The Everfree Forest had always been a mysterious place. The air that curled around the trees was misty and cold; the vines and brambles as thick as a woven quilt; the eerie sounds that issued from the depths of the woods as unnatural and frightening as ever. This was where the forgotten chose to hide.

Under a shelf of rock sat a unicorn mare, her coat so dusty and sweaty its color was unrecognizable. She sat, exhausted, her energy almost nonexistent. Her eyes were closed in concentration, but no more than a few dull sparks flew from the tip of her horn. The mare leaned against the wall of her makeshift cave. She needed magic, and she needed it now.

The mare's sensitive horn jutted into the air, a pink glow flashing, then fading, around it. She sighed, a chilly breeze clawing at her thin coat. Without a place to get food or shelter, and without any energy to sustain her magic, she would never get the satisfaction she desired so much.

So the unicorn kept trying. And eventually, the tip of her horn brushed against something like an invisible bubble in the air, a pocket of energy so massive that she could feel herself growing stronger with a single touch. Her muzzle curving into a relaxed smile, the mare probed the pocket again, letting strength wash through her like a storm washes a blade of grass. She felt more powerful than she ever had. Then, as she touched the space a third time, she noticed something unnatural about it.

It didn't belong in Equestria.

The cloud of energy tingled, as if it were uncomfortable, unsure of itself in a new place. It felt foreign too, vibrating in patterns very different than those of typical Equestrian magic. The mare's smile faltered, then grew even wider as she thought of the possibilities this brought to her. Harnessing this otherworldly magic could make her more powerful than Celestia herself…or…

The mare rose to her feet and carefully set her horn to the edge of the pocket one more time. A crazy thought was suddenly running through her mind – a thought that made her tail stand on end. The bubble was beginning to fade back into its world, and she would miss her chance – perhaps her only chance – to do what she'd been waiting to do for many months. The magical energy would disappear no matter what happened, but if it reacted in the way she expected, it would all be worth it.

Drawing back her head, the unicorn steeled herself, took a deep breath, and jabbed her horn into the center of the energy cloud.

At first, nothing happened. Then the bubble popped, and a dark hole appeared in thin air, its edges twinkling vaguely pink in the dim forest light.

Immediately, the mare could feel a vacuum emanating from the pocket, sucking in energy and blowing it back out. Gusts of warm air trickled onto her face, then spiraled away, disappearing into the evening sky. As she watched, the mare felt excitement spreading from the tip of her horn down to her very hooves.

I think I have a plan, the unicorn thought. And if it works, the real fun can begin.

Author's Note

Hello, readers! This is Twi and Lanes with a little heads-up or two.

This story takes place between Seasons Two and Three in the MLPverse, and between the two Season One halves of the Grojverse. As such, Twilight is not an alicorn, and Corey is not yet privy to Laney's feelings for him.

This story's headcanon, backstory, etc. (except probably the zebra stuff) will not necessarily carry over into other stories of ours. It could make total sense for this version of the universe, but not fit into our overall headcanon. Which is pretty extensive.

Again, the cover art is ours! Well, it's Twi's, actually. Don't steal it!

You can find the full, unedited story at out fanfiction.net page, but this story will be updated and revised for better flow, development, and other important writer-y things.

So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, enjoy the show!

TwiLanes