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// Diary of a Rose of Luck (Roseluck)  
// Story: The Wandering Star 
// by Priceless911 
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Dear Diary

Sorry I didn’t write last night I spent all night in the Everfree Forest with “him”.
I don’t know his name or anything about him but ever since I last saw him, I have had a feeling of yearning, wanting and wishing that is in my heart. I don’t know what it is, but I think it’s “Love”.

It all started the day before yesterday, Carrot Top had a crazy idea to look for some kind of magic zap apple tree in the forbidden sector of the Everfree forest. Naturally Lily, Daisy, and I where skeptic about such a strange thing. I honestly didn’t know what to believe, Lily asked, “Well what makes this tree magic?”
Carrot top replied, “This tree was different because regular zap apple trees like the ones at Sweet Apple Acres, grow apples only once a year, but this specific tree grew apples once a month.”
She believed that she could get one of these apples and plant her own zap apple tree that could grow once a month.

The first thing that needed to be done was to get a guide through the forest. We tried to find Twilight Sparkle but she and her friends were in Canterlot for some kind of Sweets contest so they couldn’t help. Next we tried asking Granny Smith since she herself found the tree a long time ago when she was a little filly. But Granny Smith refused, saying that the place that that tree sat on was cursed, and that anypony who set foot in the ditch that the tree grew in would feel the power of the pony who planted that tree more than a thousand years ago.

After hearing this, I wanted to give up on this plan immediately but Carrot Top insisted that it was the rants of an elderly pony with no grasp on reality. So we continued our search for a guide. This time we went to Zecora. I can’t remember how she said it but basically she told us that the grounds where protected by “the spirit of a fallen star” so she didn’t want to go, and she also said that it would be a bad omen if we were to go. I don’t know what she meant, but whatever it was, It made me want to give up all the more. But both Carrot Top and Daisy where too curious to pass up an adventure like this. So Lily and I decided to go so they won’t be alone in the forest.

In the end with no luck on finding a pony to guide us, we decided to go at it alone. I don’t know how long we trotted through the forest but as soon as we entered the forbidden sector, we immediately knew it. The trees where thicker, the mud was deeper, and the sound of dangerous animals surrounded us. Naturally, we all were terrified and I continued trying to convince Carrot Top that we should head back, but she was too stubborn, saying they we were almost there. After trotting for a little while longer, we started to hear growling coming from the trees in front of us. When we looked up in the tree we could see a timber wolf hiding in the tree, making itself look like branches.

Lily was the first of us to panic, immediately yelling, “RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!”
We all turned around and ran but I was running at the back of the group and while we ran, a timberwolf jumped between me and the rest of the ponies. Without knowing that I was separated from them, Carrot Top, Lily, and Daisy ran back the way we came and vanished into the forest. While all I could do, was run off the trail and into the brush. I galloped as fast as I could but I didn’t know where I was going, how to get away from the Timberwolves that were chasing me, or even how many were chasing me.

As I ran, I continued jumping through the bushes until I jumped into one that lead me to a small clearing. As soon as I made it into the open, I saw it, the magic zap apple tree that was sitting in what looked to be either a ditch or crater. While looking at the tree the timberwolves quickly surrounded me. I had no way of getting out. As I stepped closer to the crater, a spark of lighting jumped out and hit my hoof. As soon as I felt that I knew there was nowhere for me to run. As I stared at the timberwolf closest to me, I already assumed that this was the end. That I would never see Ponyville ever again.

Then I heard a combination of sounds. It sounded like a flag blowing in the wind and a piece of metal scraping against another piece of metal. Before I knew it a pegasus wearing a cloak, fell from the sky and dug a sword into the timberwolves head. The Stallion turned his head and looked past me at the timberwolf behind me. Though he wasn’t looking at me, the look in his eyes terrified me, never in my life have I seen such anger and darkness in another’s eyes before. Even the look in Nightmare Moons eyes at the Summer Sun Celebration didn’t have that much evil in them. The stallion charged past me with his sword in his hoof missing me by only a few inches. When he reached the other timberwolf, he quickly cut the wolf down without even trying. The stallion then stood up and looked at me, “Stay back!”

Now with the stallion here to protect me, the Timberwolves focused all their attention on him. slowly the wolves circled the stallion each one waiting for something to happen. Finally one jumped at him, when he raised his sword to block another wolf charged him from the side and hit him as hard as it could, throwing him into the crater with the zap apple tree. As soon as he hit the ground a bunch of electric arcs jumped from every corner of the crater and made contact with his body. After seeing that, both the timberwolves and I assumed him to be dead. When the timberwolves turned to face me all I could do was get myself ready to run. But before I had the chance the timberwolf would quickly turned its attention back at the crater. When I looked, all I could see was the stallion casually trotting out of the crater with electricity arcing off him.

When I saw this, I immediately knew that this was the spirit that Zecora spoke of. Nopony I knew could possibly survive trotting through electricity like that completely unscathed. Seeing this most of the timberwolves started to back off, but the one closest to me charged at him and tried to jump at him. The stallion raised his sword and tried to block the timberwolf but before he could, an arc of electricity jumped off his body and hit the wolf causing it to hit the ground and start yelping in pain. the stallion lowered his sword and continued trotting away from the tree. Three timberwolves charged at him at once he dodged the first, and stabbed the second but the third one landed on his back and bit him on the back of his neck.

The pony screamed in anger than jumped up in the air slamming his back against the ground as hard as he could. The timberwolf let go of him and ran into the forest followed by the rest who weren’t already dead. When they were all gone, the stallion struggled to pick himself off the ground then sheathed his sword. First, he looked at the direction the Timberwolves ran, and then he looked over at me. I felt terrified at first, but something in his eyes made me feel safe. There was a gentle protective look in them, completely different from the murderous stare I saw in them a few seconds ago. He held himself up and spoke to me with a calming gentle voice, “Are… are you ok?”
His eyes… I couldn’t reply because his eyes truly captivated me. so I nodded my head yes, to which he replied, “That’s good… I'm glad.”
Then he fell to the ground unconscious.

I didn’t know what to do, I rushed over to him and looked at the wound on his back, there was a deep cut left from when the timberwolf bit him. I didn’t know how deep it was but he was still breathing and it didn’t seem to be too serious. Either way I looked through my settle bag but I couldn’t find anything to help him with, other than some food. I know it was wrong of me but I decided to look through his saddlebag to see if he had some medical supplies. Luckily, he did amongst a bunch of other things. Food, water, bandages, a sewing kit, (probably for stiches), a sharpening stone, a newspaper announcing Princess Luna’s return, and a small pouch filled with a few bits. I used the water to clean his wound before bandaging it up, then I used the cloak he was wearing to make a small tent-like shelter for him to lay under.

Something about this pony I just couldn’t understand, for one was his cutie mark, it was a black star with a gray and white cloud in the center and lightning stretching to the stars points. I’ve seen cutie marks for stargazers, and lightning makers but I have never seen a cutie mark quite like this one before. It was very strange but maybe it had something to do with the tree and the fact that the electricity had no effect on him. Also there was a scar on his ear that seemed strange to me, I’ve seen ponies who clip their ear as a fashion statement but his wasn’t clipped, it was ripped in that shape as if something had brutally cut that portion of his ear off. but that’s not all I couldn’t understand, when he first appeared he killed the first Timberwolves with no form of emotion, and that look he gave when he looked past me… that look of evil and rage, it was like he was possessed by some kind of demand, one that I never hope to face, it gave me chills. but then after the fighting was over his eyes held a gentle quality that made him seem like a completely different pony I… I just couldn’t understand what type of pony he was, good or bad.

I decided since his wound was bandaged up and he was still unconscious, that I should take a look at the tree. I circled the crater over and over but it seemed like there was no clear way to get to the zap apples on the tree. I took a step toward the crater but before I could even reach for the tree, a small spark jumped out and shocked me. I yelled “Ouch” because it hurt then I heard laughing, when I looked over at the stallion, he was sitting up laughing at me. “You’re not going to reach those apples like that.”
I replied to him, “Well… how would you get to them?”
The cocky pegasus smiled and opened his wings while he sarcastically replied, “Not a clue.”

With him joking like that, I couldn’t help but smile at his sense of humor, “You have some nerve making fun of me when it was me who saved your life.”
he replied while looking at his bandages, “I’d call us even, if I hadn’t shown up those Timberwolves would be chewing on you instead of me. Besides, these bandages are mine anyway. I knew because I always buy the cheap kind.”
it was confu  completely amazing, one minute he seemed like an evil monster, then a gentle protector, and now a funny joker. There was so much about this pony I didn’t know, but I wanted to know everything I could, he seemed so interesting, and not only that, he saved my life, and nothing I could ever do would ever be enough to make up for it.

After we laughed about his comment I trotted over and sat next to him, I wanted to ask his name… but I didn’t want to just straight out and ask him… I guess I'm just a little shy. He continued, “Why exactly, were you and your friends out here?”
I had almost forgotten about the others, “Oh no, are they ok?”
He replied, “They are fine, when the group they are going after is too big, timberwolves like to break the group then go for the weakest target all at once, so none of the timberwolves went after them. They just circled around and cornered you.”
I felt a little confused so I asked, “How did you know I was traveling with my friends?”
He replied, “I’ve been watching you and your group since you entered this area of the forest… Rose Luck. I meant you no harm, but I knew that you ponies could easily get yourselves hurt traveling out here without a guide.”
I lowered my head in nervousness, “Um… Mr. Spirit? Could you help me get one of those zap apples?”
He looked at me confused, “Spirit?”
So I explained, “Zecora told us about a spirit that protected this tree, but we didn’t listen and came out here anyway. In addition, since you trotted through the crater without feeling any pain from the electricity, I can only assume you’re the spirit that protects this tree. We wanted to get one of the apples so we could plant our own zap apple tree that blooms every month instead of once a year.”

He smiled back at me and explained, “The reason this tree grows once a month is because of the amount of electricity in the soil. Sadly, all zap apple trees that grow anywhere else, won’t grow the same way as this one. This is rather… the mother of the rest of the zap apple trees, growing both in and out of the forest. Even if you had a seed directly from this tree, it will never grow the same as this one.”
He didn’t deny anything so I asked to be sure, “And… are you the spirit? The one who created this tree?”
The stallion smiled and shook his head, “No, the legend around this tree goes deeper than just its existence. There is a story of how this tree became a symbol of happiness and love.”

Then he went on to tell a story about a commander who created the crater, by using a legendary ability. He spoke of how this pony lost his memory and was raised to be a royal guard. Then how he fell in love with Princess Luna. I have to admit, this story was in many ways romantic. But then when Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, the love struck stallion fought his way through countless battlefields only to fall in love with another, then loose her in the great battle of Canterlot. The story seemed sad but he told it with so much detail that I could swear he was there. but the only way that could be possible was if he really was the spirit, or dead since this story took place one thousand years ago. The funny thing is when I asked whatever happened to the commander he only replied, “He died, his heart was torn into so many pieces that he couldn’t live the life he once had, so he threw it all away.”
I don’t know if that was a metaphor for committing suicide or not, but as he said that, his eyes held so much pain I really felt bad for him, and the commander.

The conversation jumped around to many subjects as the hours passed. He talked about how he was a wanderer and how he travelled all over Equestria, but I was shocked when he told me that he had never been to Ponyville before. Therefore, I told him about that, all my friends, my family, everything that made it a wonderful place to live. After a while, he made a campfire then he actually let me us his cloak to keep warm. This stallion wasn’t like any other stallion I ever met before. Strong, brave, kind, funny, charming, smart, many different things made him better than the rest. But despite the long conversations we had, I never got his name, not even once. Nevertheless, during one of the storied of his travels in the Griffon Kingdom, he just froze, and stared at me with an unusual stare, “Somepony is here.”
Then he reached into his saddlebag strapped his sword and sheath on him, then poured the canteen over the fire to make it darker.

After he did this, a small number of Royal Guards emerged from the forest, “Well, well, well, look who we found, in this of all places. Do you know how long we have been looking for you commander? And look, you now have an accomplice. Now why would you drag a poor helpless mare into your troubles.”
The stallion stood in front of me as they backed us closer to the zap apple tree, “She has nothing to do with me, she was lost and I'm guiding her through the forest.”
The guard smiled, “It doesn’t matter, I'm taking you both in anyway, the princess would love to see you in her dungeon… again.”
I looked around and realized that they cornered us against the crater. But when I looked at the stallions face, it seemed like he was thinking of a safe way out of this, finally he spoke to me, “I could fly away but I'm not leaving you behind, so there is only one thing we can do… but I gota ask, Do you trust me?”
I was confusing at first “What?”
He turned to look at me, “Do you trust me?”
Looking into his eyes, I saw the same protector that I saw earlier, so there was no way a could answer no. I replied, by smiling and nodding my head. So he continued, “Stand straight up and stare at the tree, and no matter what you see or hear, don’t look at me or the guards.”

I didn’t know how to reply to a request like that, so I just nodded my head and did what he said. As I looked at the tree some electric arcs started to jump from the crater and fly over my head, I closed my eyes in fear hoping that they will stay over my head and not touch me. I could hear the guards yell, “Get him he’s about to use the lightni…”
just then even with my eyes closed I saw a bright flash out the corner of my eyelids, this light was extremely bright, luckily it was behind me, otherwise it would have easily blinded me. then all of a sudden I felt him leaned against my side, open his wing between my front and back hooves, and picked me up off the ground and onto his back using both wings to hold me in place. Then he did something even I couldn’t believe, he started sprinting through the crater with me on his back. The electricity jumped off the ground and started shocking every inch of my body, everything felt a strange combination of a tingling pain and numbness that was almost unbearable, but I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling. His hooves where touching the ground that the electricity was arcing from.

After we made it to the other side of the creator, he continued sprinting into the forest. While he ran, I felt completely exhausted from the pain I felt. It was as if I was the one doing the carrying while we ran for our lives. As he ran, I tried to speak to him, “I… I feel…”
He quickly turned his head back to me and spoke softly, “Stay with me, we are almost there just a little further Ge… uh… I mean just try to stay awake Rose.”
As he ran, I noticed a tear rolling down his face, I think it was because of the wound on his back, but it seemed like something else was causing him pain. I gripped him tighter and replied, “I'll… I'll try… but can I at least get your name first…” 
I wish I could remember his reply, oh how I wish I could remember. But the strong heartbeat I felt while lying on his back made me even more tired than I already was so I can’t remember much after that moment. I remember he did reply to that question… but I can’t remember what he said.

The next thing I knew I woke up in Zecora’s hut. Like usual, she spoke to me in rhyme but I still can’t remember what it is she said, other than something about Timberwolves attacking me and I passed out because I was so afraid, and she chased them off before they could hurt me though. Then she said something that I could remember perfectly, “The Thunder Ground Spirit is how you survived, without his blessing you would have died.”
Basically, she was saying that I was dreaming and the spirit was giving me luck, but I feel completely skeptic about that story. He seemed so real, there was no way it was a dream. When I got back home, after chewing out Carrot top and the rest for leaving me behind. I checked my saddlebag and found a zap apple in it. I actually started to tear up, after all that, he still got a zap apple for me from that tree. He had to be real. How else could that zap apple get in my bag?

That was all the proof I needed, I even looked up the legend of the Thunder Grounds and found out, it was the same story that he told me himself. It wasn’t a dream, it couldn’t be and there is no way I'll ever believe it was. I know that stallion is still out there, probably wondering and traveling all over Equestria. I still wonder why the royal guards where chasing him and what he did to them when I saw that bright light. But no matter what they say, I know he is a good pony and I hope that he is thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him. I also hope I'll see him again someday to tell him how I feel. I still have to find out his name, so far the only clues I have, is that the guard called him commander, and he favored the history of the Thunder Grounds. Could he be the commander he told me about in hi... never mind that last part.


Roseluck