The Everfree forest was a beautiful place. Phaedriel wandered, alone as always, deeper and deeper into the woods. Ponies never dared to come this far, for they were all too scared of the monsters that were said to lurk among the trees. But Phaedriel didn't care. Most of the monsters and ghost stories were just that, stories, made up to keep troublesome foals in line. Some were probably true, but the human was confident in her survival skills; after all, she had lived in similar places for a long time before. The only thing that could really scare her was other humans and their unpredictable ways, and there were none of those here.

Phaedriel’s first priority when arriving in a new place was always water. She could do without shelter for a little while, and food was everywhere if one knew what to look for. She had crossed a small stream just outside the town, before even entering the woods. That had looked clean and fresh, but it would be better to find a bigger source, and one farther away from civilization. She expected the ponies were probably less annoying than humans, but still, a little more isolation couldn’t hurt.

As she walked onwards, the ground began to slope upward. The trees were thinning out. The same eerie silence as the rest of the forest persisted here as well, but seemed even deeper than usual. It was as if instead of animals hiding and being quiet, there was no wildlife around at all. There were no young trees either, or shrubs or flowers, only the ancient growth. Trees over a meter across, which must have been standing for centuries, at least. The place almost felt cursed, as if nothing new could enter it. But Phaedriel continued on.

Eventually the trees thinned out even more, and she could see that there was some great structure of stone ahead. A castle, built ages ago and now lying in ruins, crumbling blocks now covered in moss. That looked like an interesting place to check out. If it was safe inside, if it was really as abandoned as it looked, it would make an excellent shelter. The only problem was getting to it, as it stood on the other side of a deep ravine.

The divide was too wide to jump across, and too steep to safely climb down and up the other side. Phaedriel walked up to the edge and looked around. This place must have been carved by water at some point, but there was nothing flowing at the bottom now. Below, there were a few roots protruding from the side of the cliff, but they weren't big enough to be trusted to hold if she wanted to climb down the side. To one side there was nothing, but the other way there seemed to be something laying across the gap, maybe vines or a fallen tree. It was too far away to discern exactly what was there; Phaedriel began walking along the edge toward whatever it was.

Upon getting closer, she found that it was actually a bridge, if one could call something in such a state of disrepair still a bridge. It consisted primarily of a few lengths of rope strung across and tied to posts at either end, with some old wooden planks loosely bound between them. Well, it's better than nothing, Phaedriel thought. If it's not rotted through, that is.

Phaedriel examined the two posts holding the bridge on her side of the ravine. The ropes seemed to be tied securely. She picked up each of them in turn and leaned back to test the ropes' strength and their fastenings on the other side. If they can hold my weight like this, they can hold me while I'm crossing. I'll string up a new one as I go so I can get back easier. She slipped off her backpack and pulled a long rope out. She looped it around the trunk of the nearest tree and tied it off with a sturdy knot that wouldn't slip.

Phaedriel shouldered her pack again and carried the loose end of her rope to the side of the cliff. She cautiously stepped out onto the first plank; to her relief, it held strong. The second, however, gave out an unsettling creak as she put weight on it. Holding onto one of the side ropes, and unwinding her own behind her, she slowly made her way farther across the treacherous bridge.

Finally, as she was just over halfway to the other side, a plank snapped. Phaedriel stumbled forward, landing heavily on her stomach across the next two boards. That was close, she thought, carefully getting back to her feet. She started to take another step and heard a crack from behind her, and suddenly the entire bridge tilted sideways. One of the posts the bridge was tied to had broken, after the sharp shock from her fall had weakened it.

Phaedriel found herself hanging with a rope in each hand, suspended in the middle of the ravine. The remains of the bridge hung a few feet above her, supported by only one side now. Well this sucks, she thought. This bridge was supposed to be better than nothing, but I guess I was wrong. No bridge is better than a broken bridge. So, what to do now...

The rope in her left hand was the one she had attached to the tree above. That certainly wasn't going anywhere. The other rope connected her to the far side where she wanted to go. I could let go of either one of these and swing to one side or the other. I really shouldn't though; I might hit too hard. Same for dropping straight down, I'd probably break an ankle at least. But then an idea occurred to her. She wasn't holding the ends of these ropes but rather the middle of each. With some care, she might be able to lower herself slowly to the bottom by letting out the slack.

That plan would have to do. Phaedriel loosened her grip just a little and slipped down a few feet. The sliding of ropes burned her hands, but she had to continue. Finally, after a few agonizing minutes, Phaedriel's feet touched something solid. She let go and collapsed onto the ground, taking care not to touch anything with her badly lacerated hands.

I made it! she thought triumphantly. Well, most of me made it. Still, ropeburn will heal a lot faster than a broken ankle. I'm not sure I have the strength to climb to the top again right now though. Phaedriel stood up and looked both ways down the ravine. There seemed to be a slight bluish glow coming from one direction.

She set off walking toward the source of the glow. It got steadily stronger as she approached, until the blue light was casting shadows of the small plants that grew along the ground. Phaedriel rounded a corner and came out into a large open area, and saw what was producing the glow. A giant tree, at least as old as any of the ones up above, seemingly made of solid crystal. Its trunk and branches were all straight lines and sharp angles. In the center, right where several large branches emerged, it had a six-pointed star etched into the trunk; below that, a sun and a moon. And on the other side of the space there was an equally amazing thing: a set of stairs carved into the rock, leading all the way to the surface again.

Phaedriel practically ran over to the tree. She had never seen anything even remotely like this before –a tree like this had to be magical. She reached out and gently touched the tree's trunk; it felt smooth instead of like normal tree bark. The cool surface soothed her injured hands, and she sat down at the base of the tree to rest for a minute. What is this? she wondered. How can there be a tree made of crystal? How did this come to be? Suddenly, she felt a tingly sensation in her hands and her back where she was leaning against the trunk. A wave of intense dizziness washed over her; when she regained her senses, she was somewhere else.

Phaedriel found herself standing in a small plaza paved with cobblestones. In the center stood a stone altar, inscribed with unintelligible runes which were mostly worn away. The edges of the square were lined with arches ten feet high forming a complete loop around the space. Beyond that, nothing was visible. A thick fog filled the air all around, making even just the opposite side of the square difficult to see at times. Every surface was stone, and it had a sort of timeless quality to it. The square could have been built yesterday or a million years in the past and looked the same. She couldn't quite explain why, but she felt as if this place ought to be on a mountaintop, isolated from the rest of the world. Maybe it was the mist obscuring everything outside from view –was there even any “outside” out there at all?

From the left there came two ponies, both with wings outstretched and horn held high. One of the alicorns had a black body, and his mane was a swirling mass of blue and silver, interlaced with wisps of color from across the spectrum. Stars and nebulae, entire galaxies seemed to dance within the infinite depths. The other was beige, with her mane and tail each a tangled knot of green. The hairs almost seemed to be vines, complete with leaves and flowers.

From the right side of the plaza there emerged another being. This one was a curious amalgam of many different beasts: one claw like a raptor and one paw of a lion, one leg from a goat and the other from a lizard. It had horns, one zigzag and one forked like a deer's, and wings like a bat and like a bird. It did not walk, and neither did it fly, but rather twisted and writhed through the air, moving with no apparent propulsion.

The trio met in the center and spoke, though Phaedriel could not hear their words. Both sides seemed wary of the other, but respectful. Each placed a hoof or claw on the altar, and though nothing visible occurred, she could sense that something terribly important and powerful had just taken place.

From somewhere out in the fog, a bell rang once, its deep chime echoing off the stone columns all around. The complex pattern of reflections made it impossible to discern the location of the ringing's source. It chimed again, and the scene around Phaedriel vanished, to be replaced by another. Now she was hovering high in the air, with a seemingly infinite expanse of land and sea below and an equally vast sky above. The sky was dark and full of scattered stars, with no sun or moon in sight. Instead there was a great arc of even more stars, like the Milky Way seen from Earth but even brighter and more colorful.

She felt a rush of air and looked in surprise as the two alicorns from before zoomed past. They left trails of green and blue behind them as they flew, twisting upwards in a double helix. They flew together, circling around each other with the tips of their horns touching between them. Where their horns met, a spark of light shone outward with a peaceful, comforting glow. The light flared brighter for an instant and emitted a smaller spark, which floated upwards and planted itself as a new star in the heavens. The entire firmament was slowly turning, the stripe of galaxy remaining always in view but the stars around it flowing freely in and out of the sky.

Out of nowhere the great bell rang once more, and again a new scene flashed before Phaedriel's eyes. She was on the ground now, with the strange patchwork being. It snapped its fingers –or rather, its claws –and a bird with beautiful red and orange plumage appeared before it. The bird fluttered up to a nearby tree, and as soon as it landed, the tree twisted into a new shape, causing the bird to fly again. The strange creature snapped again, this time creating a rabbit which changed grass randomly into flowers wherever it hopped. A third snap produced a duck-billed platypus, an animal much more reminiscent of its creator. But then the bell rang again, and Phaedriel was whisked away to a new scene.

Countless visions flashed before her, punctuated by the ever-present bell. Eventually, the scenes began to form a coherent story. Phaedriel had wanted to know how this great shining tree had come to be, and it was telling her. And to explain itself, it had to go back all the way to the beginning of the world. The alicorns of earth and sky represented the fundamental force of order and harmony, and the other being was chaos and discord. Together, they created a world in balance between them.

But then the alicorn couple had foals, twin sisters, one white like the glow of a single star, and the other the deep blue-black of the sky. The lord of chaos saw them and became enraged, for in his mind the balance had been upset. In his anger he struck down the elder two, but left the Night and Day alone lest he too disturb the grand design. The galactic arc winked out and the sky ceased its turning; there came a new cycle of brighter light and darker night in its place.

But the elders' magic was not lost, for from their remains a new life grew. A great tree, mightier than any oak, whose roots spread throughout the entire world and with the sparkle of the stars in every branch and leaf. And there it stood, passively observing the evolution of the world, giving gifts and blessings where it could. It gave its foals six jewels of immense power, but in such a ghostly state it could not tell them of their meaning or function, or warn them of the consequences if the artifacts were misused.

It watched as the world fell into disorder, since the alicorns' deaths had unbalanced the world far worse than their children ever would. It watched as the two foals rose up against the chaos and overthrew it, locking away the other primeval force in a prison of stone. It watched as its children turned on each other, shattering the link between them and the Elements, and as one sister was cast out of Equestria. It watched as a pink pegasus was elevated to the godly state, and as its long-lost second child returned with the help of a purple unicorn, then as that unicorn herself ascended.

But that didn't seem right, for Phaedriel had seen this purple one and she was definitely a unicorn only. The tree must have shown her a glimpse of the future as well as the past. Or at least one possible future, if certain conditions were met. She knew she should not ask what other futures might occur. But it was just so tempting... Maybe just a peek forward, into a couple of different futures.

Phaedriel once again saw a vision of the purple unicorn being promoted. But this time, she continued the connection and looked further. Not long after the coronation, a dormant chaos came forth after thousands of years hidden away. The Tree watched as its children were taken away and trapped, and as it too was ensnared. With the pink alicorn away, and the purple one overcome with doubt and feelings of inadequacy, unstoppable vines grew outward over the land. Chaos reigned once more, never to be broken again.

But none of that included humans and the connection to Phaedriel's old world. Maybe she could add a little direction to the visions. She concentrated, and saw Equestria and Earth in contact. In one future, there was peaceful immigration and travel both ways, and a new golden era encompassed both the worlds. In another, humans invaded by the thousands, by the millions, plundering riches and resources to ferry back to Earth. And in between there were countless variations, with their splitting points very often hinging on the actions of a small group of humans and ponies working together.

Phaedriel broke contact with the Tree and contemplated what she had seen. The entire history of a world, told in just a few short minutes. It was a lot to take in. This world had started off so well, perfectly in balance –a precarious balance, but present nonetheless –but it seemed plagued with catastrophes aiming to undo all that had been achieved. But still, Harmony was in control for now. For now... many of the futures Phaedriel had seen did not look good at all. Who were these humans and ponies who could change the world's destiny? She hadn't gotten a good look. Surely Phaedriel wasn't one of them; she wasn't anything special, was she? Changing the world was too big a task –she had learned that back on Earth. Better to stay out completely than to try something and fail.

She stood up and took a few steps toward the stairs at the far side of the room, then stopped. Something felt different now. Her pack was on, and it felt balanced. Everything she kept in her pockets was still there. Finally she realized what had changed. “My hands! They're healed!” she exclaimed aloud. She turned back to the Tree and smiled. “I think you're my new favorite tree.” Maybe it was just a sudden breeze, but Phaedriel thought she saw one branch wave at her. She reconsidered her decision to leave and instead went back and put one hand on the Tree.

You can understand me, can't you? she thought, closing her eyes and picturing the words flying outward into the glowing trunk. You're not just a recording of history, you're conscious and intelligent. Phaedriel immediately felt silly for trying to talk to a tree. But the feeling vanished when she got a response.

Indeed, it said, I am... conscious. The Tree's voice was deep but not rumbling, and slow. It somehow sounded female despite the low pitch. It spoke directly into Phaedriel's mind, its words appearing alongside her own internal voice. Conscious... in some... sense. I... dream. There was a pause. Speaking... interacting... with the world... it takes... effort.

But how do you know what I'm saying? You were a pony once, an alicorn. I don't speak pony.

I speak... in concepts... ideas... meanings, not words... You... hear words... because... you... expect them. Words... make sense... to you. Suddenly Phaedriel felt dizzy again, similar to when the Tree had shown her visions of history but not as strong. And you... speak... pony... the Tree said.

What? Did you just...? Thank you for that. You've given me so much –is there anything that you need, something I can do for you?

Nothing... not yet. The chaos... is... coming. And... maybe also... no. No... You should... go. I... must conserve... strength... to resist.

With that, the Tree fell silent. Phaedriel removed her hand from its –or was it her? –smooth crystal surface and slowly walked away, looking up at the clear blue sky through the branches. The sun hadn't moved in a long time, which was worrying since that was what Phaedriel used to tell the time. She did have a watch, but she sometimes forgot to wind it and it might not be accurate on another world anyway.

She crossed over to the steps on the far side of the room and began climbing. It was a long way up. Halfway to the top she stopped to take a drink of water from her bottle and noticed it was nearly empty. She would have to fill it up again soon. Finally Phaedriel reached the surface, and she took a moment to catch her breath after the long climb. She seemed to be on the same side of the crevasse that she had started on, the crumbling castle still visible in the distance on the other side. That exploration would have to wait a little while longer. For now, she needed to get back to that stream by the town.

She set off back the way she had come. It was not far, maybe a few miles at most, and she expected an uneventful journey. But not long after she left the old-growth area, when she was back in a more normal forest, she detected a strange foul smell up ahead. She stopped walking but it continued to get stronger. Phaedriel turned to go around whatever dead animal or object was causing the stench, only to be met with swirling sickly-green vapors on every side. There was a growl from one of the bushes nearby, and an odd wolf-like creature emerged.

That doesn't look very friendly, Phaedriel thought. The thing looked like it was made of wood, if that was possible. Phaedriel quickly slung her bow off her back and nocked an arrow. She shouted and waved her free arm in an attempt to scare the creature away, but it kept advancing. Worse, she heard similar growls from behind her now as well. She let the arrow fly and it buried itself in the wood of the creature's head, perfectly between its glowing eyes. The wolf flinched but otherwise seemed unharmed.

Well shit, arrows don't work, she thought. So I doubt a little pocketknife or some darts will do much either. And I bet they run faster than I can too. She looked around for any means of escape. Wolves don't climb trees. At least Earth wolves don't... Phaedriel put her bow away and ran to the nearest tree to begin climbing. She could hear the footsteps of several wooden wolves behind her, but she made it to the first branch without feeling a bite, or even a tug on her clothes or pack. She looked down and saw four of the creatures pacing around the bottom of the tree, looking up but not trying to come after her. She pulled herself up one branch higher just to be sure.

It would be slow going, trying to jump from tree to tree along her way, but at least the forest was dense enough that it was possible. It was a wonder any shrubs and flowers could grow at all in here, given how thick the canopy was above. Phaedriel had to step carefully, testing every branch before putting weight on it, all the while watching the pack of wolves following on the ground below. The stink of their breath was overpowering, and it didn't get any better with longer exposure. Where does their breath even come from anyway? she wondered. They're made of wood –and magic, obviously –why do they need to breathe? Or eat, for that matter. It would be nice if they'd leave me alone.

What can I do to get rid of them? she thought. Not arrows, clearly. The wolf with an arrow sticking out of its head was down there with the others, looking as healthy as ever. What about fire? Wooden things probably hate fire. I have my flint and steel, but I can't make a fire while I'm up here. Maybe if I just get outside their usual hunting grounds instead. And so she continued running through the trees, more quickly now that she had some practice and was used to the way things grew in the Everfree.

After what was probably about an hour –she couldn't tell exactly because that damned sun just wouldn't move –Phaedriel finally came to the edge of the forest. Up ahead the trees ended, giving way to a field with a small stream winding through the middle. And on the banks of the stream there was a yellow pony, crouched down talking to some small animal. She looked familiar; what was her name again? Phaedriel hadn't been paying attention when she passed through before. Oh well, it didn't matter. Time to try out the Tree's gift...

“Yellow one!” she called. The pony looked up in surprise and glanced around until she found where the voice was coming from.

“Oh, hello there! I –” Suddenly she made a strange sound, a sort of cross between a scream and a squeak, and fluttered up a few feet into the air. “T-t-timberwolves!” she stuttered. “Everyone run, hide!” A white rabbit streaked across the grass away from the forest; there were several plops in the stream as frogs and turtles entered the water. “Why are there timberwolves here? Get them away!” the pony continued, maintaining a good distance from the trees and still hovering in the air.

“'Tis not my fault. They followed me, and mine arrows are useless. An I could, I would gladly be rid of them. Knowest thou, how one may escape pursuit?” The pony language came so easily that it was hard for Phaedriel to believe that just hours ago, she had known nothing of it.

“N-no,” the yellow pony replied. “I don't go in there, it's scary! I can’t even talk to them since they’re not real animals. I stay out here, where the timberwolves don't go.”

They won't leave the forest? Phaedriel thought. Seems plausible, though I'm not sure I'd want to risk it. Still, it may be the only option I have… She took her pack off and looked through it until she found her flint and steel; those were placed into a pocket for quick access. The rest of the pack, and her bow and quiver, she tossed into the field, as far as she could without worrying about breaking anything inside. She took a deep breath and looked down one last time, then leaped out of the tree toward her pile of stuff, executing a safety roll upon landing to prevent injury. She snatched up her pack and bow again and sprinted toward the little stream, not looking back until she had made it over to the other side.

The wolves had not run after her, and were instead pacing back and forth right at the edge of the trees. But then the one Phaedriel had shot earlier stepped out of the woods and began slowly advancing, not really wanting to leave the Everfree but angry enough to do it anyway. The others followed closely behind. Phaedriel pulled the flint and steel out of her pocket, quickly gathered a handful of leaves and twigs, and started striking sparks onto the pile.

“Excuse me,” she called. “I am sorry, your name escapeth me, but I require assistance. Wouldst thou kindly go and catch the wolves' attention for a moment? I believe I can repel them with fire, but I must have the time to build it.” The yellow pony glanced quickly back and forth between Phaedriel, the timberwolves, and the direction of the town. She tucked her legs closer to her body and fluttered a little higher. “Flee not,” Phaedriel said, “for they will follow. One moment of bravery is all I ask. Canst thou do it?”

“I... I don't–”

“Think of thy rabbit, thine friends, thy town! Whatever thou willst, I know not. But thou must keep them back!”

The pony still seemed reluctant, but she finally began moving in a useful direction. The timberwolves had covered half the distance to the stream by now, still creeping slowly but more confidently now. Phaedriel continued striking sparks until the pile of leaves caught. She fed small sticks into the flame to keep it going. What can I use to get this fire onto my arrows? Something to wrap around the heads. Cloth would be best, but I'd rather not use something I'm wearing... Oh, I know, the spare bits I keep for patching stuff. I hope there's enough...

Phaedriel rummaged through her pack and pulled out a handful of small pieces of cloth in various shades of green, brown, and gray. She hated to part with any of her materials, but it had to be done. She grabbed a gray bit first and sliced a strip off with the sharp tip of an arrow, then tied it around that same tip and held it in the fire. The cloth caught quickly, and seconds later Phaedriel launched the flaming arrow. It landed squarely in one of the timberwolves' sides; the creature yelped and broke off its pursuit of the yellow pony to run away into the forest again.

Stupid thing, there's water right here, Phaedriel thought. About what I'd expect from something with wood for brains. She tore off more strips of cloth and one by one set them alight. Her next shot clipped a wolf on the shoulder and skidded off into the grass; luckily the grass was green and did not start to burn as well. Two more arrows dispatched two more wolves, leaving only one still present: the one with the arrow in its head, who seemed to be the leader of the pack. Phaedriel began preparing the next arrow, but as she was tying the strip of cloth she heard a terrible scream from across the field.

She looked up in shock to see that the last wolf had leaped into the air and grabbed hold of the pony's tail in its mouth, and was clawing at her back legs as they both fell to the ground. That beast would have to pay for hurting such a peaceful, timid creature like this pony. Phaedriel nocked her arrow and pulled the string back, carefully looking down the shaft. Don't aim for where it is, aim for where it's going to be... Better make this shot a good one.

She took a fraction of a second longer to be sure of her aim, then let the arrow fly. It followed a graceful arc through the air, heading directly for the space between the timberwolf and the pony. The wolf lunged forward to bite the defenseless pegasus, only to be struck in the side of the head with the flaming point. The impact knocked the wolf onto its side; by the time is scrambled to its feet again, flames were already spreading over its head. It tried to run back into the forest, but there was no escaping the fire. Blinded, it crashed headlong into a tree, stumbled a few steps to the side, and collapsed to the ground.

“Art thou greatly injured?” Phaedriel hurried across the grass to where the yellow pony still lay on the ground. Her hind legs didn't look too bad, only a couple claw marks and none too deep, but she was covering her eyes and shivering, and not responding to any questions. She's in shock, Phaedriel thought. What's good for shock? Poppy seeds. Those and thyme. I should have at least one of those...

“Remain here; I can help thee,” Phaedriel said as she ran back to her supplies. It didn't look like the pony was going anywhere. She pulled open a side compartment and rummaged through it for a moment, then triumphantly pulled out two small handfuls of herbs. Returning to the yellow pony, she held out one of the herbs and said, “Chew on this. Thou wilt feel better. The thyme will calm thine nerves.” Phaedriel took the other plant and began chewing on it herself, making a paste that she then spread gently on the pony's wounds.

The thyme worked quickly, and it was not long before the pony seemed to calm down. Her breathing slowed and became more regular, and she began stretching out of her previous curled-up position. “Are... are they gone?” she asked timidly.

“Indeed, thou art safe,” the human replied. “Thou shouldst return home and rest. Give thine legs a few days to heal. The poultice of horsetail hath stopped the bleeding, but it will still take time. Livest thou in yonder cottage?” The pony nodded and struggled to her hooves, wincing a bit as she put weight on her back legs but staying upright. Phaedriel guided her across the grass and up the hill to the little house. It seemed to be getting darker as they walked –or maybe it was just her imagination.

The pegasus pushed open the door to her cottage, and a moment later a flash of light came through the window on the far end of the room, as the sun quickly passed by on its way to the horizon. Phaedriel shielded her eyes and once again marveled at how strange this world could be. In some ways it was almost identical to Earth, but then there were things like this which made no sense at all.

“Oh, I didn't realize it was so late,” the pony said. “I should feed the rest of my animal friends and go to sleep. Thank you for dealing with those timberwolves.” She started to turn around and go inside, but then reconsidered. “Do you have a place to sleep too, somewhere safe? You're welcome to stay here if you want.”

“Oh, no, thou art too kind. There was somewhere I wished to explore, but I, ah... had some difficulty in getting there. I shall simply find myself a suitable tree for tonight.”

The yellow pony looked shocked. “A tree?! No, it's the least I can do to give you a place to stay. There's always room for one more at Fluttershy's cottage! If I can fit a bear in here, I can fit a human.”

So that's her name, Phaedriel thought. Fluttershy. That's a pretty name. And it makes more sense now that I know the language. Speaking of which, the way she talks sounds strange, like it's not quite correct. Oh well, I'm sure I sound strange to her too. Might as well accept her offer too, I suppose –it's only one night. “Well, if you're sure,” she said aloud. “I don't want to intrude. I'll get my own place tomorrow.”

With that, the two of them walked together into the little house. Phaedriel was amazed at how many creatures lived inside: everything from small birds to mice and squirrels to even a seal. “Watch your step!” Fluttershy warned. “Angel, be nice, we have a visitor. Yes, I know, I'll feed you all in just a minute. Oh, your wing's feeling better? I'm glad to hear that.” She spoke constantly to all the animals in her house as if she could understand them. And maybe she could; in a magical world it might be possible.

Phaedriel followed up a flight of stairs as the yellow pony flew ahead. This cottage was bigger than it looked from the outside. At the top she was led into a room with a large bed in it. Wow, it's been a long time since I've used one of these, she thought. This is going to be weird. I don't really like sleeping in an enclosed space like this, but at least there are windows. And still having the sounds of all the woodland creatures below will be nice. She settled in as well as she could in the unfamiliar softness and tried to clear her mind of any worries. That could all wait until tomorrow; she would be up with the sun and ready to take on a new day.

Author's Note

The inspiration for the creation scene comes from the Montserrat monastery, which is on a mountain just outside Barcelona. I didn't see any alicorns when I was there, but maybe they were just hidden in the fog.