The light sound of crickets chirping, and the loud crunching of leaves were the only things that Goku her friends, and Zephyr could hear as they trekked through the Everfree forest. The only thing that they could see was thick foliage, and large trees that practically crowded all around the girls as they walked in almost complete and total darkness. The Moon was the only light to guide them through the forest, yet even that was somewhat obscured by the trees from above.

They could hear the sounds of chirps, hoots, screeches, howls, and even roars of the animals all around them. This put most of them slightly on edge, and filling their minds with the thought that they may run into one of them and get attacked at any moment. Each and every one of them could feel the humid, misty, and almost foul air rolling off of their fur. It seeped it’s way to their nostrils, causing a couple of them to scrunch up their noses at the slight in the sensitive nerves in their noses.

Out of all these sights and sounds however, there was one thing about the Everfree that really unnerved them. So much so that even Goku was unable to keep from her fur from standing on end and her guard to be raised. Raw, untamed, and absolutely wild levels of magic could be felt emitting all around the Everfree, coming up in amounts that were so large and so powerful that it outclassed Celestia’s. It was probably even more powerful than both of them combined, so much so to the point where one would say that it felt…chaotic. If it were another group of that was sent to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, the magic emitting from this forest would make them feel like they were being suffocated. The girls were feeling something very similar to that right now, and probably wouldn’t have been able to take it had it not been for their own large amounts of magic. Though, something told them that the magic inside of them wouldn’t stay contained for very long, and when it was released, it would be let out it with a nice loud bang.

“So uh…girls?” Zephyr asked tentatively after a long stretch of silence, deciding that he should try and break the tension. Much to his relief, it seemed to do the trick, for the girls seemed to relax somewhat, with a couple of them even turning to him curiously. “I know that this may seem like a stupid question, but…have any if you been inside the Everfree Forest before?”

“Eenope, not a day in mah life sugarcube.” Applejack replied bluntly, giving a firm shake of her head as she trudged her way through the bushes. “This place gives off a really, really bad vibe that Ah jus’ can’t but mah hoof on fer some reason. Ah’m amazed that Granny Smith an’ th’ others even let me go in her with y’all, even though she seemed pretty against it, despite th’ Queen orderin’ us to.”

“I have actually.” Fluttershy murmured softly. “It wasn’t for anything major really. The only times I ever went into the Everfree was when one of my animal friends got lose and wondered off too far from my cottage, leaving me to follow their tracks and get them back out before they got eaten or lost.” She explained, looking up at the trees surrounding them, seeming to be lost in thought at the moment. “During those time, I did encounter some of the animals in here, and while things didn’t escalate to violently…let’s just say we both parted ways with more than a few scratches and bit marks.”

‘Is that the only reason?’ Goku thought, looking over at his fellow flyer with a jet-black eyebrow raised.

“Whoa, wait a second.” Zephyr said, looking back at Fluttershy. “You mean to say that you actually wentinsidethe Everfree Forest?”

“She sure has Zephyr! I never would’ve expected Fluttershy of all ponies would be brave enough to go in a place like this! That’s just not something that I see her usually doing!” Pinkie Pie replied, before gaining a thoughtful look on her face. “Then again, her cottage is just on the edge of the Everfree Forest, so I really shouldn’t be all that surprised! I haven’t been inside it though, but I always did wonder what it’d be like to be in a spooky forest such as this!”

“Well I for one, have never even set hoof in here!” Rarity replied hotly, cringing in disgust when she stepped into a pile of mud. “I mean, look at this place! This is not place that I would even consider living in for whatever reason! It’s too humid, too dark, and just too…too…icky! I could not stand to spend even a single day in a place like this, ugh!”

“For some reason, I believe you.” Zephyr murmured dryly. “I can tell just by looking at you that this is the last place you want to be in, and you’d rather be in a spa soaking in a nice steam room.”

“Precisely!” Rarity nodded. “Finally, somepony knows what I’m going through!”

“I’m pretty sure you all know what my answer is going to be.” Twilight said, using her magic to light their way through the forest. “I’ve lived in Canterlot for most of my life, and while I know about the Everfree, I’ve never set foot in it before, even during my visits here to see you all. I’ve only heard stories about it from my parents, brother and teachers. Like what kinds of creatures inhabit it and how it was created. So far, everything I was told about this place is pretty bad…especially about the type of magic it holds.”

“That’s an understatement of the century, Twi.” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes as she hovered above the group. “The things about the Everfree Forest aren’t just bad, they’re absolutely crazy! Everything about it is just completely unnatural, the way it looks, the animals, the amount of magic…even the weather itself! I’m all for going on awesome adventures and pulling off dangerous stunts, but seriously! Even I wouldn’t wanna do any of that here!”

“I’m not surprised none of you would want to be in a place like this.” Fluttershy said quietly, looking at each of her friends. “This place holds many dangers that ponies that aren’t of our caliber are not able to handle. It’s so unpredictable and unreal in so many ways, that some ponies just can’t even comprehend how a forest like this can even exist. Of course, everypony knows that it was created by Discord, though it’s not really known for sure whether or not he, or somepony else created the animals that lived in here. I know one thing…each and every single creature here is dangerous in their own right, and this forest alone is dangerous enough as it is, with the animals only adding to it.” Her wings ruffled as she brushed some foliage out of her face. “And I have the scars to prove that theory.”

“So you were actually attacked by the beasts here?” Zephyr asked, watching as Fluttershy nodded silently. The royal blue stallion looked the mare up and down, unable to see any markings on her buttermilk yellow fur. “I don’t really see any scars on you.”

“Oh, that’s because my furs grown over them over the years, and none of them have been severe enough to be permanent.” Fluttershy explained, smiling sheepishly. “Why? Do you wanna see them?”

Zephyr quickly shook his head, a small blush coming to her face. “Oh no no, that’s fine! I don’t really want to see the scars! I was just, um…wondering why you didn’t have any scars if you had any run ins with any Everfree animals.”

“Are you sure you’re weren’t just asking so you can get a look at Fluttershy’s curves and ass?” Rainbow Dash asked, grinning teasingly at Zephyr. “You don’t have to be ashamed, it’s alright to be interested in a mare, especially ones that’re as hot as Fluttershy, especially me.”

“Y-you know that was so not what I was talking about!” Zephyr replied, stuttering slightly as his cheeks turned even redder. “I-I was just wondering what kind of scars Fluttershy had when she said she had faced the animals in this forest before.”

“Uh-huh, sure you were Zephyr.” Rainbow said, clearly not buying Zephyr’s truthful statement. “That just sounds like an excuse to cover up you wanting to get a look under Fluttershy’s tail and see what kind of package she has.”

Zephyr froze, his ears pinning as he glanced up at the cyan mare. “It…it is not!”

“Alright, that’s enough Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said firmly, putting a hoof on the royal blue stallion’s shoulder. “Zephyr’s on mission to protects while we’re in the Everfree, and the last thing he needs is you teasing him and filling his thoughts with ones of wanting to rut us into the ground.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising a prismatic eyebrow at Twilight. “What’s wrong with stallions like him having thoughts about mares like us? I just said there’s nothing wrong with him thinking that, since we’re all pretty hot as hay.”

“I never said that Zephyr was never allowed to have such…fantasies about mares.” Twilight said, her own cheeks gaining a red tint. “I’m just saying that now isn’t really the time to be prying in that particular subject. We have a mission to do right now, and we can’t have anything distracting us from it.”

“Awww, come on Twilight, no need to be such a party pooper.” Pinkie Pie cooed. “Everypony needs to a good laugh every now and again to all of those icky feelings out of the way. All Dash is doing is trying to lighten the mood that’s all. What’s so wrong with that?”

Twilight glanced over at Pinkie Pie. “There’s nothing wrong with that Pinkie! I just…don’t want us to get too far off track on what’s really important right now. The more time we waste goofing off, the more time that Nightmare Moon has to come up with some sinister plan to succeed in her original plan in bringing Eternal Night to Equestria.”

“Oh Twilight, is that what’s bothering you darling? You don’t think that we’re taking this mission seriously enough?” Rarity asked, giving Twilight a soft look. “Listen, I know that you’re worried about what may happen if we don’t stop Nightmare Moon, we all are. Don’t get us wrong, we understand just how important this mission is, just like we understand how much we need to take it seriously. Be that as it may, we’re not trying to think about it too much, because it’ll only serve to make us even more worried and not really be able to focus. If that happens, the chances of us completing this mission will lessen.”

“Rarity’s right Twilight.” Goku nodded, putting a feathered bat wing around the other mare’s back. “As much as I get why you’re so intent on stopping Nightmare Moon, you shouldn’t let even that be the focus of our mission here. In order of that to happen, we have to focus on our own survival, and that means making it through this forest until we reach Queen Celestia and Luna’s old castle. So for now, why don’t we focus on our survival before we confront and fight Nightmare Moon, that way, we’ll still have a chance to stop her instead of getting killed here?”

Twilight blinked staring at Goku for a few moments as she thought over her words. She then smiled and let out a little chuckle. “Yeah, you’re right…I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry about that Goku.”

“Don’t be sorry honey.” Goku said softly, kissing Twilight on her cheek. “You’re worried and anxious and that’s okay, all of us are. We’re just saying that you shouldn’t let that get to your head, especially at a time like this. Good thing you have us to keep that smart little head of yours from going insane like you’ve seen a plate of cheese quesadillas.”

“Yeah, I sure do.” Twilight smiled back, before it shifted into a frown. “And I do not freak out over cheese quesadillas! They’re just so…cheesy.”

“Which is exaclty why you shouldn’t be so scared of them.” Zephyr said softly, patting Twilight on her head. “They’re nothing but delectable sweet tasting crust covered sandwiches full of smooth creamy cheese that spread all over your tongue when you bite into them.”

“What’re you trying to do, make us hungry?” Goku snorted. “Because if you are, then it’s starting to work.”

“Oh no, I’m just pointing out why there’s no reason to be scared of such foods.” Zephyr said, winking at Goku. “And why there the one of the best things that you could ever eat!”

“Maybe for you, but it’s not that way for me!” Twilight huffed, pouting up at the royal blue stallion. “I find it absolutely inconceivable that I would like something that I have a phobia of; let alone eat! It’s just…impossible! It’s scientifically impossible for that to have even a remote possibility of happening!”

“Whatever you say Twilight, whatever you say.” Goku shrugged, letting out a little giggle. “Still, you never know…maybe one say you’ll get over your phobia and gather enough bravery to try a quesadilla, and find it to be quite satisfying.”

“The say that I try a single one of those…cheesy items…” Twilight said, shivering slightly. “…is the day that Spike tells me not to freak out over big tests and I don’t threaten to burn the scales off of his body.”

Pinkie Pie burst out laughing. “I can totally see something like that happening! Especially since I’ve seen it happen over a dozen times before!”

“Same here Pink.” Applejack nodded, letting out a chuckle of her own. “I’m amazed that Spike hasn’t tried t’ get away from Twi ‘cause o’ her lil’ episodes! Ah swear that boy has th’ patience of a saint!”

“That’s an understatement.” Rarity snorted. “No offense to you Twilight, but I don’t think I could handle that many episodes with you. Even if it meant that I could get in contact with one of the most successful nobles in Canterlot City.”

“None taken Rarity.” Twilight sighed, smiling sheepishly. “Honestly, even I’m impressed that Spike hasn’t decided to just kick the bucket with me yet. I really expected him to snap and let me know that he had enough.”

“Yeah well, you, me and Zephyr all know Spike, Twilight.” Goku giggled. “He’s too much of a sweetheart to let you know something like that. Especially since he’s been subjected to it all of his life, along with your own little sister. Plus, with how many times that’s happened I’m pretty sure it’s not really bothering him…at least nowhere near as much.”

“Yeah, you make a point there.” Twilight said, letting out a giggle of her own. “It’s funny, I’m the eldest one there and I’m supposed to be the one keeping them calm, yet they’re the ones keeping me calm.”

“Totally, I can literally smell the irony there.” Zephyr chuckled. “While some ponies would find it weird or funny, we’re not surprised. He is your Number One Assistant after all and Crescent is…well…”

“Twilight’s Number One Crescent Moon?” Pinkie Pie guessed innocently. Upon seeing all of her friends raised eyebrows, she pouted. “What? The first part of her name is Crescent, and there is such a thing as a crescent moon, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, sure Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, chuckling. “Whatever you say.”

“You know what…I think that has a nice ring to it.” Twilight said, thinking over Pinkie Pie’s words before smiling. “I think I’m gonna start calling Crescent that from now one…something tells me that she’ll like it a lot.”

“Oh, Ah bet she will.” Applejack smiled. “An’ Ah bet that Spike’s gonna be even more thrilled, cause he’s not going t’ be th’ only one being called something having ‘Number One’ in it.’”

“I think so too~!” Goku concluded, doing her best childish imitation of Spike. This earned her multiple fits of laughter form just about all of her friends, including Zephyr, the tension lifting from the group the more they did. By the time the laughter ended, the eight ponies suddenly found themselves outside the thick tree grove, and onto a long flat cliff edge. They could not stop the awe enveloping them as they took in the vastness of the wilderness.

“Wow…” Zephyr breathed. “This place is just…just huge!”

“Ah’ll say.” Applejack nodded. “Ah’ve been in a lotta forests in mah lifetime, and a lot o’ them ‘r pretty big, but…land sakes! Ah don’t think Ah can properly explain jus’ how big this place is.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash did say that the Everfree Forest spans from Ponyville, all the way to Foal Mountain, Fillydelphia and Baltimare.” Twilight pointed out. “Still I have to agree, even I wasn’t expecting this place to be so large.”

“Me neither.” Goku said softly, walking ahead of the group to get a closer look. She closed her eyes and flicked her ears back and forth, inhaling the open air around her. “I have to say one thing though, even though this forest is supposed to be scary and chaotic, I can’t help but see just how beautiful it is.”

“Oh, I’m so happy you think so.” Fluttershy said, smiling sweetly at the tan Thestral. “Many ponies that haven’t entered think that it’s horribly to look at, but I don’t see it that way. All wildernesses are beautiful in their own right, and the Everfree Forest is no exception.”

“You…actually find this place beautiful Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, looking wide eyed at the buttermilk Pegasus. “But…this is the Everfree Forest! A place full of vicious beasts, untamable weather and vegetation that is dangerous in their own way! How can a place like this have any kind of divinity or semblance of beauty?”

“I know it may seem difficult to understand Rarity...” Zephyr said, looking back over at the alabaster Unicorn. “…but ponies like me, Goku and Fluttershy just have this eye for noticing things about nature that we can help but find amazing. Sure, it may seem brutal, scary, and even violent and bloody at times, but…despite that, we can’t help but find an inner sense of beauty about nature that we can’t help but find captivating.” He looked back out at the forest, takin giant trees, streams of water, listening to the sounds of the animals roaming about. “To us Shenrons, Rosarios, Nightstalkers, and anypony that has an eye or love for nature, it’s just the most amazing things we can discover…something we just can’t help but see over and over again.”

“Well…I can’t really see anything cool about it, but…if that’s how you guys feel, then I guess it’s cool with me.” Rainbow Dash said, staring at the three flyers before shrugging. “Still, I really don’t wanna waste all of this time sight-seeing, I wanna kick some Nightmare Moon ass! And we’re not going to get anywhere with that if we stay here looking at the trees all day!” She looked over at Twilight, who was rummaging through a saddlebag she had with her. “Hey Twi, you’ve got that map there with you?”

“Yes Dash, I do…just give me a couple of seconds.” Twilight replied, continuing to rummage through the left saddlebag. A moment later, she pulled out the map, and spread it out for everypony to see as she scanned over the map where the Everfree was. “Alright, we’re on the spot where the trail to the Castle to the Two Sisters is supposed stop here, and is supposed to go another way from this edge. If I’m positive, then we’re supposed to go left down this edge, and cross a river and follow the trail from down there.”

“Wait a sec, so we gotta go all the way down th’ side o’ this mountain?” Applejack asked, looking over at the lavender Unicorn. “How long is that gonna take?”

“Well, from what I can see of this map, not too long.” Goku replied, looking at the map inspectingly. “Although, it still may take us sometime for us to go down here by walking, so we can save it if we run. Or we can even carry each other in flight, that way we can save some time trekking down this mountain.”

“Hmm…I think that sounds like a good idea darling.” Rarity said, smiling at the other mare. “I certainly wouldn’t want to waste all that time walking down form this mountain. All that will accomplish is getting my poor hooves getting covered in more icky muck.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Of curse you’d want to go flying for that reason. Seriously Rares, what is so wrong about getting your hooves covered in dirt?”

“Because Dash, there is nothing more revolting then getting your well hooves, or any part of your beautiful frame covered in such a disgusting thing such as dirt.” Rarity replied, frowning at the cyan mare. “I know you’ll never be able to understand this darling but, it’s just the way it is for mares like me! Having even a single speck of dirt anywhere our bodies that carry any beauty is just simply the worst, possible, thing for us!”

“Which is exactly why you’re so up for us going by air and by land down this mountain.” Goku said teasingly, giggling at the glare that Rarity sent her way. “Anyway, if all of you are down for it, then that’s what we’ll do. Like Twilight said, time is of the essence, and we’ll need to get to the Castle of the Two Sisters as quickly as we can.”

“Exactly what I said.” Twilight said, folding the map and putting it back in her saddlebag. “Hey Zephyr? Are you up for this plan to? Zephyr?”

Upon getting no response from the Solar Guard, Twilight looked over at where Zephyr was, and saw him standing just several feet away. The lavender Unicorn’s eyes widened slightly when she saw him looking up into the sky, a concentrated expression morphed into his face.

“Um, Zephyr?” Twilight asked softly. “Is there something the matter?”

This time, Zephyr did respond, but he didn’t look over and acknowledge Fluttershy or Twilight in doing so. When he spoke, his voice was edged with the upmost seriousness.

“You guys…” He began, his tone catching nearly all of them off guard. “…I think we had better get a move on right now. I get the feeling that we’re about to be jumped.”

Goku’s ears perked. “What do you mean Zephyr? I don’t see anything around here.”

“I mean…” Zephyr said, glancing over at his fellow Shenron. “There’s something headed this way.”

“There is? What do you see?” Rainbow Dash asked, her guard going up. “Is that Nightmare Moon bitch coming to finish us off?”

Before Zephyr could reply, all the mares jumped at hearing a loud clap of thunder erupt from into the sky. They all looked up just in time to see flashes of white dance across the sky for a split second before they vanished, as if they weren’t even there.

“W…what was that?!” Applejack asked, calming down a bit. “Is there a storm comin’?!”

“I hope not.” Rarity frowned, one of her hooves going to grab her mane. “That is the last thing my poor mane and tail need right now. If they get soaked in any kind of rain or get burnt by any lightning, I’ll be ruined!”

“It doesn’t really look like there’s a storm coming.” Rainbow Dash replied as she squinted her eyes. “At least, not form where I’m standing. What do you think Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy didn’t say anything, but she did go up to where Zephyr was and look out into the sky with him. As she did so, another stronger clap of lightning resounded across the sky, and a gust of wind began to pick up. Just a second later after that, a loud bird-like call resounded across the air, one that made Fluttershy’s neck fur stand on end.

“What…in the world was that?” Goku asked, picking at one of her ears. “That sounded like a bird of some sorts.”

“I don’t know, but I’ve never heard a sound like that before!” Pinkie Pie replied, her body shaking a bit. “That sounded like a gurgling of some sort, you know when somepony’s about to spit out a huge mouthful of mouthwash?”

“Yes Pinkie, we know what that sounds like.” Twilight said, her face scrunching up slightly. “Still, you make a good point, that definitely sounded like a bird of some sort. Fluttershy, you said that you know many of the animals here and what kind they are? Do you know what we heard just now?”

“…Yes, I know exaclty what kind of bird that we heard just now.” Fluttershy replied, backing away from the edge of the floored cliff. “And we need to get out of here, quickly!”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What sort of bird is coming here?”

“There’s no time to explain!” Fluttershy suddenly shouted, making Zephyr and the rest of her friends jump. “We just need to get off of this cliff edge as quickly as possible!”

“Whoa there girl, jus’ simmer down fer a second.” Applejack said, trying to calm the buttermilk Pegasus down. “We’re gonna leave in a sec, jus’ tell us what’s comin’ t’ get us b’fore we head off.”

Suddenly, a third burst of thunder, followed by the crack of lightning exploded in the air, both of them coming in almost perfect synchronization. Not even a second later, a powerful gust of wind picked up as a loud ear-piercing screech echoed about the atmosphere. All eight ponies looked up, and froze when they saw a gigantic cloak of dark blue clouds heading their way, bolts of lightning striking down from it.

“Whoa, there really is a storm coming!” Pinkie Pie shouted holding a foreleg in front of her face. “How did it get here so fast?! I’ve never seen any clouds move that quick before!”

Zephyr, who was staring at the approaching ‘storm’, noticed something on it that made it seem off to his keen eyes. When he was able to make out what he was seeing, he let out a fearful gasp, and turned back to the others. “Girls, we need to get out of here now! Fluttershy’s right; whatever that is, that is not a storm!”

“Y-you know what it is too?!” Fluttershy asked as the wind grew even stronger. “How did you guess?!”

“No time to explain!” Zephyr replied as he grabbed Twilight’s hoof and pulled her along. “That storm that’s coming for us isn’t a real storm! It’s really a-”

That was as far as the royal blue stallion was able to get before another terrifying screech sliced through the air. Then, in a flash of white, a huge bolt of lightning descended down towards the girls at speeds that not even Rainbow Dash was able to anticipate. Rubble and chunks of earth exploded all about as it struck just inches away from the ponies, scattering them about the air before they landed in a heap.

“Oooooh…is everypony ok?” Twilight asked, sitting up as she looked at her friends. “What was that just now?”

“I-it was the b-bird that I saw just now!” Zephyr grunted, struggling to get to his hooves. “It shot a bolt of lightning at us the second it saw us!”

“It did what?!” Applejack shouted. “How in th’ hay was it able t’ do somethin’ like that! It wasn’t anywhere near us for it t’ be able to!”

“Um…Applejack…” Goku said slowly, her voice tinge with slight apprehensiveness as she pointed upward. “…I think you may wanna save that question for later.”

Following the line of the tan Thestral’s gaze, Applejack, Twilight, Zephyr, and the other mares all looked up in the sky, and felt themselves free at what they saw. There, hovering in the sky with lightning dancing about its body, was the biggest raptor any of the mares have ever seen in their entire lives. It was easily the size of one of the houses in Ponyville, maybe even twice that size, with a wingspan to match. It was mostly a mixture of dark green and blue in color, with its legs, stomach, and base of its tail and neck being a deep sandy yellow. Just a few inches above the base of its neck, was a deep orange stripe, with a greenish blue mask going vertically across it’s piercing yellow eyes. Its talons were twice the size of a full-grown stallion, and it had a wingspan stretching over fifty feet long. Its tail feathers reached over twenty-five feet, and it had a large thick feathery crest atop its head, the upper half being the same greenish blue color as its face markings.

“What the…” Rainbow Dash stammered, her eyes bulging. “What in the buck is that?! Is that some kind of raptor?!”

“Yes, it is a raptor, but it’s not just any kind of raptor!” Fluttershy replied fearfully, scrambling to her hooves. “That raptor is a Shinomōkin!”

Applejack frowned at the buttermilk Pegasus. “That thing is a what?”

“A Shinomōkin, Applejack.” Goku translated slowly. “It’s type of bird of prey that takes residence in the skies and the trees of the Everfree Forest, and is the biggest raptor to ever exist! It’s the size of an airship with a wingspan of over fifty feet long, with a twenty-five-foot-long tail span to boot! It has claws that are capable of carrying a full-grown stallion away, and any animal even bigger than that, able to snap their spines with a single chomp of its beak!”

“My word, it can really do that?” Rarity asked, a shiver going down her spine. “But…it doesn’t even have any teeth!”

“It doesn’t need any teeth Rarity.” Zephyr said grimly, his wings spread in preparation. “All the Shinomōkin needs is its powerful jaw muscles and the sharp edges of its beak to snap the spine of their prey. Its curved upper beak is also designed for ripping and stripping the meat of their prey from their bones, and once they get you in their mouths or beaks, they’ll never let go.” His eyes glowed as his ears flattened. “Not unless you make them that is.”

“Oh wow, that sounds like a really scary bird!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Then again, it looks scary already, and everything you just said makes it even scarier!”

“If you think that’s scary, then it’s nothing compared to just what else the Shinomōkin is capable of.” Fluttershy said gravelly. “Its main power is the Everfree weather that’s known to cause the Everfree Forest to go out of control. It can control the lightning within the clouds, and caused wild drills of wind that can wipe out an entire clearing of trees. On occasions, they can even cloak themselves in fire, burning everything in their path as they do so.”

“Land sakes, are you serious Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, eyes wide with disbelief. “This overgrown varmint can really control lightning, wind, and fire?”

A fourth burst of thunder cut off whatever Fluttershy was going to say as the Shinomōkin let out another screech, giving its wings a violent flap. It’s golden eyes gleamed as it glared down at Applejack scornfully, lighting dancing around its entire feathered body.

“I don’t think he liked you calling him that Applejack.” Pinkie Pie whispered to the farmer. “This is why you shouldn’t keep calling animals something that they’re not. I always did tell you that it was going to come back and bit you in your tushy later.”

“Not if I can help it.” Zephyr declared firmly. “Listen girls, I want you all to get away from here as quickly as you can. I’ll take in this raptor while you guys get down to the cliff.”

“Are you nuts?!” Rainbow Dash shouted incredulously. “There is no way that you can take this thing on your own! Let us help you!”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that.” The royal blue stallion said, shaking his head. “I’m a member of the Royal Guard, and it’s my duty to protect those in danger. Right now, you’re the ones that’re in danger, and I need to keep you all safe.”

“As chivalrous and selfless as that is darling,” Rarity began. “We’re not damsels in distress that need to be saved by a white knight. We are just as much as capable of fighting and defending ourselves as you are.”

“And that’s exactly why I want you all to leave!” Zephyr retorted. “If you all waste your time trying to fight this raptor, you’re only going to be wasting the energy that you’ll need to fight Nightmare when you meet her! If that happens, she’ll have the advantage over you, along with whatever other creations that she has waiting in store for you.” He looked back at them sternly. “Now get out of here girls, that’s an order!”

“But Zephyr-” Twilight began, only to flinch when Zephyr slammed his hoof on the ground.

“I SAID LEAVE!” He yelled, the authoritive power in his voice making them all freeze. “THAT’S AN ORDER OF A ROYAL GUARD! WHEN WE GIVE YOU AN ORDER, YOU’D BETTER FOLLOW IT!”

A short stretch of silence reigned over the cliff edge for a moment as Zephyr stared hard at the seven mares behind him, who looked hesitant to leave the stallion behind. Goku looked her fellow Shenron right in his eyes, seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes, along with the hidden pleas behind them. A moment later, she let out a sigh, before she turned around and began to trot off, using her wings to push the girls along.

“You heard the stallion girls.” She said firmly. “Let’s go, we’ll leave this bird to him!”

“You can’t be serious!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “You’re really going to let him fight that thing?!”

“If I didn’t think he’d be okay I wouldn’t.” Goku replied sharply. “Besides, there’s no convincing Zephyr when he gets like this. Once he sets his mind on something, nothing we say or do will get him to change his mind.”

“But if we leave him behind, he’ll-” Twilight began, only to be cut off again when Goku placed a hoof to her mouth.

“Look, we’re not going to be able to stop him Twilight! We just gotta have faith in him!” Goku snapped, the harshness in her tone making Twilight flinch. “Besides, he makes a good point, if we waste our time here, we’ll only waste the power we’re trying to save stopping Nightmare Moon! He’s giving us a chance to do that for as long as we can, and I’m not gonna let you guys waste it!” Turning away from the lavender Unicorn, she spread her wings and flew off. “Now let’s go!” She ordered, the tone in her voice leaving zero room for argument.

The rest of the mares stayed where they were, torn on whether to stay and help Zephyr fight, or follow Goku and continue their journey. They once again locked eyes with Zephyr, and one look in his eyes told them he wasn’t going to let them stay here. Reluctantly they followed Goku, and Twilight, after giving Zephyr one last worried glance, took off after her friends.

Smiling in satisfaction, Zephyr looked back at the Shinomōkin, only to see the bird flying past him and soaring straight towards the eight mares. Thinking quickly, he flew in front of the giant raptor as a garnet orange aura surrounded his body. Spreading his wings, he summoned lightning all around his body before he shot a large bolt at the Shinomōkin. It struck the bird right in its chest, sending it flying back as it screeched out in pain. Flapping his wings, Zephyr, flew up to the bird and bucked it right in its large face, sending it crashing into the ground and causing a large dust cloud to envelop it.

As Zephyr landed on the ground, the Shinomōkin burst out form the ground and took to the air, screeching in rage as it glared down at Zephyr. Its whole body chirped with lightning as its golden eyes burned into the royal blue stallion’s, who stared back unflinchingly.

“Sorry big guy, but I’m not going to let you get to these girls so easily!” He shouted as he lashed his tail out. “If you want to get to them, you’ll have to go through the one and only Golden Azure Dragon himself!”

Screeching in retaliation, the Shinomōkin screeched at the Solar Royal Guard and dived down towards him, fully intent on him impaling him with its beak. Zephyr snorted and ascended into the air, his cloak of lighting chirping loudly as he let out battle neigh. The raptor and Pegasus both met in a midair clash that send lighting shooting everywhere, their screeches and whinnies echoing about the mountain edge.

Author's Notes:

Out of all the chapters that I felt could've had a better change, this chapter was the one that I felt needed the most change, especially with the first thing the girls encountered when they trekked into the Everfree. In the last chapter, I had showed that the girls were all being electrocuted by a large storm cloud, which, looking back, I felt was pretty stupid, especially since the first time I saw the Everfree, there wasn't really any out of control weather. As a matter of a face, in the battle that I had wrote with the Wonderbolts, Shadowbolts, and Galaxy Star Bolts, they were pretty much displaying their own control of the weather, which I can see is what made them so frightening and superior to the Wonderbolts. So, since this was a place where a multitude of wild beasts could easily eat you, I decided to change it hear, and make the first creature the girls encountered appear in the least likely thought way; at least in their minds. There's going to be a couple of changes to that for the other Everfree animals as well, and there'll also be one or two others creatures that the girls encounter before reaching the end of their journey. That's gonna take some time to do, but I will say that the girls and Zephyr will find themselves in quite a pickle.

Another thing that I changed, or rather, added to this, is the name of the giant raptor that appeared on Season 8's Episode Molt Down. I mean, let's be real people, even if the word is changed, I think it'll still be pretty hard for people to tell the difference between an actual giant raptor and an actual rock if the latter's name sounds the same. No offense to Hashbro, but, I found it pretty silly to name the bird that tried to eat Spike something after something we see on a daily basis. So, I decided to give it a different name that will not only easily tell it apart, but has a better ring to it, and make it all the more scarier when it's said in English translation.

Well, that's it for this chapter, next time we'll be doing a revisit to Ponyville to see how everypony is taking the sudden invasion. After that, we'll be seeing what our dear Dark Queen is up too.

P.S. Shinomōkin is the Japanese translation for "Death Raptor"!!!