I was lounging on a cloud, soaking in the warm sun after a long day of hard work with the weather team. Lucky for me, I was flying near Fluttershy’s cottage, and I figured, why not stop by? I mean, who wouldn’t want to hang out with the best flyer in all of Equestria, right?

As I started to descend, I could hear the chorus of birds. They sounded, well... different. Like, not their usual happy Fluttershy kind of singing. Something felt off, like they were struggling.

Once I made my epic landing—because, of course, I always land in style—I saw Fluttershy. But she wasn’t her usual timid self; she looked even more stressed than usual, hiding behind her mane like she always does when she’s really nervous.

“Fluttershy, you okay? It’s me, Rainbow!” I called out, trying to snap her out of it. “C’mon, I thought we got past this whole being scared of other ponies for no reason!” I said, a little tired of always trying to push her to be more social. I mean, I’m awesome, but she really needs more friends.

Fluttershy gasped and peeked out from her mane. “Oh, Rainbow Dash... it’s you,” she said, sounding all shaky. “I’m sorry, I’m just... I-it’s just that something happened... yesterday...”

I didn’t even let her finish. I flew right over to her, checking for any sign of injury. “Something happened? Fluttershy, are you hurt? What is it? Tell me!”

She shook her head, her eyes wide but still full of fear. “No... no, I’m fine... but something awful happened... in the Everfree Forest.”

Now I was intrigued. “You went into the Everfree? Fluttershy, I know you love animals and all, but going into that place is a big no-no, even if the critters like you!”

“N-no, I didn’t go in,” she explained, shaking her head quickly. “It’s what the birds told me...”

She gestured to the little birds still trembling on her windowsill. They chirped softly, snuggling up to her wings for comfort. Whatever they saw must’ve really freaked them out.

“So... what exactly did they see?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. I mean, it’s the Everfree. Creepy stuff happens all the time, but Fluttershy’s birds were shaking like they’d seen Nightmare Moon herself.

“They saw a new creature... a-a monster,” she whispered, hiding behind her mane again.

“A monster? Come on, Fluttershy, there’s all kinds of monsters in the Everfree! That’s nothing new,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I mean, I’ve seen carnivores hunt down little critters before. It’s not pretty, but it happens.”

“Not like this...” Fluttershy’s voice got quieter, almost like she didn’t want to say it out loud. “The birds... they saw it chase a bunny, but it didn’t just... kill it... it played with it.”

That made me pause. “Played with it? Like... what do you mean?” I frowned. That didn’t sound like any predator I knew.

“It threw a rock... a huge rock, and it hit the poor bunny in the head. But... it didn’t die, Rainbow. It ran... bleeding and hurt, but it wasn’t enough to kill it.”

My feathers bristled. Okay, that was messed up. “Wait, so this thing can throw rocks? Animals don’t do that, Fluttershy! That’s... that’s not normal.”

She nodded frantically. “I-I know! That’s why it’s so scary! The poor bunny tried to get to its burrow, but... but the monster threw another rock and hit it again...”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not hunting... that’s just cruel.” I’d seen carnivores hunt, sure, but they didn’t torture their prey like that. This was something else.

“That’s not even the worst part...” Fluttershy whimpered, her voice shaking more. “After it hurt the bunny... it started screaming. The birds said it was yelling in a language they didn’t understand. And... then it made a fire.”

“A... fire?” My jaw dropped. “Fluttershy, are you telling me this thing knows how to make fire? I can’t even make a fire without some help from Applejack’s campfire tricks!”

Fluttershy’s fur had gone pale. She was trembling all over. “Yes, it made a fire... and then it... it...” She started to cry. “I-it smashed the bunny’s head in with a rock... and... skinned it! Rainbow, it skinned the poor little bunny!”

I felt a chill run down my spine. This wasn’t just some wild animal. “Fluttershy... are you sure this isn’t some rogue griffon or something? I mean, a griffon might do something that brutal... but even then, it sounds way too cruel.”

“The birds said it was even bigger than Princess Celestia... maybe a bit smaller than a bear, but definitely bigger than a timberwolf,” Fluttershy whispered. “Rainbow... what if it comes here? What if it comes for my animals?”

That got me. I couldn’t let something like that roam free, especially not near Ponyville or Fluttershy’s cottage. “No way. I won’t let that happen, Fluttershy. Whatever this thing is, it’s not just some animal. We need to tell applejack or somepony, and maybe even Princess Celestia. This thing sounds like it’s from Tartarus!”

I stayed with Fluttershy for the rest of the day, trying to calm her down. She was still shaken, and to be honest, I couldn’t stop thinking about that creature myself. What kind of monster would do something so cruel in the Everfree Forest?

Maybe Princess Celestia had a reason for placing the summer sun celebration in Ponyville... maybe she knew about this thing. Either way, I wasn’t going to rest until we figured it out.

Author's Note

I've been struggling with a creative block regarding the continuation of my planned story, especially since I've returned to university, leaving me with very little time.

In the gaps between my studies, I've attempted to make progress on the other story, and I currently have a draft of about 12,000 words. However, it's still in Spanish and unrefined, meaning it hasn't been translated yet.

To combat this creative block, I've tried drawing and writing other things—mostly nonsensical stories, random ideas about inserting various elements into Equestria, and so on—until I finally arrived at something decent, which is this little introduction I’m sharing. I liked the idea, and since I've been quite inactive lately, I wanted to contribute something to the community. Unfortunately, I’m unsure where to take this work next, so I would greatly appreciate any feedback, advice, or ideas you might have.

If you notice any mistakes or inconsistencies, please feel free to point them out. I hope you enjoy this small introduction!