Stellar

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

The leaves rustled, and the sun was shining. It was a nice spot that Chimera found a bit outside of Ponyville. A little peace and quiet from what strange things seem to happen in that little ville. The little foal ran ahead of her parents, and they meandered into the clearing with the picnic basket in hoof. Her sand colored coat and bubblegum mane disappeared amongst the grasses and reappeared elsewhere. Her dad Buford watched in adoration of their only child bounding around. Things couldn't get more peaceful and normal than this. Stacey picked a flower with her unicorn magic and held it up to Buford. He smiled and set down the basket he was carrying. With the blanket unfurled over the wild grasses, the two adults sat down and waited patiently for their daughter to join them. A piercing scream set both of them on their hooves.

"Honey?" The mother said tentatively, and Buford was already heading in the direction of their daughter. "I- I was just startled..." Chimera explained. When they questioned by what, she simply pointed toward some nearby brush. The parents turned the corner, not expecting what they would find. Behind the brush was a tiny filly, slightly older than their own. Their confused faces turned to frowns of worry and approached the hunched up and disheveled pegasus.

"Hello?" Stacey approached first and laid a gentle hoof on the frail body. The pony turned her face up at the small audience that gathered. Her large eyes opened up to reveal a lightning-blue colored eye and a stark purple eye. Her tiny nose scrunched up, and she didn't seem to know what to do with the new company.

"Erm, where did you come from?" Stacey inquired. The small pony just shook her head. "Well it won't do for you to lay around in this dark place. Come over here, we are about to have a nice picnic." Stella was slow to get up, but followed the two adult ponies. Chimera walked alongside of this new guest and started making seemingly one-sided conversation. Stella acknowledged her new acquaintance, but said little and left questions hanging unanswered. Chimera didn't seem to notice, and continued talking all the way to the picnic spread. "You poor dearie, do you need a bite to eat? We have plenty."

The silver-coated filly answered what questions she could, but could not answer where she came from or where her parents are. Getting more and more convinced that she suffers from amnesia, the adults' worry grows and they have a brisk walk around for any clues... or any fraught parents. Finding pretty much nothing except a little doll, the parents hoof the doll over to the little lost filly and intend to take her home. She obliges, and is starting to get along with the perky daughter of theirs.

"My name is Constellation Night, but I like to be called Stella." She likes to call her new friend Chim, and the parents are Buff and Spacey. They approach the small cottage, and Stacey shows Stella to the modest guest room. "It's not much right now, but we would gladly help you make it look like home!"

"Home?" Stella asked. Stacey paused for a little. "Em, make our house comfortable to you, like you would at your... Oh, I see." She hugged the small pony, "Make it so you feel safe here, with us." The gray mare brightened up. Chim entered the room, and the mother let the two put their heads together to make the room more friendly. Chim brought her toys and Stella had her doll. "Don't stay up too late now." She chuckled and left the two to their own devices. Eventually, both fell asleep on the bed with their dolls clutched tight.

Stella woke up with her face buried deep in a pillow. "Murrph!" She rolled over and fell off the bed, her wings flapping so she would land on her hooves. She stumbled upright, and shook the sleep out of her head. She could hear the bustle from the kitchen, so she followed the sound. "Oh there you are sleepy-head... I made salad for us all." Buford pulled a stool up for Stella to join the table. Stella uneasily tried to copy how the rest were sitting. A little wobbly, but she managed to sit up.

"So how did you all sleep?" Buford made small talk. "Like a rock!" The small bundle of energy was already recharged and bouncing around. Stella was a little slower to answer and simply said, "It was nice."

The table went silent for a bit while each pony made away with their salad. "I stared at the stars for a bit." Stella broke the silence. "You like the night sky?" Buford was quick to keep the conversation up again. Stella nodded and said, "It comforts me most nights, but last night was very nice because I was warm."

Stacey acknowledged and said, "It was very nice that you could join our small family." Her and Buford talked late last night about what they are going to do about the poor filly. If she is indeed an orphan, they would happily keep her. But for now Buford is going to ask around at his mane salon, as it is well trafficked. If anypony knew about Stella, word would arise during the mane-do gossip. Stacey would be able to bring up their situation to her boss at the clinic, and hopefully would bring the youngster back to her rightful house.

Chimera spoke up and said, "The moon is my favorite! And Luna is my favorite princess!" Stella turned her head to Chim, "Who's Luna?" Chim guffawed and said, "You don't know Princess Luna?! She's the alicorn that enters your dreams and keeps the nightmares away!" Stella still looked a little confused. "Is an alicorn like a unicorn? And what type of pony is a nightmare?"

Chim just stared at the confused filly for a second, mouth agape. Buford chuckled a little to himself and looked bemused. "We will have to show you to the school, Cheerilee would be happy to answer any questions you have."

Chimera practically screamed, "Stella is going to join my classes?!" Her voice squeaked from the stress it goes through, "I'll show you all my friends!"

"That sounds like a stellar idea, honey." Stacey gave a tiny cough at the slip-up of her words, but Buford was the only one who seemed to catch it. The yellow and bubblegum colored rubberband ball that was Chimera attempted to fly off the stool and actually bounced on the ground all the way to her room. Her parents seem used to it, but Stella look with a puzzled face at where the high-octane filly went. She came out of her room with her school bags and almost tore Stella off the seat. "C'mon, c'mon, if we get an early start we can talk to Cheerilee!" Stella looked to the parents, and without seeing any argument, followed behind.

On the quite lengthy road to school, Chim started singing nursery rhymes and bouncing with all four hooves leaving the ground. They lived far out, but they never have minded the longer transit. It keeps them away from the hustle and bustle. Oh and the occasional monster that always happens to gravitate to the modest ville.

Author's Note

First picture created along with ZuTheSkunk's MLP Resource and General Zoi's Pony Creator
Second picture created along with Dipi11's Ponyville, A Park Scene and General Zoi's Pony Creator

Chapter 2

Arriving at the schoolhouse early, nopony was there yet but the teacher, Cheerilee. She was outside, bringing in some supplies for today's lesson. Chimera almost knocked over the teacher in excitement, "Look at my new friend!! Her name is Stella and she comes from the forest!"

The teacher looked accustomed to her antics and turned to Stella and welcomed her. "Hello Stella! Are you going to be coming here for long?" Stella just responded, "I don't know. I'm staying with the Evergreens for now." The two fillies followed the teacher into the classroom. She set up her desk, and when she was done turned to the dynamic duo. "So class is supposed to start in another half hour, but I can answer any of your questions in the meantime."

Stella asked what questions she could think of, and Chim added her chipper comments and attempts at answering. Cheerilee patiently answered and corrected Chimera occasionally. Cheerilee took out a box and opened it for the girls. It had colored pencils in it and Chim's eyes widened in excitement. She bounded off to get paper, and brought it to the table to demonstrate how to draw. Stella experimentally pushed the pencils around with a hoof, and Chimera took one in her mouth. "Thee? Thith ith how oou dwaa." The pencil precariously bobbed around as she talked. She proceeded in making a drawing of herself, and proudly showed it to Stella. Stella made a wobbly drawing that could be interpreted as a horse or a mailbox. Cheerilee's keen eye saw, "Is that a drawing of me? How good!"

Stella smiled at the congratulations and the pencil fell out of her mouth. Students started arriving, and Sweetie Belle instantly noticed the newcomer. "Oh, who's this? Another blank-flank! Hey Scoots!" She ran off to get her friends.

Cheerilee answered Stella's unspoken question, "A blank flank is a pony who doesn't have a cutiemark yet..." by the look on Stella's face, she continued, "And a cutie mark is the symbol given to each and every pony when they find out what they want to do."

Three fillies came by the desks and declared themselves all at the same time, "We are the cutie mark crusaders! And we are here to help you get your cutie mark!"

The orange one said, "I'm Scootaloo."

The one with the white coat squealed, "I'm Sweetie Belle!"

The one with a sand-colored coat drawled, "I'm Applebloom!"

Sweetie Belle squeaked, "What's your name?"

Stella looked over whelmed. "I- I..."

Chimera practically lost it, "YAY! This is my friend Stella!" She looked like she would burst, "You're gunna help us find our cutiemarks?!"

Cheerilee stood up infront of class, "Alright, settle down now. Everypony take a seat." The class went silent. "Let me introduce our guest, Stella. She is staying with the Evergreen's. Be sure to say hi to her after class. Alright, today we are going to learn about the stars... Can anypony tell me what this group of stars is?" The new projector put up seven dots of white with lines connecting them. Cheerilee called on a pony with their hoof up. "That's the Big Dipper."

"Excellent." The teacher continued on, "This is only a small part of the bigger constellation. Does this next slide look familiar to any of you?" The slide popped up with multiple dots connected in the form of a four legged creature with a tail.

Snips and Snails blushed. Snips spoke up first, "That's Ursa Major."

Cheerilee chuckled, "And I'm sure you are able to tell us how she is."

Snails responded slowly, "Scary."
The slide switched and a group of stars lit up that looked like a capital Y. Stella raised a cautious hoof. Cheerilee seemed glad to call on her so soon. Stella's tentative voice rang out, "That's the constellation Tarus, the bull."

"Good. The bull constellation is known for strength, tenacity, and power. He is calm on his own, but do not bother him, because he would charge anypony. All these constellations are able to be seen by ponies if they look in the night sky, but also encountered in Equestria. I'm sure some of our classmates could tell you stories about that..." Snips and Snails shuffled their hooves uncomfortably. Stella's eyes lit up at the thought of seeing the Constellations on land, and not just from far away.

After class, Stella made towards Snips and Snails. They seemed in conversation, and she stood by awkwardly. She twiddled her hooves nervously for a while until they saw her. She started to ask about Ursa Major. They told the story about Trixie, and the caves. She had them elaborate on little details like what Ursa looked like up close. Turns out they lured the little one, Ursa Minor, and in the end it was returned to her mother bear.

"Where are the caves?" Stella finally asked.

"They are in the Everfree Forest, and there is a map to show you where to go." Snips added as an afterthought, "It's in Twilight's castle, so you could talk to her."

Stella had already learned that Twilight was the Princess in Ponyville from Chim's parents. They said it would be nice for Stella to meet the Princess, so Stella told the Crusaders. The Crusaders lead Chim and Stella to the Castle, but not before telling Chimera's parents they were off to find their cutie marks. Twilight wasn't hard to find, Sweetie Belle just took the group to Rarity. The two friends were having a spa day, and Rarity filled with joy to see Sweetie Belle following her cutie mark. The big group of fillies waited in the foyer of the spa. Aloe and Lotus Blossom weren't too busy, so they entertained the fillies with some mints. The Crusaders didn't miss a chance to see if either of their proteges were spa ponies. Lotus and Aloe took them to see the works. Stella put a beauty mask on Rarity and Chimera bounced repeatedly on Twilight's back. Twilight was lucky that Chim was light, and was used to caffeinated ponies' antics because of Pinkie Pie. No cutie marks appeared, so the crowd of ponies made their way to Twilight's castle.

"You said you wanted to see my map? It's more for, ynow, friendship quests." Twilight looked at Stella, "Do you know what a friendship quest is?" At Stella's shake of the head, Twilight elaborated. "Friendship is my element... Oh well, I'll tell you about the elements of harmony real quick. They keep all ponies in Equestria happy, and for those who fully embody the elements, they are able to be used for good. Me and my five friends, Rarity being one of them, show these elements. We make ponies happy and keep the peace, or harmony, among ponies and other beings alike. So this all-important friendship quest is us doing just that with help from the map. The map guides us and shows us where there is disharmony. Certain elements will be summoned to areas, so they can help out the ponies there. Everypony learns a lesson, and harmony is kept up."

"So what about cutie marks?" Stella asks.

"Cutie marks are what a pony is good at. I have a magic cutie mark, because I hatched Spike with magic alone. Rarity has dazzling gems because she can find gems for her dressmaking. And this goes for all ponies with a symbol on their flanks. I'm not sure how the map plays into this, but we would be happy to check it out. It's nice to see that the Crusaders are helping you two out. Also it's nice for me to see new ponies; I'm usually to busy to keep up." Something dawned on Twilight, "I know a certain somepony who would never be too busy for a new pony."

Seemingly on command, Pinkie Pie burst from nowhere. "SURPRISE!!!" Stella looked completely mortified and confused. Chim started jumping around, "Oh, a surprise party for you Stella! I LOVE SURPRISES!!" Confetti rained down and crowd of ponies seemed to materialize from the bushes and fill the streets. Stella rubbed her hooves on the sides of her temples as a strange mix of orchestra music and indescribable sounds filled the air. The culprit was a precariously balanced set of metal boxes. The inset round dishes vibrated and Stella could feel them in her skull and chest. After the pink crazy pony got distracted and left her sight, Stella retreated and Twilight lead her to the castle. The crusaders had to stay and convince Chimera not to go bouncing off. They met up with Twilight at the door of the castle.

Author's Note

First picture created along with tamalesyatole's Ponyville Schoolhouse Background and General Zoi's Pony Creator
Second picture created along with SapphireSkies24's Twilight's Castle Background Vector and, of course, General Zoi's Pony Creator

Chapter 3

Once in Twilight's castle, safe from the raucous ponyville parties, they entered the room that contained the map.

Everypony took a seat, and Spike came in from another room and took his own. When Twilight took her seat, the map sparkled on. "I will always be astounding at what this thing does. This is magic even I don't know how it works, and Starlight Glimmer can't explain it to me that well either." Twilight sighed and took a look at the three-dimensional map that spanned the whole table. "So the caverns are located here, but I do want to warn you they are dangerous. I was only able to tame an Ursa Minor, and return it to her mother. Nopony has ever defeated one; we are lucky to be here to tell the story as is."

Spike interjected, "That's because you're awesome Twilight!" She blushed in modesty. Stella looked like she wanted to say something. Twilight continued talking about her experiences with the Ursa, and Stella listened attentively.

"Do you think somepony could tame a constellation?" She finally got a word in. Twilight looked like she was about to refute that, but she paused. She thought about her friend Fluttershy taming the biggest beasts of Ponyville... No, all of Equestria. Something about this tentative and meager pony reminded Twilight about her friend. She smiled and told the young filly, "It sure isn't unheard of... I have a friend that can tame the most scary beasts and make them into timid and loving animals. That's her gift, and I'm sure there isn't any reason for it not to be your gift too."

Stella positively beamed at the idea. For a good part of what she can remember, she lived just to stare at the stars. She would look in awe at the massive expanse, and learn every little detail about it. When the sun came, she would continue to look up at the clouds, and wish to be able to peer into the massive dome that was her inspiration.

"Alright! That's where we will start." Scootaloo exclaimed. The crusaders seemed set on this being their first adventure. Twilight was about to argue that it would be extremely unsafe, but then she remembered the look on Stella's face when she was listening about these creatures. Perhaps... She thought to herself.

"I will come with you. I will keep you safe because I have dealt with these constellations before." The group all looked at Twilight, even Spike.

"Um, Princess Twilight?" Spike started.

"Call me Twilight, Spike."

"Aren't you busy with your duties?" He brought out the many checklists that Twilight made for herself. He scanned a few, and saw things that were due tomorrow. He lifted up the checklist and simply pointed to the unchecked box that was urgent. Twilight muttered to herself. Things when silent for a while while Twilight thought. Then, coming to a conclusion, she told them her plan.

"Yay!" Sweetie Belle celebrated after Twilight told the girls how she would join them on their trip. The ponies got to packing, considering this is the dangerous Everfree Forest, they had to be prepared. Chimera rounded up some candy to keep up the ponies' morale. Stella got together some saddlebags with help from Twilight. The crusaders all found useful stuff to put in the bags. Or at least what they thought might come in handy. Twilight made inventory of what they had and even though she questioned some of the more interesting items, they never knew what may come in use. With saddlebags loaded and at the door, they settled into the castle for the night. Each pony brought something to make the empty rooms more friendly. Stella had her doll and her friend Chimera. She couldn't ask for more. Late at night, Twilight was moving about the castle when she saw a pony in the observatory room. She slowly approached the figure, not wanting to startle. It looked like Stella, and her eyes were closed. Twilight looked up and she saw what had brought Stella into this room. The room had a glass dome, and that allowed the stars to be clearly visible. The milky way was stunning, and the Princess stayed transfixed for a bit. Coming to her senses, she brought out a blanket and laid it across the filly's curled up body. She would have had her doubts about this adventure, but something keeps telling her that this small mare will be able to connect with the stellar beings. Whether that be the mare's Fluttershy-like tendencies or her obvious admiration of the stars, Twilight has her confidence that this mare is meant to have a big impact on Equestria. Twilight is sure that this adventure isn't just about getting some blank flank's cutie mark. No, this adventure was about building bridges between the species of Equestria. If this frail mare could tame, and talk to these massive beings, that would be yet another species that will help out the ponies. This could be an ambassador for the ponies, representing how good harmony is.

"Hi." Stella caught the Princess staring at the stars. Twilight was jerked out of her thoughts. She met eyes with the pony, and studied the two different colored eyes.

"You're going to do great things, I feel." The Princess walked over and laid down with the silver mare, her coat glistening in the direct moonlight. Twilight didn't even notice this room before, it was always just something she passed without second thought. She never looked up, but this little mare taught her that there is more up there. The Princess of friendship learns a new thing every day. She leaned her head back. Thinking to herself again, Twilight was amused that she knew all the constellations just from books. She used to have a telescope, but it was as rarely used as her other trinkets. If it didn't pertain to studying, she didn't study it. For a while she looked into the endless space with a telescope, but patterns became obvious to Twilight, and its usefulness faded. She stopped studying it after she became familiar with the rotations. She can navigate by stars now, but she wants to know what this mare learns from the night sky.

"What is it that you see, out there?" Twilight whispered, and flicked her eyes toward her.

Stella was watching her the short while that Twilight was thinking. "I see my friends."

Twilight looked in bemusement, "They are... Nice?"

"Very..." Stella turned her head upwards again, "They've kept me company longer than I can remember."

A short while passed. Twilight had stars on her flank, but didn't consider the sky as something just to watch. No studying, time crawls by, the slight breeze drifts over her coat. She felt like her mind had just widened by taking a break and looking at the sky. Twilight thinks so much, but this wonder of a sky let her think without all the stress of the day, or impatience at herself. Her thoughts began to flow so smooth that it calmed her breathing down to almost nothing. She didn't feel her eyes shut, but rather continued to see the night sky revolve around her in her dreams. The slow, entrancing revolution of stars extended all the way around her. She was floating in the blackness, weightless. Her own body was slowly revolving the opposite way of the stars. They began to swirl around her, faster and closer. The stars gained a firefly quality, and followed eachother in long, beautiful trails. She stuck her hoof out and the trails parted and created endless off-shoots from her disruption. She couldn't believe how many stars she could see, and stayed there suspended in the dark. The stars got closer to her body, almost tickling her short furs. They spiraled downwards, and suddenly all flew into her cutie mark. A shining light emanated from her flank, and then all fell to black. She was jerked awake.

"GUAH!" Twilight woke up with a start, and the body next to her twitched awake too. It was morning, and the sun streamed in, almost touching the two laying prone in the observatory room. Stella turned to look at her, and Twilight's eyes cleared from sleep to see the two shiny globes. The lightning in one and the deep serenity in another. They blinked in unison and Stella made a small sound.

"Sorry." Twilight whispered, "I had a dream."

"Was it a nightmare?" Stella used the new word she learned from Cheerilee.

Twilight considered it for a second, "No, it was so beautiful, I didn't want it to end." She went on to explain in detail her dream. Twilight's massive vocabulary and elocution captured the dream perfectly, and Stella nodded. "I know what happened. It happened to me too."

Twilight looked inquisitively, so Stella kept going. "You met one of my friends. He is called the Milky Way." Twilight was stunned. She couldn't speak for a few seconds. When she tried to speak again, she stuttered herself out.

"The Milky Way is a lot to take in, but you let him in your dream when you fell asleep under here, watching him. He's this great big expanse that is very playful. He loves dancing around and dazzling all who see him." Stella was explaining with the biggest smile Twilight has seen. Well, that was an exaggeration. Pinkie Pie wins that title.

Twilight thought for a moment, "Have you met all of them? The constellations?"

Stella turned her body to face Twilight, "Yes. I met each one once. They told me all their names... I talked to Leo for the longest. He can be a little full of himself, but deep down he is really kind."

Author's Note

First picture just cropped from Magister39's Twilight's Castle - Council Chamber
Second picture created along with LimeDreaming's Castle of Friendship (Part 1) and, y'now, General Zoi's Pony Creator

Chapter 4

While the herd was off preparing for an adventure to find their cutie marks, Buford and Stacey had to go on their own adventure to find Stella's parents. Buford had brought up their newest family member in so many conversations, ponies started to believe that Stella was his actual daughter. Nopony had a clue about the whereabouts of these mysterious parents. The mane salon got a lot of ponies coming through, but still not enough to know about lost fillies in villages down the way. Stacey talked to her boss, and had an interesting conversation to say the least. Her boss did not know of any fillies being lost, and never heard of this blue and purple eyed silver filly. But what she did know was that in the area they have picnics was not a perfectly normal place either. Its significance was more surreal than they previously thought. Instead of being a peaceful calm place, this area was actually a concentration where more mythical beings were found. Apparently, it's completely safe at day. But at night is when the monsters seem to materialize and start roaming that part of the forest. All of this information that Stacey got just confused her more about how this filly could survive a night in a place like that. Of course these were just rumors, but its location near the Everfree Forest was convincing enough.

"Any luck?" Stacey asked her husband after their shifts. Her husband simply shook his head and relayed what small bits of information he picked up. Nothing helpful, so Stacey told him about her strange conversation. A worried brow settled across Buford's eyes.

"Our only real choice at this point is to keep her safe in the time being." Buford pondered on their situation, "Its really not all that bad. Our daughter and Stella already get along so well, they're already going on adventures to find their cutie marks. We can have a big and happy family, and nopony would question us."

Stacey couldn't argue with that. And she agreed that it would be nice to have Stella in their family, for as long as her parents are a mystery.

"And then I said, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" Everypony laughed at Chim's joke. Stella was a bit more reserved, but smiled nonetheless. She looked at her friend's bubblegum hair and wondered how it was so springy if she never brushed it. Maybe it tasted like bubblegum too. She will test that theory later. But for now, it was almost time to set off for their big adventure. Twilight went though the checklist - again, of course. Seeing that nothing was missing, the ponies started walking down the path to the Everfree Forest. It loomed closer and closer until Stella couldn't look at the clouds. Trees passed overhead, and the foliage got thicker and thicker.

"How do you know if we are going the right way?" Scootaloo asked out-loud into the air.

Twilight heard and said, "We are following this compass and this paper map." The map lifted up from a random burst of wind and blew away. Twilight caught it with her magic again. She made irritated sounds and snapped some twigs out of her way with that purple sparkly mist she uses. Stella stared at the magic and saw tiny universes in it. Twilight caught her staring, and learned another thing about the mare yet again. Full of surprises, Twilight thought to herself. She notices much more, because everypony is already used to the things they see all the time. Her fascination was not lost on the Princess, and Twilight felt a little of that fascination herself. Twilight stumbled over a haphazard rock because she was staring at her own magic. She blushed a little but most of the group was intrigued by the surroundings, keeping an eye out. Stella's eyes looked at Twilight, and like always, they seemed to be full of questions. Twilight saw the innocence apparent in her look and smiled back at Stella. Twilight's smile had a motherly effect on Stella, and her trepidation about the adventure eased off her back for a while.

"Are we there yet?" Chimera lost the initial silence from new surroundings, and the high energy started coming back. Her step started gaining on a bounce, and she came to the front of the group next to Twilight.

Twilight spoke patiently to the jumping foal, "We have quiet a bit to go." She gestured to the map, "We are... Here. And we need to go... Here."

"Oh!" Chimera exclaimed, "We are only a couple of inches away!" Twilight corrected her by saying how the inches are actually representing miles. Chim didn't seem affected by it, considering how long she has to walk to get to school everyday. A little firefly caught some of the ponies' attention. Then it disappeared, and reappeared somewhere else. Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Chimera followed the sparkly lights. Twilight noticed a little too late, and saw the bubblegum mane disappear with the others. She smartly stayed on the trail and called for them to come back. The sparkles led them into a clearing, and Chimera then knew what it was.

"These are will-o-the-wisp." She stated.

"What does that mean?" Scootaloo asked.

"Will-o-the-wisp are beings that like to play tag with ponies, but you can never catch them." Chimera's explanation was simple and made her point. They turned around and headed out of the clearing. Once reunited with the group, Twilight assuredly scolded them good. Firm, but loving still. She thanked Chimera for having some sense about her and told the rest of the ponies to keep a watch out for any other ethereal beings.

"But don't go off chasing them." She said. Everypony kept an eye out because they never knew what could approach them. The Everfree Forest was full of those ethereal beings, so it wasn't long until they had a sprite of some sort pulling ponies' tails. More gathered, and all the ponies were trying to evade them or shake them off as if they were flies. Chimera had an idea, and took out some items from the bag. She gave one of them a toothbrush, and their unintelligible voice tinkled as a thanks. As that one left, Twilight noticed.

"Why did you give that sprite a toothbrush?" Twilight questioningly at Chimera all the while trying to get rid of her own annoyances.

"She looked like she was having a bad hair day." Chimera replied. Chimera began taking out odd trinkets that they packed and gave them to the sprites. After each one seemed satisfied and gave their thanks, they swiftly departed.

"You can see them?" Twilight asked.

"You can't? They just wanted our help, and were trying to get our attention for the longest time. I was waiting to see what you wanted us to do, since you scolded me on the last encounter." Chimera looked befuddled that Twilight couldn't see the beings. Twilight looked sorry for being too harsh, even though she was just looking out for their safety. Nopony else seemed to be able to see the beings either. The ponies continued, and they were lucky none of their encounters so far were life-threatening. The Everfree Forest could be a dangerous place. The ponies passed scary looking trees, purple trees, pitch black trees, it all became a blur. All the ponies knew was that they were getting closer from the map Twilight held in her magic. Stella looked up, but the foliage blocked her view. She saw snippets, and it looked like morning was just passed. They headed off early so they had enough time to get to the caves and back. They came onto this thick hedge, and only had one entrance. The path lead to it, and they knew there was no way around. Coming up to the passageway, there seemed to be a door.

"What do we have here?" A voice reverberated from almost everywhere. "You are lucky! I just woke up from my mid-morning nap." The ponies looked at each other in shock, but Chimera thought to herself, who takes a mid-morning nap? A body dropped off of the top of the hedge and landed on all fours. They peered into the face of a Sphinx. This large cat, lion to be precise, had a strange face.

"May we pass? We are just coming through." Twilight spoke for the group.

"Just coming through? Kakaka..." The cat had a strange hacking laugh. "What makes you think that you, ponies" She practically spat the word out, "can pass through here just like that?"

Surprisingly, Chimera spoke up first, "We will answer your riddle, and if we get it right, you will let us pass." Twilight thought, what riddle? But her question was soon answered.

"Oh, very good. I like this one." The cat purred, "But you do know, if you get it wrong... You all will die." She flexed her claws out of her paws for emphasis. She grinned a toothy smile at the ponies. Chimera was well aware of the stakes that this riddle was riding on.

"With a coat of the hardest metal,

And the fight of a thousand strong,

I hold hostage what you hold at home.

Who am I?"

All the ponies looked to Twilight, because she was the smartest. She studied a lot of things, but she was coming up with blanks. She twiddled her hooves in the dirt, saying the lines over and over to herself. She would linger over one, but still no ideas were formed. Her breath started getting faster. She had to look confident for these ponies. She couldn't believe that she didn't know this. What was it from? The lioness started to look impatient. She was being very professional about the riddle and allowing them their sweet last moments of life, completely stumped by her riddle. Her grin widened, and her internal fuse was burning very close to the quick. Right as she was going to gloat and got ready to pounce, a voice stopped her.

"The Nemean lion." Chimera's voice rang out with strength and confidence. The Sphinx's eyes widened in surprise, as she had got the answer right. The cat's face became very sour; she respected her rules and slinked off. The ponies could hear her mutter to herself about her missed opportunity to get an early lunch. After the ponies sat stunned for awhile that they lived, they cheered and group hugged Chimera.

"You did it!! That was so good!" As they hugged Chim, a bright light emanated. After her flank stopped glowing, the group of ponies stared at Chimera's new cutie mark.

"YAY!" She yelled without thinking. Then she glanced up at the Sphinx's lair.

"We better get a move on..." The ponies hustled through the entrance and onto their quest.

Author's Note

First photo created along with 90sigma's Background: Everfree Forest Clearing and that lovely General Zoi's Pony Creator
Second photo created along with RainbowRage12's Everfree Forest Path and General Zoi's Pony Creator and a wonderful cutie mark from TheSharp0ne's Scroll - Vector

Chapter 5

The ponies, now out of danger, inspected the new cutie mark. Congratulations were passed, and Twilight had an inkling on what Chimera achieved.

"This cutie mark has writing in a language I don't know. But I do know that because you answered the Sphinx's question correctly, you have a knowledge about animals. The scroll is representing a bestiary of sorts, recognizing your ability. Not only you correctly identified Will-O'the-Wisp, but also the Spinx and the Nemean Lion riddle." Twilight could barely supress her excitement, "Ponyville doesn't have a comprehensive bestiary of the Everfree Forest yet. And I've read all of the books in Ponyville. I'm sure all of Equestria could use the knowledge you will find out about these animals." Twilight's excitement on Chimera's destiny didn't compare to Chim's own excitement. She was excited to learn all the Everfree Forest had to offer. And perhaps beyond, to the large expanse of Equestria. She always loved traveling, and seeing sights.

"We have to take the left fork right about... Now. Ok last stretch. We will be able to see the caves soon." The sun almost hit high noon by the time they came up to the caves. The massive yawning caverns loomed oppressively over the huddled ponies. A bone-chilling breeze came out of the cavern, and then stopped. They were stepping forth into the maw of the cavern, and the breeze came again. They froze in their tracks, but as soon as it started, it stopped. Twilight had to turn up her unicorn light only a few paces into the cavern. Sweetie Belle turned hers on as well, and the breeze passed again. Awhile into the damp and large cave, the ponies started recognizing the breeze was consistent.

"It's breath." Stella put the puzzle pieces together. Twilight looked incredulous, and then it dawned on her. They were approaching Ursa Major, of course the massive beast would expel a tremendous amount of air when breathing. The smaller fillies started shaking, not from the cold, but from the idea of how big the creature was that they were about to approach. Slowly, in the distance, the purple haze began to grow to a small hill as they approached it. The purple haze - fur - of Ursa Major fell and the breeze washed over the ponies. They huddled even closer, and Twilight thought, is this going to work? But she recalled her dream last night still so vivid, and put all her confidence in Stella. When they finally could take in the massive looming figure, the group stopped walking. Stella did not stop walking, but slowly kept inching forward. The distance widened between the group and Stella. Twilight couldn't imagine the fear of the ponies cuddled up next to her, but saw the confidence on Stella's face as she approached the bear. Stella came right up against the creatures side, and so close she could count the stars in the creatures glistening fur. She put a tentative hoof up, and the group quietly drew a breath all at once. She laid the hoof on the creature, and it stirred. Its massive body turned over slowly, and after a while its huge face filled up all of Stella's view. Stella smiled when she saw the countenance she recognized.

"Hello, dearest Ursa." Stella smiled at the huge, stellar beast. The beast stared at the small pony that had pet its fur whilst it slept. Slowly, and to the surprise of all the ponies witnessing it, the mouth of the beast turned up in a smile.

"Hello." The huge voice boomed in the cavern. The herd of ponies all sat down, stunned. A massive paw moved from its side and was lifted to Stella. The creature pet the small filly very gently.

"I was wondering when you would come and visit me." Stella beamed at this statement.

"I wanted to find you outside my dreams, and these ponies helped me." Stella's gentle voice barely made it to the Major. The big beast turned to the group, and acknowledged them. Stella went on to talk to Ursa about the friends she made, and how helpful and welcoming the ponies were to her. She talked about harmony, and everything she learned since she was took in by the ponies of Ponyville. As she talked, all of the ponies attention were on Stella's flank. There glowed the new cutie mark.

"Stella, your mark!" Twilight found her voice to speak. Stella looked at her flank.

"Oh my." She hugged the giant creature that watched her with bemusement.

"I'm so glad you found these great friends. I have to say, I never expected much from ponies until I met you, Stella." The Ursa welcomed the other ponies with huge arms outstretched. The Princess made the first move towards the creature and the gang followed right behind. An astonishing group hug later, the ponies made their introductions, and the Princess told everypony about what she thinks Stella is capable of. She told about how Stella could build a bridge between the species, and how harmony would bring everypony - and every species - together. Stella would be the emissary for the pony-kind.

The Ursa listened and nodded in approval, "There are many constellations here in Equestria. I know where Leo the lion is, and he could guide you to the rest. Be careful on your journey, if you choose to follow this. You will be able to call upon the constellations to help you, but our interference in business of Equestria is limited. Keep your pony-friends close, they will help you where the stars cannot." The Ursa picked up something behind her. She brought out a cute blue fuzzy ball. Stella recognized Ursa Minor just as she turned into stars and flew into Stella's left eye. Stella looked taken aback, and her blue iris sparkled slightly.

"There my child will wait. If you ever need assistance, all you need to do is wake her. When summoned, she will embody her corporeal form. She cannot stay active for long, lest she fall asleep. She will return to you when her job is done." Stella couldn't seem to find the words of her gratitude.

"You have always watched over me, I cannot thank you enough." The being chuckled at this, and assured her that there was no need to say thanks.

"There isn't a being in Equestria quite like you, Stella." Stella blushed at this compliment. Isn't that right, the Princess thought to herself. The crowd said their goodbye's to Ursa Major and departed out the cave mouth. It was warmer and each pony squinted at the sudden change in light. It was noon, and they found a clearing to have lunch. The spot was nice and sunny, a good change from the dark caves. The crusaders looked so proud of themselves that they were able to help the ponies get their cutie marks. Besides, it's what they're here for. Twilight and Sweetie Belle unpacked the lunch and laid out a blanket with magic. The ponies all settled in, warming up.

Author's Note

First picture created along with TheSharp0ne's Scroll - Vector and Celestia Medium Redux
Second picture created along with Proenix's Cave Background Vector and, who would-of guessed, General Zoi's Pony Creator