//------------------------------// // Over the hills, and through the woods... // Story: An Unexpected Occurance // by CaptainAlbanos //------------------------------// Twilight was almost finished packing her -as of now- mandatory adventure pack. Twilight put down the saddlebags and turned to the stairs that lead up to the second floor of the tree/library and called to spike "SPIKE! hurry up, Princess Celestia said We had to be at the edge of the forest before noon and it's almost eleven." The purple drake came dashing out of the door to his and Twilight's shared room before starting down the stairs muttering apologies as he went. Having already gotten his small satchel ready he quickly climbed onto Twilight's back and she set off out the door after putting a closed sign in the window. Spike decided to pass the time with a few questions. "So why do we need to go to the ever-free anyway, I mean I know Celestia wants us there but why?" He asked obviously confused. Twilight sighed before answering. "Spike I already told you the elements have been acting funny lately and the Princess thinks its coming from inside the ever-free." Spike flushed at the embarrassing reminder. "Oh yeah, sorry." The rest of the walk through Ponyville was silent save for the few times Twilight replied to a friendly greeting or wave. Before long they had left Ponyville and arrived at the Ever-Free's boundary. Waiting there where two solar guards, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow dash, and Pinkie pie. "Hi girls sorry for keeping you waiting." Twilight announced their arrival and after exchanging greetings and small talk where interrupted by a loud popping noise and a flash of light. When everypony regained there sight they found the Princess Celestia flanked by the two guards from before. "Hello my little ponies I see we are just one short, are we not?" her question was quickly answered by Applejack galloping into the group. "Sorry Princess, Girls Ah was havin' some trouble with helpin' Applebloom and Big Mac move the herd before Ah came so.." her explanation was silenced by a raised hoof from Celestia. "Thank you for coming, all of you now normally I would handle things like this alone but I believe you are ready to face a task such as this. Now lately the Elements of Harmony have been behaving oddly, the source of this occurrence is an artifact called the Heart of the Elements and is found somewhere inside the Ever-Free. I need you to find it and bring it back, It has been confirmed that the changelings and diamond dogs are also searching for it so it is of utmost importance that you find it first. Can I count on you girls to do this for me?" The collective response was a general yes and she quickly teleported away leaving the group to fend for themselves. After an almost our long struggle of getting Fluttershy to cross into the Ever-Free they set of through the darkened forest following a detailed map Twilight had brought. Applejack broke the dark silence with a question. "so Twi, what exactly are we lookin for?" Twilight was so preoccupied in reading the map she almost didn't answer. "Well form all the old descriptions it should look alot like the elements did when we first found them. Maybe a little bigger and it will definitely have a different mark carved into it but it shouldn't be to hard to find." The group was quiet for a long time after that before Twilight spoke again. "As far as I can tell the artifact should be located somewhere around the next bend here!" as they rounded the bed they where met with a large stone cliff blocking there path. "well twilight I guess being an egghead doesn't mean your always right." laughed Rainbow dash from above the group. Twilight smiled and quickly explained. "Rainbow I wasn't wrong there is a very tricky spell in place here." Twilight stepped up to the wall and walking foreword passed right through a section of it rippling like water as she did so. "Well maybe being an egghead isn't all bad." mumbled Rainbow dash as she sped in after the lavender unicorn. She was quickly followed by the rest of the group, with Applejack pushing Fluttershy through the wall much to her protest. Once they crossed the other side though it was a truly breathtaking sight, the cavern was enormous and must have risen up several hundred feet before curving in to a ceiling. sitting in the center of this massive cavern was an almost altar like stone structure with support pillars holding up the roof and an elegantly carved gold and stone platform in the center much like the one the elements of harmony were found on. "Girls we found it!" shouted an exited Twilight before she galloped forward twords the alter, only to be stopped halfway there by a bolt a acid green magic destroying the ground ahead of her. "Yessss you found it and now we will return it to our queen." The hissing voice revealed itself as a changeling followed closely by two several drones. One of the changelings was swiftly shot out of the air by a bolt of light blue magic. "Twilight go get the heart the rest of us can deal with these insects!" Rarity's command did not fall on deaf ears as Twilight quickly rushed up the stone steps leading up the alter. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic when she saw the pedestal the stone orb was resting on, as it was almost identical to the one in the old castle. The small orb was an almost exact copy of the other elements save for the fact it was slightly larger and had no symbol carved into it. Twilight stepped up to the pedestal and noticed some old equestrian writing on the side of the pillar. Those who tred here beware, a beast so bold should you dare. He is a force of great power, that shall not wane before his hour. If this stone you wish to pluck you must be careful to test your luck. as only a true friend may remove this curse. "That doesn't make any sense you can't be friends with a rock!" shaking her head twilight enveloped the stone in her magic and slowly pulled it off the pedestal to float beside her. when she turned to help her friends though she was quickly grabbed from behind by two large light blue paws. "Silly purple pony thought she could get way with our stone." Twilight was met with the face of Rover one of the three diamond dogs who pony-napped Rarity. "Let go of me you deranged mutt!" Twilight squirmed in the dogs grip, which in turn caused her to lose her own on the stone. CRACK! Everyone in the room stopped instantly at the sound. Twilight quickly found the stone on the floor, a large web of cracks splayed along the side. The changelings gathered around the stone followed by the rest of the ponies and the diamond dogs, who dropped Twilight without a second thought. "Now look what you foul poniessss have done, our key to power is ruined." The changeling leader was obviously not pleased. and neither where the diamond dogs. "AH! now we can't have gem finder magic!" Fido was dancing around like a foal throwing a fit as he yelled. Before anypony could move the stone started to hum and glow slightly. before floating up above the ground. as one of the changelings tried to move forward a beam of light flashed out and blasted the changeling in the mouth, when he stopped rolling around on the ground he yelled. "That ssstupid rock pulled out one of my fangsss!" True enough on of his fangs was missing. two more beams flashed out one pulling some hair from Rarity and the other yanked a claw out of rovers paw. The dual complaints where ignored as a scale was stolen from spike then the three items started to revolve around the stone. The slight glow and the hum intensified as the stolen pieces slowly dissolved to dust and seeped into the cracks around the stone. the broken shell falling away the light from inside the stone was revealed to be a living heart from which a spine was growing followed by a rib-cage legs shoulders arms claws a neck and most of a skull with a mighty flash and a pulse of magic the light faded and standing tall before them was a diamond dog like creature it was cover in fur of a light charcoal blue its tail was much like a dragons, on its back where a pair of large changeling wings its head had longer mane like hair and a small horn poked out from its bangs. "Well that was unexpected." interjected spike.