Author's note: Trying something different with this story. This is a fantasy adventure story rather than an episodic comedy story. Set in an anthro based ancient Equestria full of giant ponies, elven ponies, and others, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present: "A Hero's Journey".

Prologue

One sunny spring morning in the land known as Equestria, the city of Canterlot, the ruler of the land, Princess Celestia walked through a hallway of her castle. The castle was built upon the side of a mountain and was impressively high up, so high one could see for miles upon miles, so high that when clouds rolled through all you could see from the windows was a white mist. She liked the serenity of the location, for years she and her sister had lived there in peace, protecting an ancient artifact that had been passed down in their family for generations, an artifact so powerful that in the wrong hands could wipe out the entire planet. Luckily for them, nobody had ever been interested in stealing it. Or so they thought... Princess Celestia's silk white robe slowed elegantly as she walked into the throne room of her castle, her sister had already taken her place at the throne beside hers. To the left of her throne was a smaller throne, more of a fancy chair. This was the seat of Princess Celestia's apprentice, Twilight Sparkle.

"Good morning Princess Celestia." Twilight said with a smile on her face, kneeling in her presence. Princess Celestia merely looked at her with an unimpressed look upon her face, of course however this expression was a joke and her lips quickly curled into a smile.

"Twilight, please do away with such formalities, we've known each other long enough we are practically family." Celestia smiled as she passed her by and sat elegantly at her throne.

"I know, Princess." Twilight said, Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn mage, under Princess Celestia she had been learning to perfect her abilities in magic, hoping one day the abilities would come in handy for whatever she decided to pursue. Many told her it was ridiculous to bother, Equestria had not seen war for thousands of years, there was no real need for magic. Twilight didn't care however, she followed the path she wanted. Moments after the day began for the three in the throne room, a loud crash was heard from outside the castle, shocking the three in the throne room.

"What's going on?" Princess Luna asked.

"I don't know." Celestia said. Twilight ran to the throne room window and looked out. What she saw was not a pretty sight, outside, every guard along the outer wall of the castle was firing off at an invading horde, the horde looked similar to Twilight and the others, but rather than fur on their skin they had a shiny black exoskeleton and insect-like wings.

"Chrysalis..." Princess Celestia remarked.

"She's returned?" Luna asked, a worried look on her face.

"Chrysalis?" Twilight asked. "I thought she and her armies were destroyed years ago." Celestia and Luna exchanged remorseful looks.

"If only that were the truth..." Luna sighed as Celestia opened a secret hatch on the large throne room hall, behind that wall was a safe, quickly the safe was opened and she took a box from the safe.

"Twilight!" She called, giving her the box. "You must take this, take this and go. It is no longer safe here..."

"Where do I go?" Twilight asked.

"Far away, very far away!" Celestia said.

"Sister, perhaps it's time." Luna said to Celestia, only the two of them knew what she meant. Time to contact a very special group.

"You may be right sister." Celestia nodded. "I'll have letters sent out promptly." Immediately she snapped her fingers and quills began magically writing letters, which then disappeared.

"Twilight, listen carefully." Luna took the young mage by the shoulders. "You must go to Mount Mungous."

"Mount Mungous?" Twilight asked, a tinge of fear in her voice. "But that's a land inhabited by giants!"

"Yes, but it's there that you'll find your closest help!" Celestia said. "We don't have much time..."

"Now, sister, before the army breaches the walls!" Luna cried out. Celestia nodded and the two sisters concentrated, they were combining their magic abilities to teleport the young apprentice outside the city so that she could safely travel to where she needed to be.

"Will I ever see you again?" Twilight asked.

"There is no telling Twilight..." Celestia said with a sad face. "Be strong, my student. Remember my teachings..." She said as she cupped her apprentice's face in her hands before she faded away. Mere seconds after the apprentice mage was gone, the throne room door burst open and a tall dark figure walked through slowly, holding the lifeless corpse of one of the castle guards. Her pale green insect wings glimmered in the sunlight, the glow contrasted with her matte black exoskeleton. She whipped her hair out from her eyes and grinned a mischievous grin at the princesses.

"Celestia, Luna." She grinned. "It has been so long."

"Not long enough." Luna said with hostility in her voice.

"You're too late Chrysalis." Celestia said. "What you've come for is gone!"

"Is it now?" Chrysalis asked. "Where has it gone?"

"We'll never tell." Luna glared. "We would rather die."

"Now why would you say something foolish?" Chrysalis asked. "Especially when I can arrange that." She grinned at the corpse she held before tossing it at the window, shattering it and sending the corpse falling to the ground. Luna and Celestia exchanged glances, it had been years since their last encounter with Chrysalis, they weren't ready to fight.

"Sister, there is only one way out of this..." Celestia said pessimistically.

"Don't you think I already know that?" Luna asked sharply, aiming her scepter at Queen Chrysalis.

"You don't think I'm going to kill you, do you?" Chrysalis asked. "I am shocked and appalled, you are far more valuable to me alive." She said before letting out a long, piercing screech that beckoned her army to her, commanding them to subdue the royal sisters. The two were no match for the advancing hoard, it wasn't long before the army had bested them.

"Ha!" Chrysalis laughed. "Now, I have the two princesses as my own... Equestria is almost mine!" She grinned before turning to her general. "General Pharynx,"

"Yes, my queen?" The grizzled general stepped forward.

"Scatter your troops across the country, the stone must be somewhere." Queen Chrysalis instructed. "Kill whoever gets in your way. Especially if it's one of Celestia's calling crew."

"Yes my queen." He saluted. "Alright you pathetic wastes! I need squadrons out all over Equestria pronto!" He bellowed to the Changeling armada. "You heard her, kill whoever stands in your way and find the stone!" He growled.

"Sir yes sir!" The army saluted as they ran from the throne room and flew off in swarms. Chrysalis looked out the large shattered window and grinned.

"Soon... once the Stone of Harmony is mine, nothing will stand in my way..." She laughed maniacally, using her magic to place the unconscious bodies of Celestia and Luna in cages that hung from the ceiling, she fired a blast of magic at the walls, covering the walls in an insect hive like material, soon the entire castle was covered from inside and out, letting Canterlot, and soon all of Equestria know that a new era had begun. A new era that only one stone could stand in the way of.

To be continued, will Twilight find who she's set out to look for? Or will Queen Chrysalis prevail? Follow, favorite, and please leave a review!