Fluttershy was getting closer, she could feel it.

She didn't know who—or what she would find when she got there, but her curiosity had turned feverish. She was aware that she had left her friends behind, but she rationalized that as long as she didn't stray too far, she could sense where they all were at any given moment.

Even now, she could tell they were all most likely scrambling to search for her, and it did leave her feeling a bit guilty for having abandoned them all, but she had to know what this creature was.

This was another sign that the normally demure pegasus had changed from who she used to be. Normally she would've just mentioned—attempted to mention—that something was wrong and have the others sort it out while she stood in the background until she was needed.

Now she found the thought rather off-putting.

Aside from that, something was telling her it wouldn't be a good idea to bring the others along. So, listening to her gut, she crept away from the girls to search for the mysterious and familiar feeling creature.

Fluttershy cautiously looked about her surroundings as she made her way through the underbrush. She shifted her gaze left and right before coming to a stop and sending out another pulse.

She closed her eyes and waited before snapping them open again and whipping her head to the right at the sound of a branch being crushed underfoot. As it turned out, the pegasus didn't need her senses to find the creature.

The unmistakable sound of heavy, mismatched footfalls made her take a wary step back. The steps grew louder and louder, now accompanied by the sound of splintering wood and the loud intermittent thud of trees being felled.

Something was coming, and it was big.

Fluttershy's wings twitched nervously, but she held her ground, determined to see just what had piqued her curiosity to such a degree. Just when she thought the giant creature would burst out of the trees, the sound suddenly stopped.

Fluttershy's eyes narrowed slightly, twitching this way and that as she searched the area ahead of her for any sign of the creature. A deep, low growl made her eyes widen and she let out a quiet, startled gasp as she took another step back.

One of her back hooves landed on a fallen branch with a snap. Distracted, Fluttershy looked down—a mistake the creature still hidden in the trees was all to eager to take advantage of.

The only warning Fluttershy received was an earthshaking roar.

The mare lifted her head back up just in time to see something lash out—something large, sharp, and heavy. It shone a bright silver that flashed in the sunlight peeking through the trees overhead as it slammed into her chest.

With a cry, the startled pegasus was sent flying backwards through the underbrush she had just come from. The momentum sent her smashing into—and through—a tree before she hit the ground and rolled to a stop.

Disoriented from the surprise attack, Fluttershy tried to rise to her hooves, only to cry out again as she was lifted off the ground and hung upside down in the air by one of her hind legs.

She found herself face-to-face with a pair of pitch black sunken eyes and a snarling lipless snout full of razor sharp teeth. The creature growled deep in it's throat as it eyed the mare. To Fluttershy, the creature seemed almost as curious about her as she had been about it, and realizing this, she calmed down a bit.

She took the opportunity to inspect it while it did the same.

The creature was large—about five or six times as big as Fluttershy—and thickly muscled to a grotesque degree. It was almost completely furless save for a few large and small patches of grey fur here and there, leaving much of the dark pink flesh beneath exposed.

Underneath all the hideous muscle, Fluttershy could see that the creature was largely wolf-like in appearance though there were several things wrong with it. It's bared teeth showed two obscenely pronounced canines and it's paws were slightly elongated to look more like fingers with long silvery claws at the end of each digit.

It growled again and leaned in close to sniff the yellow pegasus who shied away slightly as it came near. It shook it's head and snorted before letting out another roar, causing Fluttershy to clench her eyes shut.

She had no time to react before she was lifted higher and suddenly slammed into the ground once, then twice, then a third time before being thrown into more trees. As she impacted another tree, her eyes opened and this time she caught sight of the wolf creature charging right at her.

Acting on a new instinct, she unfurled her wings and twisted to the side, flapping rapidly to gain momentum. It worked and, rather than slicing into Fluttershy, the creature cut deep furrows into the tree itself.

While it was distracted, Fluttershy used the chance to put more distance between the wolf and herself. She landed a few yards away and gave the wolf a sympathetic look.

The poor creature is hurting... what on Equus happened to it?

She didn't have time to ponder long, as the wolf had regained its bearings and once more rushed Fluttershy with blinding speed. The yellow mare was prepared this time however, and braced herself.

She wouldn't run, and she wouldn't cower. It didn't matter how hideous or monstrous the wolf was, and it didn't matter how violent it had become, as far as Fluttershy was concerned, this was just another wounded animal.

And taking care of animals is what she did best.

With another roar, the wolf lunged, claws outstretched and jaws snapping. Fluttershy shifted her stance slightly as she frowned and narrowed her eyes. At the last second the mare leapt to the side, avoiding the attack altogether.

Not wasting a second, she twisted around, wrapped a hoof in tendrils, and lashed out with her own blackened claws. Her claws caught the wolf by the tail and she snatched the mutated canine out of the air.

With a loud grunt of effort she pulled with all of her newfound might. The wolf gave a yelp of surprise as it was lifted up and over the deceptively dainty mare before being given the same treatment it gave the pegasus.

It hit the ground with a loud and heavy whump, and had no chance to right itself before Fluttershy dropped onto it's stomach... hard. The wolf let out a wheezing bark and glared at the mare.

Fluttershy glared right back, and her glare was much, much more effective.

"That's... enough."

The vicious growls stopped abruptly and the wolf fell silent. A look of abject fear evident in it's black eyes. Fluttershy held her glare for a few moments longer before speaking again in a slow, measured tone that threatened dire retribution if the wolf disobeyed.

"Now then, are you going to behave like the good little wolf I know you are?"

The wolf nodded with a whimper.

"And are you going to be a bad wolf and attack me or anypony else that comes through this forest?"

The wolf shook it's head rapidly.

"Good," Fluttershy replied, her fierce gaze turning gentle and compassionate once more, "that's what I wanted to hear," she lifted a hoof and scratched behind one of the wolf's fleshy ears, making it give a low contented growl, "you're not a bad boy are you? No, you've just had a terrible experience like me, though I do wonder what happened to make you this way..."

She hopped off the wolf and turned to face it as it rolled over onto it's stomach. She tilted her head in confusion as she watched it watch her curiously. It mirrored her movement, tilting it's head before giving a sharp bark.

Fluttershy's eyes widened.

"Y-Your master?"

A low growl.

"So he's... not your master?"

An indignant huff.

"I see..." Fluttershy's eyes narrowed dangerously, "so that's how it is," she turned to leave before stopping and looking at the wolf from over her shoulder, "you wait here, I'm going back to my friends to let them know to watch out for him if he appears again."

The wolf whined and let out another sharp bark.

"No, it's okay," Fluttershy said with a reassuring smile, "I'll be back, so you don't need to worry. Me and my friends will find a way to help you. If he comes back, just make sure to hide and if things get dangerous run away, okay?"

With that, she turned back to the path before her and began trotting away. She didn't get very far before more heavy footfalls caused her to stop and look back. To her surprise the wolf had started following after her. When she stopped, so did the wolf.

It sat on it's haunches and stared back at her expectantly. It barked again before giving another low whimper, and Fluttershy took a shocked step back in response, completely caught off guard.

"A-Alpha?" she squeaked, "oh no. Nonono, I'm n-not—"

Another loud bark.

"I... I'm flattered, really I am," Fluttershy stammered, taking another step back, "b-but I don't think it's a good—"

The wolf growled and barked again before rising to it's feet and moving closer. It stepped up next to Fluttershy and leaned in to sniff her once more and gently nudged her in the barrel, causing her to stumble a bit.

"Oh, dear," she muttered with a small sigh, "I don't know if the others are going to like this..."

She sighed again and rubbed the wolf's neck. After a moment she smiled and nodded once, turning to head back to where her friends were. She trotted away, the wolf panting contentedly as it followed close behind.

It may not have been what she was expecting, and she had several questions, but she decided that it might be safer to take the monstrous wolf with her. She had kept the other girls waiting long enough as it was anyway. And besides that, they needed to know that someway, somehow, there were others out there—others like them.

And they were far closer than any of them realized.

If I haven't driven the point home yet, I'll just come out and say it...

Don't f#%k with Fluttershy guys. Just... don't.

It's not a good idea.