I was strolling through the bustling market of Ponyville, a content smile gracing my face as I made my way toward the flower stand. I had set aside a collection of the most exquisite and rare blooms with Lily and Rose, florists renowned for their beautiful arrangements. These flowers were especially rare, as they could only be found deep within the dangerous Everfree Forest. Naturally, they came at a higher price, but it was a price I was more than happy to pay. Beauty, after all, is worth every bit.

As I approached the stand, something seemed off. Only Rose was there, tending the stall, and that was quite unusual—Lily and Rose were practically inseparable. A nagging sense of curiosity tugged at me, but I brushed it aside, chalking it up to coincidence, and approached with my usual cheer.

"Hello, darling! I do hope you're having a fabulous day," I greeted her with my signature charm.

Rose glanced up, offering a weary smile. “Hey, Rarity… I hope you’re having a good day too.” Her voice lacked its usual spark, sounding tired—no, drained. It was unsettling, especially since she was surrounded by her favorite roses, which usually filled her with joy.

I blinked, momentarily thrown off. “Ah, well, dear, I’m here to pick up the flowers I reserved on Monday. You know, the exquisite blue ones from the Everfree? I’m planning to create the most stunning ensemble, and I think those flowers will add the perfect touch!” My excitement bubbled as I imagined the dress, but that anticipation quickly faltered when Rose returned—not with the flowers—but with a bag of bits larger than the one I had left.

Her expression was regretful, and there was something else there, something grim. “I’m sorry, Rarity. Lily went to the Everfree to gather them, but she… something happened to her, and she couldn’t bring them back. Here are your bits, with a little extra for the inconvenience.”

For a moment, I just stood there, processing her words. My excitement drained. “Oh, dear,” I said softly, concern replacing my earlier joy. “No need to worry about the bits, darling. Lily can keep them, really. But… what happened to her? Is she hurt?” A pang of guilt stirred within me—after all, she had ventured into that dreadful forest because of my request.

Rose hesitated, her eyes downcast. “She’s physically fine, but she’s… shaken. She saw something out there, Rarity. Something awful.”

“Wait…” I narrowed my eyes, a hint of skepticism slipping through. “She didn’t see that ‘Everfree bear in clothes,’ did she? You know, the one Mountain’s always going on about? I’m sure it’s just a trick he uses to drum up business for Nightmare Night.”

Rose shook her head slowly, her weariness deepening. “No, Rarity. Lily was terrified when she came back. And… she had blood on her face.”

I felt a wave of nausea roll through me. “Blood? On her face?” My voice came out shakier than I intended. "So... that bear, it's real then? A wild bear rampaging through the Everfree, crushing the heads of animals?”

Rose’s eyes darted around, her voice dropping as though speaking of it too loudly would summon it. “Lily didn’t say it was a bear. She said it’s… something else. And yes… it seems to like crushing heads.”

A cold shiver crawled down my spine. “So… it’s not a bear?”

Rose shook her head again, her face pale. “No. At least, not according to Lily. She said… it stands on two legs, like a bear, yes, but… not in the way you’d think. It’s always on its hind legs.”

“Always?” I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. “It just walks around like that? All the time? Its hind legs must be incredibly strong! So… it’s more like a bird?”

Rose hesitated, clearly unnerved by the image she was forming in her own mind. “No, not like that at all. Lily said it was… something different. She said its head was… square.”

“Square?!” I gasped, my hoof instinctively going to my own perfectly coiffed mane. The very thought of such a bizarre creature was… unsettling, to say the least.

Rose swallowed hard before continuing. “And apparently… it can camouflage itself. Like, it pretends to be a small animal.”

“Camouflage? Good heavens, how?” I was now fully engrossed in the story, though dread was starting to gnaw at me.

Rose’s voice grew softer, her eyes downcast as if recalling Lily’s harrowing recount. “Lily was out there, gathering your flowers, when she started hearing strange noises. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but as she kept walking, the sounds grew louder. Horrible, unnatural noises.”

I felt my heart rate pick up. “What kind of noises?” I asked, already regretting the question.

“Lily said she heard this… rhythmic thudding, like something being struck over and over. And… screaming. Not like any animal scream, but something… primal. Like a cry of pain.”

I shuddered, picturing the scene. “So, she went to investigate?” I asked, even though I knew Lily wasn’t the type to ignore such sounds.

Rose nodded, her face grim. “She saw it, Rarity. She saw that thing, standing over a cockatrice.” Rose’s voice trembled as she continued, her eyes wide with fear. “Lily said she watched it beat the cockatrice in the face with a rock. Over and over… even after it stopped moving.”

My eyes widened in shock. “A cockatrice?! Surely you’re mistaken. Once the cockatrice looks at something, it’s supposed to turn to stone.”

“That’s the thing,” Rose whispered, her voice trembling. “Lily said… it didn’t turn to stone. That thing—whatever it is—it’s immune to the cockatrice’s gaze.”

I felt my stomach drop. “Immune?” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper. “But how? That’s not possible!”

“I asked the same thing,” Rose continued, her tone growing more tense with each word. “Lily said she was close enough to see it with her own eyes. That thing was looking right at the cockatrice, and it was… smiling.”

“No… no, that’s impossible!” My voice shook with disbelief. “Something that can’t be petrified by a cockatrice? That’s… that’s monstrous!”

“I know…” Rose continued, her voice barely above a whisper now. “I asked Lily if maybe the creature had its eyes closed… maybe it was just lucky. But she said no. She was right there, close enough to see everything. She said the creature’s eyes were wide open. And it wasn’t just immune. It enjoyed it. She saw it… enjoy that, Rarity.”

I gasped, unable to fathom the horror of such a sight. “But… why didn’t Lily run? Why did she just stand there and watch?” The idea of staying in such a dreadful situation was beyond comprehension.

Rose’s voice cracked, her gaze haunted. “Lily was paralyzed with fear. She said her body wouldn’t move… she was just frozen, watching that thing… smash the cockatrice’s head in. Over and over. Until… it was nothing.”

I covered my mouth with a hoof, horrified. “Dear Celestia…” I whispered. “What happened next?”

Rose shivered. “It got up, still covered in blood, and… it laughed. Or maybe it growled. Lily couldn’t tell. But then… it saw her.”

My heart skipped a beat. “It… saw her?” I could barely breathe. “But she escaped, right? How?”

Rose nodded slowly. “It saw her. She said after it finished with the cockatrice, it stood up and looked right at her. She said it was… laughing, or… maybe growling? She wasn’t sure. But then it bent down, like it wanted to… touch her face.”

I covered my mouth in shock. “Sweet Celestia… that thing… that thing wants to crush everything’s head, doesn’t it?”

“Lily told me she was sure it would’ve done the same thing to her…"

I felt my legs tremble beneath me. “By Celestia… what would it have done if it caught her?” The thought of that… creature trying to touch Lily’s face with those… tiny spider legs as Mountain say it has. It was unbearable.

Rose shuddered, her voice barely above a whisper. “Luckily, she regained control of her legs and ran. But… she left the flowers behind.”

I waved a hoof dismissively, though my heart was pounding. “The flowers don’t matter, darling. What matters is that Lily is safe. If there’s anything I can do to help her… anything at all, you must let me know.”

Rose gave me a small, weary nod. “Thank you, Rarity. I’ll let you know if she needs anything.”

With a final nod, I turned and left the market, my mind swirling with horror at what I had just heard. As I walked toward the spa to calm my frazzled nerves, I couldn’t help but glance toward the looming Everfree Forest. A cold, creeping chill ran down my spine, urging me to quicken my pace.

Whatever was in that forest… was no ordinary beast.

Author's Note

This is a new experiment in how I'm sharing the story, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you prefer starting with the perspective of our dear human, or would you rather begin with the viewpoint of the poor, terrified ponies?

Which would you like to see first—ignorance or misinformation?