Phasing through the floor of the library, I step out of the side of the tree where the screams had come from and mentally growl at the sight of a panther like creature stalking the streets, two tentacles coming from its shoulders with curved blades at the end of each.

A second later Twilight appears at my side and gasps. "What is that, I've never seen anything like it?"

Trotting forward, I answer with a growl in my voice. "A creature from my world, it has several names depending on where you find it but we call the species Prowlers. Don't let the blades fool you either, they have a magic that lets them attack your mind so stay back."

Twilight blinks slightly in surprise. "Why are you heading for it if it's that dangerous?"

I chuckle slightly and glance over my shoulder just before I break into a gallop. "Someone has to stop it, and I am the only one here with the knowledge of how to face it." Turning my attention back to the Prowler, I couldn't help but curse my luck. No matter where I went, something always had to happen just as things were starting to calm down. Deciding to put my new wings to good use, I leapt into the air and sped forward, slamming my fore hooves into the side of the prowler and sending it tumbling down the street and away from the ponies it had been chasing.

Landing lightly, I snort and a small jet of golden flames shoot from my nostrils. "I don't know how you got here, but I know how you're leaving." Charging again, I take the deepest breath I can before releasing it as I get within a few feet of the Prowler, letting loose a jet of golden flames that sends it back pedaling to try to avoid being burned. Pushing the advantage I had with it off balance, I breathe another small jet of flames to make it stumble and the second it fell I was over it and reared up. Before I could strike at the downed beast though, there was a sudden pain at the back of my skull and I jerked to the side in surprise. Realizing what had happened too late, I couldn't recover in time to fully avoid the tentacle that lashed out at me and cut into my left shoulder.

Grunting in pain, I use my wings to give me an extra few feet when I jump back. "So you aren't one of the common Prowlers, they wouldn't have been able to recover..." Letting healing magic flow to the wound on my shoulder, it quickly closes without leaving any sign of a wound having ever been there other than the blood on my fur. Flaring my wings, sparks began shooting off them before turning into arcs between them that gradually grew in size. 'If close quarters isn't going to work, than I will just fry you.' Releasing the magic, a massive bolt of electricity shoots from between my wing tips and slams into the Prowler, turning its body to ash in the blink of an eye.

Staggering slightly at the discharge, I take a second to regain my balance with a slight chuckle. "Not exactly mana intensive but man does that throw you for a loop." Turning back to Twilight, I pause when I notice every pony within sight staring at me in horror. "What?"

Twilight shakes her head and takes a step back from me. "You k-killed it!"

I blink slightly in confusion. "Yes, I did and it would have done the same to any of the ponies it caught had I let it live. You don't realize just how much of a problem a Prowler would become if left alone... and the thought of it breeding here is terrifying."

Twilight shakes her head. "You could've found a way to get it away from the town, I doubt it would have been a threat if you would have sent it into the Everfree."

I growl slightly, though my equine throat has trouble producing the sound. "You don't understand the rules of my world so don't go telling me what would have happened had I chosen another option. I have seen first hand what those creatures can do if you allow them to invade your lands. The last place I visited was a small city that had forests on one side an deserts on the other and the forests were filled with Prowlers that were slowly pushing towards and into the city. Lutano and I spent over a week there killing every Prowler we could find just to bring the population down to a point they wouldn't overrun the city."

Twilight's eyes widen as her face pales. "Y-you k-killed so m-many?"

I give a sharp nod. "That's how my world works, we fight for every inch of land we have and even then there are times where we lose whole villages because nobody was around to deter whatever was plaguing them. You may be able to just leave your monsters in the forest and ignore them but that doesn't work back home."

Taking a shaky breath, Twilight nods but her face is still pale. "I... I think I am going to have to send a letter to Princess Celestia about this..."

I shrug slightly and head back to the library. "Do what you want, I will just tell her the same thing that I told you." Taking to the air, I head towards Sweet Apple Acres in the hopes to get some time away from the ponies as well as get away from the town. Finding a small clearing in the trees, I land and shift back to my elven form before sitting against a tree. Reaching into a pouch, I pull out a wooden flute and after a second of thought, begin playing. It wasn't long though before my playing drew the attention of Applejack and she soon stepped into view listening to the music.

When I finish playing, Applejack gives me a wide smile. "Well ah'll be, I didn't think you would be one to play an instrument."

I shrug slightly and chuckle. "I picked it up out of boredom really. Since I spent most of my time alone in a forest, I didn't have a lot to do and decided I would pick up an instrument that would be easy to make with just what I could find in the trees." Slipping the flute back into the pouch, I push myself to my feet. "Sorry if I disturbed your work."

Applejack shakes her head and chuckles. "Don't ya worry none about that, Big Mac and I just finished the work for the day so ya didn't disturb nothin. Ah just had to find out where that music was comin from since ah never heard anythin like it before."

Nodding slightly, I look to the sky. "I'm not entirely sure where I picked it up, just that it was a human tribe that taught me one of the rare times that they traveled through. Normally I would run them off but these ones showed a care for nature I hadn't seen in humans before."

Applejack's head tilts slightly to the side. "Ya would run people off? If ya were bored an' alone, why didn't ya let people stay?"

I snort slightly in contempt. "Let others stay in my forest? I would have to have lost my mind to allow beings that may destroy the balance into my forest. Very few actually pay attention to the impact their actions will have on nature and tend to set off a chain reaction that destroys the land where ever they go. I would rather have the forest inhabitants as my only company than allow my forest to be corrupted."

Applejack takes a step back at the venom in my voice. "Ah'm sorry, ah didn't mean to make ya mad. Ah just thought ya would want another pony to talk to."

I shake my head and sigh. "You didn't make me mad, I just have a large amount of disgust for the majority of Norrathian races." Shifting to my pegasus form, I let my wings unfurl half way. "I think I am going to get some flight time in, it has been a long time since I was last able to take to the air and now that I am calmed down after the argument with Twilight I can actually enjoy it."

Applejack blinks. "Ya argued with Twilight? What was it about?"

Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. "She doesn't agree with my killing the creature, but this one in particular can attack the mind directly with magic and none of you ponies have any way of fighting against that. It's far better that you don't have any Norrathian creatures here because I guarantee they would wipe you out." Spreading my wings, I let a ghost of a smile appear on my face. "But as long as I am here I can remove the threat... you ponies are actually kind of growing on me so I can't really leave you to fend for yourselves." Leaping into the air before Applejack could reply, I just barely hear a laugh as I head back towards Ponyville. Landing outside the library a few minutes later, I push the door open and step inside.

At first glance the place appeared to be empty but there was still the upper floor. I didn't exactly feel like dealing with an angry Twilight so I walked to a corner of the room that was out of the way and grew a bed from the wooden floor with loose vines in place of a mattress so that it was more like a hammock. Shifting back to my true form, I lay in the makeshift bed, staring at the ceiling for a while before groaning and running a hand across my face. I was hoping to be able to sleep as easily as I did before but it seemed that with being in a new land, my mind refused to allow me to rest. Laying my arms at my side, I decide to go into a kind of meditation to calm my mind, but after several minutes I am still fully conscious. With a sigh, I roll to my feet and head for the door. "Looks like I will be up for a while longer."

Before I could make it to the door, there is a flash of light and when I regain my sight I find Twilight standing in front of me. Blinking a couple of times, I shrug it off despite the weary look she has and continue towards the door. Before I could open it though, Twilight blocks it with her magic. Turning back to look at her, I narrow my eyes. "Are you going to try to trap me in here?"

Twilight shakes her head and after a second speaks. "I just got a letter back from the Princess, she says to trust your judgment since you come from another world and only you and Lutano know how to deal with the threats... I still don't like the idea of killing something though."

I sigh slightly. "You don't have to like it, just accept that it is something I saw the need to do to protect the ponies here. This is something Lutano and I have done for a long time and I can assure you that none of the creatures we kill are innocents." Turning back to the door, I place a hand against it. "Now if you would let go of the door, I would like to find a place with enough nature for me to relax and sleep." Hearing a sigh, the aura finally disappears from around the door and I push it open, heading straight for the edge of town. Within just a couple of minutes, I leave the town and head for Sweet Apple Acres since I required an escort to go to the Everfree.

Chuckling to myself as I walk, I can't help but find my destination funny since I had just left there a little less than an hour ago and now I am returning for a place to rest. Vaulting the fence into the orchard, I start walking towards the back to get as far as possible from the town. I didn't make it far though before pain exploded in the side of my skull and the world went dark.

Author's Note

Re-wrote this chapter 4 times and still not quite satisfied with it. But hopefully it's still a decent enough read.