"Everypony! Anypony! Come quick!"
Heads turned as Free Spirit, a pegasus pony with a compass cutie mark, flew through town with little regard for anything going on around her. She had twigs in her dark green mane, and her pale gray coat was smudged with dirt. This was how she normally looked, but there was a sense of urgency in her lavender eyes that meant she had found something unbearably cool. Or dangerous. She often seemed to have trouble telling the difference.
She stopped to catch her breath in the middle of the market, landing next to Rose Luck's flower stand. A small crowd of interested ponies formed around her, waiting to hear what she had to say.
"What happened?"
"Is there some kinda trouble?"
"Did Cerberus get out again?"
The flustered pegasus shook her head.
"Can't… explain," she panted. "Gotta see… for yourself…"
She looked like she was ready to collapse, but after a few seconds of breathing heavily, a rose to munch on, and a quick drink of water, Free Spirit took off, flying towards the most dreaded place in Equestria: the Everfree Forest. A fair number of ponies, none of them inclined to visit the Forest, huddled apprehensively at the edge as they watched the unicorns' hornlights disappear into the unnatural darkness that permeated the place.
***
Hours later, as the sun started to set and a few stars were visible at the top of the sky, the crowd of waiting ponies had thinned considerably. At first it had grown as the word spread of a search party headed into the Everfree. After a while, though, the numbers had steadily declined until the group was about half its original size.
Finally, voices could be heard. Those outside the Forest called to those inside, and there was great cheering when the responses came. A few ponies galloped out to spread the word of the ponies' safe return, though the majority of the waiters stayed behind.
When the group itself emerged, slightly battered and sweaty, everypony headed for the town square. Twilight Sparkle had teleported to where the herd had been waiting and told them that they were all going to meet at Town Square and discuss what they had found.
As the last stragglers arrived, they saw Mayor Gray standing at the podium. Twilight was sitting behind her, floating a scroll and quill, ready to take notes."
"All right, everypony," began the Mayor. "Tell us what you know."