“… I shall be waiting for you right here when school lets out, so don’t even think about going anywhere.” If anything, Rarity was even more upset this morning. She had insisted on walking Sweetie Belle to school and walking her home afterward. But Sweetie Belle was barely paying attention to her sister, she was so preoccupied thinking about everything she had learned last night.

Was the Helm of Shadows really buried deep in the Everfree Forest behind a wall of living trees? And then there was that stuff about the matching cutie marks and protecting the Livewood! Did that mean that she was going to have to go into the Livewood? Sweetie Belle had no desire to go near that place.

“I just can’t believe y’all.” Applejack’s voice pulled Sweetie Belle’s thoughts back to the present. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were trotting toward the Schoolhouse. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed, sharing their versions of the lecture Rarity was giving Sweetie Belle.

“… and I told Auntie Lofty and Aunt Holiday I’d walk you home. So no funny stuff,” Rainbow Dash finished as they reached the school. Apparently, all the Crusaders were under house arrest for the foreseeable future.

As soon as they were alone, Sweetie Belle turned to the others. “So… last night…”

“Princess Luna?” Apple Bloom asked. The others nodded.

“The Helm of Shadows?” Scootaloo shuddered. More nods.

“Did either of you say anything to anypony else?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shook their heads.

“I wanted to make sure we all really did have the same dream first.” Apple Bloom glanced around the room. “Have y’all seen Lilymoon?” Sweetie Belle looked around. It didn’t seem as if she had arrived yet. Apple Bloom spoke quietly. “Y’know, we’ve heard about the Livewood before.”

“We have?” Sweetie Belle asked. She couldn’t remember that.

Apple Bloom nodded. “Back when we first followed Lilymoon home. Her dad said something about tryin’ to break into the Livewood.”

“Oh yeah!” Scootaloo scrunched up her face as she tried to recall the details. “And remember how interested they were in our cutie marks?” Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped as she realized something.

“They have matching cutie marks, too!” She looked at the others, wide-eyed.

“You mean we have to protect the Livewood from Lilymoon and Ambermoon’s parents?” Scootaloo groaned. “Great…”

“But if they have matching cutie marks, why haven’t they already unlocked it?” Apple Bloom wondered.

Scootaloo’s wings fluttered nervously. “Does this mean Lilymoon and Ambermoon are bad guys now?” she asked. They all stared at one another.

Then Apple Bloom shook her head. “Whatever their parents are up to, I can’t believe Lilymoon and Ambermoon are in on it,” she said.

“Me neither.” Scootaloo sighed. “But should we tell them what Luna said? How do you let somepony know her family is messing with dark magic?” Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure if they should share the dream or not. Luna had told the Crusaders to protect the Livewood… but what if they just ended up making things worse?

Suddenly, Sweetie Belle saw the slightest movement in the shadows accompanied by the softest chime of a bell.

“The peryton,” Sweetie Belle whispered. The other two looked at her.

“What about it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“A peryton was there when Luna and Celestia buried the Helm of Shadows,” Sweetie Belle said, working it out. “It made the pillars to unlock the Livewood. And Lilymoon was studying perytons—that’s when she got her cutie mark. Our peryton showed up in Ponyville after Lilymoon’s family moved here. I think it’s the key to figuring all of this out!”

“That makes sense.” Scootaloo nodded. “But… how can we find it? We’re grounded for life!”

Sweetie Belle wished she could explain everything to her sister and let Rarity and her friends handle things. But with everything that had happened in the last couple of days, Sweetie Belle knew her sister wasn’t in any mood to listen. They had to do this themselves.

“We’re going to sneak off after school, find that peryton, and figure out what’s really going on!” she announced. Her friends stared at Sweetie Belle in shock.

“You sure?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Not even a little bit,” Sweetie Belle admitted, “but what other choice do we have?”