Hello everypony! I see you've stumbled into one of my stories. Well let me tell you, this will probably be one of my more favorable stories to write. And in case you didn't know by the summary, this is inspired by Over the Garden Wall from Cartoon Network. It's an amazing miniseries and you should definitely watch it! So I really hope you give this story a chance and have fun reading it. Well then, let's get into this story already! One more thing though: are you ready to go Past the Everfree Trees? Will you take a peek? -SC

Chapter 1: The Old Barn

Led through the mist,

By the milk light of moon.

All that was lost is revealed.

Our long bygone burdens,

Mere echoes of the spring.

But where have we come?

And where shall we end?

If dreams can't come true,

Then why not pretend?

Oh how the gentle wind,

Beckons through the leaves,

As autumn colors fall.

Somewhere lost in the clouded annals of history lies a place that few have seen. A mysterious place, called the Unknown. Where long-forgotten stories are revealed to those who travel through the wood.

"Artachoke, beef, nectar, Steve, Robert-"

Deep in the woods were two young mares walking through the dark thick forest. One of the mares was an alicorn who had light purple fur with beautiful purple eyes. Along with her was a pink earth pony with light blue crystal eyes and with a pet alligator on her back. She was talking to her friend about pet alligator names as they ventured through.

"Cornilious, Steven, SC. Especially SC! And finally, the worst pet alligator name is-"

"Wait, wait a second."

The purple mare looked around her, the forest surrounding her was absolutely terrifying. It almost seemed as if the trees watched her.

"Uh, Pinkie. Where are we?"

"In the woods," responded the hyperactive pony.

"I mean, what are we doing out here?"

"We're walking home."

"Pinkie! I think we're lost! We should have left a trail or something!"

"I can leave a trail of candy from my mane?" The pink mare then pulled out some candy from her mane as she said.

Twilight sighed and looked around her once more,"Though I am lost my wounded heart resides back home in pieces. Strewn about the graveyard of my lost love. For only-"

Suddenly, the two heard chopping noises from afar.

"Do you here that?" Twilight asked her friend as she followed Twilight.

"Yeah."

They walked behind a bush and saw an orange earth pony chopping down wood with her axe.

"Do you think it's some deranged lunatic with an axe waiting in the darkness for some victims?"

The two watched as the mare picked up some branches and started storing them in a bag she had on her back.

"Maybe we should ask her for help?" Pinkie offered, but Twilight was not pleased.

"No we should not ask her for help."

"But-"

"Shh!"

"You shush!"

The two shushed each other but realized that the mare was trotting away.

"Shoot!" Twilight whispered,"Do you think we should've asked her for help?"

"Maybe I can help you? I mean, you guys are lost right?"

The two looked above them and saw a rainbow colored bird talking to them. Twilight rubbed her eyes and stared in complete shock.

"What in Equestria is going on?!"

Pinkie responded,"Well, you're rubbing your eyes and asking a question-"

"No, Pinkie, a bird's brain isn't big enough to talk."

"Hey what was that?"

Twilight quickly turned around apologizing,"No I mean, I'm saying that you're weird. I mean not normal, I mean-dear Celestia. Stop talking to it, Twilight."

"It?"

"What are you doing here?! Explain yourselves?!"

The three turned to the mare holding a lantern in her hoof. The bird flew off in fright.

"And I'll see you guys later! Bye!"

"Calm-calm down!" Twilight stuttered,"Whatever you do here is your business. We just want to get home with all of our legs and heads attached!"

The mare narrowed her eyes,"The woods is no place for anypony! Don't you know the Beast is ahoof here?!"

"The Beast?" Questioned Twilight,"We don't know anything about the Beast! We're just two lost mares trying to get home!"

The mare put her lantern down but didn't smile,"Well, welcome to the Unknown. The name's Applejack and you're more lost then you realize."

Twilight looked around and agreed.

"I found this barn abandoned. We fixed it up a bit for our needs," Applejack explained as she made a fire inside the cozy home.

"You and your friend should be safe here while I work."

"Candy trail! Candy trail! Candy trail! Candy trail!"

Pinkie said as she put candy all over the floor. Twilight rolled her eyes and asked the Woodsmare a question.

"What is your work exactly?"

The Woodsmare closed her eyes and explained,"Everypony has a torch to burn, and this here is mine."

Applejack held her lantern and got up from fixing the fire.

"I grind the hard-Everfree trees into oil to keep this lantern lit. This is my life. This is my burden."

"This pony's a little looney,"Twilight whispered to Pinkie Pie,"Maybe we could make a break for it? I mean if we can. But he knows the woods really well so we may need to knock her out first. Except that may turn out really badly huh? Yeah, B-bad plan. Forget it. Bad plan."

"Okay."

"What are y'all whispering about?" Applejack asked as she turned to them.

"We're talking about running away out of here."

Twilight shushed Pinkie who shushed her back. Applejack sighed and walked past them with her lantern and sticks behind her back.

"Leave if y'all think it's best. But remember, the Beast haunts these woods here with his haunting melody; trying to find poor souls like you."

"To help us?" Pinkie asked as Applejack quickly disagreed,"No! No. Not help you. I have work to do in the mill. When I'm finished I'll do what I can to help y'all home. That's if y'all still here when I get back."

She walked outside and went to the mill as Twilight pondered,"Huh, I guess we could just leave. I don't know, Pinkie? Do you really think there is a Beast out there? Or is that farm pony just messing with us? I mean she could've done away with us by now if that was her plan. And she lit that fire, that's pretty nice. I guess it's possible that there's a Beast since there was a talking bird."

Pinkie Pie watched as her friend went to a couch, sitting in the corner, and laying on in.

"I don't know, sometimes I feel like I'm just like a boat upon a winding river. Twisting towards an endless black sea. Further and further, drifting away from where I want to be. Who I want to be."

Pinkie was eating a piece of candy and nodded,"I didn't know that. Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice it turns into a grape? It's a rock fact!"

Pinkie then pulled out a rock with a smiley face on it and Twilight sighed.

"Ugh, you're not helping at all. Why don't you go play with your alligator or something?"

"Oh cupcakes! Where is that alligator of mine? I'll be back."

Pinkie walked outside humming to herself and suddenly tripped over a piece of candy.

"I tripped over my own piece of candy. That's irony!"

She then heard a whisper of some sort surrounding her.

"Hello?"

She noticed that a barrel behind her was moving and went to investigate. She looked inside and found her alligator inside.

"Now what were you doing in there?"

She picked him up and started walking to the barn when she heard something behind her. She slowly turned around and saw a dark timber wolf with white eyes.

"N-nice eyes you have there."

The wolf roared at the pink mare and she made a break for it. Pinkie bursted through the door and Twilight shot up from the couch.

"Pinkie?! What in Celestia's name are you-"

The wall then bursted open and the wolf came; snarling and growling, saliva spilling from its white fangs. The two screamed and backed up by the wall when suddenly an axe hit the side of the dog. The dog then fell down and its black fur disappeared, revealing a normal dog under.

"My barn!" Cried out the Woodsmare looking at the damage.

"On the bright side," Twilight said,"you killed the Beast."

"No! That's not the Beast! The Beast is a dark silhouette figure, he fills you with his lies, he sings like the dark cold wind, he searches for lost souls like you."

"We're sorry about the barn," Pinkie apologized as the Woodsmare smiled.

"It's alright. Just take the path to the north and you'll get home. But remember! Escape the Unknown! Fear the Beast! This is your burden to bear!"

Twilight nodded and walked away with Pinkie and her alligator.

"Hey, Twilight,"Pinkie said to her friend,"I just figured out a perfect name for this alligator! Twilight Sparkle."

"Uh, that's my name."

"No, Twilight Sparkle Jr."

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled at Pinkie. What they encountered that day was extraordinary, but they didn't know of the adventure waiting for them in the Unknown.