Chronicles of Mythrodak: Quest of the Moonstone,

The seven pony group walked for almost two days in the treacherous swamp. And Stroke figured out a little bit more about the six ponies.

For one thing: the “journey” that they were going on, was actually a “top secret” mission that they were sent on by the four princesses. They were sent on a journey to find a missing precious gem. The Moonstone of the Dreslaunt.

Apparently this Moonstone was forged in the Black mountains over the ocean in Ponyland.

You see, before Equestria was an official continent, most of the ponies lived in Ponyland. And Ponyland was very much like Equestria, but now most of the ponies live in Equestria, and it has been like that for over four thousand years. But Ponyland still has it's share of ponies.

Anyways, The Moonstone that was crafted by the dwarven ponies in the black mountains, was a gift to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna a long time ago. And the Moonstone was of some importance to the princesses. Because a the elements of harmony were made from it. Princess Celestia sent it back to the dwarven ponies and asked them to chip off six particles, but still keep the moonstone intact. And then they turned the six chipped pieces of moonstone into the elements of harmony, and the jewelry that held them.

That was a lot for Stroke to take in. but also hardly anypony knew about this. Since it was so old.

Stroke didn't really like the part about helping Celestia, since her forces were chasing him an a manhunt. And he didn't even do anything.

“Almost out of the swamp.” said Thistle Whistle as they trudged through the swamp, trying not to get tangled in vines or stuck in mud.

“So Thistle...” said Stroke, “what it is the path that we need to take to get to Ponyland?”

“Well.” Thistle explained, “Once we get out of the Heysend Swamps, we will travel to a nearby village called Dodge Junction, in the town is a railway station, and we get on it, and travel north-west to Ponyvill. And then through the white tail woods, then it will end at Los Pegasus they have a harbor and we will get a boat and sail across the sea to Ponyland, the rest is pretty complicated, but I will explain that once we get to Dodge Junction.”

“Yep.” Toola-Roola confirmed with a nod, “This whole quest will take a few weeks or so.”

“Have you ever been to Dodge Junction?” asked Sunny Daze,

“No.” said Stroke,

“It is just like Appleloosa, lots of cowponies there, and they grow cherry trees.” Sunny said,

“It's basically on the edge of the swamp.” said Star Catcher,

“Speaking of...” said Thistle, “We are almost there ponies.”

It was true. The line of trees ended just a little ways up ahead.

“Hey guys.” said Wisteria, “What kind of monsters live in this swamp?”

“Monsters?” asked Thistle Whistle, “Well, there is not that much, just giant snakes, and maybe a cragadile or two.”

“A cragadile?” asked Wisteria in a fretful tone.

“But don't worry, they probably wont attack us. We haven't been attacked before.” said Thistle Whistle,

“But don't the cragadiles only live in the everfree forest?” asked Stroke,

“Yes, most of the time.” said Thistle, “But they also like swamps.”

“So the Cragadile looks like a crocodile right?” asked Wisteria,

“Yes.” said Thistle, “And they have rocky skin and they are large.”

“Like they one over there?” asked Wisteria, she pointed with her hoof to a brown, murky swamp pond or something.

“Yes—What!?”

Stroke looked at the edge of the swamp pong, and there watching them was a fifteen foot cragadile. It's yellow eyes were looking at them hungrily. It was so blended in, that Stroke didn't even see it there.

All seven of the ponies froze in their tracks.

The Cragadile hissed and slapped it's tail against the muddy water.

“The cragadile can run up to sixty miles per hour for a short time.” Thistle recited,

“I think I could run twice that if it was chasing me.” Sunny Whispered,

The cragadile narrowed it's eyes and waved it's tail back and forth, Stroke knew that behavior. And it was not good. That Cragadile was hungry.

“Run, now.” said Stroke. And he and the other ponies took off.

The cragadile snapped it's powerful jaws and went after them it's small legs could go fast. And that cragadile had one thing in mind. Lunch.

“It won't chase us once we are out of the swamp.” said Thistle whistle as she was running and dodging trees.

“but that's basically half a mile there.” Said Wisteria,

“We'll have to make it count.” said Minty,

Tooly had grabbed a rock and threw it behind at the monster chasing them, and it only bounced of the Cragadiles nose, it didn't seem to even effect him in the slightest way.

Tooly grabbed a stick and threw it back while she was galloping, but it resulted in the same effect. So sh started grabbing anything in her path and hitting the cragadile. A vine, some pebbles, an old horseshoe, bark, a small log, mud, dirt. It seemed to take the cragadile by surprise and slow him down a bit, but he was hot on their tails once more.

“Almost there.” said Thistle, and they galloped as fast and hard as they could.

But then in a sudden movement, the cragadile somehow ran faster then them and sped up and then got in front of them and stopped.

Stroke dug his hooves into the mud and stopped, and so did the other ponies, but Sunny daze couldn't slow down, and she tripped over the monster's tail and landed face first into a tree.

The cragadile hissed and snapped at Minty.

Stroke banged his staff down in the cragadile's snout, it jerked back and roared, and then it tripped Toola-Roola and Star Catcher with it's enormous tail

Thistle gave the cragadile a series of punches with her hooves and back kicks.

The cragadile tried to bite down on the pony, but got her tail instead.

Stroke shoved his staff into the cragadile's mouth and tried to use it as leverage to open it's mouth.

You would think that the staff would break right in half, but it didn't: the jaws of the cragadile were pried open, and Thistle Whistle flew out.

Sunny Daze managed to recover from her face plant in the tree, just to get whacked by the cragadile once more, this time she landed face first in the mud.

Minty kicked the cragadile in the lower jaw, to which it roared, and while it's mouth was still open, she quickly stuck a log in it. So that it couldn't close it's mouth. It thrashed, trying to get the piece of wood from it's jaws, and it rolled into Sunny Daze, who got squished into the ground, being newly recovered from the mud.

The cragadile then bit down so hard on the huge stick, that it broke into splinters, and then it turned to face the ponies. It wanted it's lunch.

“Distract it!” said Star Catcher, and then she sneaked around behind it,

“Yo Croco-Craga-Dile thing.” said Toola-Roola, waving her hooves in the beast's face, it tried to bite her, but she was to quick and it snapped it's mouth into open air.

“Missed me.” said Tooly, sticking out her tongue,

Minty started to help Tooly, so that the cragadile would be confused.

Then, from behind the cragadile, Star Catcher sprang up and pounced in it's head.

The force of the pony was to much the cragadile's jaws slammed together and a few of it's teeth flew out. It roared in pain, and then Stroke conjured up a spell of a ribbon, that tightly wrapped around the cragadile's snout and legs. It thrashed in the mud and splashed.

Come on, that spell won't last for long.” said Stroke, and without hesitation, they took off in the direction of Dodge Junction.