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// A late night visitor 
// Story: The Forest Kingdom 
// by Arctic Soul 
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	Twilight stood, leaning over a wood desk, in the corner of the library. Normally this desk would be covered in books, but was now topped with some surprisingly new looking maps, only a few books around the edge. One of the maps showed part of Equestria. From Canterlot to the end of the explored section of the Everfree forest. Another map only showed the forest, and yet another of the forest and surrounding settlements.
"I knew it." Twilight said quietly, glancing between the books and maps. "We have only explored less than half of the Everfree forest, yet we have explored all the way around it. According to this journal, these explorers reached the edge of where we have explored, then they encountered some trouble. Of course it doesn't say what the trouble was only that there was trouble. And that it was enough to drive the entire expedition back out of the forest." Twilight looked down and sighed." Why do ponies never write what happened only that something did happen?"
She focused her magic, brought over more journals, and opened them. "Every single one of these says the same thing. There was trouble, they left. But none of these say what happened after that, or what the trouble was, they just leave, no more trouble. No more nothing." Twilight stood, and started pacing. "Now I really want to know what is in there, before it was just a mild curiosity. But now? When nopony knows anything about this. Now I have to know." She started pacing in silence, soon a quiet knocking sounded at her door. Opening her mouth, she prepared to call for Spike to get the door when she remembered just what time it was. “That’s strange. Who would be up at this hour?” she wondered aloud.
The knocking sounded again, a bit more fervently this time. “I’m coming!” The unicorn called out, still wondering about the identity of her latest guest. Luna’s moon rested proudly in the sky, indicative of a time far too early in the morning for any sane pony to be up. Reaching her door, Twilight quickly unlocked the latch with her magic, and pushed the door open. “Hello?” she asked cautiously.
"Hello Twilight." Starlight Glimmer said quietly.
"Hi Starlight, why are you up at this hour?" Twilight asked.
"I couldn't sleep, and I saw the light on in your library." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “May I come in?”
Twilight flashed the unicorn a reassuring smile. “Of course,” She answered. “Come inside."
“Thank you, Twilight,” the unicorn said with a soft smile as she stepped in through the library doors. “I see your collection of books has not grown any smaller.” She observed, glancing at the bookshelves lining the wall.
“Well most of them belong to the town,” Twilight explained, a slight blush coloring her features. “But I do own quite a few.” Both mares were silent for a moment before Starlight asked.
"What are you doing up? I know that you reeeeally enjoy studying, but you've been staying up like this for the past few days." She looked over, around Twilight and saw the maps over on the desk. "And what are those maps for?"
Twilight sighed, and then yawned. "I'm just trying to find out what's wrong with the EverFree forest. Whenever anypony tries to go deep into it, towards the center of the forest, 'something' happens and they leave. I even found a book where Celestia was forced to retreat from whatever is stopping them." She yawned again. "Though, while Celestia was with the group, in that particular story, it says that Celestia herself convinced the rest of the expedition to return. She joined the group again only after they had almost left the forest."
"Why do you even care? I mean I know that you want to know about everything, but what made you start looking at this?"
"I started researching this, when I saw the most recent group return from their trip. I asked each member, individually, what happened, but none of them would give me a straight answer. Some said Timberwolves, some said star-spawn, and there were some who said that they saw ghosts. And that the deeper they went into the forest the more they saw." Twilight responded while sitting back down at the desk. Starlight started walking towards the door.
"Twilight, you should get some sleep. I'm going to try again." She said. "Goodnight Twilight."
"Goodnight." Twilight waved to Starlight until she left. She sighed again. "I would but I need to figure this out." Suddenly Twilight heard another knock at the door.
"Twilight?" Spike said, walking into the room, and blinking his eyes trying to wake up more. "Who were you talking to?
"Starlight. She couldn't sleep. You just missed her. I was telling her that no one has explored all of the Everfree forest, and that something seems to be stopping them..."
"Well can you please do it quieter? It's past midnight, and I need to sleep." Spike said, ignoring Twilight, and walking back out of the room. 
"Oh. Sorry Spike." Twilight replied, looking over at the empty space where he had just been standing.