A/N: Yay! I got reviews! More fun. Sorry if Finder is a little OOC in this chapter, but we didn't exactly get to know him too well in the book. Oh, and I probably should have said this before; this is not a self-insertion fic. I received a question about that. So, though Diana is based loosely on my own personality, she is not me. Anyways, on with the story!

Disclaimer: If I did say I owned the books, would I get sued or something? Well, let's not find out…

Chapter Three: The Path to Autumngrove

I sighed and looked around yet again. Following the unicorn's disappearance, the crashing noises had stopped and it was now eerily silent. Not even any birds, though who's to say they even had birds here? With nothing better to do, I started walking, wincing as I irritated the deep scratch on my side. I soon found a path, which helped to improve my spirits a bit. So I continued on my way.

I walked.

And walked.

And walked some more.

Unconsciously, I began to quietly sing a familiar tune, although I could never remember where I had heard it before. I always conjured up a picture of my mother when it was running through my head, so I'm guessing she taught it to me. I didn't know the words though, which irked me to no end. I kept singing, until the sound of my own voice reminded me that there may be unfriendly creatures nearby, like whatever had called the unicorn away.

Speaking of the unicorn, where was he? You'd think that when something stabs you in the heart, then starts speaking telepathically to you, it would stick around.

Pondering the nature of something that would do that, I practically ran into the object of my thoughts. The sight of cloven hooves on the path I was walking stopped me in my tracks so suddenly that I nearly fell over a second time. I looked up, and again found myself gazing into another pair of eyes that regarded me with amusement. He laid his horn on my shoulder, and I once more heard his voice inside my head.

I am deeply sorry for leaving you. There was an incident that had to be dealt with immediately, but it has been taken care of. Welcome to Luster. My name is Finder…and yours?

His words didn't come across exactly as words, per say. They were more like thoughts and feelings, which took some time to sort out. I finally got the gist of what he was asking, and responded, "I'm Diana. Where am I? What's Luster? Do you know—"

Please, not aloud! He interrupted me quietly. It's much harder to understand if you speak. Simply form the thought and send it to me.

This message took a while to translate. I was beginning to get the hang of it, however. I tried forming the thought so he could understand. My name is Diana. Do you know where we are?

Luster, he said, as if that was all the answer I required.

But where? How did I get here? I asked again, more insistently this time.

I believe you came through one of the seven gates.

Seven gates? What? Suddenly, it clicked. Oh, that was the floating circle thingie? A gate?

Yes.

Well, he certainly wasn't the chatty type. Do you know how I can get home, then?

Unfortunately, no. That particular gate has been fluctuating, so we are not exactly sure where it will leave you if you tried to go back, and it has disappeared for now.

We? There's more of you?

He whickered, and his thoughts were flavored with amusement again. You have stumbled into the Land of the Unicorns, Diana.

IIIIIIII

Luster, a.k.a. the Land of the Unicorns. Now why hadn't I thought of that? I glanced reproachfully at the unicorn walking beside me, as if he should have the answer. Realizing how fruitless this was, I sighed and resumed my pace. After healing my wound, Finder had said that we must go to Autumngrove to speak with the unicorn queen, Arabella Skydancer. About my situation, no doubt, though Finder hadn't spoken a word to me as to what was going to happen when we arrived there. He really wasn't one for talking, as I was slowly realizing.

I yelped as my long hair got caught on a tree branch. Stupid, I thought. Now he's going to think you're a pampered little child who's never had to rough it before. To my surprise, Finder made no comment after helping me untangle my hair from the grasping branch. Laying my hand on his shoulder, I asked, How much farther is it now?

Still several miles. We should reach Autumngrove by tomorrow afternoon; you're lucky to have landed so close, he answered me.

To Autumngrove? Or to you?

There was a long pause before he answered again. Both, I suppose.

I was taken aback by his serious tone. Surely he knew I had been joking…Exactly what had been in the forest that he had run off to "deal with"? Unfortunately, my hand still rested on his shoulder, and I had mistakenly directed that thought to him.

Delvers. Again, as if that explained everything. He seemed to have a habit of doing that.

And what exactly are delvers?

Oh, small creatures, about three feet tall, with large heads and even larger eyes. They are thin, but strong, with little hair and a turned-up nose.

Sound like delightful creatures.

We have been at war with them for many long years now.

What started it? I asked in surprise. Unicorns war with other creatures?

In answer to the second, yes. Unfortunately, my brethren have yet to realize how pointless it is. And to the first, no one remembers. I suppose Grimwold has it recorded, but no one cares anymore.

Grimwold?

The keeper of the Unicorn Chronicles. He records all that happens in Luster for the Queen.

All?

Yes. He is kept quite busy.

I can imagine!

Finder wheeled sharply to face me. My hand lost contact with him, so he laid his horn upon my shoulder, and asked, Can you? Few humans have imaginations nowadays… He then shook his mane as if trying to get rid of an unpleasant thought, and turned to begin walking again. I followed him, thinking. First unicorns and Monquirells, now delvers, Grimwold, and people without imaginations. The future looked exciting—certainly better than our drama production, or anything else that I had at home. Drawing a deep breath, I darted past Finder on the path, and, reaching my hand out for a fleeting moment, thought to him, Come on! We want to reach Autumngrove by tomorrow, don't we?

He looked at me in surprise, then whickered and cantered up to meet me. Indeed we do, Diana. Indeed we do…