Discord had been searching for Fluttershy for days, scouring every inch of the Everfree Forest, desperate for any sign of her.

Deep in the forest, where no pony had ever dared to go, he finally found her. She sat motionless, her body entwined with roots, the earth slowly pulling her in. The air was thick, suffocating, and whispers curled around him—soft, eerie, with no clear source. He reached for his magic to whisk her away—nothing happened. The energy here was different, resisting him.

Dread coiled in his chest. If his magic was useless, this place had to be crucial to Twilight’s research. He tore at the roots with his bare hands, ignoring their resistance, and wrenched her free. The unnatural weight of the forest pressed down on him as he carried her away, pushing forward until, at last, the suffocating force lifted. Only then could he teleport, vanishing with Fluttershy in his arms, praying he wasn’t too late.