She kept galloping. Not too fast, for it would've tired her out.
The orange leaves falling, the autumn sun shining, my friends competing...
She shook her head and focused. She wasn't certain if the monster was even able to tire. She hoped that was the case. If it wasn't, she couldn't run away from it.
So why run?
She disappeared in a flash of magic.
The giant bird leaped into a clearing, its metal head dented and its eyes filled with raw fury. "Where are you?" it screeched and looked around itself.
The forest was quiet and still.
"You can't hide from me, little creature!" it shouted. "I can sense magic, feel it, see it..."
It slowly turned to look at the trunk of a rotten tree lying on the ground nearby.
It opened its mouth and spewed out a torrent of fire that engulfed the dead tree. A yelp could be heard as it was bathed in bright flames.
What remained aside from charred wood and billowing smoke was a shimmering sphere of magic. Twilight stood inside of it.
"Can't you ask someone to help your father," she shouted, "insted of hunting down innocent beings?"
The beast approached her, black clouds rising from its glowing nostrils. "No one will ever help Ilmari, not after he forged the Sampo many millenia ago! Not after he started the Great War! No one will forgive him for it. But he will have his revenge. I will make sure of it! He will have his powers back! He will be a god once more!"
It screeched, leaped at her and sunk its claws into the magical shield.
It shattered into a thousand glowing pieces.
Twilight yelped, beat her wings and flew away from the beast's flaming maw.
"Magic won't help you fight against me!" the monster shouted. "It will only make me stronger! Give up and die!"
Twilight flapped her wings. Before her stood the labyrinth of trees, with many gaps in between them.
"Time to see if I still remember any of her lessons," she mumbled.
She spotted two trees standing close next to each other. The gap in between was large enough for her if she did Rainbow's old trick, but not for the bird of flame. It would have to stop and go around them.
She turned sideways and wrapped her wings around herself. She flew straight through the gap as the bird gave chase. However, it spread its iron wings and sliced the trees in half.
Her eyes widened when she saw that happen. "So, that didn't work, hiding did't work, zigzagging didn't work, even magic didn't work..." she mumbled nervously.
The beast screeched.
"No worries, I just have to stall it for as long as possible... and not fly too fast..."
She glanced behind her and screamed just when the monster was about to bite off her leg. She beat her wings harder and got away from it.
"Where are you, Taapio?" she said.
She desperately formed a cloud of magic around a tree ahead of them. After she flew past it, she pulled it downwards. She winced, for the tree had long roots, but managed to do it just it time. The tree's trunk cracked and fell, and the beast crashed into it and screeched.
"That should buy some time," she said and wiped her forehead.
"You cannot run away forever!" the monster screamed.
I know.
She disappeared into the brown and green maze. If the beast were to chase it, it would have to find a way through all the trees.
Unless...
A shadow soon appeared on the ground nearby.
"Of course it isn't that stupid," she muttered and looked above. She could see the monster through the canopy.
She landed and panted. Her muscles were burning. As the shadow around her grew in size, she closed her eyes and teleported away.
However, as the beast landed it spun and covered the trees around it with flame. Twilight was almost caught in the flames, and she was certain her tail had burned a little. But she didn't check. Now was not the time.
And I still don't care.
She thought about running away, but her body revolted. Too many years spent in conferences and meetings.
Too many...
She sat down and sighed.
The monster emerged from the crackling flames before her. It glared at her with lifeless eyes. "Did you give up? Good! Now come and-"
"Kokko!" someone shouted.
The bird quickly turned to see the speaker. Its eyes widened. "You said-"
"Did I not tell you that you are not allowed to enter my lands?" the sound boomed. It came from a small bearded creature standing on a moss-covered boulder.
"Taapio!" Twilight said with a smile.
"Yes, you did, but-" the bird muttered.
"Do you think Ilmari will be proud of you? He wouldn't hurt a fly, yet here you are, hunting the innocent, eager to kill! And look at the damage you have caused!" he shouted and pointed at the burning plants around it. "If you ever dare to enter my forest again, you will feel my wrath! May your foul name be thrice cursed! Now go, and never come back!"
The bird glared at him for a moment, and Twilight looked at it in anticipation.
"Fine, old man."
It beat its wings, further spreading flame, and flew away.
Twilight sighed and galloped to Taapio, who still stood on the rock, leaning on his staff.
"That was amazing! Thank you once again, Taapio!"
"You're welcome, stranger," he muttered.
"How did you do it? Why did it fear you so much?"
He smiled faintly. "Kokko knows not to underestimate me. Neither should you."
Twilight's smile disappeared as she looked at the flames behind her. "But what about the fire? Will the whole forest burn down?"
He chuckled. "Oh, no, I can always ask an old friend for help," he said, looked at the sky and closed his eyes.
"Ukko ylijumala,
Siunaa meitä sateella."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"A request," he said and looked at Twilight. "For rain."
"What? But the sky above is clear!"
He smiled. "Not for long. You should seek shelter."
"...Okay, I will. Then, I'll continue on my journey-"
He raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning to fly south, are you?"
She blinked a few times. "Why wouldn't I?"
He sighed. "The Kokko has found you, like I had feared. It will now relentlessly hunt you, always loom above your head... always ready to snatch you if you ever show up in the sky. You'll have to travel by foot."
Twiligh frowned. "By what?"
"By foot."
"...Oh, you mean 'by hoof'?"
He rolled his eyes and nodded.
She gasped. "But I can't travel that way! It'll take many moons to get where I want to go!"
"Yes, and winter is coming. Your journey will be long and arduous, I'm afraid. Tell me, why did you come here in autumn?"
"It was spring in Equestria when I cast the spell! I didn't know the season would be different here! And I thought the spell would take me exactly there, so I didn't even pack any supplies whatsoever! And worst of all, I'm going to be without books for moons!"
"Calm down," he said.
"Do you at least have a map?"
"A what?"
"A map."
"Haha, now there's a word I don't know."
She sighed and lied down on the ground.
Taapio looked at her and frowned. "Don't be sad, Equestrian... I think it's time to go home."
She raised her head. "What? No, I can't go home yet!"
He scowled. "You must. Give up on your foolish quest. You will not talk to the Despoiler."
She frowned. The cogs of her mind spun. "Wait... did you... tell the Kokko that I was here? So I would be discouraged from going south?"
His eyes widened, and then he sighed. "Yes," he said quietly and lowered his head.
Twilight's mouth opened and she stared at him.
"I am... deeply sorry. I didn't think it would cause this much damage. I didn't even think it would dare to enter my domain again."
"It almost killed me!" she shouted.
"Oh, that too."
"What? Don't you care?"
"Listen, stranger, I told you that this is a land with a cold heart. I wasn't lying when I said that. You will regret coming here. This land has been forsaken by Harmony for thousands of years, ever since the Great War. You will find nothing but misery and suffering here."
She remained silent for a while and pondered.
"No," she said.
"What?"
"I've made my decision. I have no other option. I will meet Kalmo. I am sorry if this upsets you."
Taapio's bottomless eyes gleamed like daggers of silver. "Very well. Do what you desire. As long as you act like a good guest and don't cause any trouble in my home, you can pass through the forest. But know that you will regret meeting It. I have warned you. Now go."
She stood up. "I... I am so sorry. We were friends for a moment, and now-"
"The word 'friend' is worthless in this land. Go, fly away like that beast," he muttered and turned around.
A droplet of rain fell from the sky and landed on Twilight's horn.
She looked up. The sky was covered by a thick blanket of grey clouds.
"Or don't," Taapio said and jumped down from the rock. "I don't care anymore."
As rainfall began, Twilight looked at the short elder walk away.
A tear ran down her cheek, landed on the ground and met new friends that had just fallen from the sky.