Author's Notes: Alright, this is it. The last of my pre-written chapters. In all honesty I didn't think it would take this long, so that's something to be proud of. But fret not, I promise to continue to work on this story, and will to keep it updated. But for now, enjoy the longest chapter thus far! And as always, reviews are most welcome!

CHAPTER 10

If Twilight Sparkle and the others had thought the EverFree Forest was dark and ominous before, the near nighttime dark and the ever-present, looming feeling that was keeping them all on edge since they've entered made them wish they were in the forest before the shadows had settled in. Almost immediately after stepping into the woods, Luna's previous warning about the already dangerous beasts that reside within becoming even more dangerous washed over them like ice water in the middle of winter, and with every snap of a branch or twig, some of them being of their own doing, and every odd sound that echoed through the darkness caused them to jump and yelp with fear and scurry through the foliage that surrounded them even faster, which was a challenge in of itself.

The path that Twilight was leading them through was a path by the very bare minimum of the definition of the word. On several occasions they had to either duck under or jump over low-hanging branches, roots, or logs, plow their way through tall shrubbery, and on more than one occasion had to dodge tall plants that resembled venus fly traps that lunged out at them, attempting to bite at them. One did manage to snag Applejack by the right hind leg, who let out a string of curses as she struggled to break free. It was quickly dealt with when Rainbow Dash bit into it's narrow stalk, effectively killing the thing.

Despite their frightening surroundings, they all marched on, though to say they did so in confidence and/or courage would be a stretch. As Twilight blazed their trail, they would occasionally come across a break in the canopy, and having a good grasp of where they were in the wild woods, she would look to her right and see just the tip of the black obelisk in the distance that was responsible for the oppressing veil. When the black canopies returned to blot out the dusky sky, she returned her attention to her front, where she was reminded of the constant dangers that surrounded her and her friends. Hoping to calm her nerves and remember her vision, she would take deep breaths and presume to count, much the same way she did back in the tunnel.

Fluttershy was suffering the worst out of all of them. Much like Rainbow Dash, she had her own demons she desperately tried to fight with. The biggest was the EverFree itself. Despite practically living on the fringes of this forest, she was deathly terrified of it, with her only solace being the many small critters that she loved tending to that actually lived in the actual fringes. The fact that she is also incredibly shy had also left her with little choice but to live so far away from Ponyville, with the only place she could find was the tree she worked so hard to turn into her little, homey cottage. The second biggest was that she was deathly timid, sometimes getting scared or startled just by her own shadow, or any small, sudden noises.

And now here she was, walking through the very forest the was scared to death of, even more so now thanks to the near-blinding darkness, with the same snapping and crunching sounds that had her nearly jumping out of her skin every single time. For Rainbow Dash and the others, it wasn't something they were blind to, not in the slightest, and it was getting so bad that they had to console her every time a twig so much as snapped. While she had a good feeling that they were on the right track, Twilight knew that poor Fluttershy wasn't going to last much longer, and they had to do something before she refused to go any further. And that "much longer" wouldn't even last five minutes.

As they all came up to another tiny clearing, another one of those "piranha plants", as Twilight so clinically named them, managed to creep it's way around Applejack without being detected and was taking aim for the creamy yellow pegasus. Like a coiled snake, it lunged out and managed to bite down on Fluttershy's left foreleg, pulling her down and away from the group, quickly gaining everyone's attention. She screamed loudly, both in pain and fear, as she was being pulled away.

"FLUTTERSHY!" Rainbow Dash shouted. She quickly jumped forward, grabbing her by her free front hoof, and dug her hind legs into the dirt, stopping it's pull. "Don't worry, I've got you!"

"R-Rainbow Dash, save me! PLEASE!" Fluttershy wailed as she bawled her eyes out, and Rainbow tried to pull Fluttershy back. But she gave a cry of pain when the plant tugged back, it's thorny "teeth" having a firm grip on her. Not wanting to cause her friend any more pain, Rainbow stopped the little tug of war, and her mind raced on what to do. She was soon relieved of that when she saw an orange blur fly past her, as Applejack raced to Fluttershy's aid. She quickly found the plant's stalk, then reared and slammed her hooves down hard, effectively separating the bulb from the body. The biting bulb of the plant gave a pain-filled hiss before releasing Fluttershy from it's bite and quickly and unnaturally withered away.

"Nasty varment!" Applejack grunted before spitting at the remaining husk of the bulb. She turned her attention back to Fluttershy, who was tightly curled up in Rainbow Dash's embrace and shaking like a leaf. "Is she okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Rainbow said as she stroked her frightened friend's mane in an attempt to calm her down. "I think she's more shaken than hurt." She pulled Fluttershy a little out of her much needed hug, but she quickly went back into her chest like there was taunt elastic between the two.

"I-I can't do this," Fluttershy whimpered.

"Fluttershy," Rainbow said softly.

"No, I-I can't do this anymore!" Fluttershy said in a louder tone as she began to shake even more and started to sob heavily against Rainbow's body. "I-I'm scared and I'm hurt, a-and all I want is to just go home!"

"Fluttershy, hey," Rainbow said softly, then used both her hooves to make her look up to her, and quickly saw the cold terror in her tear stricken eyes. "It's okay now." She took her right foreleg and tried to pry out Fluttershy's left foreleg, which she held tightly against her. "Mind if I look?"

Fluttershy sniffled and whimpered, still shaken to the core and bent on simply turning back, but as Rainbow looked into her eyes she felt some comfort from her genuine concern, and began to calm down as she allowed her best friend to take her foreleg. Trying to be as gentle as she could, Rainbow gently took it and looked it over, turning it over and following the arched line of small dots on both sides that made up the carnivorous flower's bite marks. Fortunately she wasn't bleeding, but Rainbow had read enough Daring Do to know that it needed to be wrapped up, lest she be exposed to Celestia knows what that could be floating in the air or growing on these wild plants.

"Hey, it's not so bad," She said as softly as she could as she looked into Fluttershy's eyes, "We're just gonna wrap it up for now, 'kay?" Fluttershy continued to whimper and sob silently, but she answered with a nod. Rainbow looked around for something -anything- that could be used as an emergency wrap. She then realized she still had the cloth wrap around her head, and figured by now it was okay to remove it. So with as much speed as she could, she undid the wrap on her head, took the second piece of cloth inside that was more or less covered in dried Rainbow blood out and tossed it, then gently began to wrap it around her distraught friend's foreleg. "I know it's it not perfectly clean, but it's better than leaving you exposed to whatever's out here."

Fluttershy cringed in pain as Rainbow firmly wrapped the white fabric around her foreleg, but was starting to calm down, slowly but surely. With one last loop, Rainbow finished it with a secure knot, then gave her back her limb.

"There you go," Rainbow said, "Think you can still walk on it?"

"I-I-I'll try," Fluttershy whimpered. She then scooted away from Rainbow, giving herself enough space, then got up on three of her four legs. She bit her lower lip as she lowered her injured leg, and once she finally placed it on the ground she put some weight on it. Aside from a little stinging, she couldn't feel anything that would cause her to limp or otherwise slow her and the others down, and put her full weight onto it with no problems.

"Fluttershy," Twilight said, coming forward. She had a look of grief and guilt written all over her face. "If you really want to, you can go back. None of us can make you stay if you're not comfortable with this."

Fluttershy took a moment as she looked around at all of her friends, and each of them were giving the same, concerned look. She looked to her hooves, then to the wrap around her leg, and closed her eyes as she thought. After about a minute, she took a deep breath, sighed, then looked back up to her friends.

"N-No, I'll stay with you," She gave a weak smile, uplifting her friends' spirits. "I-I may have overreacted a little, but I'm okay now. I may be scared, and I want nothing more than to be out of the EverFree Forest. But I wouldn't be able to face any of you again if I let you do this by yourselves."

The six friends then shared a group hug, and what worries they had were quickly dispatched, even if it were for just this moment. As they hugged, a light breeze blew through them, and Twilight's ears twitched a little before she thought she heard something on the breeze. It was a strange whistling sound, incredibly feint but was still audible to her. Whatever it was, it wasn't like the whistling they had heard when they were in the tunnels, but more akin to an artificial whistle. As she turned her attention to where the calculated general direction of the sound came from, she focused harder in order to pick up a clearer sound. The strange whistling was still just as feint, but it was enough to the point where she could pick up enough to make a startling discovery. The whistling sound was rising and falling in tune, as if playing out ghoulish notes to a song on the air itself.

She gave a small gasp, then separated herself from the group hug as she made her way a little closer to where she thought it was coming from, her head turned and her ears pricked up high. As she did, her friends quickly looked to her, curious as to what caught her attention enough to make her end such a tender moment. She had only taken a few steps, but she could tell that whatever was making the creepy sound was definitely in that direction.

"What is it, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"I think I hear something...," Twilight answered. She pointed down towards a thin path, just little to the right of their original straight path they had been taking prior to Fluttershy's attack. "It's coming from down there. Can't you hear it?"

The others looked to each other, then disbanded before joining Twilight and leaning in with one ear like she was. They remained silent, trying to tune in to whatever it is Twilight was hearing, but nothing was coming in.

"I don't hear squat," Rainbow said.

"Neither can I," Rarity added.

"Can't hear anythin' either." Applejack said.

Twilight looked at her friends, confused as to how they couldn't hear it. Shaking it off, she turned her gaze back down the lonely, hidden path that was before them.

"Well I know I heard something," she said, "And I'm still hearing it. Something tells me that there's something to it, and I'm going to find out what it is." She marched forward as she said this, and one by one her friends caved in and decided to follow her, not knowing what else to do.

For the next half hour the six ponies continued to blaze their way through the thick underbrush and wild woods. On more than one occasion they had to dodge and fight their way through more of those nippy plants that seem to be sprouting up in more and more places as they went. Despite their dangerous intents, Twilight couldn't help but be fascinated by the predatory flora. Nowhere in the vast majority of books that she's read about plants did she ever come across anything like them, and she even gleamed at the prospect of having discovered a new species, one that they would name after her. The prospects of such discoveries made the intellectual in her giddy with excitement, but it would only be short lived once they were attacked by one or two of them, and the more rational part of Twilight's mind figured that no one really needed to know the existence of such dangerous foliage, and it was probably for the best that they remained buried in the dark depths of the EverFree where they belonged.

Twilight continually turned and twitched her ears as she had to rely on her hearing to guide her as they made their way, and given by how loud and clear it was getting they weren't very far off from wherever it was coming from. At one point, Applejack and the others stopped, their ears quickly pricking up and turning either which way as they began to hear the sultry notes in the air.

"Well I'll be," Applejack said, "You were tellin' the truth after all, Twi."

Twilight stopped and turned to face her friends, who were all looking around as if searching for the source of the mysterious music themselves. "Wait, does that mean you can hear it now, too?"

"It's feint," Fluttershy said, "But yes, I think we can all hear it now."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Fluttershy, and Twilight couldn't help but sigh and smile with relief. At least she wasn't going crazy, the thought to herself. She returned her attention to her friends, then nodded.

"Then we must be getting closer," she said, turning to the thick bushes that were in front of her. With some slight twinge of anticipation, she trotted over to them and parted them.

When she did, her face lit up at what she saw. Sitting in a fairly large clearing -at least in comparison to what they were used to up until now- with a ray of light shining down on it at an angle was the oblong stone that Twilight had seen in her vision, though slightly different than how she had pictured it. The circular pattern with the four curved streaks of air was carved into it's face, but said streaks had been bored through the entire stone, allowing Twilight to see through the other side, as well as explain how it could produce the whistling sound. The stone itself looked quite weathered and partially covered in a thin moss, yet it continued to stand despite the attack of nature upon it.

Pinkie Pie poked her head through the bushes over Twilight's head, and gasped loudly before jumping and bouncing off of Twilight's head and towards the stone in excitement. The others soon quickly poked their heads in as well, but by then Twilight was already through and approaching the ancient stone. Now that she was actually seeing the stone, Twilight noticed that the circular pattern on the stone was one that she didn't recognize at all. She had studied ancient runes and various books on symbology, yet despite all of that pleasant reading this one image didn't seem to match with anything in her memory. What she did know, however, was that the symbol was definitely meant to resemble the element of forest or wind somehow, but even then she was only going on intuition at this point, which bothered her a little. But what had her even more baffled was how the stone was continuing to whistle the strange melody when there was clearly and absolutely no wind to generate a sound. Oh, if only she had her magic, she mentally grumbled, then she could've been able to detect any kind of magic that might've been present either within or around the mysterious stone.

This little abnormality wasn't missed by the others, as they too were looking over the stone in wonder and curiosity, trying to figure out how the stone was producing any noise at all. While the others were privy to simple nudging or simply looking at the stone, Pinkie took it upon herself to lick the stone several times, then put a hoof to her chin and look off into the distance as if processing any information she had gathered through her tongue. Despite being poked, nudged, and even licked, the stone continued to play and replay the same, six-noted melody, ignoring all that was going on around it. After a few minutes of waiting, and after looking over the stone over a dozen times, Rainbow Dash was getting restless.

"Alright, so we found the rock," Rainbow said, looking from the stone to Twilight. "So how exactly is it going to help us find this 'Ancient Grove'? There isn't even a map on it."

Twilight continued to study the stone, despite the conversation she was having indirectly with Rainbow. "There has to be something. Princess Luna said that the Grove couldn't be found conveniently, so the Princess of the Kingdom of Light gave the Hero-" She gasped, then quickly turned to the saddlebag, digging around in it.

"What?" Rainbow Dash said anxiously, leaning in, "Gave the Hero what?! ...Oh, that."

Just as she had finished asking her question, Twilight pulled out the Goddess Harp. As she did, the divine instrument started to shimmer faintly in a golden light, and the stone began to glow softly in a pearly white in response to it. She held the Goddess Harp in her right foreleg, placing her left hoof against the strings, and closed her eyes as she listened closely to the whistling stone. As if in response to Twilight's intentions, the stone stopped it's continual replay, then started again, beginning from the start. It repeated the melody twice, then it went quite, as if awaiting Twilight's response. Understanding this, Twilight began to replay the melody, and much like how she had learned the Ballad of the Sheikah, a small jingling fanfare played in her ear signifying the correct response.

Fluttershy was suddenly overcome with the desire to step forward when she heard the melody played on the Goddess Harp, feeling somewhat nostalgic about it, like she's heard it before. Twilight strummed her hoof across the Harp, then levitated off the ground slightly as she began to play the melody again. When she played the first part, Fluttershy found herself singing back the same melody in near perfect harmony. The song then continued as Twilight played and Fluttershy sang in a perfect duet, with Twilight ending by strumming a beautiful collection of tones while Fluttershy held to her last note. When the song was done, Twilight returned to the ground while Fluttershy's cheeks grew red from bashfulness, never actually singing in front of anyone else but her animal friends before. The Goddess Harp then levitated out and slightly above of Twilight's hooves while she looked at in awe as a message appeared within the fourth wall.

Twilight and Fluttershy have learned the Minuet of Forest.

This enchanted melody, said to be the voice of the protective spirit that lives in forests, once guided the Hero to the Ancient Grove in the distant past.

Once the Goddess Harp came back into Twilight's hooves, it and the stone stopped glowing. She tucked it back into her saddlebag, and once she did a small, visible whirlwind began to develop on the other side of the clearing, kicking up leaves and other small debris. As it grabbed the attention Twilight and the others, it began to drift from side to side before started drifting lazily to the right and towards a path, then stopped, as if waiting and beckoning for them to follow. Taking a chance, Twilight slowly approached the small whirlwind, and once she came close enough to it, it began to dance around Twilight, bringing out a smile and a giggle from the purple unicorn as the soft breezes it was generating tickled her all over.

"H-Hey, that tickles," Twilight giggled as the whirlwind continued to swirl around her. It finally stopped, then went back to the beginning of the path before doing down it a distance, stopping and waiting. Twilight looked to her friends, and beckoned them with her hoof.

"C'mon, I think we're supposed to follow it," she said cheerfully for the first time in what her friends felt like ages.

Without any hesitation, the five friends happily joined Twilight as they followed the twirling whirlwind. Despite the more winding and bending the trail made and the greater amount of obstacles that were laid before them, they found themselves keeping at a brisk pace as they tried to keep up with the small, weak tornado. As they went, Twilight noticed that since they began to follow it they haven't passed a single one of those biting plants that they had to literally fight through to get to the whistling stone, allowing herself and the others to feel more at ease, if only slightly. It would also explain, she thought, how they were actually trotting, rather than to the snail's pace walking, and even beginning to mildly enjoy the trek. The key word here is mildly.

After another good half hour of jumping and trudging through thick jungle-like forest, the six found themselves in a massive clearing, immediately met by a tall cliff face, reaching higher than what their eyes could see. As they entered the clearing, the six ponies took the time to catch their breath, with Fluttershy immediately collapsing and breathing heavily. This caught Rainbow Dash's attention, who turned and walked to her friend's side. From what she saw Fluttershy looked beat, but given how much ground they covered in such a short time it didn't surprise her. What did catch Rainbow's attention, however, was just how tired Fluttershy actually looked, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she had ran a little more than the rest of them. And it may have been a trick of the light, but she thought that she also may have looked a slight paler than before.

"Hey, you okay, Fluttershy?" she asked.

"I-I'm fine," Fluttershy answered, her voice slightly weaker than normal, "I just suddenly feel a little light-headed is all...a-and tired."

Rainbow couldn't help but feel a knot develop in the pit of her stomach, as if something was telling her that what her friend was saying wasn't the whole truth, as her brow furrowed in concern. Fluttershy, having caught her breath, rose to her hooves and smiled weakly at her, as if to reassure her worrying friend. Not really wanting to press the subject further, Rainbow decided to let it go for now and walked by Fluttershy's side as they rejoined their friends. Apparently the small whirlwind had guided them further down the length of the near vertical cliffside to the right, until they all stopped when they noticed quite the particular sight.

Jutting out from the very face of the cliff as if having been pushed through the rock like clay, a huge, hollowed out log sat, looking more as if it were whittled rather than rotting naturally. The small whirlwind that had acted as their guide hovered in front of the opening of the log-cave until Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash rejoined the group, before disappearing into the blackness that made up the interior. It's small winds generated whistling sounds as it entered, but as it went further in the whistling eventually went silent, leaving the six ponies staring into the black opening.

"I'm gonna take a guess that we have to go in there?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Seems like it," Applejack said, pulling her signature had a little over her eyes, "But that don't mean Ah'm gonna like it, either."

"We've followed every step that I saw in my vision," Twilight added, still staring into the dark interior of the log, "We've found the stone that whistled without any wind, and learned a song that created a sentient whirlwind that led us to here." She turned to look at her friends, all of them a little wary to enter the dark cave. "If all of that isn't a sign that we're on the right track, and just beyond this cave is the Ancient Grove, then I don't know what is."

Rarity and the others all looked to each other, letting Twilight's deduction sink in. One by one they each gave each other reassuring nods, then looked back to her.

"Well, when you put it that way," Rarity said, "You do make a solid argument. If you think this is it, Twilight, then we'll be more than happy to believe you."

The others all gave agreeing nods with Rarity, and Twilight smiled and nodded in response. She turned back to face the dark opening, then began to make her way in.

"Stay close girls," she said, "You'll never know what's going to happen."

The others heeded Twilight's warning, and they all snugly grouped together as they entered the log-cave. The dim light of the artificial dusk was growing ever dimmer as they pushed forward, until the light from the opening had all but vanished, leaving the six ponies in total blackness. After a minute of walking blindly their sight began to return, but could only find themselves being able to see themselves and the others clear as day as they marched through the ever surrounding black. Attempting to get a grasp of a sense of depth, Twilight and the others looked around aimlessly for any sign of light or object, but to no avail.

"Anyone else have a sinkin' feelin' that somethin's gonna happen?" Applejack said, breaking the silence.

Almost immediately asking that, she and the others noticed Pinkie suddenly stopping, then began to twitch as her ears began to flap, her left eye twitch, and her right foreleg twitching.

"Uh oh," Pinkie said, "Somepony should watch their step, something's gonna fall."

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity gasped as they froze up and looked up and around nervously, expecting something to fall on or around them. Twilight looked back to her pink friend, then looked upwards as well, and much like the others she couldn't see a thing.

"Pinkie," she began, "How can you tell something's going to fall if none of us can even see what's in front of- AAAAAHH!"

Twilight felt a lack of ground when she put her hoof down as she walked, causing her to stumble and flail as she tried to maintain balance. Though she couldn't see it, she had nearly fallen into some kind of crevice. But because she didn't have a sense of depth for her surroundings, she couldn't maintain proper balance, and felt herself leaning forward and into the abyss. She screamed as she felt herself drop, but then quickly felt somepony grab her by her tail, and she looked up to see it was Applejack that had caught her in the nick of time.

"Ah gotha thugarcube," Applejack said through a mouth full of tail.

She tried to pull her friend up, but as she did she felt herself beginning to slide forward herself. She dug her front hooves into what ground she could feel, but it felt as smooth and hard as ceramic tile, getting no traction whatsoever.

"Uh, the' again, maythe Ah don't," she said. She then got up and tried to walk backwards, but she still couldn't get the traction she wanted, even felt like she was sliding even faster. Understanding her predicament, she looked back to Rainbow and the others. "Ah litthle help woulth thee nice abouth now!"

As she said this, she felt her hooves go over whatever edge that Twilight had stumbled over, and soon both ponies briefly felt the sensation of free-fall before they were caught by Rainbow Dash. She tried pulling back with all her strength by the farm pony's tail, but quickly found herself sliding away faster than Applejack was, having to try and pull up two ponies instead of one, chanting "No, no, no, no, NO!" before she too was now falling into oblivion. Fluttershy was quick to grab at Rainbow's tail with her teeth, and Rarity had grabbed Fluttershy's tail, but the yellow pegasus's weak frame and the silvery unicorn's dainty strength did literally nothing to prevent them being pulled into the falling chain of ponies. Pinkie, meanwhile, happily bounced over to the edge, then jumped, yelling "Cannonball!" as she tucked in her hind legs and joined her friends.

Five of the six ponies were screaming and flailing as they fell, fearing the imminent moment they would slam into a hard floor and severely injure themselves, or worse. The exception was, obviously, being Pinkie, who had decided to simply go "Wheeee!" and giggle in between them as she began doing aerial stunts, such as fanning her body out and doing the backstroke as she fell, as if she were on some skydiving experience rather than plummeting to her impending doom. After what felt like forever, when it was only for about a minute or so, all six suddenly felt themselves being jerked, feeling turned upside down by some unknown force, with the odd sensation of having them reversing from free-falling downward to free-flying upward, then feeling as though they're being flung or flown forward in a near-perfect horizontal direction. Shortly after their bizarre turn of gravity defiance, Twilight and the others then noticed a bright light breaking through the blackness, and was quickly coming at them.

Birds chirped contently within the calm, quiet canopies and on the cool, misty earth of the Faron Woods, lightly breaking the zen silence with the wind like small waves gently lapping upon a lake's sandy edge. That peace and quiet was utterly shattered when a loud, shrill screaming of fair maidens blared from a tall, hollow log tunnel that connected the rest of the commonly known woods to the hidden Sacred Grove. Twilight suddenly flew out of it, screaming, as if someone or something had tossed her out, and landed with an "Oof!" as muzzle met soft dirt. Twilight groaned as she lifted her head, her eyes swimming either which way in her head, but before she could fully regain her senses Applejack came flying out of the tunnel in the similar fashion as Twilight did, and landing square on top of her friend. The pile of colorful ponies only grew as Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity came flying out and landed on top of Applejack and Twilight, all completely disoriented from whatever it was they had just experienced. Pinkie came out much the same way, but managed to pop open a small parachute out of nowhere and gently drifted and landed on her friends, who all grunted in response.

"That was fun!" Pinkie chirped as she hopped off the pile of her friends, "Let's do it again!"

"No!" all five ponies shouted. Pinkie only giggled as she bounced around aimlessly as Twilight and the others fought to get each other off and fully stand. Dusting herself off, the purple unicorn took the moment to take in their new surroundings and gasped.

"Girls," she said, "I don't think we're in the EverFree Forest anymore."

Rarity and the others looked to Twilight, a little confused, then looked up and around at their new surroundings, nearly gasping themselves. The once low, ominous trees that they were familiar with were replaced with trees that towered high into the early morning sky, the canopy nearly blending in with the clouds that hung lazily above. There was also an air of tranquility and peace that floated through and around them, the very air crisp and clean like that after a morning rain. There was also a near dead silence that hung in the air. There were no spooky, strange sounds that echoed through, only the sound of small birds chirping, wind blowing lazily across the leaves of the tall trees as they made soft, rustling sounds, and the sound of softly flowing water, possibly from a creek or stream, or a small waterfall.

But what surprised them the most was the lack of the yellow tint of Zant's twilight around them. For the group, with the exception of Twilight, it was the first time in days that they had seen or felt the bright, white natural warmth of the sun on their weary faces, and for all of them it was refreshing, filling them all with calmness and joy. After a long moment's reprieve from the dark magic, Twilight began to wonder. Since they were now out of the magic-suppressing atmosphere of Zant's influence, were they free to use their magic again? Hoping for the best, she concentrated her magic as she normally would, focusing on a simple levitation spell on a nearby medium stone. To her unbound joy, she felt her magic flow through her once more as it gushed forth, free from it's bound state, then through her horn as she cast her spell, causing her horn to glow in her familiar pink aura, the stone she was focusing on beginning to glow in the same aura, then began to levitate off the ground with ease.

She simply couldn't contain her excitement as she began to squeal and laugh with joy, dancing on the tip of her hooves. The others quickly wheeled around to face her, startled by her sudden outburst, and only managed to see the stone Twilight had just levitated come back down.

"What they hay?" Rainbow said, " Twilight, did that stone just move?"

Twilight quickly turned to face her friends, her face beaming. "Girls! I can use magic again!"

"Wait, are you serious?!" Rainbow asked, and Twilight nodded eagerly.

Curiosity now having the best of her, the cyan pegasus looked to and stretched out her wings. Giving a few test flaps first, she then coiled back then launched herself into the air hard and fast, leaving only a rainbow streak and a ring of thrown up dust behind her. Even from the distant ground, Twilight and the others could hear the cheers and whoops that Rainbow made as she took to the skies for the first time in days, performing loops and dives at breakneck speeds that she loved doing and was famous for. Having her fill of aerial freedom, Rainbow Dash took the moment to take in the view of the horizon around her, and for a brief moment she nearly forgot how to fly. She might not be a cartographer, but she knew well enough that the EverFree Forest didn't nearly stretch as far out as what ever forest this is did, and certainly not in all directions. That means Twilight's possibly sarcastic statement was actually true. If that's the case, and this isn't the EverFree Forest, then where in the world are they?

Rainbow's thoughts were brought back when she heard shouting from below. Shaking her head clear, she looked down and saw Twilight shouting her name up at her. She took the shouting as a message to come back down and quickly descended back to the ground and rejoined her friends, still shaken at what she's just seen.

"Hey, what happened up there?" Twilight asked, concern on her face. "One minute you were flying so fast we couldn't keep an eye on you, then the next you suddenly stopped."

Rainbow nervously rubber her foreleg before she answered. "Well, remember how you said that you thought we weren't in the EverFree anymore?" Twilight gave a hesitant nod, and now she had the attention of her other friends. Rainbow paused before she continued. "Well, I took a look around us...and I think you might be right. I don't recognize any part of this place, I can't see Ponyville or Canterlot, and the forest here nearly goes on forever, in all directions."

Twilight almost couldn't comprehend Rainbow's confirming words. How was this possible? How did they simply walk from one place to another? Then it hit her. The strange, hollow log of a cave they entered right before falling into the abyss. While she could only speculate, her theory was that it must've acted as some kind of dimensional link between their world and...wherever they were now. If she went with this theory, then it opens up an industrial-sized can of worms, like when was this link made? For how long? Was there anypony -or anything- else aware of this connection? Such questions buzzed within her intellectual mind like angry hornets, and she didn't know whether to be extremely excited or worried.

"Now hold on fer one apple pickin' minute," Applejack said, essentially snapping Twilight out of her overloaded mind. "If we ain't in the EverFree, or Equestria fer that matter, then where the hay are we?"

There was a long pause before anyone said anything. Thanks to the earth pony's question, Twilight's rushing train of thought managed to be thoroughly narrowed to the one, very important question that should've been asked first, and would be the first one of many to be answered. She then looked around, taking in their surroundings seriously for the first time before she formulated her answer.

"I think I have a good idea," she said. Her eye caught what looked like a large, oval opening that looks like a fallen, cross-cut of a tree, slightly buried into the earth and making it into a makeshift archway, the proverbial doorway to nowhere. A stone that looked very similar to the one they found in the EverFree was resting not too far from it, but with a different pattern etched onto it's surface. From where she stood Twilight couldn't clearly see the image, as the dense forest mist still hung fairly high off the ground. She then turned to face them all before continuing. "We're in the place that we've been looking for. Girls...this must be the Ancient Grove."

A stunned silence hung over the five ponies as they made anxious glances around themselves. But they weren't anxious because of suddenly being so far away from home. It could actually be classified as a 'pleasant' anxiousness. When they really thought about it, aside from the so-called "lost" Castle of the Two Sisters, this would be the first time that they've ever set foot in a place that was once actually considered fable. And according to what Luna told them, no one has ever passed through or set hoof in these woods, save for the Hero of Legend, and given the age of the story that would mean it would have been tens of- or even hundreds of thousands of years ago, practically untouched. As this revelation began to set in, the six ponies began to look at the strange, serene forest around them with different eyes.

Their attention was brought back when a "divine" wind swept through them, chilling them with an early morning coolness that Applejack, Rainbow, and sometimes Fluttershy were familiar with on such days. As the mysterious gust passed, Twilight and the others heard the familiar, ghoulish whistling that they had followed to find the stone in the EverFree, and for Twilight she knew that it was coming from the identical stone that was just feet away from them. While the chilling tone was exactly the same, she did pick up that the melody that played on the wind's breath was a different one all on it's own. Curious, she looked back to the stone, and upon seeing knew what to do.

"Y'all hear that?" Applejack asked.

"Definitely," Rainbow replied.

"Strange," Rarity added, "It's so much louder and clearer than the one in the EverFree."

Twilight also contemplated that the melody carried quite well here. Granted they were only a few hoofsteps away from it, but the subtle difference was there, as if the notes were free to fly through the air, compared to the stifling shadows that they left behind. She made her way to the second mysterious stone she will interact with for the day, the others following suit. Without giving it a second thought, she used her magic to levitate the Goddess Harp out of the side saddlebag and to her front. Choosing to sit first, she then took the instrument in hoof, and waited for the stone to respond, just like the first one did. She was not disappointed, for the stone ceased whistling, then resumed in a clearer, more audible fashion. Twilight closed her eyes as she listened, and was surprised that the melody that she was being "taught" was a simple, three-toned melody that played itself over twice.

After the stone played the melody a third time, Twilight took the moment to reopen her eyes and focus on the Harp before playing it. She recited the music back, and was once again greeted with the small victorious fanfare in her inner ear. She began to lose herself as the magic of the music and the instrument flowed through her, and once again she was mere inches off the ground as she began to play the intended song that the melody provoked. As she began, Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all suddenly became overwhelmed with the passion to sing, a sensation that the yellow pegasus was familiar with when she and Twilight both performed the Minuet of Forest. Not wanting to fight such a delightful feeling, Fluttershy was the first to step forward, and she was shortly joined by Rarity. The others, though not as inclined as Fluttershy or Rarity, still felt like it was right, and so they, too, joined their friends' sides.

Twilight played out the song flawlessly as she softly strummed the silver strings with her hoof, while Fluttershy and the others all sang in chorus, escalating the already soothing melody to a near-angelic level as they performed in a unison saved only for the most song-worthy moments back home. As the melody softened to signify it's end, the five mares looked to each other in surprise and a little pride. Twilight returned to the ground, and just like before the Harp levitated a little out of and above her hooves while a messaged played to you, the reader.

Twilight and her friends have learned the Alicorn's Lullaby.

This ancient song was once used as a sign that one was on business for the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Light, then as a lullaby that serenaded Celestia and Luna into slumber in their youth.

There are those that still recognize this melody as an extension of it's former authority, however...

Twilight levitated the Harp back into her saddlebags when it returned to her, a small smile on her face from feeling a little proud of herself. Just then she heard some unnatural rustling, and it was coming from right above them. The others had heard it as well, and they and she were looking around nervously, trying to find out what had made the sound.

"P-Please tell me you guys d-didn't just hear that," Fluttershy whispered, shaking nervously.

Rainbow and the others didn't get the chance to answer their timid friend. The rustling sound was heard again before something jumped down from the canopy and landed between Twilight and her friends, hunching over. The six ponies reared and screamed, startled by whatever it was that just landed before them, but quickly collected themselves and went on edge, the exceptions being Pinkie, who only laughed after being thoroughly startled, and Fluttershy, who nearly fainted from the surprise, as well as something else that was sapping at her strength for a while now, but didn't know what exactly. The hunched over figure straightened up and revealed itself to be some kind of grey forest imp, no taller than any of the ponies that were optically glued to it. It's was face fixed in a perpetual, creepy grin and wore strange clothing that was decorated with various leaves. It had a long, orange pointy hat with a ring of leaves tied around the base, an orange tunic with a large leaf on it's back as some kind of cape, and pointy orange shoes. In one hand it carried a lantern, and in the other it held a strange instrument which looked like a five-way bugle horn.

The strange creature simply looked around, studying each pony, before it let out a childish cackle.

"Hehehe," it said, "Were you the ones that played that pretty music?" It didn't get an immediate reply, only the same, cautious stare from four of the six ponies. "...I really liked it."

"I'm glad you liked it!" Pinkie said excitedly, bouncing up to it. "I'm Pinkie Pie, by the way! And this," She said as she motioned to her friends, in order, "Is Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle!" She quickly looked back to the imp, clearly more excited now after introducing her friends to it. "What's your name?"

"Hehehe...," the imp said, then paused as it tilted it's head to the left. "...I don't remember my name. I'm not even sure I ever had one."

Pinkie gasped long and loud. "Omigosh, that's so super-duper sad!" She frowned, taking pity on the imp.

As Pinkie carried out her conversation with the strange creature, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow slowly lowered their guards. Whatever it was, it didn't seem hostile if it could hold a conversation with Pinkie for this long.

"Well, if you can't remember who you are," Rarity asked, "Then would you kindly tell us what you are?"

The imp looked to her, shifting it's interest along with it's thousand-mile stare to her.

"Hehehehe...," it began, "...I'm called a Skull Kid. Children who get lost in these woods...they turn into Skull Kids. Lost Children. Skull Kids. So that must mean I was lost once."

Every pony gasped at the Skull Kid's answer. What hardened suspicions they had about it were quickly replaced with heavy pity for him. The Skull Kid cackled a little more, looking at each of them.

"Hehehe... You six...you look like good ponies. What are good ponies doing in here?"

"We're looking for a temple," Twilight answered, gaining the Skull Kid's attention as it turned to her. "Someplace where a sword is resting?"

The Skull Kid tilted it's head left and right, then giggled as it nodded. "You mean the special place? I know where it is. I've led another pony there once...he was really fun."

Twilight lit up, taking a step forward. "Then, will you take us there?"

"Pretty please with sprinkles?" Pinkie added, fluttering her eyes as she grew a huge smile.

"Hehehehehehe...," The Skull Kid cackled, "Sure...but only if you play with me first."

The Skull Kid leapt into the air, disappearing in a flurry of leaves, then reappeared shortly after near the cross-sectioned log, his back turned to them while he looked over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to the wooden wall, then noisily inhaled and blew into his wooden instrument, sounding like that of a trumpet as it blared and blew leaves around. The wood wall simply faded away, revealing a path that the Skull Kid ran into, leaving the six ponies alone once again.

"Oooh!" Pinkie exclaimed with excitement as she clopped her hooves together. "I love hide-and-seek!" She immediately began bouncing towards the newly discovered passage, the others warily following right behind her.

As they crossed the threshold, the pleasantly sunny morning sunshine seemed to have been left behind them as they entered a soft, moon-lit atmosphere of the deeper part of the forest. While Pinkie was being...well, Pinkie, Twilight and the others kept their eyes open and looking around for any sign of the forest imp. As they trekked, Twilight noticed another entryway of sorts across the way with the feint glow of a lantern illuminating through the soft blue. Pinkie noticed it as well, and began to hop pleasantly towards the light, playing along with the Skull Kid and trying to catch him. But before she could even meet the wooden archway halfway, a loud rustling could be heard from the canopy, and suddenly a tall, lanky creature that resembled the Skull Kid came falling through, stopping halfway, then looked up to the pink pony. As it approached Pinkie and the others, Twilight noticed it's arms and legs were dangling in such a way that it looked more like a puppet than a living creature, but her thoughts were pulled elsewhere when two other identical creatures came falling through the canopy much like the first, and soon the six ponies were being slowly orbited by the three wooden figures.

"What they hay? What are they?" Applejack said. No sooner than she had, one of the figures came closer and attempted a swipe at the farm pony with one of it's long, slender arms. Fortunately, the figure's moves were sloppy and uncoordinated at best, and Applejack easily ducked out of the way before it could connect the hit. Her face furrowed as she tipped her hat forward, and for anyone who knew her well enough, it meant that things just got serious.

"Ho, you messed with the wrong farm pony, partner." The unexpressive figure only stared blankly at Applejack as she quickly turned and gave it one of her signature bucks, easily sending it flying and smashing against a tree, breaking apart at the weak limbs it was built on. But she didn't stop there, and proceeded to buck the other two away, meeting the same satisfying results of breaking them apart. After a moment to see if they would get back up, which they never did thankfully, she walked up to the remains of one, poking at it's arm.

"It's wood," Applejack said, "They're jus' made of wood."

"Great," Rainbow Dash groaned, "Now we're getting attacked by puppets. Can this week get any stranger?"

"Ah wouldn' be sayin' that if I were you, sugarcube. Don't wanna jinx it."

"...Good point."

The six ponies then left the three wooden puppets behind as they went through the other wooden archway, following the Skull Kid's glowing lantern. But Fluttershy hardly paid any attention at this point.

While they played his little "game", Fluttershy's condition seemed to be getting worse. Ever since they found the clearing back in the EverFree, she had been feeling a little lightheaded and a little weak. And ever since they entered the Ancient Grove, that same lightheadedness has been only getting worse, to the point where she was starting to feel slightly disoriented, her vision going in and out of focus at random but generously spaced apart, and was becoming increasingly nauseous. Her strength wasn't faring any better. She was finding it tiresome to try and keep up with the rest of the group as they continued to venture further into the grove, and she felt that even taking a breath was slightly becoming more and more taxing. And while her left foreleg hadn't bothered her before, it was now becoming more and more sore, to the point where she would start to discretely limp as she went. The only time she did feel alert was when those strange, wooden puppets suddenly dropped in on them from time to time, before they were quickly dispatched by Applejack or Twilight, or both.

And speaking of the wooden puppets, it was later revealed that the Skull Kid had been using his strange instrument to summon them from nowhere when they finally managed to, quoting Rainbow Dash, "corner the little creep" in a circular area. The spot was obviously an artificial structure at one point in time, but was now in nearly complete ruins, with only several outcroppings set around a stone ring in the center, most likely whatever was left of what were once pillars. After "playing tag", as Pinkie had put it, with the Skull Kid, he disappeared, but not before he revealed yet another path. This time it was a bricked up stone archway that was built into the stone wall, and as the Skull Kid left, the bricks that made it a way to nowhere simply faded away. Not knowing what to expect, the Twilight and the others huddled close together as they made their way through the threshold.

To their relief and general surprise, they found themselves back in the warm sunlight in a large clearing. But after a quick glance around, everyone quickly realized that there was more to this location than what they first saw. The ground that they walked on was that of stone, cut and placed in perfect squares, in what was left of a floor. But it was just only the beginning; There was a border of stone that encompassed the area, which Twilight presumed to be remnants of the walls of the structure, and a crumbled and decayed staircase with recesses within the walls on either side of it that led up to an in-tact door on a tiny plateau to their immediate right, possibly to a second floor that no longer exists or what would've been the structure's original entrance. The left side of the structure seems to be the most in tact; There was a large ornate wall with a fanned out pattern that had a sealed doorway in it's center on the ground, and was flanked on either side by two, tall, armored alicorn statues in a reared position.

Rainbow Dash whistled in astonishment, and the shell of the once former temple slightly echoed her expression back. "Wow, time really took a bat to this place."

"One can only imagine what it must've looked like in it's glory days," Rarity said, particularly eyeing what's left of what looked like framing to magnificently large glass windows. "Sad, really."

"This must be the temple where the Blade rests," Twilight said. She then began to make her way towards the ornate alicorns and sealed doorway. "Let's split up and start looking for clues."

"Assuming that the blade hasn't all but rusted away with the rest of the structure," Rarity said as she and the others fanned out.

Twilight went straight to inspecting the two alicorn statues and the sealed doorway. When she came closer, she noticed strange runes and inscriptions that were upon the stone slab of a door, and began to study them in an attempt to make any kind of translation. Rainbow Dash took to the air as she went to inspect the door and what was left of the plateau at the top of the crumbled staircase, Fluttershy deciding to go with her but didn't feel strong enough to fly up with her so she chose to stay on the ground. Aside from the strange door, which apparently made of some kind of metal not readily known to the rainbow pegasus, and the hole to her left that led to some kind of hidden room below, Rainbow couldn't see or find anything that would be considered helpful. Rarity and Applejack stayed closer to the ground as they each inspected the recesses, with Rarity taking the left one and Applejack taking the one on the right.

The recess that Applejack inspected didn't show much, but the wall within it looked cracked and fractured especially bad. She approached the broken wall and gave it a light tap, but despite her "delicate" touch, the wall reacted and immediately crumbled, kicking up dust and causing her to cough and hack. She used her Stenson to fan away the obnoxious air, and once the dust settled she put it back on, then noticed the hidden cache tucked away in front of her, dimly lit by the opening in the roof. When she strode in, she noticed a small, wooden chest sitting in the far corner of this cache. But what was odd to her about it was the fact that it looked out of place, being in relatively good condition, barely even starting to fall apart. Curious, she approached the chest and opened it, the lid popping off as it fell back from the weak hold the wood had on the metal hinges. What the farm pony found inside was what looked like a simple square object carefully wrapped in fabric, and judging from the dimensions she guessed it was some kind of book. She carefully removed it from the broken chest, presuming it was just as deteriorated as the box it was tucked away in, and was beginning to unwrap it before something caught her attention.

"Applejack?" Rarity's voice echoed from behind, "Applejack, are you in there?"

"Ah'm in here," Applejack answered, gently taking the book in her mouth and making her way back to the opening she made. She was not just met by Rarity, but the others as well, all of them looking a little worried and curious.

"Applejack, what happened?" Rarity asked, motioning to the fresh hole in the wall. "We're here to find a sword, not to demolish."

Applejack took the rectangular object out of her mouth and gently set it on the ground before she answered. "Ah know that. It was an accident. All Ah did was give the wall a tap, and it fell apart all on it's own." She then motioned her hoof to the book. "But Ah think Ah found somethin', feels like a book or somethin'."

"A book?" Twilight asked, her interest piqued. She came forward as she inspected the wrapped object, then levitated it and finished unwrapping it. "That's impossible. How could a book exist so long when the stone around it has all but crumbled to ruins?"

Once the last bit of fabric was removed, the object was revealed to be, in fact, a book of some age but in especially good condition. An image of a spiral swirl encompassing several stars was hewn into the greying and slightly peeling brown leather cover, an emblem that Twilight immediately recognized and caused the unicorn to gasp and, for the second time that day, squeal like a fanfilly as she danced on the tip of her hooves.

"OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygooosh!" Twilight squealed, unaware that she had just mimicked how Rainbow Dash reacted whenever she was approached by the Wonderbolts.

"Now wha' in tarnation's got you so worked up this time?!" Applejack shouted, having to voice herself over the overexcited Twilight.

"Do you know what this IS?!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly shoving the aged tome into Applejack's face, "It's a personal journal of StarSwirl the Bearded! THE StarSwirl the Bearded!" She then quickly and promptly plopped her flanks to the ground as she quickly but carefully opened the journal. "And these are StarSwirl the Bearded's actual writings!" she said in an even higher pitch before squeeing happily again. Unable to contain her excitement she immediately began to read, her eyes quickly scanning left to right before repeating the process again and again with each new line and page.

"So, what does it say?" Rainbow Dash said, breaking the short silence.

"It's an account of StarSwirl the Bearded's quest to find the Ancient Grove," Twilight answered, "Listen to this;

"This Day, being the fourteenth of November, in the one-hundredth and forty-seventh year of the Era of the Two Princesses, after the Defeat of Chaos.

"I have been granted an audience with the Solar and Lunar Princesses. I wished to ask them about the legends that surrounded the elusive patch of forest known only as the Ancient Grove. They queried why I was interested in such a fable, apparently hesitant to divulge what they knew to me at first. 'Curiosity,' I merely answered, 'For the mystery that surrounds the legend has gained my interest.' It seems it was enough to convince the two Princesses to entrust the lore to me."

Twilight paused as she quickly, yet delicately, flipped through the pages, quickly noting whether or not a page had any relevant entries or not, until she stopped about half-way through. After reading a portion of the passage, she continued to read it aloud for her friends.

"This Day, being the eleventh of December, in the one-hundredth and forty-seventh year of the Era of the Two Princesses, after the Defeat of Chaos.

"I have been wandering through the dark woods of the EverFree for exactly two weeks, yet still have had found no sign of the stone marker that Princess Luna described to me. She explained that she felt that finding this stone would be crucial to finding the path, and eventually the entrance, to the Ancient Grove, yet failed to mention where, exactly, the stone lay, and I have begun to despair whether or not I am worthy enough to find such hallowed ground.

"Fortune seems to have smiled upon me! I have found the stone marker, at last! It was strange, how I actually came across it. I was guided by the soft whistling the stone produced, despite there being a lack of a single breeze to cause it. After studying the strange marker, I have discovered that the stone possesses a magic unique unto itself that allows it to produce the melody it perpetually plays."

Twilight paused once more as she went through several more pages of notes and entries before stopping again, the remaining number of pages growing quite thin.

"I have been guided by a strange forest imp to what I had so desperately sought this passed month, shortly after my arrival to this unfamiliar portion of forest. As I stood at the archway of the Ancient Grove, I reveled in the ruins of what was left of the architecture before I began. Not wanting to waste a moment, I took note of every detail I could find; the angle and bends of what was left of the glass windows, the length of each cut of stone that was used to make the smooth floor, and every measurement of the two alicorn statues that stood guard.

"It was then did I begin to study the one, intact wall, as if refusing to bend to the harsh will of the flow of time while all that surrounded yielded. An archway stood in between and behind the two statues, but no passage existed. Only the stone wall, meant to keep all out, even time. And yet there was one, according to the Princesses, that was granted passage before: the Hero of Legend. I have used every spell that was conceivable to me in my attempt to move the door, even ones that are not of a benevolent nature, to my regret. Yet it refuses and repels all that I cast. Truly, it is a grand testament to the will and magic of what- or whoever created this sacred place, albeit my frustrations.

Twilight flittered through the last of the pages, until she was on the last few pages. There, she began to recite the last entry of StarSwirl the Bearded.

"To whoever finds this journal, I leave you with my last thoughts and anecdotes of my research. Let it be known that I, StarSwirl the Bearded, have succeeded in my quest in finding and studying the fabled location known as the Ancient Grove. But in my success, many revelations, as well as questions, have arisen. One such revelation, perhaps the greatest discovery I've made here, was happened upon by accident. As I prodded the remains of the grounds with my magic, I have discovered that the Ancient Grove you and I now stand in is not the original Ancient Grove, but one that is a perfect replica, created by the forces that reside in the world of the true Ancient Grove, yet connected and tailored to represent a portion of the world that we know as Equestria.

"The two alicorns that stand guard and watch over the sealed doorway are a perfect case in point, for translations gleamed from degraded inscriptions speak of two sentinels that guard the Blade of Evil's Bane, yet were not described as alicorns. Which begs the question: Why would the denizens or deities of the true Ancient Grove's world create a perfect replica of itself, then have it connected to our world? Is there an untold fate or destiny that will call upon the strength of our Equestrian incarnation of the Hero to take up the sacred weapon, and save the land from an untold evil that the Elements of Harmony cannot defeat alone? Such possibility both fascinates and terrifies me to the core.

"It is also because of considering such possibilities that I have decided to leave this journal here, so that those who stumble upon these grounds, much like yourself, will know that a pony like themselves has been here, and have researched this place extensively for your benefit. While this expedition started out as one of seeking personal satisfaction, it will now end with the notion that I will leave and never return, leaving all the research I've accrued and essentially burying it, so that this hallowed place cannot and will not be defiled by those of ill intentions, remaining to be only a fable.

"In regards to the Blade, no doubt that it rests beyond the stone door that is flanked by the alicorn guards. But how one can be granted passage, I presume that only the one destiny has called upon to take up such a divine weapon will have the knowledge to proceed. Should you, the finder of my journal, by some act of fate or coincidence, truly be the Hero or Heroine of destiny and have come searching for the Blade, know that if I could, I would have been honored to have met you in person, and wish you only the best of luck and that your quest be a successful one."

Twilight silently closed the book, wrapping it in the worn fabric and tucking it away in the empty saddlebag on her left.

"Wait, that's it?" Rainbow Dash said, "He didn't even mention any clues to opening the stone door."

"There must be some way," Twilight said as she turned around and made her way back to the two statues. "And whether we like it or not, it's up to us now to discover what StarSwirl might have overlooked."

As she and the others approached, she took notice of a section of the floor just in front of the two statues that was particularly darker than the rest. Using her hooves, she scraped away the moss and accumulated dirt and dust to reveal an image that she's seen thrice now. It was the same three-triangular emblem that Luna drew back in the Vaults, as well as what was carved into the stone that she and her friends had learned the Alicorn's Lullaby. After some quick thinking, Twilight developed a hunch that something specific needed to be done here. Having an idea of exactly what that specific something might be, she flexed of her magic and pulled out the Goddess Harp yet again. As she readied the instrument, Rainbow and the others noticed what she was planning to do, and then gathered around behind Twilight in an arch shape, ready and waiting.

She closed her eyes and glided her hoof over the strings, the soft rings echoing through the remaining stone walls. As she did, Rainbow and the others noticed the darker lines carved into the alicorn statues suddenly shimmer in a blue light before returning to the darker shade of grey of stone. Twilight, not taking notice of the phenomenon, resumed to play the Alicorn's Lullaby, passionately playing the first part of the chorus. As she began the second chorus, Rainbow and the others felt the overwhelming magic to sing again, and soon all five harmoniously began to sing along with the harp's strums. The five friends then finished the melody on a high note, with Twilight slowly cresting as she finished shortly after.

When they came down from their magical high, the six ponies then felt magic begin to swirl faintly around them, the already bright sunny atmosphere seeming to become slightly brighter. It was then that the darker lines that adorned the two alicorn statues, as well as their eyes, began to bright glow blue, and stay glowing. Twilight and the others then jumped back in surprise when the stone statues then suddenly began to move on their own, coming to life by some manner of advanced magic as they whinnied loudly. The two alicorns lowered their forelegs back down to the ground and folded their wings to their sides, now standing tall and regal as they familiarized as how Princess Celestia would. They shifted their gaze down to the six ponies, their stare making them feel as though their very beings were being pierced, then did something none of them expected; they began to speak.

"Ye six who each share the spirit of the Hero," The alicorn statue on their left began.

"Thy Destiny has led thee here, in search of what we guard," The right alicorn said.

"But before we grant thee passage, please accept this, thy final trial," The left statue said.

The two statues brought their horns together, both lighting up a brilliant cerulean blue. The floor below them then shined in a brilliant white light, blinding the six ponies. When the light dimmed and their sight returned, the floor below them was gone, with the exception of the circular center platform they somehow now stood on and two square platforms that the two alicorns silently stood upon. In the center of the circular platform, a fountain-like structure with five flat discs on outstretched arms rested, a stone sphere resting at the top of it all. The six ponies immediately recognized it as a representation of the statue in the Castle of the Two Sisters that they had originally found the Elements of Harmony. But why was it here, and what did it have to do with their final trial?

"Ye six who each share the spirit of the Hero," The left alicorn repeated.

"Each of thee also possess a portion of an ancient and powerful magic," The right alicorn said.

"For thy final trial, ye must each present thy power of the Element thou have been destined to embody." Both alicorn statues said in perfect unison.

Every pony's heart froze as they heard the alicorns' final challenge. In order to proceed, they needed to pass this final test by presenting the one thing that they didn't have yet needed to find desperately, thus why they were here in the first place; the Elements of Harmony.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Applejack said, shifting anxiously, "We can't pass this test if we don't have the Elements of Harmony, but we can't get the Elements back if we can't get that dang sword!"

Twilight's mind was racing as she processed the information that the two stone alicorns had given them. And while her friends were going with the one idea that they needed the physical relics and beginning to despair, it dawned on Twilight that there was another way of looking at it.

"Hold on a second, girls," Twilight said as she turned to face them. The five friends then went silent as they looked to her, their faces still stricken with worry. "Didn't you hear what the statues said? They weren't asking us to present the actual Elements themselves, but the power they hold."

"But, what does that mean?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight smiled warmly before she answered. "The Elements themselves aren't the actual source of magic, but rather a way of amplifying the magic that already exists in all of us through them. Each of us represents of one of the Elements, and the bonds friendship we share is what allows us to come together and use them in the first place. Don't you see? The Elements aren't what give us strength, it's our friendship!"

The despairing faces of Rainbow and the others quickly vanished as Twilight's words uplifted them. She was right about everything. While the Elements of Harmony are powerful relics, the real magic actually comes from within them, being the embodiments of the very Elements they wielded, and strengthened by the friendships they all shared with each other. The six friends then turned and approached the center sculpture, and one by one each pony climbed atop of each of the disc platforms. Etched into the center of each plate, a different color and shape of a gem was inscribed into the stone. By matching each color with their respected Elements, the five ponies easily sorted themselves into their correct spot. As they were sorting themselves, Twilight teleported herself onto the top of the sphere, knowing that it represented her Element. The moment she touched down, each of the gems that were imprinted into the stone discs began to glow in their respected color one by one, intensifying until the entire disc was aglow and creating a halo of colored light around each pony.

The sensation that the ponies felt from the light was a familiar one, having felt this sensation before when they activated and used the actual Elements of Harmony. The stone sphere that Twilight stood upon was the last to glow, shining in a brilliant rose colored light before intensifying into a brilliant white. One by one, the discs that the others stood on then began to shine in the same brilliant white light, until the entire center platform was aglow in the dazzling show. The light continued to intensify until Twilight and the others were forced to close their eyes and look away. When it dimmed down, they were once again met with the familiar sight of the marble slabbed floors of the crumbled temple, back in the same spot they were before their trial. As they looked around, their attentions were snapped back to the two alicorn statues when they suddenly and loudly outstretched their stone wings.

"Great Heroines who bear the Light of Harmony," the left alicorn said.

"Step forward, and take up the Blade that which thou has been destined to find," the right alicorn finished.

The two statues then raised a hoof, the one on the left raising it's right, the one on the right raising it's left, before slamming them down, causing the sealed door behind them to become enveloped in light, then disappearing. The two statues then proceeded to rear, quickly at first then slowing down as time went to a crawl for them, before finally freezing in the exact position they were found in. While still possessing the uplifting spirit that they've been given by Twilight's words, the six friends silently and anxiously made their way to the welcoming arch, their anticipation growing from their quest nearing it's end. They went up a flight of stairs, and at the top rested a secluded alcove, a perfect circle and blending of artificial structure and nature. And resting within the center of this alcove, standing in a thin sea of morning mist and dew, perched into a stone pedestal, glittering and gleaming as a beam of sunlight pierced the canopy above and shined down upon it, was the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword.

Twilight and the others were stunned frozen when they came upon the sight, as if the forces of nature itself constructed this breathtaking and moving sight before them. The other thing that had them so lost for words was how beautifully intact the sword actually was, and at one point found themselves moving closer towards it. The design of the sword spoke of regal power, the bluish-purple of the hilt, handle, and pummel giving it a further impression of royalty. The color of the grip was beautifully complimented with an intertwining of a green double helix that ran from hilt to pummel, and the top of the hilt was adorned on either side with a single, diamond-shaped yellow gem. The steely white of the double-edged blade shimmered in a beautiful pure white, which was only amplified by the natural sunlight that rained down on it, and revealed the familiar, triangular pattern etched into it near the hilt. Twilight gauged the weapon to be fairly long, as it stood a few inches taller than her, and was much narrower than the swords she was familiar with that were wielded by the soliders in Canterlot. It was as if it were designed entirely by and for another species...

"It's magnificent," Rarity said, almost in a whisper, still fairly stunned, "Why, I could use it's beauty as inspiration to design a whole line of dresses!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" Rainbow said, snapping everyone out of their fixation on the sword, "Let's pull this sucker out and get back home! We've got Equestria to save!" She marched up to the Master Sword, pausing as to how to actually pull it out, then tried to pull it out of it's pedestal using her mouth. She gave a few grunts as she pulled, but the blade simply refused to budge. With her teeth starting to ache, she opted out to stand on her hind legs and use her forelegs, wrapping her hooves around the grip. Again, she grunted and pulled with all her might, even trying to use her wings for leverage, yet the blade never yielded. Rainbow's grip suddenly slipped, causing her to stumble and fly backwards, landing with a thud as she slammed into the ground back first.

"Ow," Rainbow spat out, shaking her head. "The sword won't budge? What gives?"

"Lemme show you how it's done, sugarcube," Applejack said smugly, approaching the blade next. She spat in both of the hooves of her forelegs, which repulsed Rarity, then rubbed them together before she quickly gripped at the sword's grip and proceeded to yank and pull for all her worth. This went on for a few minutes until Applejack finally tired herself out, the blade besting the farm pony's brute strength.

"Y'all...gotta be...kiddin' me," Applejack huffed, defeated and embarrassed.

With two of their physically strongest competitors down, all that was left now were Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie and their approaches. Twilight was next as she attempted to pull the sword out by her hooves first, confident that her knowledge in physics would give her an -no pun intended- edge into prying the stubborn sword out. When that didn't work, she opted out to using her magic. While she was successful in actually being able to use magic to take hold of the sword, it again outwitted the purple unicorn, nary moving an inch as she focused as much of her magic to pull it out, exhausting her into defeat. Rarity decided to go after Twilight, but the fashionista hardly put in any effort as she whimpered and groaned in frustration in trying, as if she was the hardest working pony of them all. Fluttershy didn't even give it a try; she felt, and looked, far too weak, and after seeing her friends fail one after another didn't exactly raise her morale. Pinkie Pie, being it her turn, simply went all-out on it; trying to pull it out with her teeth, munching on the grip as she did, then with her forelegs as she pulled up or pushed to wedge it left or right, to no avail, and even trying to buck it out by using her hind legs, something that Applejack cursed under her breath at herself for not thinking of it first.

The pink party pony eventually crashed, panting and wheezing in defeat while the blade stood still and tall, as if mocking them.

"Wow, that sword is stuck in there real good," Pinkie said after collecting her breath almost instantly.

"Ugh, this can't be happening!" Rainbow Dash groaned rather loudly as she laid on her back and punching the air with her forelegs. "We've broken out of Canterlot, having to leave Princess Luna behind to whatever Chrysalis and Zant will do, and stumble through the EverFree! And now here we are, the ONE THING we've been looking for RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, and none of us can pull it out!"

"There has to be something," Twilight said, a twinge of nervousness in her voice, "Rainbow's right about one thing. We've already come this far, and the Blade of Evil's Bane is right here in front of us, but we can't remove it. What is it that we're missing?"

The five ponies all went quiet as their minds raced for any hints or clues they may have missed. Fluttershy eventually broke the silence as she voiced in her two Bits.

"Uhm," She muttered, barely over a whisper, "I-I think I have an idea." Twilight and the others quickly looked to her, causing her to flinch, though weakly, "Umm...w-we've all tried to pull it by ourselves. So, a-and it's just a thought, but how about we all try to pull it out together?"

Twilight and the others looked at each other before she looked back to Fluttershy, smiling.

"Fluttershy, that's a great idea!" she said, praising her friend. Fluttershy simply blushed as she rubbed her left foreleg, causing her to secretly wince in pain. The bite marks on her arm were now becoming sore to the touch, and Fluttershy was starting to become genuinely scared.

But she had to set that aside for now. With everypony going with Fluttershy's idea, the six friends began to gather around the blade and one by one placed a hoof on the grip.

(Cue Master Sword Theme/Fanfare. The version of which will be the Reader's choice, but for this story it will be the version from Twilight Princess.)

"On three," Twilight said. Everyone nodded.

"Three," Applejack started.

"Two," Rarity said next.

"ONE." The six friends said in unison. All six ponies then pulled upward, and to their happy surprise the blade followed through with a lurch upward. Everypony looked down as a radiant light began to glow from the now empty pedestal, followed by a mysterious gust that radiated from it, pushing away the thin mist in a perfect circle away from them. With the blade free from it's stone resting place, Twilight used her magic to grip the handle, allowing the rest of her friends to let go, and flipped it as she held the blade skyward. As she did, the blade began to shimmer in a brilliant white light as a message appeared within the fourth wall:

Twilight and her friends have acquired the Master Sword!

This legendary sword was once wielded by the Hero of Legend himself. It houses a mysterious, but absolute divine power that evil can never touch.

Twilight then feels a tingle over her shoulder, and as she looks over it she sees a beautifully crafted and painted royal blue and gold scabbard appear on her back, most likely for their newly acquired weapon. A twinkle appears in her eyes as she then turns and takes a few steps away from her friends, as if compelled to. Using her levitating magic, she gives the Master Sword three practice swings, suddenly cutting horizontally twice, right to left, left to right, then giving a powerful vertical slash downward. Even with her magic, the blade felt incredibly light, yet she felt like it could easily slash through anything she wanted. She then gave a dismissive diagonal cut from her upper left to her lower right, then twirled the blade as she brought the blade to it's home before sliding into it's scabbard, pausing with just an inch or two left of the blade remaining, then clasping the rest of the sword in hard with a satisfying metallic click.

She turned back to face her friends, who were calm despite her sudden slashing, and gave a confirming nod and grin combo.

"Let's head back home," was all she said, and it was all that was enough. But as they made their way back down the flight of stairs and back into to the main "atrium" of the temple, a sudden thud from behind caught everyone's attention and making them look that way. Their hearts had nearly stopped beating at the sight, for Fluttershy had suddenly collapsed, breathing heavily, and was growing paler by the moment.

Author's Notes: Alright! Ten chapters! So I'm sure most of you that are aware that this chapter is significantly longer than the other chapters. It's actually twice as long as a normal chapter, over 14,500+ words. Why was it so long? Because of several reasons.

For starters, I didn't think I would have as much content as it did, so it ran quite long. I also wanted this chapter to be the definitive one, where they find the Ancient Grove, encounter the Skull Kid, acquire the Master Sword, and have it all end with a cliff hanger before we get to the real juicy core of the story.

I also want to point out that I did little to no research when it came to StarSwirl and the Equestrian timeline, and simply went with what I knew right out of the gate. But in the hindsight of the big picture, it really shouldn't matter, simply read and walk away knowing that a significant historical character found the Grove prior and unknowingly aided the Mane Six.

I'd also like to make a note in regards to the Master Sword. In the early stages of development, the Master Sword's concept was simply as that it appeared in Twilight Princess. But then a thought came to me, and I contemplated of having it modeled after the Wind Waker's version. Not only would it be smaller, thus easier to wield, but it's cartoonish design would fit in much better with the world of Equestria. And so I went back and forth with what to do, and then I came up with the solution. And that is to leave the choice up to you, the readers, on how it appears since you'll be the ones reading it. This isn't a poll question, simply a matter of choice for each and every one of you. Want the Master Sword modeled after Twilight Princess, go for it. Want the Wind Waker version, whatever floats your boat (giggity). If you even want it modeled after A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, or wherever else the Master Sword made it's appearance, if it works for your imagination then there's no problem.

But back to theatrics. *ahem*

Twilight and the others now have the legendary Master Sword! But what's wrong with Fluttershy? And can they get her help in time?

Answers and more will come in the next chapter of our story!