Cherry kept on walking and hunched herself down onto the edge of a cliff and looked to the night sky as two shooting stars were passing Sweet Apple Acres as usual. "What's going to happen to this world tonight...?" she whispered to herself, refusing to believe that this was going to be a normal and relaxing visit to Ponyville.

For that question, I don't think anyone could answer her question. Cherry lowered her head and settled herself, she would not leave until she would get her answer.

---

"Lovely dinner, Fluttershy..." Discord smiled as he finished and was now full.

"Yeah, it was great, Mama." Boots added.

Fluttershy blushed at the praises she was given for her cooking. "Why, thank you all... I'm glad you enjoyed it so much."

"Um, by the way, Discord, do you know everything?" Patch asked.

"Mostly." Discord chuckled, a bit smugly, he couldn't help it, it was just how he was, good or evil.

"Um, then, do you know anything about Scootloo's parents or Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Big Mac's parents?" Patch asked.

"Hm..." Discord tried to think. "I heard that little Scootaloo mention her father was a Canterlot guard and her mother is a very busy mare at home..."

"Okay, that's something, now just gotta figure out their names," Patch replied. "And as for the Apple parents?"

"Hmm..." Discord tried to think about them. "I believe they live in Manehatten..."

"That's their Aunt and Uncle Orange..." Atticus informed him.

"Oh, right... Umm..." Discord seemed to be actually drawing a blank. "Shoot... Who were those folks?"

"It's all right," Patch replied. "I'm sure Granny Smith will know."

"Yes, she is an Apple herself after all..." Discord shrugged honestly. "I do know most things and others being centuries old and all."

"That's cool, so you're like your very own history book teller." Patch said.

"I suppose you could say that..." Discord smiled, he then looked down to Boots, who looked like she wanted to go up like many infants did, but she was school aged. "Oh, you want a ride?"

Boots smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh!"

"Okay, we'll go outside in a moment." Discord patted her on the head.

"Don't stay out too late," Fluttershy cautioned. "And stay away from Timberwolves."

"Why?" Patch asked.

"Don't you know how dangerous timberwolves can be?" Fluttershy asked him.

"Aren't they just like wolves in the human world?" Patch asked.

Mo looked to him, then back to Fluttershy. "You got a book on them?"

"Of course..." Fluttershy decided to get it.

"Great, then that can help give us info on them." Atticus said.

"How do you not know?" Mo whispered to Atticus, she thought he would know anything about Equestria.

"Well, I do know everything about them from the show, but I think there might be more about them." Atticus whispered to Mo.

Mo simply shrugged and she wiped her mouth from her dinner. While Fluttershy was gone, Discord took out a tiny black box and smiled to it, he was hiding it from the Pegasus.

"Looks like someone is wanting to ask a certain shy pegasus a big question." Atticus said, noticing the tiny black box.

"What makes you say that?" Discord pretended to not know what he was going on about.

Mo hid a giggle, she knew it too since Elizabeth had so many single friends she would often meet at socials or tea parties.

"Because if I'm right; inside that tiny black box is an engagement ring." Atticus said.

"How do you know it's not a donut?" Discord quizzed.

Mo and Atticus gave an unimpressed expression on their faces.

"You obviously like her..." Mo spoke up. "She likes you... You're going to have a family..."

"Yeah, so why deny it?" Patch asked.

"I'm just worried she might not feel the same way..." Discord said softly.

"What? No way!" Patch said. "She's totally in love with you."

"Really?" Discord never imagined that.

"Really." Atticus said.

"Hmm..." Discord looked a little eager now.

Fluttershy came back with the book and Discord hid the box from her. "Here we go..." she gently set the book down and gave it to Atticus to study about their land and the possible dangers, hopefully no Changelings though.

"Now, let's see if these things are only vicious creatures or more than that." Atticus said before opening the book with his magic.

"Why, I was for one..." Discord had an evil laugh.

Fluttershy sent him a glare, but not her stare, just a scolding firm look.

"Oh, sorry, dear..." Discord chuckled sheepishly.

Atticus began to read up on the timberwolves. Mo decided to keep him some company, plus she was a little curious about the dangers of Equestria herself.

---

It was getting late and Cherry still had not yet come back. Cherry woke up with a slight yawn, but she saw something glowing green in the distance. She got a little nervous and wandered to it and wondered what it could have been. She saw that it had backed up from her. Cherry looked curious and came closer to it. The green glow came closer, then ran off.

"Hey, get back here!" Cherry demanded and rushed off to chase it.

She began to continue chase it until she was in the Everfree Forest and began to hear growling.

"Wh-What's that?" Cherry sounded scared for the first time in a long time in her life.

"Don't worry... I won't hurt you..." a voice taunted. "Soon everypony will be against you and your friends..."

"Look, I don't know who or what you are, but I'm one of the carriers of the Elements of Harmony and if you don't stop, I'll use my wisdom against you!" Cherry threatened, then gasped to see her medallion was somehow taken from her.

"Leave the Everfree Forest and never return." The voice said.

"What if I don't?" Cherry sounded seriously annoyed. "Send a cockatrise after me?"

"Worse..." the voice taunted. "Much worse..."

"I've been through a lot in my life, I think I can handle any situation." Cherry shrugged it off.

"We will kill you." The voice threatened with a growl.

"Sounds good to me..." Cherry laughed sarcastically, she then just decided to go. "Some threat..." she mumbled, then decided to actually get going then.

"That mare is unlike most ponies..." the voice mumbled. "She must be hiding something about herself..."

"Papa, please don't hurt her; I stole what you wanted me to steal from her." A second voice said, sounding like a child.

"Hush, you!" the first voice snapped at him.

This caused for the second voice to whimper.

"Now, give me it." The first voice commanded.

The second voice did as he was ordered.

"Excellent... Now we just have a lot more to cover..." the first voice laughed wickedly.

---

Twilight was going through town, using her horn to carry the next Daring Do book, she had already finished it and decided to see Atticus if he or his friends would like to borrow it since Rainbow Dash could get her own Daring Do books from now on. Suddenly, she saw something shining in the Everfree Forest.

Twilight's eyes looked from Fluttershy's cottage, she gently set the book in her saddlebag and she noticed the glow. "What in Equestria is that...?" she wondered, unable to ignore it, then walked off to see what it was. "This should only take a minute." But then she heard growling and then saw glowing green eyes. Twilight was horrified and let out a startling scream.

---

"Do you guys have a place to stay?" Fluttershy asked Atticus, Mo, and Patch.

"Well, um, I-I don't think so." Patch answered, unknowingly.

"Hm..." Fluttershy hummed.

"Why don't you all stay here?" Discord suggested. "I can make plenty of room!"

"We wouldn't want to impose." Patch said.

Suddenly, they heard a certain scream.

"That sounded like Twilight." Atticus said before galloping outside.

"Oh, my goodness!" Fluttershy sounded nervous. "Discord, stay with Boots."

Discord nodded and held their adoptive daughter close.

"Is Aunt Twilight gonna be okay?" Boots sounded worried as the others left to find the alicorn.

"I hope so, dear." Discord said.

Atticus, Mo, Patch, and Fluttershy rushed to find their friend who seemed to need their help.

'Don't worry, Twilight, we're coming.' Atticus thought to himself.

---

Cherry was wandering back, little did she know that due to her element being stolen, she was slowly changing just as the others came to save Twilight.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" Atticus asked.

"S-S-Someone's out there..." Twilight shook a little, she looked different too. "T-They're threatening us!"

"Us?" Patch asked.

"You, me, the others..." Twilight explained. "They're stealing our Elements of Harmony!"

"That's not all they stole..." Fluttershy noticed something different about Twilight.

"What's that?" Twilight asked.

"Didn't you used to have a horn, wings, and cutie mark?" Mo asked.

This caused for Twilight look herself in a reflection and gasp.

"Who did this to you?" Fluttershy asked.

"I-I don't know, I didn't recognize them..." Twilight got very nervous. "They just sounded evil!"

"Well, let's get you home." Atticus said.

"You've had a long night." Fluttershy agreed.

"Yep." Patch nodded.

Atticus, Mo, and Patch took Twilight back to her home.

---

Spike was making hot chocolate while waiting for her to come back. He then heard the front door open.

Spike set his mug down and came over. "Twilight, back so soon?" he smiled, then saw they weren't happy and looked distressed. "What's wrong?"

"Long story, Spike..." Twilight frowned. "There's someone haunting Equestria."

"What!? Who?" Spike got concerned.

"I didn't see... But they took my element and my cutie mark and horn!" Twilight was over reacting, but she had a good reason to do so this time.

"I think I'm gonna stay here with Twilight." Atticus decided.

"Be careful..." Mo told her boyfriend in deep concern.

"I will." Atticus said before kissing his girlfriend.

Mo smiled to him, then went back with Fluttershy and Patch.

"We'll check in on you in the morning then, Twilight." Fluttershy told her.

Twilight smiled, but she looked very wore out.

"Here, you look like you could use this." Spike offered the hot chocolate to her.

Twilight smiled to him, then took a sip.

"Let's get you to bed." Atticus said.

"Thanks, Atticus..." Twilight looked weary toward him.

Atticus took Twilight to her bed, she looked like she really needed some rest.

"Of all the years I've been alive, I didn't dare imagine that things might get worse..." Twilight frowned. "Maybe there's something in my books for this."

"We'll worry about that in the morning, but right now, you need your rest." Atticus said, sounding like a brother worried for his sister.

"But that thing's out there!" Twilight was still paranoid slightly.

"Don't worry, Twilight." Atticus said before putting up a barrier to protect them from whatever was out there.

Twilight's eyes fluttered and she smiled her thanks to him. "Oh... Why must everything fall into my hooves?" she sighed as she tried to relax now.

"It's okay, Twilight," Atticus said. "We'll all figure this out together."

"I hope so..." Twilight sighed sleepily. "I don't want this to end up like when Discord took over harmony."

"Don't worry, it won't; I promise." Atticus assured her, putting her to bed.

"I... I just don't know... I... I..." Twilight yawned heavily and seemed to instantly fall asleep right there.

"Sleep well, Twilight." Atticus said before putting the blanket on her.

Twilight lightly snored and got herself comfortable.

Spike decided to maybe do a bit of cleaning for Twilight and found the book, turning to Atticus. "Oh, here... Twilight wanted to give this to you."

"A Daring Do book?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, she's already read it," Spike smiled. "She said you can borrow it."

"Wow... So that's why she was outside," Atticus said. "She was coming over to Fluttershy's to let me borrow this."

"Yeah, she thought you'd might like them," Spike smiled. "Rainbow Dash did after all."

"That's true." Atticus said.

---

Meanwhile, Patch wasn't getting any sleep; he was wanting to see these timberwolves for himself and hopefully wouldn't be attacked by what attacked Twilight.

Cherry seemed to be going through an endless pattern, almost like a loop. "It feels like I've been walking to Fluttershy's forever..." she mumbled. "I don't remember her cottage being so far away... And didn't I already pass Sweet Apple Acres and the SugarCube Corner?" she looked very confused. She then looked and saw that she finally got back to Fluttershy's place.

Cherry shook her head, holding it with a hoof. "I must be more tired than I thought..." she muttered as she walked to the cottage.

Patch decided that since he couldn't sleep, he could at least go and do some reading. Cherry came in then while Patch was looking for a book.

"Where were you?" Patch asked her.

"I... I'm not sure..." Cherry looked back at the door, then back at him. "I knew something funny was going on around here..."

"Like what?" Patch asked while looking for the book.

"Some evil force in the Everfree Forest..." Cherry explained the best she could remember. "I saw something glowing and green there... I went to see what it was... I didn't see anyone though, I only heard a disturbing voice."

"Yeah, yeah, that's interesting," Patch said, not paying attention to what she said while looking for the book. "Where is it?"

"Mm..." Cherry hummed at him, then just came insdie and flopped on the couch next to Boots and Discord. "I'm beat..."

"Hi Beat, I'm Discord." the draconequus joked, making Boots laugh.

"Not now..." Cherry was not in the mood for his jokes.

"Okay, okay." Discord said.

"Where is it?" Patch asked then noticed a piece of wood that looked like a claw on the floor. "Weird."

Cherry yawned and seemed to fall asleep on the couch.

Discord transported himself to next to the ex-puppy. "What is it, boy?"

"This looks like claw made completely out of wood," Patch said, not affected by Discord's appearance next to him. "It looks like the size of a pup or so I think."

Discord took it and hummed as he tried to study it. "That's very odd..." he had to admit.

"Hmm..." Patch said before a feeling came over him and he started to leave the cottage and galloped off.

"Now where are you going?" Discord asked him.

"Out to the Everfree Forest." Patch said before continuing to gallop off.

Discord sighed and shook his head.