"Help us, Luna...help us all..." the voice that the princess of the night heard was her sister's. Celestia had used magic to send the desperate message, and it stabbed at her heart, reminding her of her quest. She knew she didn't have magic, but even so, she murmured back a reply, willing it to reach as far as Canterlot.

"I will try sister...for you and for Equestria..."

The Everfree Forest spanned the horizon as far as Princess Luna could see. It was huge, never-ending, and something about it seemed alive. Heat haze obscured her view, yet another reminder of her failure to bring night. She flew down, the shade of the woodland providing some protection from the unrelenting sun. All around her insects buzzed drowsily, the only creatures not taking shelter in the daytime. Remembering Twilight's words, Luna started to walk.

A stream trickled somewhere nearby. The alicorn standing in a small grassy clearing took no notice of it. She was a pony not used to the bright daylight, preferring her own night to walk and think. But now it wasn't possible to do that. And it was her own fault.

She had come across many lakes. None of them had any sign of the elusive flower. Maybe it didn't exist. She didn't want to believe that, but it was possible. Just because more than one pony claimed to have seen the Moonflower didn't make it real.

Luna hung her head. Perhaps she had been deceived by nothing more than a collection of old mare's tales. It was stupid of her to think that such a flower could be found.

She was of no use to anyone. She had let her sister down, as well as all of her subjects. Dejectedly, she walked away from the clearing and into the tangle of ancient trees.

After that, she wandered, not caring if she saw a lake. There was no hope of finding what she wanted. She had condemned Equestria to a fate of eternal daytime.

It was better if she never went home.

***

Princess Luna heard a loud roar behind her. It rumbled through through the Everfree Forest, sending birds scattering up into the sky and shaking trees to their roots. She whipped around, and there was the beast: A Manticore, bat wings stretched wide, scorpion tail curled over its back, charging straight for her. Instinctively, Luna lowered her head and summoned her magic...nothing happened.

It was then she realised - she had no magic! She opened her wings and leaped for the safety of the air, but try as she might she could not lift off the ground. Looking behind her, she saw that the Manticore had caught her tail with its claw, trapping her on the ground. Fangs headed for her, and helplessly she looked around her for some way to escape. Nothing. She was the creature's prey, and it had pinned her down. As a last ditch attempt, she opened her mouth, ready to call for help.

Then, something caught her eye.

A shadowy figure in a brown hooded cape, skirting the trees. The figure drew closer, and suddenly leaped into the air. It headed straight for the Manticore, kicking out with two powerful hind legs and hitting it right between the eyes. Immediately the beast abandoned its catch and sprang at the intruder. There was a blur of motion and the cloaked pony was on the Manticore's back. There was a shout in a dialect Luna did not understand, and the attacking creature stopped. The pony jumped down to where the princess was standing, and pulled down their hood. A striped face was revealed, smiling.

A zebra! Luna had never seen a zebra before. She knew they came from a place beyond the realms she had travelled, and were rare in Equestria.

This one certainly looked exotic, with her short mane, her black and white stripes, and the unusual gold jewellery she wore.

The zebra began to talk with a rich accent that spoke of strange and wonderful things in lands far away:

"That Manticore will trouble us no more. Now, your tale is interesting, I am sure."

***

Zecora the zebra listened carefully to Luna's story. When the tale had finished, she finally voiced her opinion.

"The legends say the plant exists out there, but if you can find it I know not where."

Luna sat down on the forest floor.

"I can't go home without my magic. I let everypony down. This..." she motioned at the sky, where the Sun still hung at its midday position, "...would not have happened if I had just accepted my duties."

Zecora stood for a minute, looking at the sky.

"Magic won't return if your heart isn't steady, time must pass before you can be ready."

"You mean I couldn't have accepted my duties?"

The zebra nodded, before returning to studying the clouds. It was almost as if she was looking for something, something that would hold answers. Then she nodded once, like she was agreeing with something in the air that only she could hear. Then she turned back to the alicorn beside her.

"You should not worry, princess dear. The flower you want is somewhere here."

Luna jumped up in delight. She looked around, almost believing the Moonflower would appear in front of her.

"It is?! But...how did you know?"

"The spirits of the sky have awoken. It's because of your plight that they have spoken." replied Zecora.

The princess of the night had heard the spirits before, whispering in the night sky. She never knew what they were saying, but she also knew better than to question what they knew.

"I will begin my search anew. I hope that you will come with me...you have a far better knowledge of these woods than me."

The wise zebra shook her head solemnly.

"From here you will go on your own. This journey is yours to complete on your own..." Next Chapter: Lost and Found Estimated time remaining: 5 Minutes