The Third Alicorn

The Meeting

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The ponies looked at the encrypted message in confusion for a few seconds… then looked back at Twilight.

“What’s it mean?” AJ asked

“That’s just it AJ, I don’t know!”

At this Dash started to get annoyed “So you called us all here to show us a bunch of scribbles on a page that may or may not be a hidden message and may or may not be important?”

Twilight looked down “I was just hoping that one of you might be able to help me decode it…”

“It’s ok dear,” Rarity chimed in “Dash here just doesn’t appreciate things that have to do with the mind.”

Throughout this Fluttershy continued to look at the encoded message, finally speaking up “Umm… I could be wrong, but some of those words look a lot like the words we use normally.”

“Of course! Why didn’t I see that!” exclaimed twilight “Thank you Fluttershy. Now hopefully that’s the only thing…” Her voice died off as she started working on it.

“Uh Twi? You mind if ah borrow that ‘Old Mares Tales’ book for Apple bloom?”

“One sec” she said as she quickly scribbled the message onto another piece of paper “here you go,”

“Thanks, Apple Bloom will love this,”

Twilight sighed happily; now that her friends were gone she could get to the business at hand: decoding. She did love her friends, and they her, but she still liked her peace and quiet at times. It was about time for Celestia to lower the sun but that was ok, it’s easier to work at night when it’s more calm.

“Ok let’s see… primum… close to primary so ‘first’. Ominum… prefix ‘omni’ so all. First all… no, that doesn’t make sense… first of all? So ‘first of all… something something something.”

Apple Jack smiled as she trotted home with the book in her saddle bags. Apple Bloom would love this book! She and her friends were always interested in the myths of the “old mares tales”… claimed that they gave them inspiration. She sighed as she reached for the door handle. Even if the Cutie Mark Crusaders often… or rather ALWAYS caused chaos with their antics, they meant well.

“Hey Apple Bloom,” she called out “Ah’ve got a book for you!”

The sound of hooves came galloping down the stairs as Apple Bloom came bursting into the room “A new book? What’s it about?”

“It’s a whole book of old mares’ tales,”

“Ah can’t wait to start!” she said, grabbing the book in her mouth before turning around and dashing back up the stairs.

“Save it ‘till tomorrow AB, it’s getting’ late, besides your friends would be disappointed if ya started without them!” AJ called up the stairs before turning around to begin her last checks around the farm.

The next day was Saturday, the Cutie Mark Crusaders weekly planning day. Today, more than ever, Apple Bloom was excited to meet with her friends. The “Old Mares Tales” book would give them so many ideas for their Cutie Mark crusades. However, when she reached the tree house they were not there yet.

“Of all the days for them to be late…” she said to herself “it HAD to be today.”

“Hey AB! Sorry we’re late, Sweetie slept in,”

“I did not sleep in… I simply lost track of time while helping my sister.”

“Jus’ get up here girls! Ah’ve got something to show you.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle quickly climbed up into the tree house to see what AB had to show them. “What is it?”

“A book of old mares’ tales! Hopefully we can find some more cutie mark ideas in here.”

The fillies gathered around the book, eager to see what they could find. The book had all the common “myths”:

Nightmare moon, Discord, Slender pony…

“Ah! This one’s new, Creation” AB said as she scanned through the table of contents “let’s see… page 247… oops, too far. Wait… what’s this? Someone wrote in the book. Something about a third alicorn lost in the Everfree forest. You know what that means?”

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ALICORN HUNTERS!” they yelled together before dashing towards the forest. The wind of their passing turned the page of the book to the encrypted message.

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The three fillies stood at the edge of the Everfree forest, the darkness under the branches giving them pause. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… “Sweetie Belle said, slowly backing up.

“What? You’re still afraid of the Everfree? We’ve gone in there loads of times.” Sctootaloo scoffed.

“Yes… but each time we go in there something bad happens… “

“Well, we’re bound to get a lucky break sooner or later. Are you too afraid to get your cutie mark?”

“I am not! I was just… offering an alternative.” With this said, they started into the Everfree.

It was like a switch was thrown, as the light dimmed to something more befitting an overcast dusk, rather than the clear blue midday it was. The crusaders traveled on for hours, until the darkness of the Everfree started to darken further: night was approaching.

“Maybe we should come back tomorrow?” AB ventured.

“I thought we were already heading back.” Sweetie said surprised. There was a dead silence. The three crusaders slowly looked at each other before coming to a conclusion.

“We’re lost…” started AB.

“…in the Everfree…” continued Scootaloo.

“…at night” finished Sweetie.

In the blink of an eye all three fillies went from the brave adventurers they thought they were to three little fillies, shivering in fear of the dangers of the Everfree, both real and imagined.

“Well,” said an amused voice, “what have we here?”

At the sound of the voice the crusaders slowly turned around, coming to face the owner of the voice: an old, one might say ancient, blue and green earth pony stallion with a tree for a cutie mark.

“Three little fillies up past their bed times,” the stranger answered his own question “Are you not afraid that Nightmare moon will come and eat you up?”

Finally, Apple Bloom managed to find her voice “Nightmare moon is a myth, Princess Luna is actually a very nice pony.”

A look of surprise crossed the old stallions face before being quickly covered by a smile. “So she is indeed… still what are you three fillies doing out here in the Everfree, don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

This time Scootaloo replied, “We were looking for somepony! You see we are trying to get our cuite marks and we read this book that said that there was an Alicorn hidden somewhere in this forest and…” Scootaloo dwindled off as something occurred to her “You don’t happen to know where he is hiding do you?”

“I remember when I was like you… always rushing off into grand adventures. But that’s beside the point. Why are you out here at night? there are safer times to explore.”

“We’re lost sir,” Sweetie said “c-could you help us? We’re trying to get back to Ponyville”

“Well then, it’s a good thing that I stumbled across you! Don’t worry, I’ll get you home.”

“Umm… if you don’t mind me asking sir, who are you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in Ponyville.”

“My name is Terra. And you wouldn’t know me as I have lived in this forest for many years now… You’re the first ponies I’ve seen in all that time.”

In the empty tree house lay the book. Unseen and unaided, a new line scribbled its way across the page

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