Fluttershy and her friends met at her cottage, ready to search for Fluttershy's mystery monster. They were each wearing saddlebags loaded with supplies they might need. Such as food, a field guide, bug repellent, binoculars, pencils, and paper. But they even brought things that probably weren't necessary. Rarity brought sunscreen, a bright camo sunhat, and scissors. Fluttershy figured she brought the scissors to cut flowers or something along those lines. Rainbow Dash had two glass jars, each containing a lightening bolt that shimmered violently inside. And Pinkie Pie had confetti, streamers, balloons, and...
"Tents?" Fluttershy asked, seeing six tents rolled tightly in her bag.
Pinkie Pie smiled cheerfully at the six canvas rolls she was carrying.
"Yeah." She replied, "I figured since we're going on an adventure, why not make it a long one."
Fluttershy looked at Twilight, who just shook her head and grinned.
"Pinkie, I don't think we'll be gone that long." Twilight said.
"I'll bring 'em along, anyway." Pinkie replied joyfully.
Turning back toward the big trees, outlining the large forest, Fluttershy gulped bravely and slowly entered the Everfree Forest. Followed by Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. The sun peeked through the branches of the trees, making the forest seem more welcoming, but they knew better. Just because something seems welcoming, doesn't mean it is. The forest was home to timber wolves, manticores, parasprites, and a large amount of other frightening creatures. Including, dragons. Slowly, they walked to where Fluttershy had seen the strange dragon.
"I don't quite understand why we're lookin' for a dragon." Applejack said, keeping her head on a swivel, "Don't we normally try to avoid 'em?"
"Yes, but Fluttershy said that this particular dragon has magical properties." Twilight replied, turning her head to see Applejack, "I personally, want to know if such a dragon exists. And if they do, how they're able to use magic."
They stepped into the clearing and Fluttershy saw the log that had crushed the manticore's tail. But the net that it was tangled in, was missing. Fluttershy took a step towards the log and tripped on something. After she got back up and looked at what she had tripped on, Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"That's an impressive print!" Rarity exclaimed, staring at the large dent in the dirt.
The footprint had four points in the front and a short heel in the back.
"Fluttershy, how tall would you say this dragon was?" Twilight asked, levitating a pencil and paper.
"Um. About fifty five to sixty meters tall. But it was on all four legs most of the time."
Twilight's pencil scratched at the paper as she wrote down the fact. Then they turned their attention to the log, which had huge claw marks scratched into it.
"Did the dragon do that too?" Rainbow Dash asked, staring at the massive timber.
"Yes. It picked it up as if it was just a long stick."
Cautiously approaching the log, Fluttershy felt something soft and flakey under her hooves. She looked down at what she had stepped in and saw ashes. But what had her attention, was that in the middle of the ashes, the outline of a creature laid out on the ground. Her eyes going wide again, Fluttershy realized that she was standing exactly where the manticore had been, when the dragon's fire rained down onto it.
"This is where it all happened." Fluttershy said, looking back down at the ash.
Then Fluttershy saw something else, buried under the ash. She wiped away the ash and discovered a small metal spike with a loop for a chain or...
"The net." Fluttershy said aloud.
"What net?" Rarity asked, applying sunscreen to her coat.
Fluttershy stepped out of the ash and looked at her friends.
"The manticore was wrapped in a big net, when I came here, last night. It had thick ropes that the manticore couldn't cut through. But it's not here. Meaning somepony, or something, took it."
Then Fluttershy looked back at the log and saw axe marks on the far end.
"And those weren't made by the dragon." She said, pointing at the cuts.
"So, what?" Rainbow Dash said, trying to understand what she was saying, "You thinking there's poachers out here?"
Fluttershy nodded worriedly and looked at the outline of what used to be a wounded creature.
"I just don't understand why somepony would do such a thing. It's cruel."
Fluttershy wanted to cry, but kept her emotions in check and brought herself back to reality.
"Look, sugarcube," Applejack said, putting a hoof on her shoulder, "I know you wanna try and stop those crooks, but we came out here lookin' for a dragon. I think we oughta stick to the plan."
Everypony agreed and Fluttershy lead them further into the forest, in the direction the dragon had gone. The footprints were easy to follow for the first little while. But then they started to get further and further apart, as if the dragon started running. The footprint trail came to an end, when the footprints stopped suddenly in another large clearing. They were deep into the forest and the sun had gotten lower in the sky, turning it into a bright orange ceiling above the trees. They had been in the Everfree Forest during the night before, but by the looks of their surroundings, Pinkie's tents would be useful after all.
"I got dibs on the pink tent!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed joyously.
They pitched their tents, which all had their cutie marks on them, and made a fire. Applejack reached into one of her saddlebags and retrieved chocolate, gram crackers, and marshmallows. They each grabbed sticks and started cooking their well deserved treats.
"So, Twilight, what kind of dragon do you think we're looking for?" Rarity asked, elegantly sandwiching her marshmallow and chocolate between two crackers.
"I'm not sure, but I'm lead to believe it's some breed of dragon I've never heard of before." Twilight replied, trying to blow out her flaming marshmallow, "And I've heard of all of them."
They ate their s'mores happily, unaware they were being watched from a distance.
"Tell us again, Fluttershy. What did this dragon look like?" Rainbow Dash asked, putting another marshmallow on her stick and hovering it over the fire.
"It had red scaly skin that was covered in scars, white glowing eyes, a pointed crest on it's head, large claws, a thick whip-like tail, razor-sharp teeth, and no wings." Fluttershy replied, remembering the large beast.
Rainbow Dash stopped cooking her marshmallow and stared at Fluttershy in confusion.
"No wings?" She asked, trying to understand the last part, "Then how did those tracks stop all of a sudden."
Poof!
"Have you considered, that what you're looking for might not be a dragon?"
"AAAHHH!" The girls screamed, surprised by their unexpected guest.
"Discord!" Fluttershy scolded, "That was very rude!"
Discord just started howling with laughter and fell backwards, catching himself with his magic.
"BAH, HA, HA, HA!" Discord laughed, bringing himself back to an upright stance, "Oh, I just couldn't resist. I truly am sorry, but you should've seen your faces!"
After the laughter had subsided and everyone was sitting comfortably around the campfire again. Discord helped himself to a couple marshmallows and stabbed a strange stick, that he made, through them. Fluttershy looked at him curiously, trying to understand what he meant.
"What do you mean, might not be a dragon? I clearly saw that it was a dragon."
"What I meant, is that it could be a shape shifter of some kind. I've lived for centuries and I've never heard of a dragon that can vanish into thin air. At least, not one without wings."
Twilight thought for a brief moment, rolling the idea of a shape shifting creature through her head.
"I mean, look at me." Discord continued, transforming into a strange bird, "I can shape shift into anything I want."
Then Fluttershy had an idea and reached into one of the packs, retrieving a pencil and paper. Going from memory, Fluttershy sketched the dragon she saw the night before and showed it to Discord.
"Can you turn into that?" Fluttershy asked as Discord took the drawing and studied it.
"I'll give it a try." He replied.
Going to the middle of the clearing, Discord crouched on all fours and started to grow bigger. His head changed shape, his wings disappeared, and the ends of his limbs turned into hands with large claws. And his tail became whip-like, almost identical to the drawing.
"How's that?" The large creature asked, standing on it's hind legs proudly.
The ponies stared in awe at what he had become. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly like what Fluttershy saw, but close. Then Discord changed back into his usual, yet unusual, form. Looking somewhat tired, he plopped down on a log near the fire. They joined him and started talking about the possibility of a shape shifter.
"Ya look tired. Are ya alright?" Applejack asked, retrieving an apple from her pack.
"I'm alright. It's just, I've never turned into something that big before." He replied as a cup of chocolate milk appeared in his lion paw, "It took a bit more power than I'm used to, when it comes to transformation."
"Then it must be an actual dragon." Fluttershy said, "Because if someone as powerful as you had trouble turning into it, than that means that it has to be real."
"But, Fluttershy, darling, we still have no idea what this dragon can do." Rarity chimed, "And we don't have a trail to follow anymore."
RRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRHHHHH!!!
"EEP!"
A loud and long roar, echoed through the forest, making Fluttershy dive behind Discord. Everyone looked in the direction the sound had come from. Twilight's horn lit up and a purple dome formed over them. Then the dome vanished, revealing the dark forest again.
"There." Twilight said, after her horn stopped glowing, "This barrier will keep us safe for the night."
"What kind of barrier did you make this time, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, turning back to the purple alicorn.
"It's a soundproof, invisible barrier. As long as your inside it, you can't hear anything outside and nothing, outside it, can hear or see you." Twilight replied proudly.
"Good thinkin', Twi." Applejack yawned, "'cause I wanna have a nice an' quiet night, to-"
BOOM!
Applejack pulled back the flap of the nearest tent and was greeted by a cloud of confetti, exploding out of a small cannon.
"PINKIE!" She bellowed, shaking the shreds of coloured paper off her, "Why's there a party-cannon in my tent?!"
"In case we meet the dragon and he wants to have some fun." Pinkie replied, smiling at the multi-coloured farm pony.
Furious, Applejack grabbed the small cannon and hurled it out of the tent. It sailed over Pinkie Pie and landed just outside the barrier.
"Jeez, Applejack. You didn't have to throw it." Pinkie said, getting off of her seat and trotting over to the cannon.
She had just stepped out of the barrier and was about to wheel the cannon back inside. When something stopped her, causing her tail to shake. Pinkie jumped to her right as a big rock crushed her cannon. One by one, everyone appeared out of thin air to see if their friend was hurt.
"Pinkie! Are you okay?!" Twilight asked frantically, running over to the pink pony.
"Yeah, but my party can-"
RRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHH!!!
GRRROOOAAAAAHHH!!!
Pinkie Pie didn't even finish her sentence, before two separate roars echoed loudly through the trees. Twilight turned her attention to the rock sitting on top of what used to be a party cannon.
"Judging by the mark it made," She said, examining the boulder, "I'd say it came from the same direction as those sounds."
RRRRAAAAARRRRRRHHHHH!!!
GRRROOOOAAAAHHHH!!!
Two more bellows flew through the night air, making all of them shake in fear. Even Discord didn't feel comfortable hearing the terrible sounds.
"I suggest we turn in for the night." He said, turning and reinforcing Twilight's barrier with a magical impact shield.
"Agreed." They all said in unison.
Discord opened the shield enough for them to enter, before closing it behind him. They each crawled into the tents, while Discord offered to lay next to the fire and guard them. They agreed and with all that settled, they laid wide awake in their sleep bags, trying not to think about what was happening beyond the trees of the Everfree Forest.
"What have I gotten us into?" Fluttershy murmured quietly to herself, before her mind faded to black and managed to fall asleep.