“How are we ever going to find our way to the stone when we can’t see a thing?” Lunarstar complained, after she had tripped over a branch – again. They had been following the sand path for a while now, and they had discovered nothing yet. In fact, it was hard to see anything at all. The trees covered any possible light from the stars, so it was pitch black in the forest.
“If we’re going to find it, I’m pretty sure it won’t be a matter of seeing, but of feeling… believing. Trusting our hearts.” Eila said to the mysterious pony, who didn’t reply. Eila believed what she had just said- that was the path they should follow. Ponies travelled through this forest every day, seeing or not wouldn’t make a difference. There had to be another way to cross through the barrier, if only she could find out how.

For a few moments they continued to follow the path, sometimes almost losing the path, sometimes falling over branches on the ground. Eila furiously wished she had some kind of light, even though it wouldn’t help them reach their goal, it would definitely make the journey a lot easier.
“So what kind of family are you from? You mentioned your family has to maintain this forest.” Lunarstar asked when it appeared their path was going straight forward for a while.

“Oh, I’m the daughter of a steward family. There are quite a few of those, scattered across the country. We are local rulers, because the queen can’t possibly govern the entire country completely herself. And one day I will follow my mother, and become the steward of this region myself, or steward of Ekiyu forest as it’s officially called. Of course it includes more land than this forest, but that’s the official name.”
“Sounds like ponies here have quite a political structure, eh? Not something I’ve been used to.”

“Well… the country is not only large, but truly influential. Our queens are strong in the Royal Powers, and our history is long and rich. There is nobody who can stand up against us and survive, which scares me, sometimes. I’m not sure I want to be involved in such power.”
“But you can use it for good.” Lunarstar observed.
“That’s true. Once I am steward, I will try to improve life for all ponies in my region, it’s just… I sometimes don’t know if I can. My parents never let me take care of myself, so how am I supposed to know how to take care of others?”
“I think you’re rather good in it.” Lunarstar pointed out.
“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re helping me out, right? Without any selfish thought of your own. I find that truly remarkable. Not many ponies would act like that, you know.” No, in fact she didn’t know. How could she not help this pony? It was like something… she could not not do.
“They say it’s in the Royal Family’s blood,” Eila told Lunarstar, “To protect and guide the ponies they govern. They say it is the essence of the royal powers. Guide and protect.”
“Do you hold any of those powers?” Lunarstar asked, while they followed the path, that was now bending itself through the forest.

“I guess… I do, a little. The steward families, each of them, are founded by a child of a queen. My family descends from a unicorn, Daiya was her name.”
“Unicorns live here?!” Lunarstar asked surprised, and Eila felt bad that she had to disappoint the pony.
“They did. Sometimes they appear in a royal bloodline, usually as one of the later born. But the last one existed quite a long time ago. The royal families fear now they will never exist again, because it had never been so long since the last one was born. But who knows, maybe they will rise again, once.”

Suddenly the road bended deeply, and Eila stopped walking.
“What is it?” Lunarstar asked her.
“I don’t know… it should be somewhere around here, the purple stone…” Eila’s voice disappeared into the darkness.
“Purple stone?” Lunarstar did not understand.
“Yes… a stone that was somewhere near the road. It just always was there ,and nobody questioned it, but now that I think of it… it was a rather weird stone. It was pure purple, and plants and trees couldn’t or didn’t grow on it. As children we used it as a place to meet each other, but now I think it has more significance than that.” “And it should be around here?” “Yes, if this is the place I think it is. It’s so hard to tell without the light of day.”

Eila tried to find out where exactly she was, but without much success. She wasn’t even sure if she was in the right place. Was the stone really here? She walked around a bit, but she didn’t recognise anything at all. She was glad she was on the road, or else she would have been horribly lost. “Why don’t we just walk on? I don’t think it was here after all.” She told Lunarstar, who sighed wearily in response.

“Maybe I’ll never get back home.” She said when they were walking again.
“Of course you will!” Eila said surprised. She wasn’t even sure of what she said herself, but she definitely did not want Lunarstar to give up hope.
“Even if we don’t find the stone, we’ll think of something else! And if we can’t find a way, I will be sure to ask the queen. She’ll help you, mark my words.”

The light that appeared in front of her almost blinded her. It was a purple light, and Eila recognised the shade. It was the stone she had been looking for only a few moments ago! When their eyes had adjusted, they hurried towards the stone. It was indeed shining, as if someone had put loads and loads of candles inside, and it suddenly was see-through.

“What happened?” Lunarstar asked when they had reached the stone.
“I don’t know! I said what I said and it illuminated!”
Lunarstar smiled mysteriously. “Then I guess you do have them.”
“I have what?”
“The royal powers you speak of. You told me their essence was guide and protect. You just said you would bring me home, no matter what. You found the essence of your royal powers, that sure do run in your blood. That’s why the stone responded, because you are true to your heart.”
“Thank you, Lunarstar.” Eila smiled at the white pony, who now looked all purple in the light of the stone.

“But now what do we do?” She asked, and she searched the surroundings.
“I think I see another light over there!” Lunarstar exclaimed, and she pointed to a place deeper into the forest, away from the sand path.
“You’re right!” Eila agreed when she also noticed the purple light in the distance. They hurried towards the light, which wasn’t easy through the overgrown forest. They stumbled over branches, fallen trees and rocks a few times, but they reached the stone in the end, which like the other one, was not overgrown with plants at all, in fact, there was hardly any green close to it.

“There’s nothing here, either.” Lunarstar said disappointed, but EIla had already noticed the next stone.
“It’s a path, or something! We should just follow the lights, and then we will find the true stone, I think!” She said exited.
“It does sound logical, doesn’t it? Let’s follow them, then, if we can, if the forest isn’t too overgrown with weeds and all.” Lunarstar agreed. Eila walked on through the plants, exited. So maybe the story was true, after all! Was she going to see the large stone, the heart of the forest she had to protect? And would it help her friend back home? Eila wasn’t 100 percent sure yet, but she truly, deeply hoped so.