The sounds of Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie’s screaming could be heard throughout the sky as they held on to Sapphire Flame for dear life. The Night Fury flapped his wings with all his might as he tore through the sky as fast as his body, and newly fixed tail, would allow. His own roars and screams could be heard echoing in the air as he sailed above the Everfree Forest, with his being full of excitement. Well, at least as high as he could go with gigantic trees towering over the normal ones and obscuring the sky above them all. Goku, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Sky Ranger, Zephyr, and the Shadowbolts could be seen on either side and behind Sapphire, doing their best to keep up with the large dragon carrying their friends. The Shadowbolts and Rainbow Dash had no problem keeping up, since they were all used to flying fast, and even Goku didn’t seem to be winded by the fast flying. The only one who looked to be having trouble was Fluttershy, since she wasn’t quite used to flying at this speed or magnitude, but she seemed to be holding up pretty well. The same couldn’t really be said for their other three friends, as they were currently not to fall off their new reptilian companion.

“WOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!, THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!” Pinkie Pie screamed jovially, throwing her forehooves out on either side of her. “This is the most amazing ride that I ever had in my entire life!!!”

“Amazing?! This is nowhere near amazing in any way Pinkie Pie! This is a nightmare is what it is with nothing fun about it whatsoever!” Rarity shrieked angrily, her forehooves wrapped tightly around Applejack. “We are riding on the most dangerous creature in all of Equestria, who is going at speeds faster than needle on a sewing machine, and could fall of at any given moment! I don’t see how you can see that any of this is amazing or fun in the least!”

“Ah have to agree with Rarity on this one Pinks!” Applejack shouted, hunching her body down as she held on tightly to Sapphire’s back spines. “This is definitely not how Ah imagined ridin’ a dragon would be like! This critter is goin’ way too fast fer mah likin’!” She glanced down at the ground below her, and put a hoof to her mouth as she tried not to get nauseous. “An’ Ah really don’t like bein’ this high up neither!”

“Then why did you even agree to ride Sapphie with us in the first place?!” Pinkie Pie asked loudly, momentarily stopping her cheering. “You could’ve just flown with us yourself! You and I both have Pegasus magic, and can use it to fly super-duper fast!”

“Ah’ve ever really been one fer fancy flyin’ Pinkie Pie, Ah feel a lot more comfortable on th’ ground since Ah know Ah ain’t fallin’ from th’ sky ready to crash!” The farmer replied, turning her head to glare at the bubblegum pink pony. “And Ah should be askin’ you th' same thing! Why aren’t you usin’ yer own Pegasus magic to fly like RD an’ th’ others?!”

Pinkie Pie frowned, raising on eyebrow at Applejack. “Uh, didn’t you hear what I said like, fifteen minutes ago?! I wanted to know what it was like to ride a dragon, since we don’t really have dragons where we’re around! Sure, it’s fun flying by yourself and all, and it’s a lot of fun when flying with Dashie and Fluttershy, but it’s just as fun riding on a creature that can fly too, isn’t it?!”

“Well maybe…unless the creature that we’re riding is a DRAGON! Which we’re currently riding on right now, which is not fun by the way!” Rarity replied as she too turned her head to scowl at Pinkie Pie.

“Well, Sapphire seems to be having fun, now that he can flying again!” Twilight said, putting a hoof over her forehead to keep her mane from blowing in her face. The lavender Unicorn said at the far end of her three friends, clutching tightly to Rarity as she said in between the dragon’s spines. She looked to her left where Fluttershy was, and saw her flying close beside them, just behind Sapphire’s left wing. “Fluttershy, are all Night Furies this excitable?!”

“None that I can think of!” The buttermilk Pegasus replied, raising her voice loud enough for Twilight to hear her. “Night Furies are known to be particularly playful with one another, and they do tend to get pretty excited about some things, but not like this! I guess after Rarity fixed his tail, he was so happy about the fact that he could fly again, that he decided to show us what it was like for him!”

“Well, it looks like it’s working, cause Pinkie Pie is certainly enjoying it!” Goku commented dryly, watching in amusement as party pony continued screaming in excitement. “I’m amazed that you guys are still managing to hold onto him, I thought that you guys would’ve fallen off by now!”

“That’s cause some o’ us don’t want to end up as ponified applesauce on the ground!” Applejack shouted up at the tan Thestral, using on hoof to hold onto her Stetson. “Unlike you, whose pretty much havin’ th’ time o’ her life doin’ some fancy flyin’ herself with this critter!”

“Well I’m certainly enjoying this! I’ll tell you that much!” Rainbow Dash shouted, giving a wide fanged grin as she flew around Sapphire Flame. “I know dragons can be pretty fast, but didn’t think they’d be this fast! This dragon really does have a need for speed, doesn’t he?!”

“That may look like what I’m doing, but I’m not really trying to play with Sapphire!” Goku said to Applejack, crossing her forehooves as she ignored Rainbow Dash. “I’m actually looking out for any moment that he may get carried away and seriously hurt you guys! Not that I’m saying that he’s intending to but, hey, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared for anything!”

“I agree!” Sky Ranger said, looking to be highly amused by the Night Fury’s antics. “Night Fury’s can be quite excitable when something like what Miss Rarity did happens to them. It looks like there isn’t any exception here, though he may be overdoing it a little bit.”

Just as those words left the azure blue Hippogriff’s beak, Sapphire and his pony companions suddenly found themselves in a large wide-open space of air with a large lake-like river just below them. Before anypony could react, Sapphire Flame suddenly tucked his wings in and dove down straight towards the water, with his four riders screaming all the while. Faster than any of them could blink, the Night Fury dove head first into the river with a resounding splash, causing water to shoot up into the air.

“Be prepared for anything huh?” Violet Fire asked with a small smirk, raising an eyebrow at the tan Pegasus. “Were you prepared for him doing that?”

Goku and Sky Ranger didn’t say anything, the former choosing instead to look off to the side as the latter’s cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. With a snort, Goku dived down after Sapphire and the rest of her friends, followed closely by Sky Ranger and the rest of her friends and the Shadowbolts.

“Sapphire, what in the hay are you doing?!” The tan Thestral asked perplexedly, watching as the dragon dove in and out of the water. “We’re supposed to be trying to get to the Castle of the Two Sisters! I thought that you were going to take us there!”

Sapphire momentarily stopped his jumping in and out of the water to face Goku, giving her a few chirps and guttural rumbles. After that, he proceeded to go back to what he was doing much to Applejack, Rarity and Twilight’s utter dismay.

“Sapphire Flame said that he is, he’s just taking his time to get used to the fact that he’s able to fly again.” Fluttershy said to Goku, keeping a fair distance away from the splashes of water. “It’s been a while since he was trapped in that pit before we found him. He didn’t really think that he’d be able to fly again even if he did recover from his injuries, and he wanted to be sure that he was really healed before doing anything else.”

“Why in--the world--would he do--that?!” Rarity asked, her question being muffled by Sapphire’s continuous dives into the water. “I used my magic to heal every last scale and membrane on his body! How can he think that he’s not fully and completely healed?!”

At this question, Sapphire Flame turned his head to look at the alabaster Unicorn, giving her a few loud purrs and chirps, before giving her what looked like a wink. Rarity paused at this sudden action, and looked over at Fluttershy questioningly, having obviously not understood what he had said.

“He, um…he said that it’s not that he doesn’t believe that you healed him properly enough, it’s just that he wants to test out just how well your magic worked on him.” The buttermilk Pegasus replied with a shrug, giving Rarity a small smile. “Your magic felt really nice when you used it on him, and he felt that it gave him some newfound energy. So, he wanted to test it out, and see just how well it worked on him…and so far, he thinks you really outdid yourself.”

Rarity blinked, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. “He…he does?”

“Mhm…Sapphire said that your magic made it feel like he never had any of those wounds in the first place, and that he was never downed in the first place.” Fluttershy nodded, her smile growing gentler as the Night Fury nodded in agreement. “It gave him a feeling of rejuvenation that he never felt before, and he’s very thankful to you for doing that for him Rarity.”

“Oh, well…I’m glad to hear how impressed he is that I had managed to help him feel livelier.” The fashionista said after a second or two of silence, her pure white cheeks turning pink. “I…I didn’t think that he was that happy that I had helped him so much. I suppose I really outdid myself this time around.”

“With how well you fixed his tail, I’d say you definitely did.” Zephyr nodded, glancing back at the newly formed fin on Sapphire’s tail.

Sapphire Flame suddenly let out a loud roar, giving strong flaps of his wings as he shot off from the large river of water and out of the split trees, along with the much larger ones. Now that they were really in the air, the Night Fury took sharp dives and turns through the air, the blue patterns on his scales shining ever so slightly in the Moon’s light. He then began to fire a multitude of sapphire blue flames into the air, everypony watching as they exploded in the air. Feeling another rush of elation and adrenaline, the large dragon went even higher in the air, doing drill-like spins as the four ponies on his back held on for dear life.

“And now he’s spinning.” Storm Shadow murmured dryly, watching with half-lidded eyes as the Night Fury dove up and down through the air. “He really seems to be enjoying himself…”

“Pffft, I’ll say! Though you can’t really say the same for Twilight and the others!” Fast Tracks said, holding back a snort of laughter. “They look like they’re going to hurl on the big guy; at least Rarity and Applejack!”

“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good.” Fluttershy said worriedly, watching as Sapphire dived down again. “Do you think maybe I should tell him to stop now?”

“…No, I don’t think so.” Lightning Shadow replied with a shake of her head. “I’m positive that he’s gonna stop his over excited elation in just a few seconds.”

Fluttershy looked over at the light grey Pegasus and was about to speak, but was cut off when her keen ears picked up what sounded to be like a sharp ‘pomf’ sound from below. She looked down and saw Sapphire Flame and her four friends rushing back up towards them, no longer spinning around like giant scaly pinwheel. When they got back her and the other’s level, he was no longer doing hard strong flaps, but gentler ones and steady soaring instead. Applejack, Rarity and Twilight, who had their eyes shut at his last stunt, slowly opened their eyes to find themselves no longer being carried through the air like crazy. They all let out collective sighs of relief when they saw that the Sapphire had finally calmed down, and was actually being gentle with them in the flight.

“Oh, thank Celestia he finally stopped…” Applejack sighed, throwing her head back as she exhaled loudly. “Fer a second there Ah thought he was gonna go on like this forever.”

“So did I.” Rarity said, letting go of Applejack’s barrel as she used her hooves to straighten her hair. “I admit, that was a rather scary and bumpy ride that we had back there, but at least it did wonders for cleaning my mane and tail. I only wish I had a towel and a brush, then they’d look good as new!”

“Here Rarity, I’ll help you with that.” Twilight said sweetly, igniting her horn in encasing the alabaster Unicorns mane in a light grayish orchid aura. Rarity flinched at the sudden contact, but settled down a few seconds later as the warm feeling spread through her head. Just several seconds later, the aura around them vanished, and the fashionista’s mane was nice and dry once more.

“Ahhhhh, that feels so much better…thank you Twilight, I really needed that.” Rarity sighed pleasantly, fluffing up her mane and tail skirt. “Oh, and you even restored the curls in them as well!”

“I most definitely did!” The lavender Unicorn chirped, sticking her tongue out at the fashionista. “I’ve developed a knack for not only using my magic to help ponies get dry fairly quickly but also to restore the style their manes and tails were originally in! I did the same for mine after Rainbow Dash made it cotton candy a couple of years after I moved to Ponyville, and it sort of stuck with me after that. So, I decided to keep it on me for any other pony that may need it.”

“Well, it looks like you were right to hold onto it.” Rarity said, gently bopping her friend on the nose. “I certainly did wonders for me…well, at least for my mane and tail. Now I’ll look much more presentable for when we face that dastardly Nightmare! She will pay for making me suffer a horrible crime against fashion!”

“Well, I’m glad that you’re so intent on giving Nightmare Moon a piece of your mind along with the rest of us Rarity…” Goku said dryly, smirking in amusement at the alabaster Unicorn. “Because I’m happy to say that you’re finally going to get that chance.”

Raising their eyebrows in perplexation, the four ponies riding the Night Fury and the ones in the air with the tan Thestral looked to where she was pointing and felt each of their eyes widen at what they saw. Just two whole entire kilometers away from them, on a split portion of hill and earth, was what looked to be a nocturnal castle. To say that it was huge would’ve been an understatement or even an insult, due to the beauty that it held. It was even bigger than the castle back in Canterlot City, where Queen Celestia lived, and that size, along with the glow it gave off thanks to the Moon’s light made it easily spotted. It even gave a shine to the golden plains that spread across the land like an ocean that the castle was centered in. Even though it was a good distance away from them, the shine and gleam that the castle cave off, along with the dark ominous presence, made the group seem like they were flying up close to it.

“Whoa, would you look at that!” Fast Tracks said, a wide grin stretching across his face. “Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing? Cause I’m pretty sure we finally made it to our adversaries abandoned little hideout.”

“My word…just look at it!” Rarity gashed, her sapphire eyes glowing with awe. “Is that really the castle of Nightmare Moon Nocturnis?!”

“No way…that can’t be it!” Twilight cried; her violet eyes wide as saucers. “There has to be some sort of mistake! Sky Ranger, is this the castle you were talking about?! This is the castle you said had transformed?!”

“I’m afraid so Twilight.” Sky Ranger nodded solemnly. “It’s just like I told you during our journey through the Everfree Seas. The castle that your beloved Queens lived in is no longer what it used to be, and I saw it turn and transform with my own eyes. This castle is most certainly the one that we’re looking for, without a single doubt, and as I said, it’s within the Everfree Plains.”

“It is?! Yes, finally!” Rainbow Dash shouted, throwing her hooves up into the air as she did loops into the air. “We finally found where that asshole Nightmare Moon is hiding!”

“And it took only six and a half whole hours, ten minutes, nearly getting electrocuted, trapped underground, drowned underwater, battling a pack of Timberwolves, Hinoinus, Dōkutsuakumas, a Cragadile, a Battookuma, a Manticore, a Doragontora, a Shinomōkin, and helping a Night Fury fly to do it!” Pinkie Pie added cheerfully, petting said dragon on one of his wings. “Heeheehee, time really flies by huh?! It feels like only a moment ago that we were doing all of that, and now we’re finally at the castle!”

“Which means that those Elements must be in there somewhere.” Applejack murmured narrowing her eyes as she looked over a Twilight. “Ah’m right, ain’t I Twilight? You did say that the weapons that we’re lookin’ fer are in there, ain’t they?”

“Well, yeah they are but…” Twilight replied, rubbing the back of her head. “I’m not exactly sure where in this new castle they actually are. From where I’m looking, that new castle has to have so many new rooms that they could be anywhere, and it could take us forever to find them! And while we are searching for them, Nightmare Moon might try to finish us off when we least expect it, and we’ll fail our mission!”

“Twilight, with everypony’s lives on the line, as well as our siblings, and Queen Celestia’s sister, I think the mission isn’t the only thing that we should be worrying about right now.” Goku said firmly, glaring sternly at the lavender Unicorn as she flew in front of them. “Though you do bring up a good point about one thing. Nightmare Moon may try to kill us without us realizing it…so I say that we stay together and not separate. That way, we’ll be able to protect each other if she tries to sneak up on us.”

“That’s…actually a very well calculated idea Goku.” Lightning Shadow said, a small smile coming to her face. “Plus, you’ll have us to try to detect any threat that may come at any of you from above. That way, Nightmare Moon won’t try to get at you from above or with anything else that she may throw at you.”

“Alright then, looks like the plan is set!” Violet Fire said, clapping her forehooves. “Let’s get down there and get to those Elements!”

“Right behind ya, V!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, shooting a hoof into the air. “Lead the way Sapphie!”

The Night Fury gave a loud yowl of compliance, giving his wings a hard flap as he dove down towards the thick grove of giant trees, the others following suit. They all sucked and swerved through the large branches as Sapphire Flame went as quickly as his body would allow, obliterating those he couldn’t fly past. As he continued to soar through the forest, a light that they had seen in the flight was growing brighter the closer they got to it. The ponies and dragon continued like this for a minute longer, not wanting to waste a second in trying to get to the plains where the castle was, so they could find Nightmare Moon and the Elements. Eventually, they made it out of the woods and right at the edge of it, where the plains looked to begin. The Night Fury stopped right at the edge, landing with a couple flaps of his wings, allowing Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight to hop off of his back.

“Oh ground, sweet, sweet ground! How I’ve missed you so!” Rarity exclaimed, pressing her face against the cool grass. “I thought it’d never be able to feel your grassy essence again! I’m so glad to be out of that air and down here at last!”

“Geez Rarity, get a grip on yourself.” Rainbow Dash groaned. “I get that you’re glad to be on the ground, but come on! You don’t have to make such a sappy scene about it!”

“Rainbow Dash, darling, did you not see me, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Twilight screaming for our lives as Sapphire tore and spun through the air, and dove into the water like a dolphin?!” The alabaster Unicorn asked. “I think after all of that, I think I’m within my rights to be a little dramatic about it!”

“Jus’ a little...” Applejack said dryly, giving Rarity a half-lidded expression. “Right.”

“Well, either way, we’re at the castle now, and that’s all that really matters right now.” Twilight said, stepping in between Rarity and Applejack. “I’m honestly surprised that we were able to get here this fast, but, I’m glad we did. Sapphire’s speed really helped us in getting here quickly.”

“Emphasis on quick.” Zephyr murmured with a small amused grin. “More like insanely quick!”

“Yes, I agree…it was a good thing that Sapphire offered to get as here quickly, otherwise I don’t know how long we would’ve been trekking through this forest.” Fluttershy nodded, turning to the Night Fury with an appreciative smile. “Thank you so much for your help Sapphire. I can’t tell you how happy we are that you came with us, and got us here as fast as you did.”

“You fly safe now, okay sweetie? And be sure not to run into anymore Cave Demons this time around.” Fluttershy advised softly, yet firmly. “Be sure not to put too much strain on your new tail too, especially since it only just got fixed. The last thing you need is to be stuck in another pit with nopony and no creature to help you.”

Sapphire nodded lightly, another purr leaving his throat as he gave Fluttershy a big wet lick on her cheek, prompting her to giggle out in response. At that moment, Chenoa flew up to the drake and nuzzled his face against his larger scaly one, prompting a coo from Goku, Violet, Fluttershy, and Crimson Skies. With that, the Night Fury broke from the group and spread his wings, taking off into the air with a single flap. The sound of his flapping wings prompted the other girls to look behind them just in time to see him head into the forest, his bidding roar echoing in the shadows.

“Oh my, he’s leaving already?” Rarity asked. “I thought that he was going to stay with us.”

“I’m sure he may have wanted to, but I think he saw that his business here was done, and that we could take this from here.” Sky Ranger murmured, shrugging. “He probably has a family that he needs to go to anyway, and he didn’t want to keep them waiting and worried.”

“Bummer, I was hoping that’d he’d say a bit longer.” Fast Tracks said, shoulders sagging a bit. “I would’ve loved to race against that big guy!”

“Well, if we ever see him again, he may let you. but you can worry about that some other time.” Storm Shadow said, gently motioning the light brown stallion to the plains in front of them. “Now that we’re here in these plans, we can find just trek our way over to it, and find where the Elements of Harmony are for Goku and the others. We need to be careful though; Nightmare Moon is inside there somewhere, and there isn’t any telling what tricks she may have waiting for us when we do get there so we’ll need to keep our eyes open and our ears peeled.”

“Lightning Shadow’s right; we can’t just assume that Nightmare Moon won’t try anything to stop us especially with what Sky Ranger told us about her remolding the castle.” Lightning Shadow nodded, looking over at the building in the distance. “Now that it’s been restructured, we’ll need to be even more on guard than before, least we end up slipping up.”

“Oh, I really don’t wanna fall into any booby traps that Nightmare Moon is probably setting for us!” Blue Skies whimpered, biting her lip in worry. “We’ve already had enough of that from the Dōkutsuakumas, I don’t think I can handle whatever Nightmare Moon’s going to have made for us!”

Pinkie Pie snorted, a hoof coming to her mouth to stifle a low giggle. “Heehee…booby trap…”

“Hey, don’t worry Blue, we ain’t gonna let you get capture by Nightmare Moon; that’s why we’re here.” Fast Tracks said confidently. “Of course, you also should remember that we’re also here to keep Goku and her group safe, along with Zephyr. Don’t let your fear make you forget that squirt.”

“R-right…” The palomino mare nodded, taking a few breaths to calm herself down.

The trek through the golden plains was relatively silent for the most part, the only sound being their hooves making contact with the withered out grass beneath them. Unlike within the forest, the that a much better view of the environment around them, and they could see more easily through the horizon, especially with the small miniature hills dotting different parts of the plains. Although they had an increased chance of spotting danger, their attention was focused mainly on the enormous castle that was getting closer to them the more they closed the distance. Even with how far they were, they could still feel the eerie sensation of darkness and evil coming from the building, which was even grater than the awe they felt that such a thing existed in the first place. So much so that a couple of them could help but voice their own opinions on the new castle now towering in the middle of the forest.

“Ah have t’ say…Ah honestly thought that castle t’ be in far less shape b’fore we came ‘ere.” Applejack murmured as they began trudging through the tall golden grass. “Ah mean, I know that it’d be all aged an’ worn out after a thousand somethin’ years, but…Ah was not expectin’ it t’ be put back together.”

“Neither did I…then again, I suppose this was to be expected, after what Sky Ranger had told us back on our ship. Nothing quite lasts forever, and I suppose this castle happened to be one of those things.” Rarity nodded, her sapphire eyes scanning over the textures of the castle just thousands of feet away from them. “I do wonder if there’s some ancient art that I could savage on there. That would bring up some great inspiration for some of my new lines.”

“There might be, but I wouldn’t get my expectations up too high.” Twilight said, glancing over at Rarity. “The castle looks pretty devilish even from this far away, so I doubt that there’s any art pieces or tapestries that are up to your tastes.”

The alabaster Unicorn just stared at the lavender Unicorn for a moment, before her shoulders sagged in dejection. “Oh, I see. Well, it can’t hurt to try, right?”

“Ugh, this grass is so damn tall!” Rainbow Dash growled, swiping at the large grains surrounding her and the rest of the group. “What kind of grass gets to be this high in clearings?! If I didn’t know any better, this place looks like an overly large lawn!”

“Yes, it would wouldn’t it?” Sky Ranger asked with chuckle. “That’s the way the Everfree Forest works unfortunately…nothing is quite as it seems here. Not the animals, not the weather, not the plants, vegetation and environment…nothing. It can seem pretty aggravating, but this is a forest of many impossibilities and the Everfree Plains just so happens to be one of them.”

“Indeed.” Fluttershy nodded as the tail towers of grass brushed against her body. “Although, this part of the Everfree Forest is one that I haven’t seen and heard little about, but I have heard about the creeks, swamps, and ponds that’re dotted around this particular part of the Everfree Forest. Along with the herbivores that live in wildernesses like this, such as antelope, gazelle, and bison, like the ones that’re in the Undiscovered West, though the ones here are more, um…magically advanced.” She paused as she straightened her silky mane. “Speaking of wetlands, there is one other creature that I’ve heard about that’s said to live in lands that have wet areas but isn’t really known to be here.”

“Oh, really now?” Sky Ranger asked. “And just what none native Equestrian creature have you heard about might I ask?”

“Well, you’re all going to think that this is, pretty perplexing, but just bear with me for now.” The veterinarian replied, sighing slightly. “Have any of you heard the Legend of the Bunyip?”

Fast Tracks, Blue Skies, Violet Fire, Zephyr, and Goku all gasped, their heads whipping around to face the yellow mare. All the others stopped as well, though their expressions were more of confusion than shock or anything else.

“T-t-the Bunyip?!” Blue Skies repeated, her pupils contracting. “You mean the actual Bunyip? The infamous Devil of Thestralia?!”

“The very same one.” Fluttershy nodded, looking nowhere near as surprise as her four other fellow flyers. “I take it that you heard if it?”

“Heard of it?!” Fast Tracks cried; his own cat-like eyes wide. “My parents used to tell me all about that thing when I was just a fledgling! There is not a single thing about that creature that they have not told me about!”

Fluttershy raised a cherry blossom brow. “Are you sure about that Fast? Not that I’m saying your parents haven’t told you everything about the Bunyip, but do you really know all that there is to it? I can fill you in on some bits and pieces if you want.”

“Hold on now wait jus’ a chicken peckin’ minute!” Applejack shouted. “Can somepony tell me what this so-called bunyip thing is? I have not heard any critter like that, let alone on that’s called by that name!”

“Of course you wouldn’t honey; like Fluttershy said, it’d not native in Equestria, but it’s still known quite famously nonetheless.” Violet Fire replied softly. “See, the Thestralian Bunyip is the stuff of many nightmares and all things terrifying. If there is any creature in mythology or supernatural fiction that is far too bizarre to be real, it would indeed be the Bunyip. It’s said to live in the inhabitants and wildernesses of Thestralia, were you can find a good majority of the Thestrals that’re not said to live in Equestria, though not in the more civilian areas.”

“Wait, there are more Thestral species?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “I thought that you could only find them in places like Canterlot City of Luna Bay?”

“That is true, but unless you’ve heard of the Thestralian continent, you’ll known that’s where you can find plenty, and I mean, plenty of Thestrals living quite freely.” Goku murmured. “I haven’t been to Thestralia mind you, but I have heard by my Mom that it’s a pretty wonderful place that is a paradise for Thestrals. Never really thought about going there, I but I would like to go there sometime, and maybe take my brother there too.”

“You totally should G…you will love it there.” Fast Tracks giggled, the faintest hint of a blush on his face. He soon shook it off before returning to the topic at hoof. “Anyway, I’m kind of swerving of the tracks here. The Bunyip is said to live on the Thestralian continent, but the Thestrals themselves tend to stay very clear of the big guy…and for good reason.”

Rarity frowned. “W-what kind of reason is that dear?”

“You know how Thestrals like Fast Tracks and Goku have a thing for the nighttime right?” Zephyr asked. “Well, if it was any other place, Thestrals would have no trouble frolicking in the nighttime without a single care in the world. Drinking fruit, exploring the woods, swimming through the waters, rutting each other senseless until the sun comes up…” He smiled in amusement upon seeing the fierce blushes on Rarity, Fluttershy, Blue Skies, and Twilight’s faces. “In Thestralia though, the Thestrals are a little bit more cautious about where they are in the woodlands and forests, where there are watery areas, because that’s where the Bunyip is said to resign within.”

“Watery areas?” Pinkie Pie asked, her face twisted in confusion before it brightened. “Oh, you mean like swamps, rivers, creeks, and lakes?! Those kinds of watery liquid places?!”

“Yes Pinkie, those kinds of places.” Fluttershy replied. “During the day time, it’s relatively safe for Thestrals to go roaming through the Thestralian wilderness, the only threat they have to facing being the Thestralian animals. At night however, it’s more dangerous when at night, especially with the Bunyip around, because those very same watery places are where it lies in wait to grab any unlucky Thestral within its reach. The Bunyip had a particular taste for thestral flesh, which includes mares, foals, and foreigners.”

“E-even foals?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking a little pale. “So, this Bunyip thing didn’t just go after the adult Thestrals? It also went after the squirts too?”

“Especially the foals, mainly because they were the most vulnerable, and the bunyip would have the most success in hunting them down.” Goku replied gravely as Chenoa silently flew beside her. “Although, that didn’t mean the young fledglings wouldn’t but put a fight. Like how it’s mentioned many times, Thestrals, even the young ones, are quite powerful, mostly in physical terms. So even if the Bunyip were to get a hold of them, the foals would put up a ferocious fight against them. In the end though, most of them would get dragged into their watery graves, with only a small hoofful of them surviving.”

“My word…that does sound absolutely petrifying…and tragic.” Rarity murmured solemnly. “I can’t imagine facing something as terrifying and bloodthirsty as that. Let alone losing any foals to such a creature…and just when I thought you could find all of the horrid beasts in this cursed forest.”

“If you think that’s petrifying, then just wait till you hear about the powers that the Bunyip holds, along with its appearance.” Lightning Shadow said. “Like Thestrals, the Bunyip are depicted as supernatural creatures with powers to match, only with them, it’s on the actual supernatural fictional scale. The types of appearances that it’s said to have is just as out of proportions as its powers, making it all the scarier. Some thestral describe the Bunyip having the head of a crocodile, with a dog-like face, a bull’s horns, an elephant’s tusks, with a horse’s tail, and a thick coat of dark grey fur.”

“…Wow, now that is bizarre Lightning!” Pinkie Pie stated, shuddering a bit as the mental image flashed into her mind. “I was already picturing the bunyip in my head while you were describing it! Now that I have, I can totally see why you said that its way out of whack and just wrong!”

“Good to see that somepony here can paint a clear picture in their minds of the Bunyip.” Storm Shadow murmured dryly. “That’s only one of this scaly snake-like, feathery, horned, and bearded killer, however. Other depictions of the bunyip describe it as having the traits of both land, and water dwelling animals, with long razor-sharp claws, powerful hindlegs, and water repellant outer fur. The most bizarre description of the Bunyip is that’s said to only have one eye on its head, and a mouth right where it’s stomach is said to be.”

Applejack gagged. “A mouth on its stomach?” She asked, looking like she was going to throw up on the ground. “That is jus’…that jus’ ain’t right! what kind o’ critter has a mouth in the same place as it’s stomach is supposed to be?!”

“Creatures as bizarre as Thestrallia’s Devil, that’s what.” Fast Tracks replied, glancing back at the farmer. “Nopony really knows what the Bunyip’s true form is form the different descriptions that the Thestralian Thestrals have given mythologists, and they probably never will. One thing they do know, is that whenever a wolfish howl echoes through the night, that is the sign that the Bunyip is on the hunt and looking for fresh meat.”

“That’s right, and unless you have a group with you that is specialized in dealing with savage beasts like the Bunyip, you’re going to have one hay of a night in the Thestralian wilderness.” Violet Fire added softly. “So, if any of you ever plan to visit Thestralia, be sure never to travel on your own at night, at least around areas where there are lakes, swamps, and keep both your ears pricked. So that you don’t miss the ear-piercing booming howls of the Bunyip, and get grabbed, drowned, and eaten by the Devil of Thestralia.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ll definitely be keeping my ears and eyes open!” Rainbow Dash stated cockily, crossing her forelegs. “If there’s one thing that I don’t let happen, is somepony or something getting the jump on me! When that happens, they’d better watch out, because I’ll show them why I have need for speed!”

“Oh, we don’t doubt it Rainbow Dash.” Zephyr murmured. “Just as long as you don’t go flying off again like the last few times, we should be safe. The last thing we need is for you to separate from us again and possibly get into an altercation with an animal all on your own.”

Twilight nodded. “Agreed.”

An eardrum bursting cougar-like scream suddenly tore through the Everfree Plains just as these words left the lavender Unicorn’s mouth. Twilight and just about everypony else covered their ears with their hooves, trying desperately to block out the sound as it ripped through the air like a nuclear explosion. Thankfully for them, the sound vanished as quickly as it came, but it didn’t take away the aching ringing that was now active within their ears.

“Holy shit…!” Goku cursed loudly, rubbing tentatively at her eardrums. “That had to be the loudest scream I’ve ever heard in my life! What in the hay even was that?!”

“I don’t know Goku, but oooooowww!” Pinkie Pie whined. “It really hurt my ears! Was that another kind of whacky animal or something!”

Sky Ranger, who had been silent the entire time of the explanation Bunyip history and origins, replied, “Yes, and I know exaclty what it was…and we must get to the castle, now!”

Without warning, the azure blue hippogriff’s wings flared out, and he swung them forward, causing four sharp gusts of wind to emerge from them. The ponies behind him watched wide-eyed as they cut down the overly tall yellow plain grass, making a clear path for them to the point where they could see more of Nightmare Moon’s castle in front of them. With at don’t, Sky Ranger immediately began to fly down it, the sheer franticness in his movements causing the others to follow suit.

“Whoa there Sky Ranger, what’s gotten int’ ya?!” Applejack asked. “Ya look like there’s somepony out t’ git ya an’ their hot on yer tail!”

“Forgive me if I’m looking a bit out of character at the moment young adventurers, but I have little time to explain!” Sky Ranger replied, looking back at the farmer and the rest of the group fearfully. “That scream you heard just now belonged to the most dangerous animal in the plains of the Everfree Forest, and judging from that scream, it knows we’re here! That’s why we must get to the castle as soon as possible before we’re caught by it!”

Fluttershy gasped, a thought coming to her as she gazed at Sky Ranger with a look of terror that was stronger than his. “S-Sky, are you talking about the animal I think you’re talking about?!”

Another loud scream ruined any chance of Sky Ranger confirming Fluttershy’s fears, for the being that made itself known did it for her. Before anypony knew what happened, something black and yellow slammed into Sky Ranger while was looking away with a sickening thudding sound. All eyes followed the blur as it vanished into the plains behind then, Sky Ranger’s agonized screams echoing about in the night sky. Coming to a halt, the seven mares, one guard, and five Shadowbolts immediately rushed to the Hippogriff’s aid, coming upon the spot he and the unknown creature landed in just moments later. When they got their however, they all gasped, Fluttershy’s being the loudest and most horrified of all when they what had caught Sky Ranger.

Bearing down on the dazed Hippogriff, foreclaws sinking deep into its chest, was possibly the most frightening version of a Cheetah they had ever seen. It was clearly said speed demon of the Zebrican Plains, due to the circle-like black spots on its fur, and the tear lines going up and down the corners of its eyes and mouth. However, just one look at its body let the ponies know that it was no ordinary Cheetah. It was taller than your average Cheetah, and much buffer as well, with wings that were like that of a Peregrine Falcon’s, its forelegs and claws matching the raptors to the smallest details.

It also had the head of a Cheetah as well, though it looked to be twice as big, with two five-inch-long fangs that were like twin sabers. Along its entire body, were spots that connected together while others stayed apart, making it look like a jaguar or a leopard, or the infamous “King Cheetah”, and it had a set of feathers where the base of its tail was. Another set of feathers could be seen at the end of its tail as well, looking like a large triangular blade, and it had the reddest shade of eyes ever known to exist. When the ponies looked into them, it reminded them of looking into twin pools of blood, making them all the more scared of the creature in front of them.

Rarity let out a shrill shriek of terror, causing the feline to snap its red-eyed gaze towards them in surprise. As it glared into each of their wide eyes, the alabaster Unicorn cried, “What in the name of Faust is that thing?!”

“I…I-I don’t know…it looks like a C-Cheetah.” Twilight stammered. “O-or at least, I think it’s a Cheetah…Fluttershy, do you know what it is.”

“Y…y-y-yes Twilight, I do…and its one animal I wish we did not run into.” Fluttershy whispered, her voice filled with absolute fear. “T-that cat…is a Farukonchītā.”

Blue Skies gasped, her neck moving light toothpaste as she locked eyes with the buttermilk Pegasus as her lower lip quivered. “W…w-what did you say Fluttershy?”

A screech emitting from Sky Ranger drew everypony’s attention back towards him and the Farukonchītā, who was thrown back as Sky Ranger pushed it off and away. He lunged at the feline, managing to get a few slashes and beak stabs in before sending it flying away with powerful swing of his muscular tail, sending a blast of lightning over at the cat afterwards. “They are called Farukonchītās, a simpler term being the Falcon Cheetahs, and out of all of the beasts that live in the Everfree this one is potentially the most dangerous of them all second only to the Night Fury!”

“Th’ most dangerous?” Applejack asked. “How is that critter even more dangerous than that dragon that we were ridin’ on no less than ten minutes ago?!”

“It’s because of the powers that it holds within its form Applejack.” Goku replied, keeping a lookout for the falconic feline. “The Farukonchītās, unlike most other animals here, have all the key qualities needed for it to be more an efficient hunter than all the predators in the Everfree Forest, only with them, it’s on a higher scale. Unlike regular Cheetahs, the Farukonchītā has the equal amount of strength as it does the speed in order for it to hunt down prey, and the falcon wings it has on it allows the cat another strategy when it comes to pursing their meals. However, the real power lies within its magic.”

Twilight’s ears perked. “It’s magic? What is about the Farukonchītā’s magic that makes it stand out from all of the other creatures we faced?”

“Like the Shinomōkin, Doragontora, Manticore, Hinoinu, and Dōkutsuakuma, the Farukonchītā as the power over pretty much most of the Element of Nature, except for water, like the Water Dragon and Hydra.” Fluttershy explained urgently. “It can increase the magic and flow of its physical and magical attacks without losing any of the speed behind it, and even activate their attacks just as fast.” She gulped when she saw two crimson orbs gleaming through the tall pillars of golden grass. “However, the Farukonchītās true power lies within their talons.”

“Their talons?” Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head. What’s so scary about their talons?”

“The falconic talons of the Farukonchītās aren’t just for show Pinkie, they actually act like moderating gloves to help them control and lock away their greatest power.” Violet Fire replied, she and her team hovering high in the air as she kept watch for the cat. “When the Farukonchītās take of the skin on their forelegs, it reveals draconic skin underneath instead of fur. When that happens, the Falcon Cheetahs undergo a transformation that makes them pass of as being half Cheetah, and half dragon, rather than half falcon. It will then allow the Farukonchītās to have the powers of the draconic beasts too, with an even greater amount of speed to match, very much like the Doragontora.”

“Despite these qualities, not even that is the biggest reason why the Farukonchītās are presumably the most feared beast here.” Lightning Shadow said gravely. “It’s because their powers are at such an inconceivable scale, that these ferocious cats may very well pass of as being demonic.”

“D-d-d-d-demonic?!” Rarity stammered, tucking her tail between her legs. “Are you meaning to tell us that t-these cats are actual demons?!”

A powerful gust of wind left the alabaster Unicorn without an answer as it picked up dust in its wake, the scream of a Farukonchītā following just a split second later. Said dust soon began to swirl around the group as it grew in size, width, and intensity, the wind growing stronger with each passing second.

“Looks like we’ll have to worry about that egghead fact later Rares!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her magenta eyes flashing. “It looks like these furballs are finally ready to rumble!”

Just as the athlete said this a giant flock of wind slashes came at them from all side, leaving the ponies no room to block them. Those that were earthbound or not in the air took to the ground, doing their best to protect themselves and shield those near them, while the Shadowbolts deflected as much of the attacks as they could. Just as quickly as the attacks came, they stopped, and the when the group looked around again, they found themselves face to face with the Farukonchītā that attacked Sky Ranger. However, they could also see that the feline was not alone this time, much to their chargin.

“Oh no…” Lightning Shadow murmured, her ears flattening. “It just had to be coalition, didn’t it?”

“It looks like it sis, unfortunately.” Storm Shadow nodded, sighing with frustration. “And just when we thought we’d have a tough enough time with one of them…”

Indeed, the “King Cheetah” versioned Farukonchītā had a coalition of comrades, each one of them just as ferocious and foreboding in their own right. The first one on the left of the largest one had jet-black belt with even blacker spots adorning it, the spots so dark the colors could easily be told apart. It had the deepest shade of indigo eyes ever seen, reminding anypony who saw them of the amethyst flower color. The second one on the right of the leader had bright sunset orange fur with even deeper fiery orange spots, its eyes being a piercing icy blue. The tip of its tail had feathers that were nearly as big as its leader, and it had a large mass of mane going from the top of its neck, to its midback. The third one on the far left had a pure white hide, with silvery grey spots adorning its fur, having a set of blazing sun yellow eyes and a huge mass of chest fluff. The last one on the far right had fur and spots that made it look more like a regular cheetah, save for the wings and talons. Its saber-like teeth were slightly shorter than the rest, and it had a gleaming pair of fiery orang eyes, much like the spots of the second Farukonchītā.

“Whoa nelly, now Ah didn’t see that comin’.” Applejack murmured. “Ah take it that these are that critter’s bothers an’ sisters.”

“Yes and no Applejack.” Zephyr explained. “Those four other Farukonchītās are siblings, but they’re all males, every last one of them.”

“Wait, all five of them?!” Twilight asked in surprise. “How does that work? I thought that cat’s like Cheetahs were supposed to be solitary?”

“For the most part, they are, but it’s a little bit different with Cheetahs.” Goku replied. “You know how male lions form a coalition if there’s more than one of them? Well, Cheetahs pretty much do the same thing, only with them, it’s males that form packs rather than the females, because female Cheetahs are solitary. Like male lions, male Cheetahs, form coalitions to help both expand, and defend their territories from other rival cheetahs, as well as keep a lookout for enemies and prey. Those bonds last for a lifetime, until death do the brothers apart, and since the Farukonchītās have a good majority of Cheetah traits within them, they do the same thing.”

“So, what you’re basically telling us…” Rarity said, gulping audibly. “…the more brothers that this cat has, the worse off we’re going to be?”

“In terms that better describe hour situation, yes.” Fast Track replied bluntly. “And the only way we can stand any chance of finally getting to that castle is through them.”

“Well, guess there’s no other choice then.” Goku shrugged, closing her eyes for a few moments before a sky-blue aura surrounded her exploded around her. “C’mon girls, let’s show these Speed Demons of the Everfree why we’re so light on our hooves! Time for all of us to finally ascend!”

Blue Skies whimpered. “Woohoo…”

Author's Notes:

Out of all of the chapters that I was anticipating on writing, this one about the Farukonchītā was probably the most anticipated, and the one I was most excited for. I had gotten the idea to write about this particular predator of the Everfree while thinking about the Miracinonyx, or in more simpler terms, the American Cheetah as I was trying to think of what kind of creature I would introduce before the girls finally got to the one enemy they had been searching for this entire journey. I also put in the little idea of combining the African Speed Demon with the fastest bird of prey ever to exist, making them quite the speedy carnivore wouldn't you agree? Also, just to let you know, I was going to post this last night, but the WIFI that was made for my cruise ship that me and my family went on was not a secure network for my iPhone, so I had to wait until today to do it, which was such a pain in the ass. Still, it was worth the wait, and now I have it out and ready to be read.

Well, that's all for now; next time we're going to have an alliance formed between the Wonderbolts, Guards, and our Great and Powerful Magician! Then, after that, we're going to get our first taste of Nightmare Moon's Stars of the Galaxy!!! Oh, and just for the hell of it, I'll leave a list of the Canon Everfree creatures, and different Everfree animals that I created in this story so you'll remember what kind the girls, Celestia, and Venture Vine have all faced up to this point.

Fighters of the Everfree

Cragadile

Ursa Major

Timberwolf

Hydra

Farukonchītā – Falcon Cheetah

Shinomōkin – Death Raptor

Doragontora – Dragon Tiger

Kamahyō – Scythe Leopard

Hinoinu – Fire Dog

Night Fury - Dragon

Dōkutsuakuma – Cave Demon