Dear Fluttershy,
I am deeply and truly sorry, but despite the fears expressed by you and our new canine friend, I have to admit that the cave we saw earlier presents an opportunity that cannot be passed up. Princess Celestia has entrusted us with the task of seeking any knowledge that may help Equestria, and it is imperative that we pursue that knowledge. Even if the places we look for it are pretty spooky. Don't try to come after me, we need to cover as much ground as possible. That big dog-man of yours does not seem entirely natural, I suspect magic was involved in some way in making him what he is. If you can find whoever was responsible for that magic, they might become another valuable source of information. Follow the plan laid out by Princess Celestia: Find out as much as you can, then return to Canterlot with whatever information and resources you can bring with you.
Until we meet again,
Twilight Sparkle
Fluttershy read and re-read the letter Twilight had left her with. For hours, she stared at the precisely-written words while dread and confusion seeped though her heart. She was all alone now. All alone in the middle of a dark, scary woodland said to be filled with dangers beyond the most terrifying denizens of the Everfree Forest. Alone, with no one to protect her but a big, cuddly puppy who seemed far too sweet and docile to mount a defense if some horrible monster attacked either of them.
Finally, Fluttershy realized that she couldn't just curl up on the ground and feel bad. Not in a forest full of monsters. The yellow mare reminded herself -many times over- that most of the 'monsters' in the Thornwood were just woodland animals, the likes of which she dealt with every day at home, just larger and maybe scarier. No doubt she could befriend them as easily as she befriended any woodland creature. Fluttershy tucked Twilight's letter carefully into her saddlebag, stood up, and started to walk. Her fluffy doggie friend remained loyally at her side.
The pony allowed the brown-furred warpwolf to guide her, hoping it would lead her to its friends. Twilight's theory that the beast was a result of magic was probably true, and so was her belief that whoever had done that magic might be very helpful. At least, that was how Fluttershy felt. Magic was not her strong suit -that was the case for any non-unicorn, really- but Twilight was definitely an expert on the subject. If her erstwhile companion said something came from magic, Fluttershy trusted that it did.
After walking for hours, Fluttershy was startled to hear a howl echoing through the woods. Her lupine companion's ears perked up, and it began to turn its head slowly, clearly trying to determine which direction the howl had come from. There was a second howl, closer than the first, and the warpwolf raised its head and answered with a howl of its own, a howl so loud Fluttershy dropped to the ground and covered her ears. Echoing barks began to come from all directions, which abruptly stopped as a single wolf-like creature emerged from the dark woods before Fluttershy. This wolf seemed normal enough except that it had two heads. The only other canine Fluttershy knew of with more than one head was Cerberus, but this creature was clearly not that great beast. It was much smaller, and its heads, back, and legs were clad in ornate armor plates held in place by thick leather straps. A second two-headed wolf announced itself with a bark, and Fluttershy realized that the echoing she had heard earlier was because one head barked just after the other.
Following these two-headed wolves came another, larger wolf. While it was not the size of Fluttershy's warpwolf companion, this canine was still big, easily the size of the timber wolves that stalked the Everfree Forest. It only had one head, and its fur was as white as snow. This white wolf's armor was more elaborately carved and decorated than its two-headed companions.
"What'd you find, Laris?" Came a voice from the trees near the white wolf. The speaker emerged from the shadows, a woman with a long polearm that had a blade on each end, her body covered in a flowing, black robe. All of the wolves looked at this woman with what most ponies would consider blank stares, but which Fluttershy could see was absolute respect and obedience. It was clear to her that although this black-robed human was not even slightly wolf-like, she was the alpha of this pack. The warpwolf next to Fluttershy strode to the newcomer, then lowered its head and, with a gentleness that seemed impossible for such a huge beast, nuzzled her cheek.
"Found something interesting, did you?" The woman asked, patting the beast's head.
One of the two-headed wolves approached Fluttershy and began to sniff at her face inquisitively. "Are you curious?" Fluttershy asked gently, raising a hoof for it to examine. The wolf sniffed her hoof a few times, then licked it experimentally. "Aw, you're a big friendly doggie, too, aren't you?" Fluttershy cooed happily, her fears fading away in the warmth of that special friendship only animals, nonjudgmental and endlessly caring, could provide.
"You seem to like my argus as much as I do," the black-clad woman said, walking up to Fluttershy with a small smile, "I've never seen anything quite like you, but perhaps we are kindred spirits. I am Kaya the Moonhunter, druid of Orboros."
"Oh, um, hello," the pony said meekly, "my name is, um, Fluttershy".
Kaya opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, another echoing howl came through the forest. The warlock cocked her head and listened carefully as the howl was repeated. "The servants of Toruk approach!" The warlock looked at Fluttershy, then Laris. "Laris, lead our guest to safety". Laris looked up at Kaya and gave a small growl, making it clear to Fluttershy that it did not want to leave its master. "I'll join you shortly, but the Cryxians must be destroyed! Now go!" Kaya added harshly. Laris glanced at Fluttershy and ran into the woods. Too frightened and confused to argue, Fluttershy went after the white wolf.
Fluttershy followed Laris to a small cave nearby. Unlike the cave Twilight Sparkle had abandoned her to explore, this one had no eerie glowing light coming from it. The cave floor was covered in fresh straw and grass, making a relatively comfortable place to rest. The fearful pegasus curled up near the back wall as rain began to fall outside. Laris sat at the entrance of the cave, watching the forest outside. As time passed and the rain grew heavier, Fluttershy added the fate of Kaya the Moonhunter to the list of things she was worrying about.
"Um, Laris?" Fluttershy began timidly, getting to her hooves. The wolf gave her a brief glance, then returned to staring into the woods. Fluttershy sat down next to Laris, pushing down her fears by reminding herself that Kaya wanted the predator to look after her. "Do you think she'll be all right?"
"Of course I'm all right". Kaya said, suddenly appearing before the pony. Fluttershy gave a startled squeak and jumped backwards.
"Oh my goodness!" The pegasus pony put a hoof to her chest, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding. She had thought Twilight's teleportation was startling, but at least that spell had a flash of light for warning. The Moonhunter had appeared in the blink of an eye. "How... how did you do that?" Fluttershy asked, still breathing heavily to slow her racing heart.
Kaya the Moonhunter walked into the cave, swaggering slightly and smirking at her guest's surprise. "Laris and I have a very strong bond. I can appear at his side any time I choose, and he can answer my summons from any distance. This surprises you?"
"Oh, yes, yes it does," Fluttershy admitted, noticing some of Kaya's argus emerging from the forest, along with the warpwolf that had brought her to the druid, "very few ponies can teleport like that."
"The druids of the Circle Orboros have many means of crossing the world," spoke an unfamiliar, rasping voice. Another druid stepped into view from the side of the cave entrance. This druid's hood hung low, hiding his eyes, and a ragged cloth mask hid the rest of his face. He carried a stone-bladed scythe with a wooden handle, and his black robe bore protective metal plates on the shoulders and corners.
"Welcome to the Thornwood, Omnipotent Mohsar the Desertwalker," Kaya said, looking at the other druid warily, "I was not aware that you were in the area."
The Desertwalker gave a small shrug and said simply, "you are aware now. My arrival was quite recent. I am loathe to leave my vigil over the Bloodstone Marches, but the appearance of this... Equestria, as its inhabitants call it, is a unique event. It has been decided that all three omnipotents must meet in person, in or near Equestria, to decide how the Circle shall address its presence."
"In that case, perhaps my new friend here can be of some help," Kaya suggested, nodding to Fluttershy, "she comes from Equestria herself, one of my warpwolves brought her to me."
"Ah, a pony of Equestria," Mohsar stepped into the cave, "what brings you to the Thornwood, young one?"
"I... well..." Fluttershy was thoroughly unnerved by Mohsar. She felt an ancient power coming from him. It was similar to the feeling of immense, overwhelming power that always emanated from Celestia and Luna, but it was harsh and abrasive, and brought to mind both searing heat and bone-chilling cold, "we -Twilight Sparkle and I- we were asked to go into the Thornwood and see if we could find someone who could help us. We -Equestria, I mean- we're, well, from another world, and we want to find out how to go back."
"And where is this Twilight Sparkle you speak of?" Mohsar asked.
At this, Fluttershy began to speak quickly, in order to keep herself from choking up, "she's a unicorn pony," the yellow mare said, "she's very, very good at magic, it's her talent. She was traveling with me, but she saw a strange cave with a scary green light coming from it, and she... she told me to keep going... and she went into it! Into the cave! I haven't seen her in more than a day! I'm so worried, I'm afraid something terrible's happened to her! We have to go-"
"No." Mohsar said flatly. Fluttershy was so surprised that she just stared at him, "a cave emitting a green light? Cryxian. One of the entrances to the network of tunnels they've carved beneath the forest, defiling the very body of Orboros with their unnatural presence. If your friend has been in those tunnels for a full day, she has joined the Nightmare Empire."
Fluttershy gasped, horrified, "she wouldn't! She couldn't!" The pony squeaked.
"She would and she could," Kaya said bluntly, "the Cryxians create walking-dead soldiers from the bodies of the slain, and they do not discriminate among species. If your friend did not join them willingly, they ended her life and used her corpse to build a new slave. I didn't get a clear look, but one of the Cryxians I fought just now had four legs, and it wasn't one of their soulhunters, it had no arms. It was shaped quite a lot like you, though I didn't see any wings. It had a horn, however"
"We cannot have you running off in any case," Mohsar added, "as a pony of Equestria, you are the most valuable source of information available to us, and will help the omnipotents greatly in determining how to deal with your homeland."
The timid pegasus felt a surge of frustration welling up inside her. "I can't just leave her!" She stamped a hoof on the ground, looking up at Mohsar's still-hidden face, "I ask, no, I demand that all of you come help me save her! She must have been forced to join them, there's no way I can leave her behind!" The pegasus narrowed her eyes slightly, letting her fury well up within her and manifest in her eyes as the Stare, as Rarity had named it, the glare that only Fluttershy could give, which struck fear into the hearts of creatures from cockatrices to dragons.
Mohsar just chuckled. "Interesting," the druid said, "you are not just a pink mane and frightened squeaking, are you? At first you seem to have a heart of gold, but I would say there's a sliver of iron in there, as well. However," Mohsar lowered his hood, revealing his milky-white, clearly blind eyes, "even if I saw the world through my eyes, your gaze could not put fear in my heart."
Fluttershy sat down, her anger and fear fading away into an empty, hollow feeling. She had never expected such a thing. The mare couldn't imagine the Stare failing to bow anything -or anyone- to her will. She had assumed that the Princesses would be immune, not that she would ever try it on them, but she had always thought that anything else alive could be pacified by her soul-touching look. She began to wonder what else was immune to the Stare. Warjacks might be, they were machines and likely did not comprehend the fear that the Stare instilled. Undead horrors, like the Cryxians? Probably. How many humans were like Mohsar, filled with an ineffable power that somehow protected them from her gaze? Fluttershy realized that the Stare was her one defensive measure, her only means of stopping something that wanted to do her or someone else harm. Deprived of its power and separated from her friends, the yellow pony was more helpless than she'd ever been before. Then a realization sunk in. The only ones she could count on were Kaya the Moonhunter and this mysterious Mohsar the Desertwalker. If she wanted to stay safe, and hopefully get the chance to return to Equestria and gather stronger, braver ponies than herself to help Twilight, Fluttershy would need to do as the druids asked. Fluttershy lowered her head, feeling miserable. "All right, Mister Mohsar the Desertwalker, I'll tell you and your friends all about Equestria."