woman, though at most she was only a year older than she was. Her garb was that of light armour, including a metal-plate skirt, leather bracers, and sandals. All of them were coloured a dark blue, a stark contrast to the lighter tone of her skin. In her hands was a long bow, complete with what, Twilight assumed, was the arrow that had been poking into her back not long ago. But, all of these things paled in comparison to her most distinctive feature, that of her rainbow-coloured hair, which was tied back into a short ponytail.

"So...are you going to say anything or are you just gonna stare at me all day?"

Realising that she'd been spending a great deal of time analysing this girl, Twilight suddenly noticed that somewhat annoyed look on her face, leading to a slight blush on the part of the young mage.

"Oh! I'm...I'm sorry!"

But, before the new person could respond to that, Twilight was taken aback by the sudden arrival of Spike, who stood beside her with an angry look on his face.

"You're sorry?! She just attacked us!"

To this, the other girl, gave the Prince a scornful look.

"Don't forget, kid, I also saved you, remember? That is, unless, you feel you could've handled those wolves without me?"

The girl bore a smirk at that, prompting no end of frustration for the young royal, who gave her a frown of his own soon afterwards.

"If you really wanted to save us, why did you just scare them off, instead of, you know...killing them?"

The archer shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't go killing stuff unless I have to. Besides..."

Looking away briefly, the girl put on a thoughtful look.

"...let's just say I know some people who'd probably never forgive me if I actually hurt the things that live here."

Though admittedly interested in such words, Twilight, who had been staying silent through most of this, still had one question, above all, that she couldn't get out of her head.

"Then why save us only to go ahead and threaten us afterwards?"

The other girl looked back to them, narrowing her eyes somewhat.

"Simple answer? It's kinda my job to look out for odd-looking folks around here. And no offense or anything, but you three look pretty odd."

Though somewhat irritated by such words, the three looked to one another, still clearly unsure of how to deal with this newcomer. Then, at the end of it, Spike took on a look of realisation, stepping forward and pointing to her.

"Wait...your job? Then...you're a ranger?"

Another smirk emerged on the girl's face, and she gave a nod to that, firmly panting one end of her bow in the ground as she did so.

"Yep! Rainbow Dash. Ranger, at your service."

Those last words were punctuated with as fake-looking bow, and when Rainbow rose again, she watched as Twilight approached, looking to her friend with confusion.

"Um...a what?"

Spike turned to her, and started to explain.

"I heard Mother talking about them a few times. Our nation is big, Twilight. So big that we can't just go sending armies and fully-armoured squads to every single spot on it. So, the soldiers stay at the cities, and the wild places, well..."

Slowly, he turned to Rainbow, gesturing to her as he continued.

"...those places are left to these guys."

Rainbow nodded, adding her voice to the mix.

"Yep. Our job is to go to the less...pleasant parts of the kingdom. Scour it out, keep an eye on things. If we see trouble, maybe some helpless travellers in danger..."

Her words were mixed in with a glance to the three before her, causing Spike to roll his eyes somewhat, before she then carried on.

"...we get involved. Bandits planning bad stuff? Take em out. Some nasty beasts gathering to attack nearby homes? Deter them. We're not soldiers...but we still fight for this nation."

Twilight looked on, clearly interested in hearing this.

"How many of you are there?"

Again, Rainbow shrugged her shoulders.

"No idea. Probably not that many, since you apparently never even heard about us till now. Only our leaders in Canterlot probably know for sure."

Turning, Rainbow gestured to the forest around her.

"I could travel through a place like this forest and not see another like me for weeks, or even months."

Twilight opened her mouth, no doubt to ask even further questions, but, she soon closed it again. Her mind, while gripped with curiosity as always, nevertheless collected itself, allowing her to become focused once more. She frowned, having now remembered her purpose here, and she took another step towards Rainbow.

"Rainbow...have you seen anybody...um...strange in the last few days? A group of men, perhaps?"

Looking to the girl, Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing they looked pretty mean, kinda muscly, that kind of thing?"

Twilight nodded, causing Rainbow to continue.

"Yeah, I saw them. I trailed them for a bit, but...since they were just walking through, I had no reason to stop them."

There was a pause for a moment, and Twilight prepared herself to speak further. But, before she had the chance to do so, Pinkie, at long last, started to speak up, heading straight for Rainbow and pointing to her in an accusing manner.

"Oh yeah? Well, let me tell you something, ranger! Those three burned my home down! So maybe you'd want to work harder at your job!"

This was, by far, the angriest Twilight had ever seen Pinkie be, and she saw the fearsome scowl she was giving Rainbow right now. As for the latter, she took a step back from this, clearly taken aback by this woman. From the look on her face, Twilight could see that Rainbow was intimidated right now, something that, perhaps, the ranger had not known for a long time. There were other feelings there too. Surprise, and shame aplenty. It was a sentiment reflected in her voice when she spoke.

"I...I'm sorry. I had no idea that's what they were planning. They never said a word, never did anything besides walk."

Pinkie stared at her, her face still one of anger. But, after a while, she let out a sigh, and began to walk away. Twilight and Spike watched her, clearly concerned, but never said a word. A minute passed, and then another, before the older woman finally did something, though it was not what they were expecting. She turned, and, to their surprise, once more bore a smile, though a smaller one than they were used to.

"It's...it's fine. You couldn't have known...so I can't blame you."

There was still anger in her voice, though it was, admittedly, far less than what it was. Rainbow looked confused at this turn-around, for which Twilight could not blame her. But, rather than dwell on the matter, the young mage cleared her throat, gaining the former's attention once more.

"Do...do you know where they came from?"

To that, Rainbow nodded.

"Yeah. Given their direction I'd say the only place they could have come from was the old castle."

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"Old castle?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Yep. It's a good day's march from here. In the east from this spot. If you like...I can show you."

Twilight considered that, offering her new acquaintance an inquisitive look. Briefly, she turned, looking upon Spike and Pinkie. The two of them seemed just as hesitant, but, in the end, they seemed to be deferring to Twilight's choice on this one. The girl thought long and hard, considering the prospect of going with this girl, but, in the end, she realised one important thing. Rainbow knew this forest better than she did. If there was any chance of finding answers, it was by going with her. Realising this, she let out a sigh.

"We...we accept."

Rainbow grinned.

"Great. But first..."

Raising her bow once more, she pointed it straight at Twilight, bearing a now-serious look as she did so.

"...why don't you just go ahead and tell me what you're really doing out here?"

Dark Discoveries

The mood amongst the four of them was, understandably, a bit tense, as they continued to journey through the dense undergrowth of the Everfree Forest. Every tree they passed, every patch of darkness, and the three inexperienced members always feared that there would be some attack on them. But none of that ever happened, as Rainbow continued to forge ahead, her bow in hand, glaring warily at every shadow, every rustling branch. She knew what to do and where to go, that much was certain, and for a time, the others seemed willing to defer to her experience on the matter. However, it was also clear that some were less than happy about this arrangement, as evidenced by the scowl Spike continued to wear. For a brief moment, as Rainbow was a little further ahead of the group, the young Prince walked a bit faster, catching up to Twilight and leaning forward, before starting to whisper to her.

"A you sure following her is the best idea?"

To this, Twilight let out a sigh, before turning to him and whispering right back.

"I...I know telling her all that was a risk, but...what choice did we have? She knows her way around, and we don't. And she wasn't going to help unless we spilled."

Spike snorted at that, continuing to frown at their guide up ahead. As time passed, he narrowed his eyes, looking to Twilight once more.

"Don't forget how we first met her. I think we need to be ready to act in case..."

He didn't finish that sentence, largely because he didn't need to. For one look at Twilight's eyes made it obvious to him that she understood his unspoken intent. However, before either of them could say anything else, they found, to their surprise, that their newest acquaintance soon spoke up to them as she continued onwards.

"I promise you, kid, if I wanted to hurt you guys...you wouldn't be here to complain about me right now."

Needless to say, Twilight looked quite embarrassed that their so-called hidden conversation had been so easily overheard. As for Spike, he continued to look on with disapproval at the older girl ahead, made all the more pronounced when said girl looked over her shoulder, giving her wards a brief smirk. However, soon afterwards, when she looked ahead once more, her smirk vanished, and was replaced instead with a more intense expression. She stopped walking, and moments later, the others did the same, watching her with a mix of curiosity and concern. After a while, Rainbow looked over her shoulder, frowning slightly as she addressed them.

"Besides, you shouldn't worry about me leading you in the right direction."

Looking ahead again, she raised one hand, pointing forward.

"We're here."

The other three looked to where she was pointing, and as soon as they did, their eyes widened with surprise. For there, just ahead of them, beyond the next patch of trees, there was indeed the site of a ruin of some sort. Old, crumbling, and, more importantly, foreboding. it was an intimidating sight, even in this dilapidated state, and as the four of them took cautious steps towards it, Pinkie suddenly started rubbing her arms against one another, shivering slightly.

"Is it just me...or is it getting cold around here?"

Rainbow nodded to that.

"Yeah...this place does that."

The ranger moved ahead of the others, heading straight towards the ancient stone archway leading into this place. A look of nervousness passed between the other three, but, in the end, they followed. Twilight went first, and, after entering this old castle in earnest, she started looking around. What little of this place that hadn't been taken over by vines and weeds over the years was broken or aged beyond recognition. But, as ever, curiosity began to overwhelm her, and she soon strayed from the group, heading to one of the nearby walls. Noticing this, Rainbow frowned.

"Don't go taking too much of an interest, Sparkle. This place is dangerous."

But Twilight was already too focused on the wall to pay attention. As she drew closer, she noticed, even in spite of the centuries of wear and tear, that there were markings all around those old stones. She raised a hand, gently placing it upon the wall, carefully brushing aside some of the accumulated dust, before squinting at the stuff.

"I think...I think there's something here."

Spike turned to her, raising an eyebrow, and then started to walk closer to her. As he stood beside her, he folded her arms, waiting for her to continue. He too had noticed some kind of markings, but the expression he wore was not that of someone who actually recnognised them. Seeing this, Twilight didn't waste any time in speaking to him.

"There are a few characters here that...that I think I've seen before. Back at the library in Canterlot, at the school, some of the older books had these same markings."

Spike nodded.

"So...what do they say?"

Twilight sighed, slumping her shoulders slightly.

"No idea. The language is old. Very old, in fact. Some scholars have even gone on to say that it might have even been the first real language in our world. Or, at least, the oldest one we know of."

A frown crossed her face.

"Unfortunately...those who spoke it have been dead for centuries, so, chances are...we'll never know what it says."

As one would expect to that, Spike let out a grunt of annoyance.

"Ugh! Well that doesn't do us any good."

Twilight nodded in agreement, but was unable to say anything, as Rainbow then shouted over to the both of them.

"Hey! What did I say?! This place isn't safe, so stay close where I can keep my eye on you!"

The two youths turned to her, though Spike was, as usual, pretty annoyed with the way she was speaking to them. As for Twilight, she, by contrast, simply nodded to her guide, and started to walk towards her, with Spike close behind. Once back together with Rainbow and Pinkie, the young mage continued to look around her, with her face a mix of both curiosity and fear.

"Have you been here often?"

Rainbow shook her head.

"Once or twice. Nothing to speak of really. Mostly, it's just the unsavoury sorts that camp out here. Whatever this place was...it stopped being of any importance a long time ago."

Twilight continued to look away, looking, for lack of a better word, distracted.

"It's just...there's something...something about this place."

Rainbow raised her eyebrow at that behaviour, but Pinkie, standing close by, tilted her head in confusion.

"Um...what, exactly?"

Twilight shook her head slightly, taking a few steps away from the group.

"I...I don't know. Sometimes...sometimes mages, even inexperienced ones, we...we can feel magic in a place. I've felt it many times, usually when I was studying back at Canterlot, being around stronger mages than me."

Slowly, her face morphed into one of uncertainty, and then, concern.

"But this place...there's magic here, but...it feels...wrong somehow."

Needless to say, a statement like that gave all of them cause for concern, as they looked to one another, not quite sure of what to do or how to respond to that. Instead, they continued to watch as Twilight continued staring around her, almost as if she were in a trance of some sort. Her gaze drifted to the walls, to the vines, to the markings all around, until, at last, she looked down to the floor nearby. Here, her eyes widened, and she saw something that, in all honesty, she was embarrassed she hadn't noticed before now. A gaping crack, right in the middle of the floor, as if something had burst out from it.

"There."

Immediately, the others turned, and saw the crack she was staring at. Again, they said nothing, instead walking over along with Twilight to look at it properly. A silence continued to persist amongst them, until, finally, it was Rainbow who broke it.

"Hmmm...this definitely wasn't here the last time I visited this place. It looks...new."

Kneeling, the ranger placed her hands upon the jagged edges of the broken stone floor.

"This stone is thick. Whatever did this...it was strong."

As before, Twilight looked to this thing with interest, slowly walking closer and closer. Spike, seeing this, reached out for her, but a look from Twilight made it clear to him that she knew what she was doing. Though hesitant, Spike at least seemed willing to trust her on this, for which she seemed grateful. Then, her expression became stern once more, as she then knelt beside the gaping hole. Carefully she peered inside. As expected, there was nothing but shadow and darkness in there. Nothing could be seen in that kind of light, and that gave Twilight and idea. Lifting her hand, she concentrated, and it wasn't long before her hand became aglow with her magic. Using this new light, she peered once more into the hole, and with this new illumination, it wasn't long before she caught sight of something.

"...There."

Curiosity gripped the other three, and they too began to look within. Seconds afterwards, their expressions became ones of shock, for there, lying at the bottom of that pit in the earth, was something that none of them needed any help in recognising; a skeleton. It was, in all likelihood, just as old as the rest of their surroundings, and bore no garments or wrappings. No markings or other insignia were there to let them know who it was that was laid here. All they could see was that the passage of time had done it's work, leaving those old bones filthy and broken, to the point where it barely even resembled a human. Spike took a step away from it, looking to Twilight with worry.

"Twilight?"

The young mage, now being looked upon by all of her companions, started to back away herself, and now began looking all around at the stones and walls that surrounded them.

"This...this isn't a castle."

Looking to Spike, her expression was steely.

"It's a tomb."

As one would expect, declarations like that did not cause any pleasant feelings amongst those who heard them. As the group looked to one another, trying to figure out what to do with this information, it was Rainbow who elected to take charge, frowning at just about everything around her and speaking up in a clear and authoritative manner.

"That's it! We're getting out of here!"

This time, Spike had no argument with her, and gave her a short nod. Pinkie followed suit, and together, the three of them started to march with intent out of this place. As for Twilight, she, for the moment, stayed where she was, continuing to look all around her. In time, she noticed something nearby; scorch marks upon the ground. It was the obvious sign of a campfire. Someone else had been here, and she knew, it must have been those three men. They had been here and this place was important to what was going on. But, for the moment, she didn't have the opportunity to figure out why, as Spike, having finally noticed her, stopped walking away and called out to her.

"Twilight!"

His voice snapped her out of her daze, and she turned to him, nodding to her friend before starting to walk over to join him. Unfortunately, do distracted was she right now, that she wasn't really paying attention to where she was going. Whatever it was that had burst out of the ground, the rift it had made had loosened many of the stones on the surrounding floor, including one that Twilight, unfortunately, just happened to walk into. Her expression became one of shock as she tumbled from this, falling to the floor with a loud thud. Rainbow and Pinkie turned as they heard this, and Spike, having already been watching her, rushed to her side. As per usual, her glasses had fallen off her face, but this time, Spike soon found them, handing them over.

"Thanks, Spike."

Twilight's words were genuine and heartfelt, and she gave her friend a small smile, which was soon returned by the boy. Unfortunately, those smiles soon faded, for as Spike attempted to help Twilight up off the ground, the young mage then let out a yelp of pain. Her face was one of discomfort, while Spike's was that of concern, and after the former looked to her friend with confusion, she looked over to her leg. It was the very leg that had struck that stray floor stone. She tried moving it, only to have yet another bolt of pain run through her.

"Argh!"

This time, it was Rainbow's turn to rush to her side, as she set her bow aside for a moment, examining Twilight's leg. In time, and after being watched by the two youths, the older girl put on a frown.

"Ugh! I think you sprained your ankle, Sparkle."

Twilight, rather expectedly, looked worried about this, and her tone reflected that.

"Wha...what do we do? We didn't bring any bandages or anything!"

Rainbow let out a deep sigh, appearing deep in thought for a moment before, slowly, breaking out into a grin.

"I think...I've got a friend who might help."

Hidden Healer

Walking through the Everfree Forest was, admittedly, pretty difficult even under the best of circumstances. Now, the group had to contend with traversing this dangerous place whilst also helping along a girl with an injured ankle. Needless to say, Twilight was feeling more than a little guilty right now. As Spike helped her along, letting himself be used as a means to let her lean against something as she walked, the young mage couldn't help but look very down at the whole situation. Rainbow, as usual at this point, was up ahead, taking point and looking out for any dangerous creatures that might attack them. Pinkie was bringing up the rear, and she too was looking out for dangerous-looking sights, though she seemed to do so in a less focused manner than their guide. While all had been silent through this stretch of their journey, it was now Spike who finally spoke up.

"So...this person you spoke of...who is it?"

Briefly, Rainbow looked over her shoulder, glancing at the young Prince before looking ahead once more.

"She's an old friend of mine. Normally, she doesn't really care for meeting new people so...so she lives here."

To that, Twilight, at last, spoke, as she looked to Rainbow with surprise.

"Wait...she lives here?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Yep. There's a place up ahead that usually goes ignored by the beasts and bandits around here."

For a moment, Rainbow stopped walking, prompting the others to respond in kind. A silence fell once more over the group, ended only when the guide turned to them, her expression one of seriousness.

"My friend is pretty wary of visitors, so when the time comes, let me do the talking, alright?"

Hesitancy crossed the faces of her companions, and they looked to one another. After a while, Twilight, having made her mind up, gave Rainbow a nod of agreement, which was promptly returned by the ranger soon afterwards. And with that, they were off, with Twilight continuing to occasionally flinch as her twisted ankle continued to give her grief. Spike tried helping her long as best he could, but he knew at this point that his friend needed more that just a crutch right now. She needed real help. Fortunately, said help didn't seem that far off, as they saw Rainbow halt once more. The three of them stared at her, at the back of her head, for quite a while, before, at last, she finally turned to them, her expression softer than it had been before.

"We're here."

And with that, she took a few steps forward, moving past a particularly dense-looking collection of branches and bushes. Though nervousness crossed the faces of both Twilight and Spike, one look at the eyes of the former gave the latter all the encouragement he needed to continue onwards. Though difficult, they eventually made it past the same collection of plants Rainbow had, followed shortly by Pinkie, and, once on the other side, all three of them opened their eyes with surprise over what they now saw before them. It was, for all intents and purposes, a cave of some sort, right in the side of a small grassy hill. But the front entrance, which would undoubtedly have once been a gaping dark hole, was instead boarded up, creating the illusion of the front of a wood-panel house of some sort.

Nearby, there was a stream flowing from out of the woods, as well as a few smaller, not to mention younger-looking trees. The whole image was one of tranquillity and clam, a stark contrast to the grim and ancient image of the forest that they had grown accustomed to at this point. The three looked to each other, clearly sharing that same sense of surprise, but looked ahead yet again as Rainbow continued to walk forward. The ranger, for the first time since they had met her, placed her bow upon her back. And the others knew, if she was willing to do that, then this must be a safe place. Realising that, they moved forward to join her, just in time to see her raise one hand, ball it into a fist, and give a gentle knock upon the front door of this place.

"Flutters? It's me."

For a time, there was no response whatsoever from the other side of the door, leading some among the group to wonder if there was even anyone in there at all. But Rainbow stayed where she was, waiting patiently until, at last, something happened. There was the distinct sound of something being unlocked on the other side, and, shortly afterwards, the door began to open. It was slow, and there was a loud creaking sound accompanying it, but eventually, there was a small opening. Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to see who was there on the other side, and while she did indeed see some shadowy figure within, she couldn't make out any real detail, That is, except for a single, bright eye peering out from those shadows. As for Rainbow, she cracked a smile at this.

"Hey. Good to see you again."

The eye was focused on her for a time, but slowly, it turned, looking to the three behind her. Twilight saw, at this point, that there was fear in that eye, as evidenced by the slight shaking it gave, and Rainbow, realising this, turned, gesturing to the rest of the group.

"They're with me, Flutters. You can trust them. And..."

The ranger looked to Twilight in earnest, gesturing to her foot as she did so.

"...one of them is hurt."

The eye looked down, seeing the hobbled way Twilight was standing, and for a moment, there was yet further silence amongst them all. Then, after a long wait, the figure within seemed to give a short nod, after which, the door, finally began to open fully. As before, Twilight and the others could not see the home's occupant, as she had apparently moved to the side when opening the door. All they knew was that Rainbow was now entering the place herself, and that, after a brief moment of hesitancy on their part, prompted them to follow her. Spike made sure to be extra careful when helping Twilight in, keeping her off that first step before leading her into the house. And here, now that they were inside, Twilight could see what this place was really like.

It was not something she ever expect to find in the kind of bleak and dangerous place as this forest had proved itself to be. This house looked, for all intents and purposes, cosy. It was the kind of soft and comfortable-looking place one would usually expect to find as the abode of a kindly grandmother, with teacups and doilies aplenty, as well as old and well-kept chairs and sofas. One looked at this place, and they couldn't help but feel relaxed. But, before Twilight could dwell too much on their surroundings, she was distracted once more by the sound of Rainbow to her side.

"Twilight. Spike. Pinkie. Allow me to introduce my friend. Fluttershy."

The three turned, and finally, they were able t look upon their new host. It was a woman, about Pinkie's age, clad in an abundance of greens of many different shades, in the form of a long, all-encompassing dress. Twilight's image of this being the home of an old lady was not too far off, given that outfit, as it would not go amiss on such a person, to the point where Fluttershy was even wearing a shawl over her shoulders. Atop her head was long light-pink hair, which was tied together into a pair of braided pigtails, hanging from either side of her head. Her pose and way of standing was that of someone who was incredibly nervous about something, as she clasped her hands together, all while avoiding their gaze. After a while, Twilight cleared her throat before offering a smile.

"It's...it's nice to meet you."

Fluttershy gave a nod, but, for the time being, said nothing. Instead, and to the surprise of everyone, Twilight then let out another yelp of pain, having put just a little too much pressure on the offending ankle. Their new acquaintance took on a look of concern, and immediately, she started to take action, raising one hand and pointing to a nearby sofa. Spike saw where she was pointing and gave a nod, understanding her meaning, and so led Twilight over shortly afterwards. It didn't take long for the young mage to sit herself down upon the soft pillows of the thing, a welcome relief from her journey over here. Moments later, Fluttershy walked over, kneeling down before Twilight and looking up to her.

"It's...it's my ankle," Twilight explained.

Her host nodded, and then reached forward. Carefully, she took hold of Twilight's lower leg, and with her free hand, slipped off her boot. With that limb now exposed, both Fluttershy and Twilight could see that, as they'd suspected, there was a large red patch over her ankle, causing the former to narrow her eyes slightly. She looked up, giving Twilight a small but sweet-looking smile, which, somehow, caused the mage to feel all the more relaxed. Placing Twilight's foot gently upon the ground once more, Fluttershy stood up, making her way over to a nearby cupboard that was fastened to the wall. Opening it, she began to rummage within for a while, before finally pulling out a small bottle.

"Ah, the green stuff. Always the best-tasting one," Rainbow said in a somewhat humorous fashion.

Fluttershy gave her a brief disapproving frown, before moving over to Twilight once more. Reaching out, she offered the girl the bottle, and Twilight, gratefully, accepted it. With the bottle in hand, Twilight gave it a brief sniff, finding that it had no real odour to it. After just a second of concern, she took a sip of the liquid within. The effect was surprisingly immediate, as the pain in her ankle began to dull a little bit. Seeing the relieved look upon the girl's face, Fluttershy offered her that same smile, which Twilight herself soon returned.

"Thank you, this...this really helps."

Fluttershy, as always, said nothing, merely giving a slight bow to her guest. Twilight, for the first time since coming here, suddenly became all-too aware that her host had not actually spoken, either to her or to anybody else thus far. Turning, she looked to Rainbow, who had already seen the wheel's turning in the girl's mind. The ranger stepped forward, giving her friend, Fluttershy, a glance. The two stared at each other for a time, but, in the end, the latter gave a nod, as if giving permission for something. Though Twilight was, admittedly, confused by this, all became clear when Rainbow turned and spoke to her.

"You'll have to forgive Fluttershy's silence, Twilight. She's..."

A brief look of hesitancy crossed the rangers eyes, before finally finishing her words.

"...she's mute."

Meanwhile, in Canterlot...

Night had long since fallen over the great city of Canterlot, and everywhere one looked, all that could be seen was light after light going out in the windows of each and every building. Calm and tranquillity passed over the metropolis, and the noise of the day soon gave way to the serene peace of the night. The only real activity that could be witnessed once the night had come in earnest was the usual night-time patrols of the royal guard. These stalwart defenders of the city went about their duties with all the discipline and rigorousness one would expect of such elite protectors, as they traversed the streets, the alleyways, and the high walls surrounding the city. If one were to look upon those armoured troops, with their stoic faces and unyielding appearance, it would be very easy to assume that getting past them unnoticed would be nigh on impossible.

That is, unless you knew how to get past them.

A long figure, cloaked in a dark robe, emerged from the shadows of one of the many towers dotting the strong walls of the city. No face could be seen beneath the raised hood, and the figure moved as silent as a ghost. On and on it crept, not once catching the attention of either the guards in the streets below, nor those stationed along the walls. Every time one threatened to turn, and spot it, the figure would dart behind some outcropping on the wall, hiding from view. This tactic worked well for this mysterious person, as they eventually seemed to come across their destination; that of a small inlet on the outermost section of the walls. Looking around, the figure brought forth something from it's robe. A long rope, which was promptly tied to the stones lining the walls, before giving a brief tug, just to make sure it had made the bindings secure.

Then, as one would expect, that silent figure leapt over the wall, using the rope to carefully guide itself down. As per usual at this point, not a single noise could be heard from it, and after a minute or two of simply moving downwards, the figure reached the grass of the ground below. Looking back up, they made doubly sure that they weren't being watched, before finally starting to move away from Canterlot. However, barely a few metres had been walked before, at last, something finally went wrong for this person. There was a rustling of nearby bushes and trees, causing them to stop. Hesitancy could be felt from this person, and in the silence that followed, they failed to note that they were not the only ones out here. Before any reaction could be mane, the figure felt something cold and metal against their throat.

"Well well well. What do we have here?"

The subtle movement of the hooded person gave away their sense of surprise, and immediately, the head snapped in the direction of the one who had spoken. There, standing before them, was a woman, similarly clad to them, though in a shade of brown rather than black. In her hand was a long and shining rapier, which was currently still pointed to their throat. But, unlike the hooded figure, this woman did not cover her face. It was, quite frankly, beautiful, with long flowing hair that was predominantly pink, though mixed in with several other colours. Her expression, for the time being, was half serious and half playful. It was a feeling reflected in her tone as she spoke.

"It would not do for a guard to be found so far from his post, don't you think, Shining?"

A sigh escaped the hooded figure, and moments later, the hands were raised to lower the hood. Sure enough, there he was. Shining Armour. Member of the royal guard and, more importantly, the elder brother of Twilight. He looked to his current companion, looking quite concerned as he did so.

"Princess Mi'Amore, you know it's not safe for you to be out here like this."

A brief giggle escaped the woman.

"Oh? I should think the same could be said of you, guardsman."

Shining narrowed his eyes.

"You know why I'm doing this."

Worry now became the predominant look on the Princess' face, but for the moment, she said nothing, looking on as Shining turned away from her.

"I'm going to find her. I will not let her go through this without my help."

He took a step forward, but was halted from going any further by the feel of a hand upon his arm. He let out a sigh, then turned to look upon the Princess once more. Her expression was soft, and she spoke in a manner that reflected this.

"Shining...please...listen to me. I know you feel the need to help her. Believe me, I feel no different. After all, my little brother is out there too. But we can't."

Shining frowned, but allowed her to continue.

"My Mother is confident that this is the best way. I may not know everything about why she's doing this, but I can assure you, she has her reasons. I trust her, and...I'm asking you to trust her too."

Shining stared at her, into her eyes, and saw nothing but honesty there. The Princess had meant every word of that, and while that did bring him some measure of comfort, it was clear from looking that it wasn't anywhere near as much as she had wanted. He shut his eyes tight, exhaling deeply, before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Cadence. But I will not abandon her to the dangers that she'll find out there."

Here, Cadence frowned.

"My Mother has already said that you are not to go with her, if she finds out that you're doing this..."

Shining nodded.

"I know...I'll probably lose my position."

The Princess nodded.

"Do you really think Twilight would want you to do that, even if it was for her sake?"

Shining looked back to her, his expression a stern one.

"It is for her that I even took on that role to begin with."

Cadence tilted her head, her expression having changed from one of sternness, to one of genuine curiosity. Shining, for his part, softened his own look, turning away from her and instead looking out into the darkness of the night.

"When our parents died...Twilight was just an infant. All she had in this world...was me. I cared for her...raised her. When I joined the guard, it wasn't to protect the people, or even the royal family...it was to be better at protecting her."

Slowly, her looked to Cadence, narrowing his eyes yet again.

"She is my sister. Nothing in this world matters to me more than she does. Even if I lose everything I've gained for myself in this city...it will be worth it, just to know that she is safe."

Cadence stared at him, and for a moment, just didn't look like she knew what to say to that. Shining, in this silence, raised one hand, rubbing his temples in a clear sign of stress. And it was here that his companion finally spoke up again.

"Shining...never has there been a more worthy protector than you. Twilight should consider herself fortunate that she has someone like you in her life. Someone...who perhaps sees her...as more than just a sister?"

The man looked to her, surprise in his eyes, prompting her to smile as she carried on.

"Like you said, you were the one to raise her. It wouldn't really be so shocking for you to perhaps see her as...as something else?"

Slowly, Shining looked away, a frown forming upon his face.

"Her wellbeing is what matters to me, Cadence. If your Mother won't do all she can to protect Twilight...then I will."

Cadence stared at him blankly for a while, but, after a few minutes had passed, she eventually cracked a smile.

"Who says she hasn't?"

Needless to say, that prompted Shining to look to her with confusion.

"Wha...what are you talking about?"

A giggle escaped the Princess, after which she started to explain herself.

"Let's just say that directions and a task are not all my dear Mother has sent along for your sister. It took a little prompting on her part, but she convinced Auntie Luna to part with a certain...asset of hers."

Shining raised an eyebrow as he looked to her, showing yet further confusion.

"But...if you knew that...then why didn't you tell me until now?!"

A smirk crossed her face as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose I was just curious to see how far you'd go before I told you."

Shining, understandably, was still somewhat taken aback by this sudden realisation, which Cadence could fully appreciate. Letting out a sigh, she took a step forward, gently placing her hand upon his shoulder.

"Trust me, Shining....Mother is looking out for her. Please...believe in her ability to protect her...just as I do."

A silence passed once more between the two, and for a moment, Shining looked more than a little uncertain at all of this. But, as he continued to look into the Princess' eyes, the feelings of doubt and concern that had so overwhelmed him this night, all of it began to fade away. He did not look completely relieved from her words, it had to be said, and yet, after giving a great deal of thought to the matter, he let out a sigh, slumping his shoulder and giving a slight nod.

"Very well, Cadence. I may not trust your Mother on this...but I trust you. If you say that this is being handled, then...then I believe you."

Cadence's smile widened, and, before Shining could say or do anything, he watched as she stepped forward, embracing him in a hug, As he stood there, taken aback by this, he heard her speak sweetly and softly to him.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me that you're willing to accept this."

Hesitancy crossed his eyes for a moment, but, in the end, it died down, replaced instead with a more comfortable look. As he continued to stay silent, he watched as Cadence took a step away form him, and here, he saw that she bore a somewhat mischievous smirk to her.

"So...when you said that nothing matters to you as much as Twilight...did you mean nothing?"

Slowly, a blush crept on the man's cheeks, and he raised one hand, scratching the back of his head in a clear display of nervousness.

"Well...maybe...there's one person I care as much for."

New Morning

If there was one thing Twilight had missed since leaving her home, it was being able to get a good night's sleep. Her journey thus far hadn't really allowed for many moments of comfort, which was understandable, but the downside to it was that she had always been left with a real lack of rest. That wasn't the case today, however, as she now found that she had enjoyed quite a long and peaceful slumber. Whether it was due to her injury, or perhaps the medicine Fluttershy had offered her, she couldn't say. All she knew was that, where her eyes at last cracked open, she felt more relaxed than she had since she first stepped beyond the walls of Canterlot. The rays of light pouring in through the window were a beautiful sight, and that, coupled with the softness of the sofa she'd been sleeping on, both worked together to create an air of peace for her.

"Good morning."

Twilight turned at the familiar voice, and sure enough, she saw that Spike was not too far away, offering her that same friendly smile he always gave her. He was not alone, however, as he currently sat around the nearby table, along with Rainbow, Pinkie, and her new host, Fluttershy. The four of them seemed to be sharing a bow of fruit, no doubt breakfast for the coming day. But, while this was a pleasant enough image, it did suddenly shake Twilight into realising one important fact. Something that caused her to immediately bolt upright, sitting up and looking to her companions with shock upon her face.

"Wait! What time is it?!"

To that, Spike shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. Nine, I guess?"

Frantically, Twilight started to move off the sofa, but, before she did so in earnest, she was struck with a sudden realisation. She found, to her surprise, that her foot no longer bore any pain, causing her to look down at it. Very slowly, she moved it about a bit, and found, to her delight, that the aches that had plagued her yesterday were now completely gone. It was evidenced all the more by the fact that the red patch upon her ankle was also no longer there. A sigh escaped her, and she turned, looking upon the meek, pink-haired woman at the table.

"Th...thank you."

For a few moments, Fluttershy said nothing, and simply avoided Twilight's gaze. But, after a while, she slowly looked to her and, in response to her guest's words, offered a small and welcoming smile. Raising both hands, the woman started making a number of gestures, while mouthing silently. Having been here a while, Twilight recognised that as being Fluttershy's sign-language. Unfortunately, the young mage didn't actually speak sign-language, and so took on a look of slight confusion. Fortunately for her, this didn't last long, as a sudden hearty chuckle caused her to turn to Rainbow, who smirked as she finally spoke up.

"She says, you're welcome."

Smiling again, Twilight looked back to Fluttershy, giving an appreciative nod, which was soon returned by the woman. With the knowledge that she had recovered, Twilight looked around for a bit, after which, she spotted her boots on the side of the sofa. Picking them up, she slipped them on, before then standing tall. She took a few moments just to test putting a little weight on her formerly-injured foot, and it wasn't long before she felt satisfied enough to be able to walk normally. Turning, she looked upon Spike, who was still very much engaged with his breakfast, having taken a bite out of a particularly large handful of berries. Walking up to him, the young mage finally spoke.

"So...what do we do now?"

Upon hearing that, Spike let out a deep sigh, slumping his shoulders slightly before looking to his friend.

"I...I have no idea, Twilight. I doubt we'll be able to find those guys who attacked us, so...I guess we just go back to plan A?"

Twilight considered that for a moment, then started to slowly nod in agreement.

"You're right. Looking for those brutes has only distracted us. We need to get back on track. Our goal is finding the..."

Immediately, Twilight halted herself, and she took on a look of uncertainty. Slowly, she looked up to Fluttershy, who, for her part, seemed confused by this behaviour. Twilight hesitated for a while, but was unable to say anything, as it was now Rainbow's turn to add her voice to things.

"I wouldn't worry about your little secret, Sparkle. She already knows."

Twilight, understandably, took on a look of shock at that, looking to Fluttershy soon afterwards., Their host, rather nervously, started poking the ends of her fingers together, all while trying to avoid looking to the mage. As for Twilight herself, she soon started to look back to Rainbow, frowning as she did so, which led to the ranger raising her hands in a defensive manner.

"Hey! I wasn't the one to spill!"

For a few seconds, Twilight seemed confused at that, only to then be struck with a look of realisation. Slowly, her eyes turned to her royal companion, and it wasn't long after that when she seemed to be looking to him with a great deal of annoyance. Spike, for his part, did his best not to look back to her, but, after feeling the weight of Twilight's stare on the back of his head, finally broke down.

"Alright! I told her! But don't go blaming me for that! We've already told everyone else we've met, so why stop now?"

Twilight considered that, then let out a sigh before rubbing her temples a little.

"Yeah...good point."

Here, she took off her glasses, taking a brief respite to clean them up a little with her pocket handkerchief, before then placing them upon her face once more.

"Regardless, we still need to find the Elements, and right now, we don't have a single clue to go on."

Leaning back into her chair, Rainbow folded her arms as she thought on that matter herself.

"You know...that old castle isn't the only ruin in our nation, Twilight. Chances are, you might find some clue in another place further down the line."

Raising a hand to her chin, Twilight nodded.

"True, but...do you know where we can find such a place?"

A cocky smirk crept onto the ranger's face, and as she leaned forward once more, she gave a nod in response.

"You bet! Some of my ranger friends told me about them a while back. It's pretty far though, so you'll need my help getting there."

To that, Twilight took on a look of slight surprise.

"You're...you're coming with us?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Yep. Like I said, rangers fight for this nation, and if these Elements are as important as you said, then I guess it's my duty to help. Besides..."

Slowly, the ranger took on a more serious look, and she briefly glanced towards Pinkie before continuing.

"...like a certain someone once said to me...I didn't do my job well enough, and because of that...someone's home was destroyed."

Pinkie, like Twilight, looked to her with surprise, understanding full-well what she was talking about. As for Fluttershy, though she had stayed out of this for the entire length of the conversation, she suddenly started to take an interest in Rainbow's words, looking to her and focusing on her in a way that she had not done since she'd arrived. Slowly, Rainbow looked back to Twilight, speaking up once more.

"My negligence has left a black mark on my record, and if I follow you, then it's more than likely I'll be able to find those guys."

Though Twilight was, admittedly, taken aback by this sudden forwardness by her ranger companion, she nevertheless soon developed into a more appreciative look, giving her blessing for this by way of a brief nod. However, before she had the chance to say or do anything on the matter, Pinkie stood up from her chair, looking down to Rainbow and speaking up herself.

"Oh yeah? Well, for your information, little-Miss-ranger, I plan on being the one to deal with those meanies, got it?"

The way she'd spoken, it was hard to say if her tone was playful or serious. But, even so, it did the trick, as Rainbow looked to her with a raised eyebrow. One look at the older woman's face, and it was clear that she'd meant that, so, after nothing but silence between them, she cracked a smirk. Slowly, Rainbow got out of her chair, and, for some reason, offered Pinkie her hand.

"Tell ya what. If we find em...we'll beat em up together."

Pinkie looked to the offered hand, then up to Rainbow's still-confident face, before starting to crack a smile herself. With her own hand, she clasped Rainbows, and together, they shook on this new arrangement. Twilight, having stood and stared at this, then looked to Spike, who promptly shrugged his shoulders at the whole affair. Giggling slightly, the young mage placed her hands upon her hips, looking out to all of her assembled companions.

"Alright then...time to get to work."

Rainbow nodded to that, but, before she could do anything, was halted from taking even one step forward, as she suddenly felt a tug on her arm. Turning, she found, to her surprise, that it was Fluttershy, who, as usual, was looking rather nervous about something. Raising an eyebrow, Rainbow spoke to her forest-dwelling friend.

"Flutters? What is it?"

All eyes were suddenly on the meek woman at the table, which, naturally, caused no end of concern for her. But, after taking a sudden gulp, she looked to Rainbow, bearing a look of resolve that none had seen on her since arriving in this place. Standing up, she looked Rainbow right in the eye, before starting to make a number of gestures with her hands. Rainbow stood silent, watching carefully at every movement, every gesture that was being made before her, and it was clear form her expression that she understood every silent word being given to her. After almost a full minute of nothing but watching, Rainbow took on a look of worry, glancing up to Fluttershy's eyes.

"No...no! I can't let you do that!"

Fluttershy frowned, but before she could reply, Twilight spoke up.

"Um...what? What is it?"

Rainbow glanced in her direction, but only briefly, as she then resumed looking to Fluttershy before speaking.

"She...she wants to come with us."

Naturally, Twilight, and everyone else for that matter, looked to the pink-haired woman with shock. But as for Rainbow, her face was more serious.

"Fluttershy...you've never strayed too far from this safe place. Out there...it's dangerous."

Fluttershy's expression softened, and she once more resumed her sign-language. Rainbow, as before, watched, and as time went on, she let out a sigh.

"I...I know you think I can protect you, but...but I still don't want you putting yourself at risk."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, giving yet further gestures, to which Rainbow frowned at.

"Yes...but why do you have to do it?"

Here, Fluttershy gave no gestures, and no other indication of what her motives might be. But, just for a moment, there was a flicker in her eyes, as she looked to something behind Rainbow. The ranger took on a look of confusion, but, seconds later, looked over her shoulder, to what Fluttershy had been looking at. And she saw, to her confusion, that it was Pinkie. Needless to say, the former tavern-lady looked quite confused herself, but stayed silent as Rainbow looked back to her friend. After a while, however, Rainbow's expression was one of realisation, as she spoke up once more.

"Alright...I understand, but..."

Fluttershy raised a hand, halting her friend from speaking any further, and then continued to give her silent signals. Rainbow watched, and in time, her expression softened. When Fluttershy finally stopped, Rainbow looked deep in thought for a while, before finally breaking out into a smile, albeit a small one.

"I guess...I really can't stop you, can I?"

Fluttershy, giving a small smile herself, shook her head. Silence fell over the entire group, and for a time, all there could be seen was Rainbow and Fluttershy staring at one another. Then, at the end of it all, the ranger let out another deep sigh, giving her friend a nod. Fluttershy's smile widened at that, and she looked on as Rainbow turned to Twilight.

"Sparkle...if it's okay with you...she would like to journey with us."

Twilight stood in silence, looking from Rainbow, to Fluttershy and then back again. For a time, she said nothing, instead looking to Spike. However, like her, he too had no real clue what was actually going on here, and so shrugged his shoulders yet again. Twilight stopped for a moment, thinking on all of this, before, at the end, exhaling deeply. She looked up, smiling slightly to Fluttershy, who smiled right back, before giving her answer.

"In that case...welcome to the group, Miss Fluttershy."

Out of the Woods

While she did not begrudge the opportunity to get out and see new things, there was one aspect of her journey thus far that Twilight really had grown tired of at this point; seeing endless ancient trees all around her. From the moment she'd entered the Everfree, that was all she had seen before her, with the notable exceptions of the castle and Fluttershy's home. But, while she would have been the first to admit that it was an intriguing place to be in at first, the forest truly had worn out it's charm in her eyes. So, on she moved, alongside all of her companions, bearing a look that was quite clearly one of irritation. Thankfully, she was not the only one to feel this way, as Spike, who walked alongside her, seemed to be sharing this sentiment, as did Pinkie, who was not far behind them.

Up ahead, however, Twilight looked upon the newest member of their party; Fluttershy, the silent woman had moved fairly well, in spite of the fact that she didn't seem the type to really get out much. But, as was the case since she'd first joined them, Rainbow was right there, by her side, looking especially cautious as they continued onwards. A few animal noises here and there kept everybody on their toes, always making sure to look around themselves, lest they be taken unawares by some forest beast. However, after this silence had lasted for long enough, Twilight let out a sigh before speaking up.

"At the risk of sounding impatient, Rainbow, how long is it until we get out of here?"

Looking over her shoulder to the young mage, Rainbow's expression was that of uncertainty.

"Can't say for certain. Most days, I stick to the side of the forest closest to Canterlot. This area, I'm not really all that familiar with."

Twilight had already suspected as much, but for the moment, she said nothing, instead letting her shoulders slump a little. Seeing the look on his friend's face, Spike offered her a small smile, placing his hand upon her shoulder as they walked together. Looking up to him, Twilight couldn't help but feel appreciative of his attempts to make her feel better, and so gave him a smile of her own in return. However, neither of them had a chance to say anything for the time being, as they noted that both Rainbow and Fluttershy had halted up ahead. Pausing, they watched as the latter started giving her silent signals to the former. The ranger remained quiet herself, until, at last, Fluttershy had finished.

"You're sure?"

Fluttershy nodded, and to that, Rainbow started looking around herself.

"You know what? I think you're right."

Fluttershy smiled at her friend's words, but Twilight, naturally, was a bit confused, and stepped forward.

"Um...what's going on?"

Looking to her, Rainbow gestured to the forest around them before giving an answer.

"Well, does the forest look a bit...thinner to you?"

Though at first taken aback by such words, Twilight and the rest of the group started to look around. And it wasn't long before they realised that the ranger had the right of it. There were indeed fewer trees around them than there were a few minutes ago. There was more sunlight pouring in from the sky, and a fresh breeze could be felt for the first time in quite a while. Taking all these facts in, Twilight came to the obvious conclusion.

"We're...we're finally reaching the edge of the forest?!"

A smirk crept onto Rainbow's face at that.

"Yep! Let's go!"

And so, on they went, their pace now understandably more vigorous than it had been a few moments ago. As they continued forward, they could taste the end of the forest, as each few feet brought fewer and fewer trees in their sights. Twilight and Spike smiled to one another, knowing that, at least in this, they were making some progress. However, as the group continued, they were suddenly halted together by a loud grumbling sound of some sort. Rainbow immediately readied her bow, looking around. A silence fell, but it was short-lived, as that same grumbling could be heard yet again.

"What in the name of the Light is that?!" the ranger asked.

"Um...it's me."

All eyes turned to the owner of the voice; Pinkie. Though confused, they watched as the older woman placed a hand upon her stomach, heralding the arrival of another growling sound.

"Yeah...kinda hungry right now."

Although somewhat amused by this, Twilight gave her companion a nod before turning to Rainbow.

"In fairness to her, it has been a while since we last ate."

Rainbow considered this for a moment, before then giving a brief nod to the young mage. She thought about it for a moment, perhaps considering some foraging plan to get some game nearby? But, she had not the chance to finalise such a plan, as her shoulder was soon gently tapped by Fluttershy. Turning, Rainbow looked on as the latter pointed away from her, to something further along the path. Raising an eyebrow, the ranger looked to what her friend was pointing at, and here, Rainbow, as well as everyone else, widened their eyes with surprise. For there, standing before them, was a large and fully-laden apple tree. The glistening red fruits silently called to them, looking like the most appetizing things they had ever laid eyes on.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Pinkie called out.

And with that, the group moved forward, heading straight for the bountiful tree before them. As they drew closer, Rainbow readied her bow once more, and with careful aim, she shot a single arrow. It flew through the air, and was so expertly aimed that it soon hit the stem connecting one of the apples to the rest of the tree-branch. As the red fruit fell, Rainbow, having placed her bow upon her back once more, held out a hand, just in time for the apple to land safely within it. With a confident smirk creeping upon her face, the ranger then threw it over to Pinkie.

"There ya go, Pinks."

Eagerly accepting it, Pinkie gave an appreciative smile to Rainbow, before then taking an almighty bite out of her gift. However, while everyone was fairly content with this, there was something that, all of a sudden, struck Twilight with a feeling of uncertainty. She turned, looking upon the nearby apple tree, and before long, she noticed that there was not one, but two. Her eyes drifted over to the second tree, and before long, she spotted a third, then a forth, and many more besides. But, that was not the only thing that gave her pause. For as she stared at them, she couldn't help but notice that they did not seem to grow in the same random, mis-matched manner as the rest of the trees of the Everfree. Instead, it looked as if they were in carefully-ordered rows, all even spaces apart, as if they had been deliberately planted there. Realising this, a look of concern crossed her face.

"Um...Rainbow? I...I don't think it's a good idea for us to be eating those apples."

Looking to her, Rainbow raised an eyebrow once more.

"Pardon?"

Twilight clasped her hands together nervously.

"Seriously, Rainbow. I really, really think we shouldn't be eating them."

Spike looked to her, starting to share her concerned look, but as for Rainbow, she simply let out a hearty chuckle.

"Relax, Sparkle! We're in the middle of nowhere! I doubt we'll have...any..."

The ranger stopped, and her smile vanished soon afterwards. Instead, she took on a look of wariness, starting to look all around her. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was halted from doing so when Rainbow raised a single hand. Needless to say, everybody was confused by this behaviour, doubly so when Rainbow got out her bow again, readying a single arrow. While she was still unsure of what was going on, Twilight, soon enough, started to hear something. It was a frantic sound, something quick, and getting louder all the time. Then, her eyes widened, for she knew exactly what that sound now was; footsteps. Someone was coming towards them, and fast from the sound of it. Realising this, she started looking around in all directions, followed shortly by her companions.

"Twilight?" Spike asked, showing clear worry.

But Twilight was unable to answer him. For mere moments after he had spoken, the girl's eyes widened with shock.

"Rainbow!"

Her call had it's desired effect, as the ranger spun around, just in time to finally see the one approaching them. At first, they were moving too quickly to be seen properly, but, not so quick that the group couldn't see what they were doing. They had emerged from behind one of the apple trees, and now, to the surprise of all of them, leapt into the air. Looking up, many had to shield their eyes from the sun, and could only make out the shadow of the figure above them. But, this confusion gave way to a sense of danger, as all of them now saw that this figure was armed. A broadsword, no doubt steel, was held by their assailant, and was so large that it was almost the full length of their body. It was raised high above the head, and as the figure finally came down to the ground, the weapon was struck down along with it.

Rainbow leapt backwards, and just in time, for the moment that sword struck the ground, it sent clods of dirt in all directions. Clearly, it had been swung with a great deal of strength and force, and as Rainbow finally found her footing, she looked on with anger.

"Hey!"

Here, at long last, the group could see who it was that was attacking them. It was another woman, around Rainbow's age from the look of it, with sandy blonde hair that was cut fairly short, stopping just below her ears. Her garb was that of green leather, covering all of her body and legs, though left her muscular arms exposed. Upon her feet were heavy-looking brown boots, which pressed in deeply to the ground beneath her. But, upon her face, there was a look of great anger. Anger that was soon reflected in her next gesture, as she charged forward, sword in hand, ready to swing yet again. As before, Rainbow was the faster, and ducked down just it time to avoid having her head sliced off. With her arrow still in hand, the ranger frowned, using it as a make-shift dagger, and thrusting it up, towards her attacker's neck.

But, to the surprise of all of them this woman was far more agile than her muscles and cumbersome weapon would suggest, and, like Rainbow, she too dodged this blow against her. The dance between the two went on and on like this for some time, with the mystery woman swinging over and over, never managing to hit her quarry. As for Rainbow, her advantage was her archery, but it was an advantage that had been negated by the constant attacks of her opponent. Not once since meeting her had she managed to get a single arrow ready to strike her. It truly was a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, and the others looked on with concern plastered all over their faces. Fluttershy especially was terrified, having ducked behind Pinkie for safety from all of this.

"This is terrible," Twilight remarked.

Spike stepped forward, his hands already ablaze, and, upon seeing this, Twilight immediately stopped him.

"Don't! You might hit Rainbow!"

Spike was frustrated by such words, but nevertheless did as he was told, holding back for the time being. Twilight looked ahead, watching the on-going fight between Rainbow and the other woman. And here, at long last, fortune began to swing definitively towards one of them. Unfortunately, that one was the attacker, as Rainbow, in her need to keep dodging blows, hadn't noticed that she had stepped back onto a particularly muddy and slippery patch of earth. The effect was immediate, as she fell backwards, landing upon the grass below. The attacker found her chance, and raised her sword high above her head, ready to deliver what was undoubtedly a killing blow. Rainbow looked on fearfully, flinching and shutting her eyes tightly, ready to face the end.

"STOP!!!"

And just like that, everything came to a grinding halt. Ever so slowly, Rainbow cracked open a single eye, and soon afterwards, looked on with surprise, as she saw the one who had spoken out. It was Twilight, who, in a display of speed none had expected of her, had leapt in-between her and the attacker. She stood tall, her arms stretched out on both sides, facing the mystery woman, and she too had her eyes shut. As for the attacker, her sword had come dangerously close to actually hitting the young mage, having been stopped just a few millimetres short of her glasses. A silence fell, but it was a brief one, as Twilight, after taking a number of frantic and panicked breaths, finally spoke.

"We're...we're not your enemies! If these are your apples trees, then we're sorry! Just...please...don't hurt her!"

The woman stopped, looking at the girl with fierce intent. Twilight finally opened her eyes, and looked deeply into the still-angry green eyes of the one before her. As for everybody else, they stared, shocked and amazed at what was happening here, but stayed as quiet as the grave, lest they make the situation worse. Twilight's breathing continued to be heavy, and she never let her eyes stray from the woman. Then, to the surprise of all of them, the woman drew back her sword, planting the tip of the blade firmly in the ground below. Though unsure of this, Twilight looked on as, in a bizarre twist, the woman actually started to crack a smile.

"Heck...ya got some guts there, Missy. Why don't y'all start by sayin exactly who ya are?"

Gulping, the young mage answer.

"My...my name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle."

Looking her over, the woman, after letting out a long sigh, gave a slight bow of her head.

"Well then, Twilight Sparkle...y'all can call me Applejack."

Apples to the Core

If their earlier statement hadn't been evidence enough, then now, things were confirmed; they had finally left the Everfree Forest in earnest. And yet, in spite of that, trees remained their constant companions on this journey, as step after step brought them nothing but those very plants, each one laden with fresh and tasty-looking apples. The group, while still shaken from their earlier conflict, had managed to regain their footing, and were now being escorted through this seemingly-endless orchard around them. Their latest acquaintance, Applejack, was at the head of the group, marching forward with her huge sword resting upon her shoulder as she walked. Most in the group were, understandably, rather wary of this woman, none more so than Rainbow, who, as she walked, moved closer to Twilight, whispering in her ear.

"I don't like this, Twilight. Should we really be following her?"

The young mage turned to her, her expression a fairly neutral one, before answering.

"I'm not sure, but right now, it's our only option. It is her land after all."

To that, Rainbow frowned.

"Maybe...but call me old-fashioned, but I still don't like the idea of following someone who just came out of nowhere and attacked us like that."

This time, it was the turn of Spike, who was walking close by, to lend his voice to things, looking to Rainbow with a raised eyebrow.

"Says the pot calling the kettle black?"

Naturally, Rainbow turned to him with a frown, which he promptly responded to with a smirk. As for Twilight, she rubbed her temples at all of this, but, when she was done, kept her eyes on Applejack up ahead. At this point, the trees around them had started to thin out a bit, and as a result, the group started looking around a bit more. They stayed on the path, never straying from the course Applejack had set, but now, they began to see that they were not alone out here. Other men and women could be seen from afar, tending to the trees, collecting apples, as well as performing a number of other farming duties. Many of them bore similar garb to Applejack, but, unlike her, were unarmed, at least, for now. And speaking of Applejack, the woman finally stopped, turning to her travelling companions and wearing a broad smile.

"Welcome ta Sweet Apple Acres!"

With a single hand, she gestured up ahead, and the group, all together, took on a look of clear surprise. There, beyond where the trees finally stopped, there was a clearing, and right in the centre of it, there was, without question, a keep. Not one of stone and mortar, like so many others in their lands, but one of timber. Doubtless, it had been forged from the many fallen apple trees that they had accumulated over the years, but regardless, it looked no less impressive, rising at least three storeys, and wide enough to give the impression that it could support quite a few residents. Though again, this size could not match other castles of their nation, making it look rather humble by comparison. Surrounding it were several other such constructions, but none as large or as imposing. And throughout them all, there were other people, all setting about their work. Stepping forward, Twilight squinted her eyes a little.

"Wait a minute..."

She looked around, observing not only the keep, but the apple trees and even Applejack herself. Slowly, her eyes widened.

"You're House Apple!"

Looking to her, Spike raised an eyebrow.

"Gee, what tipped you off? The apples, perhaps?"

Twilight, ignoring her friend, stepped forward, giving a deep bow before her host.

"My Lady."

To this, Applejack took on a look of embarrassment, scratching the back of her head in a nervous manner.

"Aw shoot, girl! Y'all don't need ta be so formal. We're all just simple apple farmers out here."

Stepping forward, Rainbow folded her arms.

"Yeah. Simple apple farmers...who go about trying to cut people's heads off?"

Looking to the ranger, Applejack frowned.

"In case y'all forgot, ya tried stealin mah family's apples, Missy! That don't sit too kindly with us!"

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at this.

"Oh yeah? Then why'd you stop?"

While still maintaining a stern look to her, Applejack's face soon softened slightly, turning to look upon Twilight, who had now risen again.

"When most bandits an thieves come lookin fer stuff ta steal, they usually sell one another out. Cowardly stuff, the usual."

Raising a hand, the farmer gestured to the lavender girl before her.

"But you? Y'all risked yer life fer one of yer own. Most wouldn't do that."

Twilight, understandably, looked a little taken aback by such words, but stayed silent as their host looked to Rainbow once more.

"Ah knew, just from that, that y'all are good folk. And that's all there is to it."

Rainbow, while still somewhat unconvinced, nevertheless allowed her demeanour to soften, if only a little. She said nothing, simply choosing to stubbornly look away from Applejack. As for the latter, she continued to walk ahead, straight for her family home. There was a pause amongst the group for a time, but, after letting out a deep sigh, Twilight started to follow the farmer. Her companions followed shortly afterwards, and, together, they made their way to the homely-looking wooden keep at the end of the path. As they journeyed forth, they continued to see more of the Apple family here and there, and as they drew closer to the keep, they spotted one man in particular. He was a true giant, standing a full head above the tallest of them, bristling with muscles, with a mop of slight orange hair. At this present moment, he was busying himself with chopping blocks of wood nearby.

Rainbow, upon seeing him, took on a sly smile, stroking her chin before looking him over from a distance.

"Hmmm...not bad."

Hearing that, Applejack's head snapped in Rainbow's direction, and her face bore a distinct scowl of disapproval.

"Hey! Mah brother's eyes are up there!"

Turning to her Rainbow kept up her smirk.

"Yeah...but his abs are down there."

As one would expect, such a remark earned a fair few varied reactions from her companions, from a fierce blush on the face of Fluttershy, to a simple look of exasperation on Twilight's face. As for Applejack though, she started to march towards the ranger, looking more than a little irritated. Fortunately for all of them, this potential confrontation was soon halted by the sudden arrival of a frail-sounding voice.

"Jacqueline?"

Applejack stopped, spinning around and looking upon the one who had spoken, as did everybody else. It was an old woman, with bright green skin and grey hair tied up in a bun. She walked by way of an ancient-looking cane, and was clad in simple cloth, giving the typical mental image of a kindly grandmother. It was an image further enhanced by the welcoming smile she gave.

"Aren't y'all gonna introduce us to yer guests?"

Clearing her throat, Applejack turned to the group, gesturing to them with one hand.

"Granny, this ere is Twilight an company. They came out of the Everfree a short while ago."

Upon hearing that, the old woman took on a look of surprise, but it was short-lived, as she soon broke into another smile, taking a few moments to step forward, reaching out with one hand.

"It's so nice to have some new faces here. Welcome, young'uns. Most round these parts call me Granny Smith."

Smiling back, Twilight walked towards her, graciously accepting her hand and giving a slight bow of her head.

"It's nice to meet you too, Miss."

Turning, Twilight gestured to the rest of her party.

"And these are my friends. Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Spike."

Each one, upon hearing their name called out, gave waves or bows in greeting to the matriarch of the Apple family, and she, in turn, graciously returned the gesture with all of them. However, when it came time to do so with Spike, she paused. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked the boy over from head to toe, stroking her chin in a display of curiosity. Naturally, the young Prince looked left and right in a sign of uncertainty, fumbling his words a little before finally speaking up.

"Um...is there...is there something wrong, Miss?"

The elder woman took a step forward, looking him right in the eye.

"Y'all look dressed pretty fancy fer travellin folk, boy."

Spike coughed nervously at that, continuing to try and avoid her gaze. But Granny, continuing to stare at him, was soon drawn to looking at a particular feature of Spike's garb. The noticeable emblem of the sun, there upon his chest for all to see. Wheels could be seen turning in the older woman's head, and as Spike continued to avoid looking at her, the former soon widened her eyes, taking a step backwards and looking, for lack f a better word, awed.

"By...by mah stars! Y'all are...the Prince!"

Immediately, every Apple within earshot had their heads snap in the direction of Granny, and then, to Spike. They stared at him, causing no end of embarrassment for the youth, but, before he could say or do anything, he found, to his shock, that Granny then fell to one knee, bowing her head down to the ground.

"Mah Lord!"

Her family, Applejack included, did the same, showing great reverence for the boy before them. As for the rest of Spike's group, they looked to him with both intrigue and amusement, Twilight especially so, as she tried her best to stifle a giggle that threatened to emerge from her. Spike, for his part, let out an exasperated sigh at the treatment he was being given, before looking to his mage friend, his expression almost one of pleading.

"Um...help?"

Author's Notes:

Okay, before I get on with the next chapter, there's something I'd like to test the water on. You see, I have a lot of ideas in my head regarding the backstories and histories of this world and the characters within it, but, I know from experience that having them just stop in the middle of a story to spout it out just comes off as needless exposition.

So, instead, I was considering a different approach. Instead of having the characters say all those things, I was thinking that I would instead devote a few occasional chapters to present a kind of faux-history text, showcasing the backgrounds of the lore and history of this world.

I was inspired largely by the similar "History and Lore of Westeros" videos of the Game of Thrones show, and would basically talk about the noble houses, monsters, etc in a similar way.

However, I will only go ahead with such writings if I have approval of my readers. After all, the last thing I want to do with this is make people feel like they're wasting their time reading chapters like that. So, if it's alright with you lot, I wouldn't like to hear your views on this. If you feel fine with me going ahead and doing those kinds of history-like chapters, please say so in the comments below. If not, then I'll just stick to the story chapters as normal.

Rumours

The sun had once more fallen, far beyond the distant hills in the horizon. But, this time, the arrival of the night did not bring fear or a sense of worry for Twilight. Instead, all around her, there was nothing more than feelings of jubilation. The Apples had very kindly invited her and her companions to dine with them tonight, and so, every single one of them were in the main hall of their timber keep. There was a roaring fire to one side, lighting up the place, and everywhere one went., there was the buzz of chatter as dozens of Apples all happily talked amongst themselves. In the centre of the hall lay a long table, laden with many delicious-looking foods and drinks, the former of which were, naturally, made from the nearby apples they harvested. All-in-all, it was about as welcoming a moment as one would expect.

Twilight's friends all went about their own business, eating at their own leisure, with Pinkie especially stuffing her face in a manner nobody would have thought humanly possible. Rainbow was in a corner, going on about all the "dangers" they had come across in their trek over here. Fluttershy was, naturally, meekly refusing many of the offers to speak with her hosts, for obvious reasons, simply sticking to her own meals, desperately hoping to not be noticed. And as for Spike, well, as a member of the royal family, he was the clear centre of attention, as all there attempted to pay him homage, or simply bow in his presence. Though somewhat embarrassed by this behaviour at first, by now, it had truly outworn it's welcome with him, and he looked to Twilight with an annoyed look.

"If I knew I'd be getting this much attention, I'd have chosen some less-fancy clothes to bring."

Twilight stifled a giggle at that, before starting to get down to her own food, a steaming and aromatic slice of apple pie. However, mere seconds after she had taken the first bite, she found somebody tapping her shoulder. Turning to her left, she saw that it was Applejack, who leaned in closer to the young mage before speaking up to her.

"So, from what yer ranger friend tell us, y'all have been through some pretty tough times."

A nod was Twilight's response, and as she swallowed her first bite of pie, she began to speak in earnest.

"It hasn't been easy, but...I like to think we've been getting on well so far."

The farm girl nodded, turning to look upon each of Twilight's companions in turn. Her expression was hard to read, but, in time, she let out a sigh, looking to Twilight once more.

"Ah don't know what y'all are doin way out here, Twilight. But y'all better be careful. Things ain't as safe in the Green Lands as they used ta be."

The young mage raised an eyebrow at that, showing clear confusion. But, she did not have the opportunity to say anything on the matter for the time being, as her attention was then directed elsewhere. She heard movement, just behind her, and turned, just in time to see a young girl pass her by. She looked like Applejack, though her hair was bright red, bearing a large bow upon her head. She wore a simple green sun-dress and was, at the very least, five years younger than the girl at her side. This new arrival did not go to Twilight, however, but to Spike, who was currently enjoying his food. After a while though, he soon realised that he was being watched, and turned to look upon the girl.

"Um...hello?"

The girl looked to him inquisitively, tilting her head slightly.

"Granny says yer the Prince, right?"

Though still rather embarrassed about getting this kind of attention, Spike let out a sigh before giving a nod, confirming the girl's question. After a few more moments of silence, the latter spoke up again.

"Yer eyes look pretty funny."

Spike, for his part, didn't seem bothered by that remark, and even cracked a smile at it. As for Applejack though, she immediately cast a frown in the girl's direction.

"Apple Bloom! Ya don't say things like that!"

The girl, Apple Bloom, looked down at the ground after being spoken to that way, but Spike, his expression softening, raised a hand to the older woman.

"No, it's fine, really. She gave no offense."

Applejack was hesitant for a while, but, after seeing the honest look in Spike's eyes, relented, giving the other girl a brief gesture.

"Well...run along then. The big kids are talkin."

Apple Bloom pouted at this, but nevertheless did as she was told, walking off. Twilight, as before, couldn't help but giggle at this nice family moment. But, again as before, she didn't say anything, as she once more felt a tap on her shoulder. This time, however, when she turned, she saw that it was not Applejack who had done so, but Granny Smith, who stood beside where she was sitting with a smile upon her face.

"How are y'all doin, young'un?"

A smile crept onto Twilight's face.

"Oh, yes, my Lady. Everything you've done, well...I appreciate it."

To this, Granny Smith let out a hearty chuckle.

"Ah told ya, girl. Just call me Granny."

A little embarrassed, Twilight blushed slightly, and here, Granny turned to Applejack.

"Jacqueline? Would ya mind me stealin her guest fer a bit?"

Applejack looked to Twilight, then to her Grandmother, before breaking out into a small smile of her own.

"Sure thing, Granny."

Nodding back, Granny started walking away, heading straight for the fireplace at the end of the hall. Twilight, for a moment, hesitated to follow, but, after a few seconds further, got up from her chair and began to join her host. Given how slow the older woman was walking, it didn't take her long to catch up, and before long, the two of them made their way to that roaring fire. For whatever reason, being here, looking at those flames, it was as if the noise of the rest of the hall was suddenly nowhere to be found, and all Twilight could do was focus on the small and frail-looking woman beside her. Granny, for her part, stayed silent, staring at the fire intently before finally speaking up.

"Young'un...ah've lived a long time...so ah know what ah see when ah see it."

Slowly, she turned, looking Twilight right in the eye.

"A young mage...a Prince...a ranger...and a healer from the Everfree. All together, coming from who knows where and goin to who knows where."

A smile formed on the woman's lips.

"Ah know a quest when it's right in front of mah eyes, girl."

Hesitancy was plastered all over Twilight's face after hearing that, and she turned away, trying instead to focus on the fire. Chuckling slightly, Granny did the same.

"Ain't nothin ta worry bout, child. No doubt the Queen herself asked y'all ta do this, whatever it may be. And that's good enough fer me."

However, mere moments later, the smile faded from Granny's face, and as she looked to Twilight again, her expression was one of seriousness.

"But y'all need ta know somethin important."

Twilight looked to her, staying silent as the woman began to explain herself.

"Every now and again, we get people visitin us and our orchards. Travellers, traders and the like. Some stay fer a bit, and when they stay...they tell stories."

Granny looked to the flames again.

"Usually, it's the same old thing. Big adventures, monsters from far-away. The kinds of stories people like ta hear when sittin by a fire...or ta make themselves seem braver than they are."

Slowly, the woman looked to the young mace once more, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"But...these days? These days...the stories have...changed."

Here, at last, Twilight spoke.

"What do you mean?"

A sigh escaped Granny before she continued.

"The stories talk of...other things goin on in the world. Nothin specific, but...enough to know that somethin's happening out there."

She looked down to the ground.

"Before, there'd have been no end to the kinds of rumours people spread. But now? Now...it's as if...things have become...quiet."

Naturally, Twilight seemed confused by this.

"Well...that's good, isn't it? We're in a time of peace?"

But Granny shook her head.

"Listen ta the voice of experience, Twilight. When things go quiet...it's only because it's a calm before a storm."

Needless to say, words like that sent the inevitable chill down Twilight's spine, and the girl kept her mouth shut afterwards. Granny looked again to the fire, and for almost a full minute said nothing. Then, when she finally did speak, her words were slow and serious.

"Twilight...ah don't know what y'all plan on doin, or where ya plan on goin after ya leave mah home...but whatever it is...ya need to watch out. Our world..."

She turned, looking the girl right in the eye.

"...is changin."

Whatever feeling of comfort and welcome this place had given to Twilight in the preceding hours was well and truly gone at this point, and once more, the weight of her task was now fully felt, pushing down on her like a burden. She said nothing, as did Granny Smith, and for a time, all they did was look to the fireplace. The other guests and members of the Apple family, all busy with their revelry and celebration, were all too busy to notice this dour mood going on. And yet, through it all, there was one thing that Twilight felt she needed to say, and so put on as much of a smile as she could, before finally saying it.

"Th...thank you...for telling me this. I know you have no reason to help me, but..."

To this, Granny raised a hand, stopping her, before speaking up herself.

"Fer generations, the Apples have served the crown faithfully. If y'all are servin the Queen, doing some important task fer her out there...then telling ya this is the least ah can do."

Twilight nodded, understanding the gesture, but, again, was halted from saying anything further, as the older woman peered over her shoulder briefly.

"In fact..."

Slowly, she looked to Twilight again, and here, bore a very wide smile.

"...ah think ah might be able ta send y'all on yer way with more than just a few words of advice."

Author's Notes:

For those who are interested, I have some new art of this story's version of Spike, if you want a better idea of what he looks like: http://fav.me/d9yp7bo

One More to the Bunch

Though the sun had not yet risen, it's light could nevertheless be seen, far away, just about to break and greet the new morning. Twilight stood alone for the moment, looking out upon that horizon, and the path that lay ahead of her. She had not slept well, her mind filled with many doubts and concerns, as per usual. But now, in this crisp, cold morning, she at least had the benefit of not feeling quite so burdened, at least, not for the time being. Exhaling, she allowed herself simply to concentrate on her visible breath on this cold day. The dew on the grass glistened as the light levels continued to rise, and all around, there was nothing but silence, broken only by the occasional songs of the morning birds. It was peaceful, calm and serene. Exactly how Twilight liked it.

But these moments did not last forever, as it was not long before the creaking of a wooden door could soon be heard. Turning, Twilight smiled as she looked upon her friends. Spike led the way out, followed swiftly by Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy. Many of them nodded to the young mage, greeting her, which she nodded back to soon afterwards. After letting out a long yawn, Spike looked to his childhood friend, placing his hands upon his hips before finally breaking the silence.

"So...ready for the next day of this?"

A brief chuckle escaped her before, once more, giving a nod.

"I am. You?"

A smile on Spike's lips gave her all the answer she needed, and it was a sentiment shared in the expressions of all of her companions. However, it was barely a few seconds afterwards when yet more arrivals caught Twilight's attention. Turning, she saw, coming around the corner of the keep, was Granny Smith, once more hobbling along on her ancient cane. Behind her was Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh, each of whom bore welcoming smiles as they neared the young mage.

"Good mornin, young'uns," the older woman called out.

Smiling back, Twilight gave a brief bow of her head.

"And to you, Granny Smith."

Once finally there, the matriarch of the Apple family planted her cane firmly in the ground, holding the top with both hands before surveying the group before her. A silence passed, but it was short-lived, as she soon let out a brief chuckle.

"Well now, look at you. All ready and rarin ta go, eh?"

Twilight regarded her travelling companions, all of whom gave her looks that made it clear that they were indeed ready for this, before turning once more to Granny Smith, nodding once in response to her question. Her own smile widening, Granny Smith turned to her eldest Granddaughter, Applejack, reaching forward and gently placing a hand upon her own.

"Remember, Jacqueline...be safe out there."

A stern nod came from the girl, after which she got to one knee, embracing her Grandmother in a hug. Observing this warm family moment, Twilight couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt about it all.

"Um...Applejack? You know...I appreciate this, but..."

But, she was halted by a raised hand from the girl, as she stood tall once more.

"Now don't y'all go fussin about mah safety, Twilight! We Apples can handle ourselves just fine, thank ya very much. Besides..."

A grin crossed the face of the farm girl, as she reached behind and patted the hilt of that greatsword of hers, which Twilight only now noticed had been strapped to her back this whole time.

"...if anythin comes our way, me an ole Bloomberg here will take care of em fer ya."

Hearing that, Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"You named your sword?"

Looking to her, Applejack frowned.

"Lots of folk name their swords."

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...a lot of doofuses name their swords."

As one would expect, Applejack's frown deepened upon hearing those words, and she started taking a menacing step towards the ranger. Sensing that a fight was brewing, Twilight immediately stepped between the two, forcing a smile and speaking to Applejack as sweetly as possible.

"Applejack, I...I'm truly grateful that you want to help us out. In truth, we...we really could use the help."

Looking to the mage, Applejack could see that, while her words had been hurried for obvious reasons, there was nevertheless a great deal of honesty there. And that, at the very least, was something the farm girl could appreciate. Sighing, she put on a warm smile, before reaching forward and patting Twilight's shoulder.

"Whatever yer lookin fer, Twi...ah'll do what ah can."

Twilight smiled back, but, for the moment, stayed silent, as Applejack looked once more to her family. They said no words to one another, with Applejack merely looking into the eyes of each and every one of them. Mac seemed concerned, but tried his best to keep it hidden behind some typical stoic expression. Apple Bloom, as the youngest was, naturally, finding this harder to take, and walked past her Grandmother to her sister, who promptly embraced her in a deep hug. Both Pinkie and Fluttershy looked on with soft expressions at this display, as did Twilight, while Rainbow just looked away. When Applejack and her sister parted, the former raised her hand and wiped away a single tear from beneath the eye of the latter, before giving her a brief nod.

"Ah'll be back...ah promise."

The young girl still looked upset, but, for now, gave a nod, accepting that promise for the time being. With that, Applejack stood tall once more, looking to Twilight and, after taking a deep breath, gained a more stern expression.

"Well...shall we?"

Twilight looked to the rest of her group, and here, at last, Pinkie spoke up, rubbing her arms in a clear display of chilliness.

"Yeah, um, sorry for breaking the mood, but...can we go? I'm freezing out here!"

And that, at the very least, did some good in giving everybody cause to laugh for a little bit, much to Pinkie's annoyance. But, when the laughter died down, they all looked to one another a final time before, at last, starting to walk off. They walked at a fair pace, with Sweet Apple Acres growing smaller and smaller in their eyes as they moved. Applejack, naturally, kept her eyes upon her home, looking over her shoulder to it until, finally, it was simply too distant to be seen. With her home no longer in view, she let out a melancholy sigh. Noticing this, Twilight, in a move similar to Applejack herself, placed her hand upon her shoulder. It was a gesture the latter appreciated, as evidenced by the small smile she gave the young mage. But, as sweet as this moment was, it was then interrupted when Rainbow spoke up from behind.

"So...I'm all for heading off, but...does anyone know where we're going?"

Though irritated at the interruption, Applejack looked to the ranger and gave an answer.

"Granny said yer lookin fer old stuff, right?"

To this, Twilight nodded.

"Yes. Ruins and abandoned places from centuries ago. Something that might contain information important to our search."

Nodding, Applejack perked up slightly before replying to that.

"Well, ah do know of one place. Real ancient castle of some sort, on top of the North Peak. Used ta hear all kinds of stories bout it."

To that, all of the rest of the party ground to a halt, staring at Applejack with wide eyes.

"The...the North Peak?!" Twilight exclaimed.

Applejack looked to her and nodded.

"Yep. Northernmost mountain of the Crescent Range. We should get to it after about a day's walkin."

Silence was her response, as all of her companions just stared at her, shocked at her words. After a long while, Rainbow slapped her forehead in a display of frustration.

"Ugh! Great! Now we need to go climb a mountain?!"

To that, Applejack simply chuckled.

"Shoot, Rainbow! Just think of it like...tryin somethin different."

Looking to her, the ranger narrowed her eyes, prompting Applejack to look away.

"Or...maybe not."

A laugh escaped Rainbow, but it was clear that it was dry and utterly humourless.

"Yeah...climb a mountain. After having walked a whole day, and in the middle of the cold season?"

Looking back to her, Applejack frowned again.

"Hey! Y'all said ya wanted ruins. And ruins is what ah gave ya!"

Sensing another fight, Twilight raised her hands, halting both of them. Taking a brief moment of this peace, she took off her glasses, rubbing her temples to relieve some of the stress, before placing the spectacles back upon her face, after which she looked to both of her companions.

"Look, Rainbow...Applejack and her family have lived around this area a long time. If she says that this is something we should look at, then we should at least give it a try."

It was clear that such an answer was far from satisfying for the ranger, as she started to march off down the path ahead in a huff, much to the concern of her comrades. Letting out a sigh, Twilight shook her head.

"It's going to be a long day."

Looking to her, Spike raised an eyebrow.

"Haven't they all?"

Thinking on that for a moment, Twilight gave a brief-but-dry laugh of her own.

"Yeah...good point."

The North Peak

If ever proof was needed that the cold season had begun in earnest for the Green Lands, today would surely be it. To be sure, the crisp and cool morning they had started off with was a fairly clear sign, but now, things were truly cold. Icy winds blew through the lands, and as they travelled, Twilight and her companions continued to shiver with every step. Even those completely covered up, like Fluttershy, felt the bitter chill as they journeyed onwards. The warmth of the sun had been hidden, overcast by heavy clouds above them, darkening the surrounding area. And all these things and more conspired together to make their trip today even more nerve-wracking than before. It was a sentiment shared by all, but only voiced by Rainbow.

"Ugh! This is only going to get worse, isn't it?"

Looking over her shoulder, Applejack gave a brief nod.

"Yep. Sure will. But, y'all better brace yerselves, coz now..."

Looking forward again, the farmer pointed straight ahead.

"...we gotta climb that."

All eyes looked to where she was pointing, and the moment they did, every single one of them knew what it was they were heading to. While the ground had been getting noticeably steeper as they'd travelled, they saw that, now, the land before them was truly mountainous. Ahead lay the Crescent Range, the great chain of mountains that divided the western half of the Green Lands from the east. And to their left, right at the end of it, was a mountain taller than any of them.

"The North Peak," Twilight mumbled.

That was their destination, and, if she squinted her eyes, she could see that, just as Applejack had promised, there did indeed appear to be some kind of structure, nestled amongst the jagged peaks at it's top. While all in their group grimaced at the thought of having to climb that thing, Twilight, for her part, seemed concerned with something else altogether. Looking to her right, her eyes trailed the Range for as far as she could see, for she knew, that somewhere along those high peaks, was Canterlot, far to the south of where they were. She sighed, longing for home, and as she felt a tap upon her shoulder, she looked to her friend, Spike. The look on his face made it clear that he was feeling the same as her, and together, they shared a friendly smile.

"Alright, y'all! Time ta get movin!"

Applejack's voice shook everybody out of their daze, and while still feeling the bitter edge of the cold day, they nevertheless gave a nod to their latest guide, starting to up their pace and head straight for their goal. Rainbow, as usual, grumbled on about it all, but still stayed quiet overall as they walked onwards. Their breath could be seen with every exhale, and all around them, trees gave way to open grassland, and then, finally, to bare and rocky grounds. There was no doubt now, they were getting closer, though, that knowledge did not exactly comfort them. Twilight, on her side of things, never let her eyes stray from that peak. She simply focused on it, walking onwards with purpose in her heart. In time, several hours in fact, they reached the base.

"Well...here we are," Applejack remarked.

And it was true enough. The steepness before them had truly reached noticeable changes at this point, and they all looked up, feeling utterly dwarfed by the mighty mountain before them. It was an imposing and terrifying sight, that much was certain, and the sounds of fast and cold winds above did not help their situation in the slightest. In this moment of silence, all in the group looked to one another, and even Applejack was seemingly struck with doubt over their presence here. Noting, this, Pinkie folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um...Applejack? You have been up here before...right?"

All eyes were on the farm girl now, which was not an experience she relished in the slightest. She looked to all of them, from Pinkie's curiosity, to Rainbow's scepticism, and finally, looking straight to Twilight. Here, she let out a sigh, placing her hands upon her hips before shaking her head.

"I've made it somewhat up there, but...never ta the top."

As one would expect, a statement like that gave no end of concern for the rest of the party, and whatever enthusiasm they might have had for it was well and truly gone by now. Even so, Twilight looked away from them all, heading over to the face of the mountain, before raising a single hand and placing it upon a nearby grey boulder, embedded in the ground before her. It was cold and hard, exactly like a mountain should be. And while she, like everybody else here, was concerned by the thought of actually having to go up that thing, one other thought, above all, made itself known in her mind; knowledge about her quest was up there, somewhere.

"We should get started."

The others looked to her, somewhat taken aback by the confident tone she spoke in. Spike especially seemed surprised by this, but, after a while, cracked a smile, nodding to her and agreeing to her sentiment. He was not the last, as one by one, however slowly, all in the group began to agree with her, as evidenced by the expressions they wore. However, while this was all well and good, there was still the matter of actually getting up the mountain. Applejack, at last, turned to the thing herself, pointing towards it while still bearing that somewhat concerned look of hers, before adding her voice to matters.

"Grab onto any outcropping or crack ya can find. Hold on tight. And don't look down..."

Looking to the rest of the group, the farm girl narrowed her eyes, her expression one of utter seriousness.

"...ever."

The emphasis on that final word was all the evidence they needed to take this matter more seriously than they had before, and they nodded in agreement. With that done, Applejack made sure that Bloomberg, her sword, was fastened on extra tightly onto her back, prompting Rainbow to do the same with her bow. One after the other, everybody made sure that anything they were carrying with them was secured safely, lest they drop it. When that was all said and done, Applejack took a deep breath, before taking a single stride forwards. For the time being, the mountain was still just at the right level of steepness where they could walk up it, albeit in very large steps. It was like a jagged staircase, with level after level looking treacherous and crumbling. A dangerous place, as one would expect.

And yet, even knowing this, they travelled onwards, with Fluttershy especially seeming terrified at the prospect of going up that thing. Twilight walked over to her as they made their way onwards, placing a hand upon her shoulder and giving a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. As long as we're careful...I'm sure everything will be fine."

To say that such words alleviated all of the healer's fear would have been a lie. And yet, for the moment, the smile she gave in return suggested that she was at least willing to accept that statement for the time being. So, they walked on, and with every passing minute, it became harder and harder to walk normally. Eventually, they had to get onto all fours, using their hands to help them move along the increasingly-steep mountainside. In the end, they finally reached the point were things were almost completely vertical, and here, Applejack firmly planted her fingers into a small crevice she found amidst the rock.

"Here's the start of it, everyone! Remember...don't look down!"

Nods of agreement followed, and everybody began to follow her example, finding whatever small space they could to latch onto, hoisting themselves up as bet they could. Naturally, less physical members, like Fluttershy, found the going tough, but, with the help of those like Rainbow, they managed to make a steady, if slow, ascent upwards. To say that things were difficult for them would have been a great understatement, as every step, every hold onto the cold rock was a challenge. Not only was the icy wind continuing to blow at them, as if trying to knock them off, but, the strain of trying to grab onto cliff-faces like this would have been difficult even for experienced climbers.

"Well...at least it's brisk," Spike commented.

Naturally, a remark like that earned him scornful looks from the women surrounding him, leading to him giving a somewhat embarrassed "I'll shut up now" look in response. But, they ignored his words, just in case they accidentally looked down as a result, and simply focused on trying to move as carefully as possible. Their journey was difficult, that much was certain, and yet, the knowledge that there might be something up here that could help in their quest was what kept them all going, even those like Fluttershy, who, naturally, was terrified at being here. And in the middle of it all, Twilight kept mumbling the same thing to herself, over and over again.

"Please...please let us find something."

Stranger at the Gate

Difficulty, thy name is mountain-climbing. Such was Twilight's foremost thoughts as she and her companions tread carefully with every passing moment. Though none but Applejack had anything even remotely resembling mountaineering experience, they had nevertheless managed to get rather far, all things considering. It was fortunate for all concerned that their destination was not at the very summit of the North Peak, otherwise this journey would have been nigh on impossible for them. Although, in fairness, that's what it seemed like anyway. With cold winds blowing out at them, chilling them to the bone and halting them from hearing anything else, and the crumbling of the rocks all around them, this was not somewhere any of them wanted to be, regardless of whatever useful information they could find at the end of it.

And yet, they were here, which was something they simply had to put up with. The only small comfort any of them could find in all of this was that, at long last, they had reached the point in their trek where they were no longer scaling near-vertical cliff-faces. However, the bad news in that is that their path had been replaced instead with a narrow ledge, one that they had to inch across very carefully, all while their backs were pressed against the mountain itself. To top everything off, a light flurry had begun at this altitude, causing many of them to even have difficulty in seeing where they were going. All in all, it was a difficult time for them. But, on they pressed, moving ever so slowly, lest some stray step send them tumbling to their doom, which was a concern ever-present for them.

"How much longer?!" Spike called out.

Keeping her eyes ahead on her path, Applejack shook her head.

"Dunno! Can't see a thing out here!"

Naturally, such words did little to help matters, but, for the time being, they simply chose to keep on moving as they had done thus far. Every once in a while, a particular spot they stepped on would feel just that tiniest bit loose, causing them to halt in fear. But, as always, nothing came of it, and after a few rounds of relieved sighs, they would carry on. They didn't know how long they'd been carrying on like this, but, given how dark it was becoming, they reckoned that it must have been a few hours at least. They were getting tired, which, out here, was a dangerous prospect. Confidence was dwindling, as evidenced by the looks on everybody's faces, and it looked as if there was no end in sight. But then, at the end of it all, Applejack called out.

"Wait! Ah see...wait...is it? Ye...yes, it is!"

None of the group behind her knew what she was talking about, only that she started to up her pace a bit. Looking to one another, there was a feeling that it was best for them to do the same, and so each of them moved just that little bit faster. Soon afterwards, they all began to see what the farm girl had noticed; a ledge, just further along from them, wide enough for all of them to gather without incident. This narrow ledge they were on was soon ending, causing no end of delight for the group. So, they continued, and, after carefully making their way along, they finally managed to get to the ledge. Panting was abound, as each person struggled to catch their breath.

"If I...never...have to climb...another mountain...it'll...be too soon!" Pinkie remarked.

A round of nods followed that, displaying everybody's agreement with her. However, while nobody could deny that it was a relief to be out of that situation, there was no time to celebrate, as the mood was, rather swiftly, halted. Fluttershy, while taking her final step to be on the same ledge as everybody else, had mis-timed her step, and as such, the point where the path met the ledge had started to crumble. This caused her to start falling backwards, which would, inevitably, have led to her going all the way down the mountain. Thankfully, this tragedy was averted, as Rainbow, just in time, noticed this before it happened, leaping forward and grabbing hold of her hand.

"Fluttershy!"

Her words caused everybody else to notice what was going on, and they looked on in horror at what nearly transpired. Thankfully, Rainbow had enough of a grip on the healer to be able to pull her onto the ledge in earnest. But, for the moment, Fluttershy was clearly terrified over what had just occurred, as shown by the heavy breathing she was doing right now. She dropped to her knees, her expression one of sheer fright, prompting Rainbow to kneel beside her, placing her hand upon her shoulder.

"Hey there...you okay, Flutters?"

There was a pause, during which, all Fluttershy could do was continue her panting. But, after a while, she slowly turned to her friend, giving a brief nod. Rainbow stared at her for a moment, just to make sure she was alright, before giving a nod in response. Turning, the ranger looked to her companions, all of whom seemed just as relieved as she was that things had not gone badly there. For the time being, Twilight looked to the rest of her party, gesturing them to take five for the time being. It was a sentiment they all seemed to appreciate, as they all slumped to the ground, sounding utterly exhausted. In the moments that followed, there was nothing but the howling sounds of the winds around them, and the chill that continued to plague them. In the midst of it all, Spike looked to Twilight.

"So...what is it we're hoping to find here?"

To that, the young mage shook her head.

"I don't know Spike. At this point, I'd just be satisfied with a simple go here kind of message."

A chuckle escaped the Prince after hearing that, and he nodded in agreement. The two looked over to Fluttershy, who seemed to be recovering nicely from her ordeal a few moments ago, with Rainbow constantly by her side. The silent healer looked to her, showing appreciation, which Rainbow couldn't help but smile at. Getting up at long last, Rainbow placed her hands upon her hips, looking around at the place they'd taken their break. However, moments later, her smile faded.

"Um...guys? I think we have a problem."

Naturally, such a remark earned her the attention of all of her companions, and they looked to her with confusion plastered all over their faces. In response to this, the ranger pointed to something over on the other side of the group. Following the trail of her finger, it wasn't long before they all saw what she was staring at. For there, right in a small patch of snow on the nearby ground, was a footprint. The group looked to one another, showing clear concern over this, but Rainbow, narrowing her eyes, walked towards this unexpected sign. Kneeling down beside it, she placed her hand upon the footprint.

"Hmmm...fresh. Whoever made this isn't far off."

Walking beside her, Twilight looked to her companion with worry.

"What do we do?"

Rainbow looked to her for a moment, before turning to face directly ahead of her. Standing tall once more, the ranger took off her bow, readied an arrow, and frowned slightly.

"Stay close. I'll move ahead. If there's trouble...we'll deal with it."

While Twilight was, naturally, concerned with such a plan, she saw that Applejack, who had also walked alongside her, was readying her own weapon, Bloomberg, holding it tightly in her hand and walking to join with Rainbow. Looking over her shoulder, Twilight saw that Fluttershy was standing once more, with Pinkie close by to comfort her. As for Spike, he seemed just as willing to join in on the new plan, though it gave his friend no comfort to think of it. Letting out a sigh, the young mage gave Rainbow a nod, and, with that silent permission given, the latter started to cautiously make her way ahead. The group began to move together now, walking slowly around many a large and jagged rock, always making sure to be as careful as they had been on their climb up here to begin with.

Many minutes passed before anything of note happened, and when it did, Rainbow raised a hand to stop them. When they halted, they looked ahead, eager to see what had happened. When they did, their eyes widened with surprise. For just around the corner, they could see what they had been looking for. It was a castle, clearly centuries old, and crumbling from years of neglect and abandonment. Though Twilight was eager to get closer, she was halted once more by Rainbow, who looked to her with a frown.

"There's somebody over there."

Naturally, Twilight was a little concerned by that, but, ever so slowly, started to peek around Rainbow. Up ahead, near what was clearly the entrance to that castle, there was indeed a figure of some sort. She couldn't recognise them, for they were clad in a long and flowing blue cloak, not unlike her own, complete with a hood. The latter garment was raised, obscuring the wearer's identity, prompting Twilight to look to Rainbow yet again.

"What do we do?"

Rainbow said nothing, her face making it clear that she was deep in thought over their next move. Occasionally, she'd cast a glance in Applejack's direction, and together, the two would simply share a look. After a while of enduring this silence, Twilight watched as Rainbow, still looking ahead, finally answered her.

"There's only one out there. And there's six of us. If we go in, weapons drawn...we might be able to get some answers."

Twilight took on a look of concern at that.

"We don't want to start a fight, Rainbow."

The ranger chuckled.

"I'm not going to start a fight...not unless they start one."

It was clear to Twilight that her companion had already made up her mind on this, and that there was little she could do to change it at this point. Before she could say or do anything else, she observed the two before her stand tall, their weapons in hand, making their way ahead. Though hesitant, Twilight soon joined them, followed shortly by the rest. Together, they walked around the corner, coming out into the clear and finally meeting the figure in open ground. The stranger's head turned towards them, giving away the fact that they'd been seen, and it was here that Rainbow drew back a single arrow.

"Evening," she said.

The figure remained silent and motionless, with their cloak flapping in the still-high winds around them. Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy all bore nervous looks, while Spike's was one of uncertainty. As for Rainbow and Applejack, they stared at the figure, narrowing their eyes, before, at last, it was Applejack who spoke next.

"We don't want no fight, but...it'd be real useful if y'all could tell us who ya are and what yer doin out here."

Again, the figure remained silent, prompting Rainbow to take another step forward.

"So...are you gonna talk to us, or what?"

Again, just silence. Naturally, this was getting on Rainbow's nerves.

"Okay, that's it! Either speak up, or you're getting this arrow your way!"

Twilight looked to her with wide eyes at that.

"What?! No! Rainbow, we don't want to fight them!"

Rainbow kept her eyes ahead as she answered.

"We need to get in there, Twilight, and this...this...whoever it is, is blocking our way! So either they move, or we move them!"

The figure remained as silent and motionless as ever, leading to ever-increasing rage for Rainbow.

"Argh! That does it!"

And with that, the die was cast, as Rainbow's single arrow was finally let loose. Twilight was unable to stop her, even when she tried her magic. Even if she could have concentrated hard enough to conjure a spell, it was already too late, and she watched as the arrow flew through the air, heading straight for the stranger ahead of them. The young mage shut her eyes, expecting fully to hear the clear thudding sound of somebody falling to the ground. But, that was not what happened, and instead, all she could hear was, as usual, more wind. Slowly, she cracked one eye open, and saw, nearby, that Rainbow was looking on at something with shock plastered all over her face. Confused, Twilight turned, and here too, she looked on with disbelief.

For the figure had not fallen. Instead, they remained standing where they had been this entire tie. And the arrow? It was, quite simply, hovering, right in front of their hooded face. It was bathed in a pale-blue aura, which Twilight recognised immediately as magic. Needless to say, looks of shock were abound amongst the group, doubly so when the figure finally released that arrow, letting it fall to the snowy ground beneath them. Here, at last, they took a few steps forward, prompting Rainbow and Applejack to ready their weapons yet again. But, before Twilight had a chance to stop them, she heard, to her surprise, a voice.

"You may want to consider choosing your travelling companions more carefully, Miss Sparkle. These ones lack patience."

To that, Twilight turned to the figure, a look of recognition crossing her face, as she slowly shook her head.

"It...it can't be."

When the figure was only a few metres away, they raised their hands to their hood, and finally, lowered it. Both Twilight and Spike gained looks of shock, while the others simply looked on with confusion, turning from the two friends, to this newcomer before them, and back again. As for the figure, their true face had been revealed; an older woman, with pale skin and dark-purple hair, tied into a bun. Her expression was one of incredulity, with a single raised eyebrow. After hesitating for a moment, Twilight, at long last, spoke.

"La...Lady Rarity?"

The newcomer nodded, looking to the mage with typical stoicism.

"Yes, Miss Sparkle, it is me."

After casting a brief glance to Spike, Twilight said perhaps the only thing she could say under the circumstances.

"Wha...what are you doing here?"

To this, Rarity frowned.

"Simple. I'm here...to get you back on track."

Author's Notes:

With that, the main cast is assembled. And I think that's as good a place as any to take a break from writing this story for a bit. I will be returning to it, have no fear of that, but, for the time being, there are a few other stories I want to get out of my system before I return to this one.

So, for the moment, I hope you've enjoyed what I've written here so far, and I hope you all enjoy when I return to it, whenever that may be.

Character Update

Author's Notes:

Okay, just to let you guys know that I haven't forgotten about it, here's all the character art that has been made for the main cast of this story thus far, just so you all have a better mental image of what they look like in future:

Twilight
Spike
Rarity
Pinkie
Rainbow
Fluttershy
Applejack

As per usual, all credit goes to Siansaar for making the images.