Twilight breathed in the brisk air of the cloudless sky as she soared. The musty smell of the forest was gone and above the strange trees the air was no different from that of Equestria. Wind dragged her mane and messed it even further. While she had never cared much about her looks, she had still wanted to stay clean and have her hair brushed neatly straight. Now, she didn't care.
Do I care about anything anymore?
Above the seemingly endless forest, she felt like a small bug flying over the rough green fur of a creature whose size was unfathomable for such a tiny little insect. The air around her was cold, but her fur kept her warm and the sun above the eastern horizon sent out warming rays of light. But if winter was coming, it would get much worse. Yet another reason to fly as fast as possible.
But she was not like the cyan pegasus friend of hers and didn't simply rush south. She examined the lands below her and looked for rivers and streams that glittered like silver under the sun. Unfortunately, they were rare in this land and difficult to spot beneath the trees.
She frowned. Finding sources of water would be difficult and she had no flasks for containing it. Perhaps Taapio would help her find water if she so wanted.
Another problem was food. There were no berries or fruits to be found in the cold forest, but Taapio had given her an idea: She could eat roots and mushrooms. Maybe even moss if she was desperate. And she hoped to find some of those nomads he had mentioned, for they could feed her if she did something in return. With her magic powers, it wouldn't be difficult to strike some deal.
She beat her wings and picked up speed. One or two weeks, nothing more. Then she could return home and-
A screech came from above.
Her heart skipped a beat and she raised her head to look at the source of the chilling sound.
A small dot floated above her.
It was on fire. And it grew in size.
Twilight gasped. Whatever it was, it approached her fast. She dodged to the side and glanced above, but the creature still dove straight at her.
Taapio had warned her, and she had ignored him.
Maybe she was like the cyan pegasus friend of hers?
No. She would've flown straight at the beast and tried kicking it in the head.
She smiled faintly at the memories that resurfaced.
The monster screeched.
She closed her eyes and waited.
Just as the creature was about to hit her she vanished in a flash of magic and reappeared further away.
The beast had dived like an eagle hunting for a little bird, and like an eagle it looked. But it was gigantic, its skin was made of iron, its feathers were made of fire and its eyes were made of hatred.
It spread its wide wings and ascended, staring at Twilight with its glowing eyes as it approached. Her own eyes widened and she could feel her body dragging her away. Flee, it said.
She turned around and flapped her wings as hard as she could. The fiery monstrosity screeched behind her.
She tried zigzagging and thus using her smaller size to her advantage, but the beast turned with ease, and it was Twilight who struggled with it.
Why did I never go flying with her?
The monster slowly catched up to her. She desperately turned to look at it and unleashed a violent blast of magic from her horn.
It opened íts flaming mouth and swallowed the ray of purple flame.
"Oh no," she said to herself. "This can't be happening!"
The beast screeched as it got closer and closer. She cast a spell. teleported behind it and flew away from it.
It turned around and relentlessly followed. No matter how hard she tried, the beast flew faster than her.
Twilight looked at the trees below and descended. If she stayed in the air, the iron eagle would catch her, but below the canopy she would be safer. She could find some place to hide in and Taapio could help her. Somehow. Maybe not, for he was just a small old creature.
She touched down on a cushion of moss and galloped away. The monster screeched above, its shadow covering her and growing in size.
A large moss-covered boulder was nearby. She teleported to it as the beast landed on the ground, ripping apart the moss with its long claws of iron.
The monster raised its head and saw her looking at it. "You cannot flee forever," it said. Its crackling voice was hight-pitched and metallic.
Twilight panted and said "What do you want from me? Leave me alone!"
It clumsily walked towards her, the flames from its wings igniting the saplings nearby. "My creator desires magical power, and I sense much within you."
Twilight frowned. Her horn glowed faintly. "Why does he or she-"
"He was once a god of smithing and air, but now he is little more than a meagre crafter of trinkets!" it shouted. "I want to help my father. Make him great again. And for that, I need your soul!"
It screeched, beat its wings and leaped at her. Twilight's horn glowed brightly and the boulder was surrounded by a cloud of magical energy. She flung the rock at it and it hit the monster's head. The two crashed onto the ground.
Twilight galloped away. She spotted a black and white bird with long tail feathers sitting on a branch nearby. "Go to Taapio!" she said to it. "Tell him to go south, and that a friend of his needs help!"
The bird croaked and flew away.