Twilight Sparkle sat idly in Sugarcube Corner, occasionally nibbling at a cupcake, while her mind processed the sounds she was sure she had been hearing earlier. Was it screaming? she thought. If it was, then who was it?

"Hello?" a voice said. "Say, Twilight, are y'all in there?"

Twilight faced the owner of the voice to see that they were giving her a concerned look. "Sorry, Applejack," she replied. "I was just thinking about something. I guess I was miles away."

"What were ya thinkin' about, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "Is it somethin' that maybe I can help ya with?"

Twilight furrowed her brow. "Well, I'm not entirely sure," she said. "When I arrived here earlier, I'm pretty sure that I heard some strange noises coming from the Everfree Forest."

Applejack looked at her for a moment before waving a forehoof dismissively. "It's the Everfree Forest, Twilight," she said with a small smile. "Everypony knows all sorts of mighty strange noises can be heard comin' from that there creepy place."

"Does screaming count?" Twilight said bluntly.

The smile vanished from Applejack's face, a look of concern spreading across it instead. "Gosh, Twilight," she said. "That ain't the kind of thing anypony hears. Any idea who it could be?"

Twilight shook her head. "No," she replied. "All I do know is that the scream sounded masculine, so it could be a lost stallion."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Now what kinda stallion would be gettin' himself into trouble over there?" she asked, unable to keep the confusion out of her voice.

"I don't know." Twilight shrugged. "But whoever he is, he sounded like he needed help... so I'm going to go and find him."

"Not alone, ya ain't," Applejack said sternly. "Ah'll round up the others, and we'll help ya out."

"Thanks, Applejack. You're a good friend."

"You too, sugarcube. You too."

As Applejack left to find the others, Twilight looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Whoever you are..." she said softly. "And wherever you might be, I hope you're all right."

As the six friends headed into the Everfree Forest, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that she was leading them on a wild goose chase.

What if I'm wrong? she thought. They probably only believed me because of what happened at my brother's wedding. That doesn't mean I'm always right.

"Um, Twilight?" the voice brought her back to reality. "How much further is it... if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't know, Fluttershy," Twilight replied. "Whoever, or whatever, was making the noise appears to be moving. So we need to move as fast as we can."

Twilight was at the front of the group, leading them in the general direction of the screaming she had heard earlier. Rainbow Dash was flying overhead, trying to get a better view of the surrounding area. Rarity was behind Twilight, trying her best not to step in the many puddles of mud and leaves which dot the track. And Applejack was behind Rarity, stepping in anything and everything that got in her way — much to the fashionista's disgust.

"Applejack, darling," Rarity said, turning to face her. "Could you please stop stomping in the mud like that? You'll get my coat dirty!" She pleaded, putting on her biggest puppy-dog eyes.

Applejack giggled. "Shoot, Rarity," she replied. "Ah'd love to, but there's plenty more mud ahead of us, so it's gonna be a might bit hard for y'all to stay clean."

Rarity groaned as Pinkie Pie was bounded around the group, chatting away happily. "I hope we find whoever we're looking for and that they're safe, that way I get to throw them a 'Glad You're Okay' party'!" she chirped. "Or, if they're hurt I can throw a 'Get Well Soon' party!" The rest of her words were an incoherent babble.

At the back of the group was Fluttershy. She was looking at the ground, but every now and again she perked her head up as if she was listening out for something.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, turning to look at her. "What on Equestria are you doing back there?"

"Oh," Fluttershy replied. "I'm just, um, listening out for more cries."

"From the injured stallion?" Twilight queried.

"No, no," Fluttershy looked away from Twilight's gaze. "From injured animals. If a pony has been hurt, who's to say that whatever hurt them didn't hurt a bunny? Or a squirrel?" She let out a squeak. "Or a baby deer!"

"Oh, Fluttershy," Twilight replied. "I'm sure our stallion was hurt in some other way. I don't think that—"

"Everypony, get over here right now!" Rainbow Dash's panicked voice called. "You've gotta take a look at this!"

The other five mares, following the sound of Dash's voice, soon found themselves in a forest clearing and saw the pegasus standing in the middle of it. She looked up as they arrived — her face etched with an uncharacteristic look of fear.

"Rainbow Dash, what is it?" Rarity asked. "Are you okay?"

With a shaking hoof, Rainbow Dash pointed down at a spot of grass.

Soaked red with blood.

I had been walking for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably just ten minutes. No matter how far I walked, the town didn't seem to get any closer.

I glanced up at the sky and saw that it was getting dark.

"Shit," I said to myself. "I'd better haul ass and either get to civilisation, or find a place to hunker down for the night."

As I trudged through the muddy track, I kept thinking about the events that led me to this place. I remembered nearly being hit by a car. I remembered yelling at the driver. I remembered the beating he gave me.

I remembered him shooting me.

I felt the wound in my back and thanked whatever deity for those leaves I found. They seemed to be working well so far but since I didn't want to tempt fate, I grabbed another handful of them.

That's better, I thought. At least now, if the bleeding starts again, I won't have to shout and scream like a banshee to get some help.

The six ponies looked down at the large stain before them. It was a deep red, and was spreading in a ragged circular pattern.

"I knew it! I knew it!" a high pitched squeal followed the equally high pitched voice. Fluttershy was lying flat on the ground, hiding behind her wings. "Some evil creature has butchered a baby deer!" She started crying.

"Just a baby?!" Rainbow Dash said with a grimace. "It looks like something killed a whole family of deer!"

Fluttershy's crying became louder as Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash sternly. She opened her mouth to speak, but her attention was drawn to something nearby.

"Everypony, calm down," said Twilight. "It might not be a deer. It could have came from whatever was screaming."

"Uhhh, girls?" Applejack's voice had an unusually flat tone to it. "Git a load of this." She motioned to some tracks in the dirt. On closer inspection, they were definitely not made by a pony; they were unlike anything any of the six had ever seen before. Rainbow Dash brought her hoof alongside it, as if to compare. "What kind of monster do y'all reckon made these tracks?"

"I don't know," replied Twilight warily, looking in the direction the tracks were heading. "But whatever it is, it's headed for Ponyville." There was a collective gasp of horror from the others. "If it's heading for Ponyville, then we need to get back there as fast as we can, and warn everypony." She continued. "Rainbow Dash, can you fly back there and tell everypony to get indoors?"

Rainbow Dash flexed her wings and puffed out her chest. "You got it, Twilight!" she said, taking off as fast as she could.

Twilight turned to the others. "While she's doing that, we need to get back to the library so I can send a letter to Princess Celestia," the urgency of her words clearly felt by her friends.

As if on cue, they all broke away from the clearing, following the tracks towards Ponyville. As they ran, Applejack spoke up. "Now why in the hay do ya need ta send a letter ta the Princess?"

"We don't know what kind of creature we're dealing with," Twilight replied. "It could be dangerous, and we might need the Elements of Harmony to help subdue it."

"Are you sure it'll come to that, darling?" asked Rarity.

"I hope not, Rarity," Twilight lowered her head slightly. "But if it does, then we need to be ready."

Rarity nodded, and all five fell into silence as they continued running along the path back towards town.

Rainbow Dash was flying towards Ponyville as fast as her wings would carry her, feeling the adrenaline flowing through her body. "Come on, Dash! The girls are counting on you to warn everypony in town about the threat!" she said to herself. She dodged rocks and flew under trees as she pushed herself to the limit. Eventually, Ponyville came into view and she grinned. "Phew, I made it... and I think I broke my old record!"

Slowing down to a hover she looked around, seeing the town hall and Sugarcube Corner in the distance. But down in the forest below, she caught sight of something else and did a double take. "What on Equestria is that?!" she muttered. "I'd better go and take a look, in case I was seeing things."

The creature before her wasn't like anything she'd seen before, as it was walking on two legs instead of four. It had very little in the way of fur, except for on its head, it was wearing clothes — and it also appeared to be having difficulty walking.

As Rainbow Dash got closer she saw that it was leaving the same tracks Applejack found in the clearing, and that it was covered in blood. "It's the creature!" she gasped. "I've gotta do something!" She stopped to think for a moment before getting an idea.

She swooped down above the creature, which seemed oblivious to her presence. Summoning all her strength, she picked it up.

Now I've just gotta head back to find Twilight and the others, she thought. Celestia knows why I picked it up, though — this thing could be dangerous! I really should think things through first...

Suddenly, the creature became aware that it was a few hundred feet above the ground, and began screaming and thrashing as Rainbow Dash struggled to hold it.

And I hope I find them soon!

As I walked through the forest I came to realise that I wasn't going to make it to the town before nightfall, so my new priority became finding a safe place to sleep for the night. In the distance, I could make out a large tree with several thick branches that looked capable of supporting my weight.

That should do for now, I thought. I certainly don't want to stay on the ground. I carried on with my thoughts before I suddenly lost the feeling of the ground beneath my feet. Damn, I must be really tired. I stopped moving my legs and tried to bring my hands down to rub my feet, only to find that I couldn't move my arms.

"What the fuck?" I said as I glanced down. Needless to say, the sudden realisation of being nearly two hundred feet off the ground sent me into a screaming frenzy.

"Easy, buddy," a voice above me chimed. "I don't want to drop you... at least not yet."

I stopped screaming and looked up, only to find myself face to face with... a pony? It had a brilliant rainbow-coloured mane, as well as a pair of wings.

But this time, instead of screaming, I passed out from shock.

Twilight and the others panted and puffed furiously as they exited the forest, the main road to Ponyville now before them. Twilight wiped her brow with a forehoof and sighed. "All right, girls," she said. "Take a few moments to rest, and then we'll go and warn everypony about the creature."

"There's no need for that," a voice called. "Because I've managed to subdue it already!"

The girls looked up to see Rainbow Dash – who was carrying what they assumed to be the creature – flying towards them. She dropped her cargo, rather roughly, onto the ground and landed in front of her friends — who looked at her open-mouthed.

"Ya brought it here?" Applejack queried, to which Dash nodded. "Well then, Dash, might Ah be the first to ask..." She grabbed the pegasus and shook her. "How could y'all be so reckless?!"

Dash squirmed free from Applejack's grip. "I did what I had to do," she defended. "It's nowhere near Ponyville now, and the six of us should be able to keep an eye on it. I noticed that it was having difficulty walking – on two legs, by the way – so I think it might be hurt. Either that or it walks that way normally."

"Two legs?" Twilight mused, glancing at the creature. "Well it can't be a dragon, because it doesn't have scales like Spike does."

"And it can't be a Diamond Dog," Rarity offered. "Because they have a lot more fur... and they smell bad too."

Fluttershy looked at the creature. "I've never seen a critter like this before," she said softly. "So I'm afraid I can't offer any help."

"Well we can't just leave it here," Twilight said, shaking her head solemnly. "We need to figure out what we're going to do."

The six of them stood in silence for a few minutes, each of them contemplating what to do next. But it was Twilight who seemed more focused on the creature lying on the ground before them.

A whole new species! she thought. Oh, I really hope I get a chance to study it... providing it's not hostile, that is. She cocked her head slightly. But whatever it is, it sure does look strangely peaceful when its unconscious. She suppressed a giggle. It kinda reminds me of Spike, what with its arms tucked under its body like that. All it needs now is a blanket, and maybe a big bed, and it would be a near spitting image of my number one assistant.

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack said. "Y'all have been strangely quiet. What do you reckon we oughta do with this here thing?"

Pinkie Pie snapped her head towards Applejack, who could have sworn she heard a twanging noise. "Sorry, AJ," she replied. "I was just thinking about what a strange alien creature would like."

Applejack looked perplexed. "Why?"

"Duh!" Pinkie said, rolling her eyes and bopping Applejack on the nose. "So I can throw a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!"

"Pinkie, Ah seriously doubt that—"

Applejack was cut off as the creature let out a moan. She and Pinkie moved back as it began to stir.

"Hey, look, y'all," Applejack called. "It's wakin' up."