Imprint First Sight

Chapters

Chapter 1: Something Has Arrived
Chapter 2: Uncharted Territory
Chapter 3: Hunted in The Everfree
Chapter 4: Eggs Cracks

Chapter 1: Something Has Arrived

Author's Note

It is recommended that you read this with a High Contrast Dark or Ultra Darkformatting setting so as to better experience the artworks and typography.

Tittle Artwork by - JetXPegasus
and Typography by JetXPegasus

Chapter 1: Something Has Arrived

One of the reasons it is so difficult to break a connection to something or someone you have imprinted on is that after you imprint, it seeds into your mind and goes from working memory to stored, hard-wired memory from which it is much more difficult to sever that attachment.

—> Mark Goulston

The morning sun’s rays seeped through the windows of his bedroom and landed on a gray-coated stallion earth pony’s face, waking him from a fitful sleep. He groaned as he rolled over in bed to escape the harsh light, but then remembered that he had a date with his mare-friend the day before (he still got nervous whenever he said that word) and sat up, rubbing the crust from his eyes. He pulled a t-shirt over his head as he walked out into the hallway, which had dark wooden floors and pale green walls decorated with paintings that were far too big for the space. It was cozy though, and he loved it.

He passed the bathroom, where a large mirror hung over a sink, and he glanced at himself critically, wondering if his shirt would look good with or without his shades. His mane had been growing out lately – down his back. He decided to keep wearing his shades most of the time (it wasn’t exactly a fashion statement), but he figured he should probably take them off once in a while just so ponies could see what was actually going on behind those tinted lenses, so maybe they’d like that. Maybe he could ask his mare-friend about it today, she seemed nice enough. But right now he needed to get out of the house.

He stepped outside and let himself inhale the fresh air, enjoying the smell of damp leaves that clung to the grassy hills faraway, and the sweet scent of flowers in bloom. He took a deep breath as the breeze caressed his cheeks. He closed his eyes and smiled as the cool air brushed against his coat. He looked around. Fillies and colts on their way to school. Salesponies in the market. Shopkeepers bustling by to deliver their wares to eager customers. Mares walking their foals past on the dirt road. All the sights and smells of an ordinary day filled with life, not unlike any other morning on the farm. The only thing missing was…

“Hiya!~ How are you?!” A familiar voice called to him.

He turned to see a brown-coated mare earth-pony waving to him, a bright smile plastered on her face. She wore a long blue skirt that flowed loosely around her hooves. Her mane was long and tied into two pigtails on the back of her head, held together with tiny black ribbon. Her eyes glowed brightly behind her glasses, framed by golden hoop earrings, and she stood proudly while giving him a wide smile, revealing a mouth full of beautiful white teeth.

The gray earth pony smiled and walked over to his mare-friend.

Somewhere through this peaceful ordinary day faraway from Ponyville, at a clear field of grass a lavender unicorn stood at the center of a canopy. Her eyes were closed shut as her horn was lit with a brilliant light that shone from its tip. The energy from this spell created an aura of pure purity that surrounded the said horn. Her mane swayed gently in the wind.

Twilight Sparkle struggled to cast the spell from her horn. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach and she knew that there would be a great backlash when it came to her next attempt if she gets it wrong - but she was determined to do this right, no matter what. The magic needed to be precise, to hold slowly, so she didn’t make mistakes or overdoing things.

The warm rays of the sun were filtering through the canopy above her and her horn glowed with bright colors as the power coursed through its veins. It felt more like being on fire than anything else, though. Twilight wondered how long this spell was going to take, but she trusted that she wouldn't have to wait too much longer. It was almost finished.

Birds chirped from all over the field in harmony, some tweeting happily and others making raucous calls, but all of them singing the same song. Twilight smiled at their joyfulness, knowing full well that they weren't the only ones feeling this joy.

Fluttershy sat comfortably on a picnic mat, drinking lemonade that Spike made for her and everypony else that were there. Rainbow Dash was at her side, eating a plateful of delicious looking pancakes while talking about her recent read of Daring Do. Applejack was beside Pinkie Pie, who was chatting animatedly with Rarity. Spike, while handing each of the girls their lemonade, watched Twilight closely with a curious look on his face.

While focusing, Twilight distracted herself with thoughts of her childhood: the journey she had on her way into a unicorn filly, she studied magic on her own and wanted to attend Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At the entrance exam, she had to use magic to hatch Spike's egg, but she was unable to cast a spell. A moment after she gave up, Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom startled her and caused her magic to go out of control. Princess Celestia witnessed Twilight's magical abilities and made Twilight her personal protégé.

At the time she was more interested in books than friends. Even now to this day after Twilight made friends with the best of ponies she ever met, she continues to read and consult books. Each book she read her mind was imbued with new knowledge and became very knowledgeable about Equestria's history.

One certain history that Twilight learned, however, was something she favored very much. This particular one, though, was not about the Equestrian Royal rulers, but rather about ancient animals that lived long ago. Animals that once roam the earth along with pony-kind even before ponies came into existence:

The Dinosaurs.

These stories of past prehistoric animals fascinated her because she always wondered how they all went extinct. What were they like when they were alive? How did they evolve? Were those days any worse for ponies during that time?

Twilight gasped. She took in a huge breath of air as the light from her horn dimmed and the magic she'd been holding dissolved. The magic faded away and Twilight was left with nothing more than small pebbles. Bullets of sweat ran down the sides of her neck in the air and she took a few seconds just to regain her composure.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “You seemed really tired. I'm sorry if I interrupted you.”

Twilight waved her off while wiping the sweat off her brow with her right hoof.

"Oh! No, I wasn't concentrating. Actually, I dozed off a bit that’s all,” Twilight assured Fluttershy. “But I think I’m getting close though, I just need to try again and concentrate. Hopefully it’ll work this time.”

“What kind of spell y’all trying to cast, Twilight?” Applejack inquired.

Spike sat down next to Pinkie Pie. With a sandwich in hand. “She’s trying to cast a teleportation spell.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“Teleportation spell? But doesn’t she know how to do that already?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Spike shook his head.

“Oh no, that kind of spell is merely used to dodge objects or to get behind some-pony,” Spike said, waving his hand casually. “This one is a special treat. This spell could allow any pony to travel to any part of the world or checkpoint and return within the blink of an eye. We’ve already marked a spot to where she wants to go, which is why she needs to concentrate in order to find it and transport herself there.”

Applejack nodded, digesting Spike’s words. “Ah’m guessin’ she still hasn’t mastered that spell, huh?”

“Nope, not quite yet,” Spike said, glanced at Twilight with a kind smile. “But she’s getting there. It’s just gonna take time.”

“Oooo!” Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly, giggling. “What if she teleports into a world filled with cupcakes and chocolate fudge?! Or maybe a world of walking talking candies! You’d think they would like parties there.”

Twilight laughed, shaking her head.

“Pinkie, I’m pretty sure that those kinds of worlds don’t exist. Besides…” She paused briefly and felt a tingling sensation from her nose.

The tension of her muscles slowly built up from her chest as pressure built up to her nose releasing it out from her nostrils. Twilight jumped whilst sneezing and at the same time, the light in her horn grew brighter than ever and everyone that was watching her were left taken aback when their world was instantly engulfed in blinding white. The blinding light cleared and Fluttershy gasped, throwing her hooves up to her mouth.

Everypony egasped as well when they found the lavender unicorn nowhere in sight.

Darkness was all she could see. Her hair floated around her face; she couldn’t move any of her limbs here. The world was quiet. Everything was still. And yet, the last of her oxygen left her mouth and flew past her face. Her lungs began to burn. She wanted to get out of whatever limbo she was stuck in. Her eyes began to water. All she could hear was her own head rocking back and forth, banging against the invisible wall surrounding her body. It hurt. It hurt so bad. The pain was overwhelming. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to cry, scream, plead for help, but no sound would escape her throat. She could barely move.

She knocked the back of her head on a hard surface and her eyes blinked when she heard something crack. Something was definitely broken. The noise continued and she kept bashing her head against what must have been the unseen barrier. The spot she hit got progressively softer as she banged on it again.

A small light pierced through the crack in the layer of darkness. A tiny speck of yellow illuminated the pitch black space inside her round-shape prison and it made everything look slightly better. It felt a lot less suffocating with that small speck of light illuminating her small trapped prison. With little energy her body could muster, Twilight let out a small moan and banged her head against the soft surface repeatedly until said surface exploded.

She fell on her back on something soft. Her eyes shot open, flinching slightly as they were assaulted by a bright sunlight that poured into her vision. The sun felt like daggers piercing through her head. Twilight sat up slowly on her rump, coughing out an overtone taste from her mouth. Her head throbbed intensely. Her body felt sore. So sore.

It takes her a while for her head to stop pounding. The light blinded her for a moment until her vision adjusted and she blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. It helped a lot. She looked around. She was sitting on top of twigs and fibers that were intertwined together in a circular form. From both sides, two large eggs were laid. And she burst out of one of ‘em!

Twilight’s nostrils flexed in disgust at the smell of gunk from the egg she came out of all over her. She tried hard to keep her gag reflex under control, swallowing hard as she looked at the other egg lying on the nest. Twilight looked up at the clear honey-colored sky above, then at the nest she sat upon.

Turning to her right, she found herself in a small field surrounded by mountains that extended upwards towards the sky. Behind the big hills far away from her, a forest stretched across a valley, looking like a dense patch of jungle that extended to the horizon. Small silhouettes of birds could be seen flying overhead.

Her eyes blinked, she was confused. Where in the world is she? Where are her friends?

Somewhere behind the two hills there was a powerful thump. The ground shook causing Twilight to jerk her head up and her ears perked up. Fully alarmed she scanned her surroundings finding none but grass, pebbles and bushes. Her eyes darted from tree to tree unsuccessfully finding the source. She heard it again, hearing it clearly this time. The forthcoming thud drew nearer as her head jerked around staring straight at the top of the hill.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she felt her heart leapt to her throat and somehow got out a quiet gasp. Climbing up over the hill Twilight saw the bulky heads of two giant behemoths starting their way towards her. Each step quaking the ground with dominance. The duo appeared to be quite robust and muscular. The said duo shared few traits and differences of their appearances.

Both shared identical dull reptilian eyes that stared deep into Twilight’s soul and the behemoths each protruded black and white feathers that ended in sharp points. The feathers covered their backs, wrapped around their throats like a mane, and created a sharp crest on the back of their skulls. The one on the right had dark brown leather with a yellow underbelly, and its partner's skin was green leather but darkened like the other while also sharing a yellow underbelly. Twilight choked back vile when she was struck by a wave of stench thick with decay, rot, and spilled blood. With each huffing snort from the two giants, Twilight slowly took a step back without thinking.

The two giants stopped before reaching their nest. Twilight stared at them with wide eyes in shock. A terrifying realization dawned on her. These behemoths… She knows what they are. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Or T-Rex for short measure. Gripped by silent terror, Twilight saw the father rex to her right take one step towards her, lowering its head to push its snout towards her ever so slowly.

A scream rose in Twilight’s throat but she bit down on her tongue, preventing it from coming out. Fearful and terrified she backed up, her legs shaking slightly as the rex inched closer. She recoiled as the creature sniffed her, nostrils flexed open and closed from the bulbous ends of its snout. Twilight could feel her heart hammering through her rib-cage. She felt paralyzed. The rex lifted its head and a deep growl rumbled in its chest, reverberating through her entire body. It was too close. Too close for her liking. She could feel it.

All it’ll take is for it to open its jaws wide and crush her skull between it! Which leaves her puzzled as to why it hasn’t done that yet? Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, racing as her breathing became labored.

The mother rex to the left took a step towards Twilight. It’s left scaled three-toe talon feet dug into the dirt, giving off another deafening rumble. The sound seemed to echo in every direction. The creature pushes its snout towards Twilight. Its breath smelled rancid. It sniffed her once more, sending shivers down her spine. It's hot breath hit her, feeling her stomach flipping uncontrollably.

As if her body was on a mind of its own, Twilight whirled her body around and bolted in the opposite direction, running and dodging trees as best as she could. Behind her she heard a loud, bellow followed by heavy footfalls. The two behemoths were after her. She could hear the powerful thumps and stomping of their heavy talons leaving deep impressions in the dirt below her. She ran faster, desperate to lose the Tyrannosauruses.

Twilight’s heart was pounding as she tried her best to run, she constantly felt her hooves about to slip from the shaking ground and she panted like crazy, rushing air to her lungs.

She was thoughtless in her instinctual flight. Through said flight Twilight knew that there was no fighting or hiding, running was her only option. Twilight was lost in the forest now veering far away from where the nest had been. She was intoxicated with her adrenaline which heightened her senses. Every rustle she heard sent her heart racing even faster as her eyes darted around. Twisting around trees and vines, tripping on roots, sliding across the dirt, she did everything she could to stay away from these vicious beasts who chased her.

Twilight had never run so hard in her life, not since she escaped a trio of snakes that chased her out of a small cave. That memory scared her for days. But this was worse than anything that snake could do. Twilight finally glanced over her shoulder and saw the two behemoths weaving downhill in a serpentine pattern.

Twilight’s pupils shrunk to slits. She couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing; it wasn’t possible. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There was no way these two creatures could be real, and yet there they were, chasing her down, closing in fast. She had seen these things millions of times through one of Spike’s comic books, the movies she watched with her family, and children’s books. But not like this. Never alive, never in real life.

Twilight turned away from the two behemoths and continued to dash away. She lit up her horn and sprinted faster. Trees whipped past her, leaves flew from the force of her passing and branches whipped her face mercilessly. Her breathing was labored. Her hooves were screaming at her to slow down. She needed to catch her breath.

She kept running. One thought plagued her head: they were gaining on her. They would catch her in seconds. Her legs moved quicker and she picked up speed. The light in her horn began glowing as a faint lavender aura surrounded her. It pulsated faintly, lighting up her horn in an intense purple glow. She was nearing the end of her endurance. She couldn't run any further.

‘Please work.’ Twilight begged internally as she slowed down a little.

Twilight didn’t dare look back. She knew they were gaining on her. She closed her eyes and felt her breathing quicken and the sweat beads forming on her forehead dripping down. Her muscles burned in agony. Her muscles screamed, begging for relief, yet she couldn't give it to herself.

The light brightened up from her horn until it filled her entire body. All at once her world exploded in blinding light.

Twilight’s eyes shot open, blinking rapidly to see that she was no longer in the forest, nor was she prey to the behemoths chasing her.

She was in a grassy open field.

She raised her head, looking about, seeing nothing but grass surrounding her, nothing but trees standing tall on both sides of her. The sunlight glistened off of their polished leaves like diamonds. Twilight stood, trying to get her bearings.

“I did it… I’m back.” She breathed, smiling brightly, “I made it.”

Her joy was short-lived when a sudden powerful thump caused a tremor beneath her hooves. She snapped over her shoulder and her ears pinned behind her head when she spotted the green mother rex lumbering towards her. In spite of her pain and fear, she forced herself to stand straighter. This beast was huge, towering over her, and the massive animal surprisingly didn’t look angry.

Twilight felt the ground shake as she turned her gaze forward finding the father rex standing before her. The two behemoths stared down at her, seemingly unperturbed, though they did stop advancing. A deep growl rumbled in the male behemoth’s chest. The sound was intimidating enough to make Twilight shrink backwards slightly, though it went unnoticed by the two Tyrannosauruses, whose attention remained fixed solely on her.

A low growl echoed forth from their throats as they stepped a little closer. With trembling lips, Twilight swallowed thickly. She was paralyzed, unable to move. A whimper choked in her throat before she whispered a simple word inaudible to any-pony else.

“Help me!”

Twilight closed her eyes tightly shut and awaited the dreadful fate that was closing in on her. However, none of those gruesome scenarios occurred. After being silent for a good minute, Twilight finally dared to peek at them. What she found was something entirely unexpected. The two behemoths remained motionless, staring right into her eyes, but still showing no sign of aggression.

It wasn't until the father rex lowered its head and nuzzled its snout against Twilight’s cheek with gentle care. Twilight froze, taken aback. The mother rex took her turn and carefully nuzzled her snout against Twilight. Twilight blinked several times, stunned, unable to react to their actions. She had expected that they would eat her. She had expected to see a ferocious prehistoric predator of immense size devour her whole and spit her bits of her flesh back at its mate as a snack.

What Twilight had not expected was for these two beasts to be so… docile. To be so loving. The only thing she could do was stare blankly into their eyes and try to comprehend what was happening. She was completely and utterly stunned as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.

This didn’t go unnoticed by the mother rex. The mother rex raised her tail and wiped some of Twilight's tears from under her eye, before pulling away from her gently. Twilight was shocked to see a unicorn-like horn protruding from the end of the mother rex’s tail. She had never seen such a sight before. No, she’d never seen any other type of Tyrannosaur have such a unique trait. How peculiar…

A terrible realization dawned on her. She Unintentionally dragged the two behemoths out from the past and into her present timeline.

Immediately she lit up her horn. Vanishing in a magenta flash and reappearing an instant later inside her library. She felt a smile spread across her face as she recognized them. Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity gathered around her. Twilight looked at them, they looked happy but also worried.

“Twilight,” Spike gasped, relieved to see her. He looked her up and down. She was covered in dirt, and sweat. Her mane was ruffled and disheveled. She looked exhausted. “Where did you go? We were worried sick!”

Twilight gave him a weak smile, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Before she could say anything, however, a flash of green light erupted outside the window and then a thump shook the library.

“What the hay was that?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she walked over to peer outside the window. Everypony and Spike watched as Rainbow’s face went pale.

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked with concern. She didn’t respond. She seemed frozen in place, staring wide eyed out at the window.

Fluttershy walked over to her. Raising a hoof towards her shoulder but stopped when her eyes rolled to the window to the direction Rainbow was looking. She gasped, her body going rigid. She stumbled backwards, crashing into Pinkie Pie who immediately placed her hooves on her best friend's shoulders.

“Whoa, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Pinkie Pie questioned worriedly. Fluttershy shook violently, and she could only point her hoof at the window in response. She looked panicked; her mouth opened and closed without saying anything.

The girls and the baby drake gathered towards the window with Twilight following behind them. All except Twilight stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable sight before them. Two giant behemoths stood outside the golden oak library. The father rex growled softly as smoke billowed from its nose. It gave a snort, as both it and the mother swiveled their heads around, looking for the pony that had just vanished from their sight. The mother stepped forward carefully, examining the buildings and areas on the street.

Spike was the first one to break the silence.

“Some-pony please tell me that I’m not seeing what I THINK I’m seeing…right?” Spike asked.

Nobody said a word. Not even Twilight. She could not tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her. The mother rex walked slowly, sniffing the air intently. She paused, taking in the scents around her. Twilight knew it was only a matter of time before the two predators find her.

“A Dinosaur..?” Fluttershy whispered with terror. She hid behind her mane and squeezed her eyes. “But I thought they were gone?”

“Who cares?!” Rainbow Dash shouted exasperatedly, pointing at a hoof at the Tyrannosaur duo. “Let’s warn Princess Celestia before those things decide to eat ponies for lunch!”

Twilight closed her eyes, shaking her head. “No. Those creatures aren’t gonna leave here.”

Applejack arched a brow at Twilight.

“What do you mean Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“Well, when I sneezed, I accidentally transported myself into what I believed to be the cretaceous period. All while I broke myself out of an egg,” Twilight explained. Rainbow Dash blinked twice in confusion before her eyes widened comically.

“So that’s where the smell coming from! No wonder you smell so bad,” Rainbow Dash said, pinching her nose with her hoof. Twilight ignored her and carried on talking.

“When I woke up, I discovered that I was in a nest. That’s when those two arrived.” Her eyes darted to the two behemoths outside then darted back to her friends. “When they arrived, I was the only one there; I had this gunk from the egg I was in all over me, I believe that those creatures must’ve picked up on that scent and imprinted on me. Kinda like a baby with a parent.”

Rainbow Dash raised a brow.

“Wait a minute…you mean to tell me that you think.” She points her hoof at the lavender unicorn, then at the window before returning it to said unicorn while laughing incredulously. “They think, you’re their baby?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you,” Twilight replied, annoyed.

Twilight glanced back out the window once more. She watched the two beasts closely as they proceeded to search the area, ignoring a few ponies screaming and fillies staring in awe. She wondered if they were even aware of what was going on.

“Well, how else would it explain why they didn’t eat her, Rainbow Dash?” Spike questioned, shrugging his shoulders innocently. “But there’s another big elephant in the room here: How did they get here?”

Twilight sighed. “I think they got dragged into the spell when I tried to come back here.”

Applejack turned to the window. Her eyes narrowed as her expression hardened. “And now they’re roaming about in Ponyville.”

Fluttershy turned her gaze towards the window. Raising a hoof below her lip, she pondered for a moment before turning her attention back to Twilight.

“What are we gonna do about them?” Fluttershy asked.

Rarity nodded. “That’s just what I was thinking. I don’t know about you girls, but I don’t like the idea of some monster walking among us freely.”

“Well…” Twilight tried to formulate a plan, only for her thoughts to be cut off suddenly by a long low growl that struck everyone in the room dumbfounded.

All of them turned their gaze towards the window. Their hearts nearly jumped out of their chests. The two behemoths were staring at them - specifically at Twilight. Their cold, calculated reptilian eyes locked onto hers in unison. Their powerful chest chugged with each breath like some kind of mechanical engine. Twilight gulped and attempted to speak again.

“Uhhh...you let me worry about that…” She stammered awkwardly.

Twilight swallowed nervously as she watched the behemoths continue to watch her intently.

Wondering how In Equestria she’s gonna explain this to Princess Celestia.

Chapter 2: Uncharted Territory

That cold ain't the weather. That's death approaching.

—> The Stranger, “30 Days of Night.”

The heart of the Everfree-forest was a dark twisted place full of dangerous creatures and a mysterious outside of Ponyville. Trees stretched into each other with no rhyme or reason as they stood like sentinels over the forest floor, blocking out most of the moon’s light. The forest felt so dense, so impenetrable that not even birds could find their way through the tangled canopy above the trees. Frogs croaked in the darkness below the forest floor. And there were monsters too: beasts of every size and shape lurking under the forest floor. Some creatures were small - others big and powerful enough to be feared. And those were the ones who were still in the Everfree.

They were the ones you didn’t want to meet at night.

Water gurgled and trickled nearby. A stream flowed by, flowing slowly, its sound only slightly more pleasant than the sounds of the forest around it. It seemed like all sound had been muted here. The green leaves rustling in the windless air appeared to have fallen asleep, their movement slow and silent. The forest seemed to be holding its breath for some reason. In the distance a frog croaked and a woodpecker tapped impatiently on a tree branch. Nothing else moved. Not an insect flew by, not even a small breeze fluttered through the branches overhead. The forest was deathly still.

And that bothered Thorax.

Thorax followed behind his boss. Gormlaith led him and his brother further down the winding dirt path, which he took whenever possible. Gormlaith always liked to walk during his free time. It helped him think. He preferred to wander off to the side, staring out at the horizon for hours on end.

He never minded walking alone, as long as he knew exactly where he was going. But this day wasn’t about walking; it was about something much bigger. This was about finding something. Gormlaith was assigned by the Queen of Changelings herself to lead Thorax, his brother Pharynx, and the rest of his troops through the Everfree to find a sacred artifact. He wasn’t given the details but all he was told was that it would help them in their cause against her enemies.

They came across a small clearing surrounded by trees. A patch of moss and vines covered the ground just barely visible amongst the thick trunks and brambles that surrounded them. There was nothing else out here except a large oak in the center. A thin stream ran along the side of the clearing before disappearing around a bend.

“Gormlaith?” Pharynx asked, peering around the treeline. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

He nodded. “We are, Pharynx. We just have to keep moving straight ahead… And stay alert.”

Pharynx looked uncertain. It wasn’t often that his brother questioned orders from the queen, especially when it concerned something of importance. But he did have a point. It made sense to make sure the group was following the trail Gormlaith was directed to follow. He wouldn’t want to accidentally lead them into danger.

As the three neared the edge of the treeline, they noticed a small opening in the thick trunk of one of the largest oaks. It was completely hidden beneath the foliage surrounding it. It was just wide enough for two ponies to pass through. It was narrow but noticeable enough for someone to notice.

“Well, that looks promising. Let me see if anything is inside.” Gormlaith stopped and turned to Thorax. “Thorax, Pharynx, keep watch.”

The two brothers nodded. Thorax shifted uncomfortably while Pharynx stared into the tree. Gormlaith knelt and placed his hoof on the ground. After a few seconds, he pulled his hoof away and rose back up.

“Just as I thought, there’s nothing here,” Gormlaith said. “Now let’s move on, we’ve got places to be.”

Thorax sighed but didn’t complain as they resumed walking through the forest. He had hoped they might find what they were looking for and head back. He stared into the undergrowth, past the trees, and stared into the misty woods far beyond it. Something seemed… Wrong. He couldn’t quite put his hoof on it, but the air was different than it was last time he was here. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it almost felt thicker here.

Almost as if there was more life. Something was out here. Something was wafting through the evergreen canopy. Something was watching them.

Someone?

Or something?

The forest suddenly grew colder and darker. It also didn’t help that the forest started becoming unnaturally quiet. Even Thorax, who hadn’t heard anything unusual at all, now seemed to pay attention. It was unnerving. His eyes swept the surroundings anxiously. He wanted to get out of the forest fast.

Suddenly he realized he didn’t hear any animals croaking. No insects buzzing in the bushes. No frogs jumping out of pools.

Something was very wrong.

Thorax’s heart began to race. There had to be an explanation for everything. This forest was creepy and mysterious, and that was perfectly normal. But why was there a sudden silence? Why had they heard none of the usual scurrying things? Why were they seeing no sign of life? What kind of creature had taken such control of this place without anyone noticing? The forest felt so alive, so filled with energy, yet so dead. It felt eerie.

It felt wrong.

“Thorax?”

Thorax snapped out of his trance.

“Sorry. What were you saying?” Thorax asked.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Pharynx replied, glancing sideways at his brother. “Are you okay? You don’t have to stay if you’re uncomfortable.”

Thorax blinked rapidly and shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I just thought I saw something. It must have been my imagination.”

“Good.” Gormlaith glanced sternly in his direction. “Stay focused. We need to do this quickly. Now come along. We will reach it soon.”

Thorax sighed. That wasn’t the first time Gormlaith had ordered him around since leaving the hive. If he were being honest with himself, he was starting to wonder how much longer they would walk together like this.

In front of them lay a clearing filled with towering trees. The grasses and leaves were lush but withered. Most of the trees were dying; a few were left standing, swaying gently in the breeze. As they approached, the branches swayed ominously towards them. One caught Thorax across the shoulder blades with its bare, gnarled branches. Thorax yelped and stumbled backward, tripping on his hooves. As he fell, he managed to catch hold of a low-hanging branch. When he regained his balance, he glanced back up at the branches. Their tips were pointed menacingly toward the clearing, like claws ready to pounce.

Thorax frowned. Shaking his head vigorously, he stepped back out of the way of a particularly strong branch, then turned back around and faced forward again. Thorax watched as Pharynx and Gormlaith turned a corner and heard his brother gasping in surprise after a moment of silence. Thorax rushed after his brother and his companion. He saw them staring down at the earth’s floor. Thorax quickly joined them.

Thorax didn’t notice anything unusual at first. Everything was quiet. But once he was closer, his gaze was drawn to what lay beneath their feet. Two giant footprints stood out amongst the otherwise barren forest floor. Two giant prints, each big like the other, were lying parallel to each other. At first, they didn’t seem to be connected or matching but as Thorax walked up to them, he could clearly see there was a pattern to their placement.

The shaping of said footprints looked bird-like: sharp points on both sides, leading up to another pair that were slightly curved. Both Thorax and Gormlaith bent down and brushed aside some of the fallen leaves. They were covered in mud, dirt, and small fragments of wood. They showed little wear and tear, suggesting that they were fresh. Gormlaith glanced over his shoulder at Thorax who stood up and stared down into the footprints they were crouched at.

“Do you think a dragon made these kinds of prints?” Pharynx asked, looking at Thorax curiously.

“No,” Thorax replied. “These aren’t from a dragon. But whatever made these must be really big.”

The siblings glanced back at the tracks as another thought popped into their minds at the same time. Neither Thorax nor Pharynx liked the feeling that settled within the pit of their stomachs. A cold chill ran up their spines.

“Let’s keep moving,” Gormlaith suggested, turning away from the footprints. “The sooner we find the artifact, the sooner we can get out of here.”

Thorax and Pharynx nodded silently. The trio continued onward down the path they were traveling through. The forest grew dimmer with every step they took. As they rounded another corner, they came facing from afar the mouth of a large cave entrance. Its darkness hid most of the rest of the tunnel. However, they could still just make out the dark shapes of several large trees lining either side of the doorway. They looked tall and ancient, even from far off in the distance.

Gormlaith paused and surveyed the cavern. It was pitch black inside. He could hear faint sounds emanating from the opposite end. He looked back at Thorax and motioned for the others to keep silent. They crept toward the doorway. Once they were near enough, Gormlaith stopped and glanced between them all before nodding towards the entrance.

“Okay, you two wait here. Watch the perimeter,” Gormlaith ordered the changeling pair. Thorax and Pharynx nodded.

Gormlaith took the front position and started slowly forward into the entrance of the darkened cave. Once he was clear, Thorax and Pharynx rolled around. Facing the trees, they peered cautiously into the shadows, trying to detect any movement. There was obviously nothing.

Thorax distracted himself with thoughts of Queen Chrysalis’s plan. She had told the rest of the Changelings that she would assume herself as Princess Cadance as a disguise to fool the Prince. Once she gives off the signal, they will swarm into the palace and take over Canterlot. If he had to be honest with himself, he didn’t like the idea of ruining some pony’s wedding; however, he understood the necessity behind the action. Without proper love, he along with the others would starve to death eventually.

Thorax didn’t know what to make of the Princess, though. He had never met her in person. All he knew about her was that she was the Princess of Love and that the prince would be marrying her. But that’s about it. He’d only seen a picture and heard rumors, nothing more. And he doubted he would meet the mare’s face anytime soon either. Not after the crisis that will soon befall Canterlot.

As the couple of seconds that passed became a minute, the duo continued to stand outside the cave, staring past the trees into the dark. Finally, Pharynx heard rustling noises to his left. Quickly, he snapped his head towards the direction of the noise. He listened carefully to his surroundings and the footfalls heading straight towards them. Pharynx narrowed his eyes and waited. It was getting louder.

A changeling drone suddenly fell face-first into Thorax’s arms out of the bushes. Its limbs flail about wildly. It struggled and shrieked while Thorax held it tightly. Once he finally calmed it down, both he and Pharynx noticed how pale the drone’s face had become. His entire body was trembling slightly, and it didn’t appear like its strength was returning.

“Hey, are you alright?” Thorax asked urgently, reaching out a hoof and touching the drone’s arm. “Are you hurt?”

The drone did not answer him. His chest rose and fell erratically in a quick rhythm, causing his breathing to get faster and faster. The drone suddenly grabbed their hooves, half-dragging them halfway inside the cave when they all heard branches snapping, and shrubs crushing. All followed with a powerful thump.

“Hey! What’s goi-” Pharynx tried to ask only to have the drone quickly shove a hoof into his mouth.

Thorax choked as the drone forced his lips shut. Using his free hoof, raised it to his lips in a shushing motion. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly to Pharynx and Thorax, silently telling them to be quiet. With careful movement, the drone pulled his hoof away before looking around the side of the cave himself. Pharynx and Thorax carefully looked around the corner themselves. Thorax’s eyes widened, feeling as though his heart could stop beating any minute now.

Thorax couldn’t believe his eyes.

Stepping out from the corner of a tree was a sixteen-foot-tall giant behemoth. Its dull reptilian eyes darted about, lifting its bloodied snout and sniffing the air. Its darkened green leather skin was coated with sharp-pointed feathers that covered its back, wrapping around its throat like a mane and creating a sharp crest on the back of its skull. The ground shook again as it took another step. As quick as the behemoth took a step, the trio was struck by a wave of stench thick with decay, spilled blood, and rot. The three of them choked back vile smells as they gagged.

They stayed where they were, frozen by horror as they watched the creature stomp halfway towards the doorway. A scream rose in Pharynx’s throat, a knee-jerk reaction but he smothered it behind his hooves. Thorax and Pharynx recognize a changeling hoof in the creature’s jaws, a ragged cigar of flesh and broken bone. Thorax felt his heart drop to his stomach as he recalled the sight of a familiar changeling’s head crushed in the creature’s serrated teeth.

Thorax closed his eyes and swallowed, willing himself to remain calm. He opened them again and focused. The creature was now so close that it was almost upon them. As it drew nearer, the smell of decaying flesh became unbearable. Thorax could feel a lump growing rapidly in his throat as they watched the creature swivel its head around, looking for the changeling that had just escaped its sight. The behemoth stepped forward, examining the trees and surrounding terrain, only to pause abruptly, snorting loudly, making everyone wince.

It then lowered its head and inhaled deeply, sending its nose deep into the soil beneath its feet. Thank the stars that they were downwind - it couldn’t smell them. Its nostrils flared and it turned to its right and as quickly as it had appeared, it turned away into the depths of the forest. The trio watched in silence as the behemoth moved through the woods as agile as a bird. Away into the darkness.

The footsteps gave way to silence and after a few minutes, the Everfree returned to life. Thorax listened to familiar nocturnal animals and the three of them exhaled. Thorax’s entire body was shaking and he, along with Pharynx and the drone stepped out of the cave and looked around.

Thorax’s eyes remained fixed to where the behemoth had vanished. His mind raced with different scenarios as to why or where the thing had gone. Where did it come from? How fast is it? His mind filled itself with questions. Questions that kept running circles around each other without ever concluding. Inhaling sharply, he clenched his jaw and let out a collective sigh.

Thorax doesn’t know what that thing was;
he had never encountered anything like it before. He hoped desperately to never see it again and to avoid it as much as possible.

For his sake and his brother.

Chapter 3: Hunted in The Everfree

The world consisted of predators and prey. You were either hunting or running.

—> Charlene Weir

The Everfree teamed with life through the dark night. Hidden owls called to one another across a vast meadow of moss and fallen leaves, their cries carrying on the breeze. The sky above was black, as the last light of day faded beneath the canopy. In its wake, a thousand stars twinkled in all their glittering glory. The slithering stream of the river gurgled by in the darkness. A gentle wind blew over the meadow, rustling the tall grasses and whispering among the fallen trees, but none disturbed the sleeping forest.

Crickets chirped and frogs croaked quietly but no other sound stirred throughout the night. No pony hoof-steps crunched through the brittle grasses or leaves. The only sounds were those of the wildlife living within this forest, which had grown accustomed to being alone. Even the owl who was perched high in the branches of an ancient oak seemed to be asleep.

Then came the footsteps. They echoed off the tree trunks, coming from somewhere in the middle distance. The sound of many hooves stamping down the ground filled the clearing. A group of twelve changelings rode into sight, their hooves clomping over the fallen logs that made up the floor of the meadow.

They were heading south along the river, away from where their checkpoint lay. Leading said group of twelve changelings was a young male changeling named Nastus, whose eyes glowed like parakeet green in the darkness. It was Nastus who was responsible for leading the changelings south, for he and along with his platoon were assigned with the same mission that his friend, Gormlaith, was assigned with.

Unfortunately they were not making any progress in finding whatever it is that their queen demanded them to find. They'd been traveling for hours without so much as seeing a single thing worth looking at, except a few deer that wandered near them with their nose down. Nastus looked around. The Everfree forest was untamed and primordial – full of wild animals that could pose a threat. Nastus wanted nothing more than to leave, even though they were supposed to remain here until their task was complete. He knew that he would get nowhere by arguing against their orders.

Another male changeling following behind Nastus was scanning the shadows for any sign of a phantom, be it a Cockatrice or Cragadile. Another male changeling behind the other darted his cyan eyes from left to right, keeping a keen eye out for any movement in the foliage of nearby trees.

The twelfth changeling at the far back of the group was the most seasoned in their search of the Everfree Forest – he'd seen a great deal and he knew well what to look for. His name was Lythya, which meant "hurry." Lythya was amazed with the diversity of the forest's inhabitants. Many of the creatures were rare and exotic beyond belief and some were almost mythical. The forest was so big that the only time when anyone had ever heard of something was when there was news of one. But that didn't stop Lythya from wanting to see everything. He'd even tried to go on a small exploration party once, but was caught by his father before he could make it too far.

He also seemed to be the only changeling in this group to be unaffected by fear. Who was obviously too naive to realize how dangerous the forest was, but Lythya, with a mind like a hawk watching for any prey, saw danger in anything that moved. He knew better than to let his guards down. He kept an eagle's eye on everyone and everything. Lythya would never allow himself to repeat any mistakes that he'd made before, for he had learned very early on in his youth that nothing was more important than survival. It took many years and hard work to gain his current status.

Lythya continued to scan the forest for any potential danger. His gaze settled on something in the distance. A lone sleeping owl hooted softly from atop an old tree. The owl watched the forest silently. Its pale silver feathers reflected the moonlight and glittered like polished glass. It sat perfectly still on its branch, as if posing for a portrait. Lythya smiled. A portrait. That's what this owl was good at.

Lythya turned back to face forward, his smile disappearing. He’d been distracted by said sleeping owl that he failed to notice a perceptible shift in the atmosphere. The Everfeee forest was silent. Lythya’s heart fluttered with alarm. Had he missed it? He searched around the area. Nothing. The buzzing insects, the groaning frogs, the hooting owls, and even the crickets had gone quiet.

Lythya looked forward again and saw that Nastus and even the other changelings had slowed down as well upon noticing the silence. Two tall changelings looked around cautiously. Neither of them spoke but instead continued to watch carefully in all directions for any possible dangers that might lie ahead of them. Three changelings stared into the treetops. One changeling’s nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing.

A soft breeze stirred the trees around them. Nastus raised his hoof and made a circular motion for the others to get closer. They gathered around Nastus and he led the way. The group slipped deeper into the woods. Lythya, being closest to the back of the pack, remained alert. His heart raced in anticipation of danger. He scanned the forest with caution. He couldn’t sense anything. He wondered what could cause said forest to be so quiet.

The sudden entombing silence unnerved him. It was as if the forest was holding its breath. He shivered slightly in the chill wind.

“There,” Nastus said suddenly, pointing into a tree. “We will stop here, a five minute break should suffice.” He dismounted and began walking toward the center of the meadow.

Several others followed suit, including the rest of the changelings. Nastus walked past each one and stopped beside a tall ash tree. He reached for a large rock next to the tree and sat on the edge.

“Hey Nastus,” said a male changeling next to Lythya. “How far do we have to go to look for this artifact thingy?”

“Yeah, we’ve been walking for hours. There’s nothing out here. Maybe we should go back and wait for Gormlaith to return.”

Another male changeling bristled, sitting themselves next to their buddy.

Nastus turned his gaze toward them. “Until we find it, we’re not leaving this place. But if we’re lucky, if Gormlaith finds it before we do, we’ll leave here sooner rather than later. Until then, we stay put. Understand?”

“Crystal!” All the changelings replied in unison.

“Good. We can take a short break while we’re waiting. If Gormlaith shows up with the artifact before us that’s when we go.”

All twelve changelings broke into smaller groups, chatting amongst themselves about the strange occurrences they’d encountered while travelling.

“I’m gonna go pee.” Lythya walked off and headed for the bushes just outside the circle.

Nastus turned his head at him. “Don’t wander off too far Lythya.”

Lythya nodded and ducked between two thick brambles. He dodged through some bushes and emerged into an eerie swampland that stretched across the forest. Thick roots stuck out from the soil in every direction, resembling enormous black snakes coiled up and stretching out from the earth.

Lythya glanced behind him. “This should be far enough.” He stepped close to two bushes on either side of him, hoping they were far enough to hide him from view. As he stood there, waiting patiently to relieve himself, his nose was suddenly assaulted by a strong ammonia scent. He coughed and sneezed violently.

His stomach churned uncomfortably, and he quickly retched. What is that unbearable smell?! Lythya quickly threw a hoof over his nose and mouth. The foul stench invaded his nostrils, making him gag. He shook vigorously, his body trembling in disgust. His eyes burned with unshed tears.

“Goodness gracious, what is that horrible smell?” Lythya’s eyes widened as he looked around, trying to pinpoint where the terrible odor was coming from. He felt like he was choking. His body began to burn. Sweat poured off him. He almost stumbled backwards, away from the hideous scent, his feet dragging helplessly on the ground.

With his hoof still over his nose, he slowly strides forward towards said ammonia. The deeper he ventured into the woods the more overpowering the smell became.

As Lythya neared the source of the odor, a sickening feeling spread over him as he realized just how close he was approaching the source: the smell was coming from behind a shrub near his path. Lythya squinted, trying to peer through the leaves of the shrubbery in hopes of finding out what was causing such a powerful odor in the middle of the forest. He took slow steady steps towards the shrub and peered around the bush.

Lythya blinked, shocked at what he saw.

A large amount of twigs and fibers were intertwined together in a circular form. Vegetation was constructed around the twig structure, forming a massive web of tangled vines and branches. In the center lay two round large eggs; their eggshells glistened brightly in the moonlight. The two eggs glowed softly.

Lythya’s jaw dropped. Realization dawned on him: he was standing before a nest. Lythya stepped around the bush and crouched down to examine the eggs. The urge to pee and the unbearable smell long forgotten, Lythya focused on examining the eggs closely. This nest looked recent...so recently that the dirt covering the entire nest was still fresh.

Lythya’s nose was now so accustomed to the horrible smelling smell that he barely noticed that he had started sweating profusely.

His breath caught in his throat. They were big—bigger than his head. Each egg looked like an oversized watermelon. He touched one. To his surprise, it was cold to the touch. His hoof lightly traced the smooth surface. He picked it up and held it in his hoof. It was surprisingly light. He was amazed at the size of it. The nest was huge! He examined the egg again, studying it closely. It definitely wasn't a normal watermelon, for it was far larger than the regular ones.

As Lythya stared in awe at the egg, he didn’t notice movement in the nearby foliage. He failed to hear the shrubs crushing underfoot that accompanied the movement, neither did he spot the bulky form that could briefly be seen brushing against the shadows within the bushes.

“There you are!”

Lythya jumped and spun around, startled by the sound of Nastus’s voice. He was walking up to him.

Nastus’s expression darkened as he gazed at the egg in Lythya’s hoof. His eyes narrowed and his face hardened.

“What have I told you about wandering off too far?”

“Uh…not to do that, I guess. Sorry. I forgot.” Lythya looked down sheepishly at the egg in his hoof. A wave of relief washed over him.

Nastus motioned his hoof at the egg. “Well, put that egg back where you found it and come on. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

Lythya stood. He looked back towards the nest with an odd expression on his face. “I’ve never seen a nest like this before.” He glanced back at Nastus. “What do you think this nest is?”

Nastus studied the nest, studying the small opening on its sides. “I don’t know nor do I want to know. Let’s just hope whatever it is that lives inside isn’t dangerous.” Nastus rolled his body around. “Now come on, I wanna be far away from it and back in the safety of the meadow before Gormlaith gets back.”

Lythya carefully placed the egg back into the center of the nest. He followed after Nastus, glancing back at the shrubs where the nest rested. His heart fluttered uneasily. The Everfree was still silent. He couldn’t even see the animals that normally roamed these grounds. Where could they be?

Lythya’s eyes blinked, his ears flattening against his head. “What was that sound?”

Nastus froze and cocked his head. “The wind. Come on, let’s get out of here and keep moving.”

“No, no, I’m serious. What was that sound? I thought I heard something.”

Nastus stared at Lythya in confusion. “What did you hear? You’re sure that it ain’t the wind?”

Lythya shook his head. “No, I heard something else.”

“Then what was it?”

Lythya looked around again, looking for anything unusual. But found nothing. Just as he decided that all was quiet once more, he heard it again, but this time his ear pricked slightly and his senses tingled ever so slightly. He shivered with excitement and fear as he realized the source of the noise. It came from their right. A few seconds later, the unmistakable sound of shrubs crushing came again from that direction.

Lythya snapped his head towards the sounds, and immediately backed up, his muscles tightening, his eyes shot wide.

Something was standing motionless from just beyond the standard trees. Their bright orange eyes staring back at him coldly. Lythya’s heart thundered wildly inside his chest. The eyes were fifteen feet from the ground! And although the creature was invisible to his sight, the fact that he could not clearly make out its features only made its presence that much stronger.

The silhouette of the behemoth stood motionlessly, silently staring straight ahead, as if it was frozen solid. Another pair of eyes blinked open next to the behemoth, both pairs glowing brightly and stared at the changeling duo coldly.

Lythya and Nastus could only stare back at the strange sight without breathing or moving. For several tense moments neither spoke a word, as the only sounds that filled the air were those coming from their lungs. The tension mounted higher as the behemoth to the left crept one step closer to them, its eyes fixed on the frightened deer couple. Its eyes grew brighter, the glow of its orbs becoming visible for mere fractions of a second.

A scream rose in Lythya’s throat but he smothered it behind his hoof. “Nastus, what are they?” Lythya whispered quietly.

Nastus looked over at the beast. His pupils dilated. He swallowed nervously, then looked away from the beast and met Lythya’s gaze. He licked his lips and gulped audibly.

“I don’t know.” He replied, his tone shaken.
Lythya glanced at the behemoth again and noticed that it had now moved closer to them. He was amazed that it hadn’t emanated a growl from its throat once. His eyes jumped to the other behemoth as it followed close behind the first.

“What do we do?” whispered Lythya frantically.

Nastus grabbed hold of Lythya’s arm tightly. “Stay calm,” he breathed. He looked at the dark looming figure from afar. “On the count of three, we’re gonna make for the trees.”

Lythya nodded.

“One…two…three.” Nastus released Lythya's arm as the pair’s wings spread wide, their bodies taking flight in the blink of an eye.

They flew through the air dodging trees. Their wings beat strongly creating gusts of wind that whipped against the pair’s bodies, throwing dust into their faces, forcing them to wipe the particles from their eyes. After several seconds their wings slowed and began to flap feebly as they hovered a foot above the ground.

Lythya looked over his shoulder as he flew, trying to catch a glimpse if the monsters are chasing them. Only to blink in astonishment, seeing that the two behemoths were gone. Lythya and Nastus stopped and cautiously turned their heads slowly towards the place they saw them last.

“Where’d they go?” said Lythya. His voice cracked.

Nastus turned his gaze at him. “I don’t know,” he replied, his voice trembling. He swallowed hard. “Okay, we head back, gather the others and head back to colony. So let’s just—“

A terrifying high pitch cry erupted from behind them. Said cry echoed through the woods and the sound seemed to shake everything to the core. The duo immediately beat their wings and took flight. They headed forward and quickly flew through the forest. They sped past trees in an effort to reach where they heard the cry.

Nastus and Lythya stopped next to a tree. Their hearts raced, racing to match each other’s frantic breaths. The pair stared ahead. Their breath caught in their throats as they saw their fellow changeling drone on the ground.

The drone’s eyes widened, terror gripping him, he tried to desperately crawl away but then a wide three-toe foot planted firmly on the drone’s back. The movement was delicate but then came accompanied with a high pitch scream. The changeling drone had more time to scream in pain before the silhouette of a large snout lowered into view, Jaws wide as they latched onto the drone’s body. With a sickening clamp of their jaws, blood sprayed into the air and the shrieking drone fell limply to the ground, twitching as it lay still. The corpse of the drone was picked up and every changeling watched as the behemoth swallowed the drone whole. The drone’s eyes rolled into the back of its head as it ceased struggling and died.

Nastus and Lythya was paralyzed. They stared in silence as the behemoth turned it’s head at the eleven changelings staring at the beast with terror. They watched as the behemoth walked over to them, a deep low rumbling growl rising from deep within its chest.

All eleven changelings beat their wings, lifting themselves in the air. One drone in the middle was engulfed in green flames before reappearing in the form of a dragon. Inhaling all the fire he held up inside his belly it shot a hot torrent of flames out his mouth engulfing its target. Every second he increases the power of his flames ensuring that there'll be nothing left of that beast. He kept this up for a few minutes before jerking his head back giving a snort, shooting out a large part of the smoke into the air, as it sat there gazing at the flames.

Nastus and Lythya felt that they had done it. But then a wide bellowing maw shot out from the flames, causing the dragon to be engulfed in green flames once more and come back as a changeling out of fear. He didn’t have time to scream before being crushed by the jaws of the behemoth. Bones crunching, blood splattering everywhere as the beast devoured his victim. All ten remaining changelings screamed simultaneously as one.

Lythya’s glared wide eyed. Horror coursed through his veins. He clutched his chest with both of his hands as panic took over his entire system. He watched in horror at what had happened before his very eyes. The behemoth stepped out of the ashes. Unschathed, uninjured, and no sign of any burnt on it.

The tenth changeling drone was suddenly shrouded in dark green magical aura before being jerked away from his buddies and shooting past the trees and into the darkness. His screams gave way to silence. Stepping out of the darkness, another behemoth slowly strides into view. Its chest chugged powerfully with each breath that filled its lungs. Each step left an impression on the earth as it approached the pack of terrified changelings.

“Scatter!” Nastus flew to the air. Staring intently at the nine changelings left. “They can’t get all of us if we split up. Come on!”

Nastus rolled his body around and soars past the trees, with the nine remaining changelings following suit.

Lythya tried to follow but was stopped by the much bigger behemoth. Its bright orange calculating eyes stared coldly back at him. From behind it, the behemoth’s partner stomped past the trees. Heading towards where Nastus and the others flew off. Lythya just barely dodge the jaws as it snapped at him.

He spun around and beat his wings furiously flying upwards as the behemoth chased after him. A huge amount of energy flowed into his legs from his wings before they started beating faster and faster, propelling him further away from the behemoth. It followed him closely, never stopping even when he started turning and changing direction.

Lythya continued to fly straight, trying to lose the monster. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His heart thudded violently in his chest, as though wanting to jump out of his ribcage, leaving him gasping heavily for breath. Sweat poured from his brow and trickled down the side of his face, sliding down his neck.

Lythya shoots through a large bush and falls face-first into something wrapping around him. His limbs flail about wildly. He struggled and shrieked while trying to move.

“Hey, hey! it’s okay, you’re safe.” The voice spoke.

Lythya looked up in recognition and blinked at the two familiar figures. Staring down at him with concern were both Throax and Pharynx—two brothers who shared a look of worry. All the while the Behemoth’s footfalls grew nearer and nearer to them. His face paled as he slowly looked over his shoulder.

It was coming.

Lythya quickly grabbed their hooves, half-dragging them halfway inside a cave when they all heard branch snapping, and shrubs crushing. All followed with a powerful thump.

“Hey! What’s goi-” Pharynx tried to ask only for Lythya to quickly shove a hoof into his mouth.

Lythya used his free hoof, raised it up to his own lips in a shushing gesture. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly to Pharynx and Thorax, internally praying for them to be quiet. With careful movement, Lythya pulled his hoof away. Looking around the side of the cave and caught his breath when he saw the behemoth stepping out from the corner of a tree. Its dull reptilian eyes darted about, lifting its bloodied snout and sniffing the air. Bits of moonlight painted down on Its darkened green leather skin.

Each methodic footstep reverberated loudly throughout the forest, shaking the rocks beneath their feet. Lythya, Thorax and Pharynx watched whilst being gripped by terror. When the creature finally came to a halt, it scanned its surroundings. Its long tail swayed behind It, exhaling once and swiveled its heads around.

It was then that Lythya realized what was happening the behemoth had lost him. So it was trying to search for where he had flown off. His heart began to race and sweat dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyesight from the moisture. He closed his eyes to block out the tears forming.

Lythya watched as the behemoth lowered its head and inhaled deeply, sending its nose deep into the soil beneath its feet. Its nostrils flared and it turned to its right, striding into the depths of the forest. Lythya watched silently as the behemoth moved through the woods as agile as a bird. As quickly as it had appeared, it had vanished into the darkness.

The footsteps gave way to silence. After a few minutes the Everfree returned to life. The three changelings listened to nocturnal animals—familiar animals and the trio exhaled.

The trio stepped out of the cave and looked around. All four of them stared at each other as confusion set in.

“Where did it go?” Pharynx questioned.

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it's gone now.” Lythya said, feeling a bit more reassured than he should have been under these circumstances. He took a glance over at Thorax and saw his eyes remained fixed to where the behemoth had vanished.

“I never seen anything like it before…” Thorax mumbled quietly, his voice trembling lightly.

“Neither have I,” Pharynx responded.

“That thing was so big, and fast...” Lythya sighed, rubbing a hoof across the back of his neck. “It had already eaten one of our guys back at our second checkpoint.”

Thorax’s gaze shifted towards them.

“Eaten?” Thorax asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Lythya nodded. “Yeah. There were two of them in total. The other one chased after Nastus and the few remaining drones but I don’t know if they're alive or…”

“Who’s alive?”

The three changelings turned at the sound of the newcomer’s voice. They all let out a sigh of relief seeing who it was. Gormlaith approached them from the mouth of the cave. Holding a covered cloth sack in one hoof he walked towards them. Gormlaith stood in front of them. Turning his gaze on each of the trio.

“What’s wrong with you three? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Gormlaith inquired. “Did something happen?”

“Gormlaith!”

The four changelings lifted their heads to see Nastus and a group of seven changelings following behind him in the air. They all landed near them, their wings folded behind them. Their faces were pale, eyes blazing with fear and their chest rose rapidly as they heaved for air.

“Wha…What the buck was that?!” One of the changelings cried. “That monster was out to get us. Did any of you see where it went?”

“Hay if I know,” the changeling drone next to him answered.

“It looked like a giant lizard if you ask me!” Another changeling chimed in.

“Nobody asked you.” Another of them muttered. He cleared his throat.

Nastus lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at Gormlaith. “Gormlaith, please tell me that you found what we’ve been looking for?”

Gormlaith nodded. “Yes. It was hard but I was able to retrieve the artifact. We should probably make haste and head back to the colony.”

“Good. Then we leave…now.” Nastus stated sternly.

Gormlaith’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Hold on. Why are all of you so alarmed? What in the stars happened that’s got all of you so worked up?”

An ear shattering bellow echoed somewhere in the far off forest. Said bellow was returned by a faraway call similar in nature that made all of them flinch. All of them instantly turned their gazes in the direction of the source of the roar.

Each changeling feeling as though the world froze for a moment, their blood ran cold to the sudden distant roar. Their eyes widened as they stared into the forest, not daring to take their gaze off.

Whatever had attacked them tonight was not of this world.

Chapter 4: Eggs Cracks

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