That night, after an eventful day with Loona and Beatrice, and an awkward afternoon with Fleur, Spike was more than ready to hit the sack.

No sooner had he lay his head down, he already felt he was floating above the clouds, feeling light. He was at peace with the heavy weight of his existing and his attachments to the Earth releasing him to the heavens.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

Spike was rudely awaken by the sound of sheep bleating. He blinked his eyes open, which both felt sore and stinging, as if they were dried out by salt.

How long had he been asleep?

With a groan, while certain his eyes were colored in a pinkish hue, Spike sat up in his bed and looked out the window of his hut to see what the fuss was all about.

Though drowsy, and his vision blurry as they adjusted to the darkness of the night, Spike managed to catch a glimpse of some white cottons, leaving the village and into the jungle.

“Where are Kirin and Leggy running off to?” Spike asked himself.

Wanting to know what’s up, Spike got out of bed and was on his way out, when someone crashed into him, from the left. Next thing he knew, his face was enveloped by a whole pillow of fur with, what felt like, a couple of cushions the size of melons, smothering and crushing his head.

“Get off, get off, get off!!!” Spike screamed, muffled in the ground.

“Oh! Oh dear goodness!” Fluttershy screeched frantically, as she reached down for Spike, feeling him up. “Spike? Is that you?”

“No, it’s your grandma,” Spike replied in sarcasm. “But I got run over by a reindeer. Of course it’s me!”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy gingerly helped Spike up. “I…I…I…”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Spike replied. “I understand.”

Fluttershy’s — or perhaps, Flutter Bat, as most of her friends have nicknamed — blindness is still a serious issue for the poor She-Beast.

Her clumsiness is a problem that nobody can hold against her. Instead, Dr. Grogar’s himself is to blame.

“Anyway, what’s up, Fluttershy?” Spike asked, wanting to get out of the awkward moment. “What’re you doing out so late?”

“I should probably ask you the same thing, Spike,” Fluttershy replied. “I may be blind, but I can tell from the temperatures in the air, the sounds of the crickets chirping, that it’s nighttime. Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”

“I was…but then I heard Leggy and Kirin bleating and I saw them leaving the village.”

“Oh goodness! Are you sure?”

“Yeah?”

“OH NO! Why would they leave the village? It’s dangerous! The island is full of dangerous animals, especially at this time of night. We have to save them before something bad happens to them!”

Fluttershy immediately flapped her wings and proceeded to take flight.

“Wait, Fluttershy!” Spike shouted, stopping the bat. “They went the other direction.”

“Where?”

“Oh…right,” Spike groaned, contemplating on how to resolve Fluttershy’s blind issue. “Uh, here. Lower your head. Get down on your…thumb.”

“Huh? Okay?” Fluttershy complied, crouching down on her wings. “Um, may I ask why?”

As if answering the bat-woman’s question, Spike climbed onto Fluttershy’s back, positioning himself so that his legs were wrapped around Fluttershy’s waist, with his arms draped over Fluttershy’s wing joints.

“Uh, Spike?” Fluttershy squeaked, sounding flabbergasted. “What are you doing?”

“Uh…riding you, I guess,” Spike replied.

“…You’re riding me? Like a…a horse?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way. Think of yourself as a…a noble steed! This way, I can help you find your way through the jungle and you can take me anywhere I need to be.”

Spike cringed and nearly wanted to punch himself for his poor choice of words. Fluttershy response sounded less convincing.

“You think I’m a steed?” She asked, sounding incredulous. “Well, it’s better than being referred to as a doormat. I guess…”

“We can talk about this later,” Spike said, getting back on topic. “We have to find Kirin and Leggy…fast!”

“Okay,” With a flap of her wings, Fluttershy became airborne, with Spike onboard her back. “Where do we go?”

“Turn left,” Spike instructed. “No, turn right. Left! Stop! Go straight. Watch the tree! OW!”

“I think we need to take flight class…” Fluttershy muttered.

Out in the jungle of this dreadful island, in the dark of the night, she came for a drink of water, with her child.

Leggy Lamb couldn’t get any sleep. Not with her adopted son, Kirin, pestering her nonstop for a drink of water.

So they went to the river for a drink of water.

Leggy watched with pride and joy as little Kirin bent down to lap up the waters on his tongue. Seeing the little lamb like this brings satisfaction to the anthropomorphic ewe. At the very least, another sheep, whom she regarded as her own can live a normal life.

Leggy looked down at her reflection in the water. But instead of a sheep, she was greeted by a bizarre creature that is neither man, or sheep.

What has become of her? What has the awful human done to her body? She has the body of a female human, yet her face, and her instincts remain. But now, her mentality is conflicted by these new thoughts.

She can talk, she can think, but she wish she wasn’t. She was in so much pain.

She could no longer live the life she had as a normal sheep. Every steps she takes on her feet, painful sensations would shot up, all over her body. As if the needles that awful man had used to cut her open, breaking her bones, and performed other torturous procedures were still inside of her.

Worse still, for her, her precious coat of wools were all sheared off. The only remnants she had left were the ones on her head, the front of her chest, and a large tufts between her legs.

This made her feel vulnerable to the island’s breezy air, and to the eyes of every creatures staring at her. Any one of them would instantly be hungry for a piece of lamb.

‘Why is this happening to me?’ She asked herself mentally, questioning her existence. ‘Why am I sexy? Why am I so sexy?’

She just wanted to cry, right then and there. But she restrained herself for the sake of her son.

Suddenly, Leggy’s nose twitched upon smelling a bizarre fragrant stench. It smelled bitter, and revolting. It was so horrible, that it made her sick to the stomach.

Furthermore, it had a smell of blood. An animal’s blood. The sort of sour and bitter aroma that is a scent of death. Something dangerous lurked nearby, and it had recently killed another animal.

Reacting on parental instinct, Leggy reached out and pulled Kirin close. She hoped to at least put herself between the threat to keep her little lamb safe.

Her ears immediately stood up, turning in every directions to listen for sounds in every directions. She can hear the drumming beat of her heart, her own breathing, as well as Kirin’s.

She sniffed the air again, to determine the where the danger is coming from. The smell was fresh as it pungent that she almost gagged at the raw stench of blood.

But what was the most alarming of all was the sound of bones crunching and something snarling. Meaning something was eating. Some kind of predator, no doubt.

Very carefully, slowly moving behind a tree, being careful with where she steps, Leggy looked. And she immediately regrets with what she sees.

Out of impulses she has yet to understand, Leggy covered little Kirin’s eyes. She doesn’t know why, but she just wanted to spare the little lamb of a gruesome sight.

Close to the riverbank, but far enough to not contaminate the water, is the carcass of a half-eaten cow. Eating away at what's left of the cow are a pack of Raptorians. The same monstrous feathered dog-like creatures that Leggy barely escaped from, back when she first met Spike, the tiger-woman called Sunset Shimmer, and the strange woman who was formerly dubbed Sweetie, but now referred to as Fleur.

The only reason these Raptorians didn't eat her and her companions back when was because they were frightened off by a bigger danger. The danger called Tirek, she recalls.

Not wanting to stick around any longer to become their next meal, Leggy held Kirin closer, tightening her grip on him. Leggy stepped away, intending on returning to the safety of the village, when suddenly, she had inadvertently stepped on a twig.

*SNAP

In response, Leggy stood still as a tree. Unfortunately, the sound didn't go unheard.

The Raptorians let out startled barks. One of them can be heard sniffing the air. The Raptorians are on the hunt. The leaves from the nearest shrubs shake and rattle as the feathered-dogs brushed through them.

Two of them have leapt into view. But by then, Leggy had concealed herself and Kirin in the bushes, covered with flowers. That way, they can hide out of sight, and hide their scents.

With her hands wrapped around Kirin, preventing him from running and screaming, Leggy pulled him deeper into the bush.

The anthropomorphic motherly sheep didn’t get any deeper, unfortunately, when she felt something long, thick, and sharp sticking into a place it shouldn’t be.

Leggy almost yelped out of impulse at this awkward predicament. Her eyes began to water. It was so embarrassing, and painful. But for some reason, it was—as humans would say—turning her on.

It was driving her crazy, she felt the urge to bounce around. But she resisted, because she knows that such erotic notion would result in her’s and her son’s cruel and painful death.

The Raptors outside continued to hunt the area, sniffing the air, but failing to locate both mother and son.

Suddenly, something wet dripped down from the treetops, and splattered on top of Leggy’s head. It was disgusting, and it smelled horrible.

Thankfully, at that moment, the Raptorians came to sniff at the substance. Whatever it is, the Raptorians didn’t like the smell of it. They seemed to be both disgusted and frightened.

Whatever reasons it may be, the feathered dog-like creatures took off, in a yelp.

Leggy looked up, and her fears were immediately realized to see a pair of glowing red eyes. They stared intently at both her and Kirin. They even appeared to be staring into her very being.

Barely illuminated by the little amount of moonlight, shining through the openings in the treetops, the silhouette of a misshapen creature can be seen.

At this point, she no longer cared if she was bald, vulnerable, or even having an offending twig in her personal area. She’s more afraid than embarrassed and she didn’t know why.

“Leggy? Kirin?”

Leggy and Kirin nearly bleated in fright, upon hearing the shout. They looked up and we’re relieved to see that it was only the man named Spike, and the huge bat creature called Flutter Bat.

Little Kirin bleated as he ran away from his mother, straight towards the man, who climbed off of Flutter Bat.

Leggy immediately followed, and brushed the twig out of her crotch. At least she didn’t have to concern herself with marrying, or mating, the shrub.

However, out of impulse, Leggy felt her face heating up. She feels rather flustered to be seen by Spike, every time. So much that she would cover herself with her arms and legs as much as possible.

“What do you think you are doing?” Spike asked. “You shouldn’t be out here. C’mon, lets get back into the village.”

Leggy bleated, trying her best to explain and to warn Spike and Flutter Bat of the danger.

“Me…Kirin…water…drink. Danger!” Leggy tried to explain.

“What?” Spike replied, with a confused expression on his face.

“Danger…danger!” Leggy pointed up to the free, but was perplexed to find the tree branches were empty.

It looked as if there’s nothing there.

Spike looked at Leggy, simply shaking his head, “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Hold on, Spike…” Fluttershy stopped.

Leggy watched as the strange bat creature turned her ears in different directions. Could it be the bat creature is hearing the danger?

“Uh oh…Spike?” Fluttershy whimpered. “We’re not alone…”

“And…what gave that away?” Spike asked.

“Shhh!” The bat creature shushed, immediately silencing Spike.

It was at that moment, the sound of a low, vibrating growl can be heard. Leggy frantically turned her head in different directions, searching for the danger in the treetops.

But all she could hear was the rapid drumming of her heartbeat, combined with the sweat coating her exposed skin, tied together to the anxiety of her fear.

Even when she was just an ordinary sheep, she’s always been afraid. But never this much. Is this how it is to fear as humans fear? Is she becoming human?

She didn’t think much on the questions. She just wanted to know where the danger is and how to escape it.

Both she and Flutter Bat listened to the ambient sounds of the jungle, determined to distinguish anything out of the ordinary. But then, there was silence.

Is it over? Has the danger passed?

“Can we go now?” Spike asked, with a slight tremble in his voice.

Before they could, however, all three animals and human saw something in the trees that stopped them in their tracks.

An eerie ball of light was dancing in the trees, barely touching the tall grass. The way it moved, so smooth and so natural, made it looked as if it was a living creature. But all the same, the glow was too intense and neither too bright, or too dim, to be made by a bug. Or fire.

Curiosity against their better judgement, the group cautiously stepped towards the light, all sharing the intent to see what it really is.

Spike picked up a stick, careful touching the light, which immediately bounced from the touch.

Still, the light remained. It didn’t get very far, but the light was hovering above their heads, out of reach. Leggy and the others watch as the light danced in the air, flying circles around them.

Everyone find it relieving at first. But then, Leggy’s nose twitched again to the familiar smell of danger from before. The sheep looked up and all warm good feelings she had were immediate drained away. Replaced with the cold grip of dread, she was certain her exposed skin has turned whiter than the remaining wools she has.

“Baaah!” Leggy yelped, alerting the others.

Everyone all looked in the same direction she was staring, and she can tell, by the expressions on their faces, they share her fear.

“Good feelings gone,” Spike whimpered.

With a loud bloodcurdling roar, a massive dark figure dropped down from the branches, slicing its massive paws and snapped its fangs at the group.

Leggy picked up Kirin in her arms and ran into the shrubs of the jungles, while Spike took Flutter Bat by the wings and took her elsewhere.

Leggy looked behind her and she was horrified to see the monster had its eyes on her, and Kirin. It was hunting them. Worst still, it was all dark in color, making it hard to be seen, in front of her, in the dark of the night.

Leggy kept running as fast as her human legs could carry her. Though, she misses the days when she can gallop at full speed, on all four hooves. Back when she had hooves, to say the least. But Leggy can’t think about that in the spur of the moment. She just has to get herself and Kirin out of harm’s way.

But in her haste, she tripped over a log, causing her to fall and drop Kirin. Her child rolled out of her arms. She looked up to her son, just in time to see the look of dread on his face.

Before she had time to get up, Leggy felt something cold and sharp piercing her legs. She howled and bleated at the agonizing pain.

She tries to get up…except she couldn’t feel her legs, or even move. She couldn’t even crawl away to escape. She couldn’t feel her hands or any parts of her body. She’s trapped in her own body.

The horrible realization took ahold of her as she acknowledges the horror that she was helpless on the ground. She was paralyzed and could do nothing to save herself, or her son. She couldn’t even turn her head to see the approaching danger of the predator that caught up to her.

Tears in her eyes, the foul smell of blood, the cold grimy sweat that coated the skin of her whole body, even Kirin’s frantic cry was all overwhelming for her to process.

Is this all over for her? Is this how she dies?

She just closed her eyes, bracing herself for the killing blow.

A few moments earlier…

Fluttershy had no idea where she was going. All that she knew, from Spike, was that Leggy and Kirin have left the village for whatever reason and the both of them are now in perilous danger.

They must be saved. But first, they needed to be found.

It’s just a question of figuring out how and where. How can a blind woman-bat like her find two little lost sheep? And where are they? Or where are she and Spike in the jungle?

Spike’s compromise was for him to navigate, on her back.

“Turn left,” Spike instructed. “No, turn right. Left! Stop! Go straight. Watch the tree!”

Fluttershy was able to fly safely pass the tree. But judging by the wrenched sound of a branch snapping and leaves rustling, Spike wasn’t so fortunate.

“OW!” Spike groaned, to which Fluttershy is certain he’ll have bruises in the coming days.

“I think we need to take flight class…” Fluttershy muttered as she continued to flap her wings in the blinding darkness.

“I’m okay, Flutter Bat,” Spike sniffed, sounding stuffy in the nose. “Let’s just take it easy and fly slowly.”

“I…I don’t know if I can!” Fluttershy squeaked, frightfully. “I can’t even tell how fast I’m flying!”

“You’re doing fine. Don’t panic!”

“I am panicking! I’m flying! I’m blind! And I’m—“

“Lean right! Right, RIGHT!!!” Spike screamed loudly, tugging Fluttershy’s scruff to the right, shifting his weight int he said direction.

“AAAHHHH!!!” Fluttershy screamed, rolling to the right, and her toes barely brushing the bark of a tree.

“Whoa!” Spike yelped, to which Fluttershy could feel the man bouncing himself up on her back, shifting to the left, to set himself upright.

“Spike! Are you okay?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“I’m fine, Flutter Bat,” Spike can be heard muttering. “Anyway, you’re good at hearing. How far are they?”

While Fluttershy is unable to see, her hearing makes up for it. It was almost as if Dr. Grogar’s experiment had sharpen her hearing, but at the cost of her eyes.

It was almost indescribable. She could hear the cry of animal and could almost determine its exact location, near or far. This is perhaps the first time she’s gotten to explore with her hearing.

The woman-bat turned her ears to listen for the bleating of the sheep, which didn’t take long.

“I could almost hear Leggy’s baa!” Fluttershy screeched. “She sounded distress. She must be in trouble!”

“Then head towards it!” Spike instructed.

“But…what if I crash into a tree?” Fluttershy asked worryingly.

“You won’t! Don’t worry,” The man reassured. “I’ll worry for both of us…”

Unsure of what Spike meant at the last part, Fluttershy found it comforting that the man hasn’t given up on her. It made her more comfortable to know that she at least has someone to guide her through this darkness.

“I see them!” Spike shouted. “They’re down there, by the river! Slow your wing flaps.”

“Ok.” Fluttershy did as she was told.

“Gently glide down.”

“Alright.”

“Prepare to land, so stick your feet out and your knees bent.”

Feeling the wind in her face, Fluttershy was thankful for her wings slowing her descent, like parachute.

Upon touching the ground, her feet nearly skidded across the forest’s dirt. The follow through of her landing caused her upper body to lurch forward, which nearly through Spike off her back.

“Leggy? Kirin?” Spike called, as Fluttershy can feel a weight lifting and falling off her shoulders.

Fluttershy could hear the sounds of a single boot running, followed by the bleating cry of a little lamb, a full grown ewe, close to running waters in the river.

“What do you think you are doing?” Spike asked. “You shouldn’t be out here. C’mon, lets get back into the village.”

“Me…Kirin…water…drink. Danger!” Leggy bleated in broken English.

“What?” Spike replied.

“Danger…danger!” Leggy bleated, sounding even more frantic.

Even if Fluttershy can’t see, judging by the frantic tone and the urgency in the high pitch of Leggy’s bleat, it’s obvious she was in distress.

Perhaps the sheep is alerted by something very dangerous in the area. But what could it be? Fluttershy resolved to try and listen for it.

“Come on. Let’s go,” Spike said, with an urgent tone.

“Hold on, Spike…” Fluttershy stopped.

Fluttershy perked her ears up and listened intently. And that was when suddenly, she heard the low growl of an animal. It sounded loud, and vibrating, like that of a lion.

“Uh oh…Spike?” Fluttershy whimpered. “We’re not alone…”

“And…what gave that away?”

“Shhh!”

It was at that moment, the sound of a low, vibrating growl can be heard. Fluttershy turned her head, with her ears following in the direction the sound was coming from.

She listened to the ambient sounds of the jungle, determined to distinguish anything out of the ordinary. There was a faint sound of something breathing and it was moving in the branches, above her head.

It was moving very slowly. A faint hissing can be heard, with a strong and foul scent of bitter air, which Fluttershy recoiled at the smell.

Whatever it was, it was hunting them.

“Can we go now?” Spike asked, with a slight tremble in his voice.

Fluttershy didn’t answer. If she could see, then she might be able to see for herself what kind of animal is hunting her and her friends. Unless it’s not an animal, but another of Dr. Grogar’s monstrosities.

Yet, all the same, in spite of their differences, Fluttershy can’t help but consider some of Grogar’s creations as living creatures.

They breathe the same air, they share the same sky, and they live on the same planet, on the same island she and her fellow She-Beasts have been trapped on, for the previous number of months.

It was only a miracle that Fluttershy and her friends were able to preserve their humanities. But for how much longer before they become as aimless, or worst, brain dead as Fleur-de-Lis?

“Baaah!” Leggy yelped, practically sounding the alarm.

“Good feelings gone,” Spike whimpered.

Before Fluttershy could ask, the sudden screeching roar of a lion was heard, followed by the sound of the tree branches shaking, and the sound of something large and heavy landing on the ground.

It sounded big, estimated to be the size of a lion, or a panther, judging by the loud audible thud created from the crushing of the twigs and underbrush.

Next, Fluttershy was alarmed to hear the sounds of sheep bleating, with the rhythmic footsteps pressing atop of the grasses. Leggy and Kirin were on the run.

“Oh! Goodness! What’s happening?” Fluttershy asked frantically.

“In a nutshell: Leggy and Kirin are in trouble! I have to save them!” Spike said frantically.

“What about me?” Fluttershy asked. “What should I do?”

“Go back to the village and get the others!” Spike answered.

“But…I can’t!” Fluttershy whimpered. “I don’t know where—“

“Fluttershy! There’s no time for this! You gotta fly back to the village, and hurry! You can do it! Just call out for the others and you can follow their voices!”

Though unsure, time is of the essence, and Fluttershy nodded in compliance.

“Okay, Spike…” What happened next, caught Fluttershy so much by surprise that all her doubts and worries instantly fell off her back.

She felt Spike’s hands on her cheeks, pulling her closer to him, and she felt his lips kissing her.

“Go get ‘em, Flutter Bat! I believe in you!” Spike said, as the sound of his footsteps left her alone in an awkward silence.

Fluttershy stood still as a statue, struggling to process what had happened. Every time the realization replayed in her mind, over and over again, her heart was beating faster with every seconds. Her chest was swelling beneath her scruff, with her face heating from a newfound love struck.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy whispered. “He kissed me!”

With a happy trill, Fluttershy flapped her wings and immediately take to the air, screeching, “HE LOVES ME!!!”

Out of impulse, Fluttershy proceeded to fly some loops and danced happily in the air, in some twirls.

In that moment, Fluttershy’s empty blinding darkness faded away and she found herself flying above the clouds.

And there, standing above the clouds, in front of her, bathing in an bright sunny aura that is divine to the eyes, like an angel, is Spike himself.

Fluttershy happily flapped her wings and flies after Spike, with the loving intent for another kiss.

“Oh Spike~” Fluttershy sighed heavily. “What is this feeling? What have you done to me? I…I…”

“Fluttershy?” A voice called, startling the woman-bat out of her happy little world, plunging her into darkness.

Once again, blinded, Fluttershy dropped out of the sky, and crashed into a mass of feathers. And hearing the grunt of a female, there is no mistake, she crashed into Rainbow Dash.

“He kissed me~” Fluttershy said happily in a hush tone.

“Fluttershy? Are you alright?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What’s going on?”

Meanwhile, with Leggy and Kirin in mortal danger, Spike gave chase after the two sheep and the predator that was chasing them.

He hoped that Fluttershy can find her way to the village and return back in time with help.

‘Why did I just kissed her like that?’ Spike thought to himself, and realizing, ‘Wait. I KISSED HER?!’

Spike’s bewildered thoughts were soon interrupted and brought back to reality, by the scream of Leggy and Kirin.

Remembering the current situation, Spike kicked his legs and ran like he never ran before. He quickly caught up to the two sheep, and he was stunned to see the attacker’s appearance.

Barely illuminated by the light at the tip of its tail, the creature is revealed to have the face of a man, with jaws that jutted out like a goblin shark, with teeth as jagged and sharp as a piranha’s, a shark’s, or a lamprey’s. The body of a large black panther, covered in quills. The tail resembles that of a scorpion, with the tip glowing a luminescent light — the same mesmerizing ball of light from earlier — all covered in thorn-like spikes.

It bears a striking resemblance of a manticore – a mythical creature from Persian and Indian Legends.

Not too far from the manticore, Leggy was sprawled across the grass, with little Kirin bleating helplessly from a distance. The adult anthropomorphic sheep has some matching quills, from the manticore's, punctured in her thighs. Leggy was hardly moving. Almost as if she had been petrified on the spot. The manticore's quills must be poisoned.

The predator was closing in for the kill. Spike needed to act fast, or Leggy Lambs is lamb chops. Looking around the area, searching for something he can use to distract the creature, Spike picked up a rock.

"HEY, YOU UGLY CAT!" Spike shouted, throwing the rock at the manticore, hitting it on the head.

With an angry snarl, the manticore turned its hideous face and let out an unsettling hiss, with its large, seemingly lifeless eyes glaring intently into Spike's soul.

"Come and get me!" Spike stammered on his words.

In truth, he has no idea what he was doing. But in his mind, without a doubt, any rational person would say that he's being suicidal. Still, for Leggy's sake, he has to do something to save the sheep.

'Ugh, no sheep, or any females are worth this...' Spike thought to himself, as he ran for his life, pursued by the manticore.

With nothing but the dark thickets of the jungle in front of him, with little to no lightings from the top, Spike staggered and tripped over the vines and roots of the jungle. The branches snapped and scratched at his arms and legs. Behind him, the manticore can be heard roaring, growling, and hissing at its attempts to catch the young man.

But then, in the blinding darkness, Spike ran his face into a tree branch, disorienting him and he fell to the ground, on his back.

"Ow..." Spike moaned, wobbling as he rolled onto his hands and legs, with the putrid smell of fresh blood wafting from his nose, trickling down his lips, letting him taste the bitter flavor on his tongue. "Gross..."

Moaning at the bloody nose he'll have in the coming days, Spike got up and searched the dark trees for any sign of the manticore's light. He didn't have to look for long, when his ears perked up in alarm to the sound of chittering rumbling rhythm of low hissing growls.

'Where the hell is that thing?' Spike mentally asked himself in his frantic thoughts.

If the night wasn't so dark, then he could probably be able to see it moving within the trees. Instead, in the darkness, Spike had to rely on his senses of hearings. He turned to the left, then to the right, listening for any sounds of movements, or for the spotlight on its tail.

Suddenly, without warning, a gentle leaf fell down and lightly touched at the top of Spike's head, alerting him to look up, feeling himself widening his eyes, with the cold wetness of fear in his pants, to see two large glowing eyes staring back at him from the treetops.

"OH CRAP!" Spike yelped as he backed away and tripped over a log, causing him to fall on his rear end.

With a loud roar, the manticore jumped down from its perch. Spike ducked his head, behind the log, with his hands over his head, to avoid a swipe of its claws and tail, even a snap of its jaws.

Overhead, the cracking sound of woods breaking and splintering can be heard. The manticore had swung its tail at Spike, but had unwittingly got itself stuck in the thick barks of a nearby tree. Not waiting around for the manticore to pull itself free, Spike gingerly crawled across the forest floor, hoping to sneak away, undetected.

Once he was certain he was at a safe distance, Spike sprinted on his feet and ran back to Leggy and Kirin, with the latter struggling to help the former up.

"Stand back, Kirin," Spike ushered the little lamb as he bent down and gently wrapped one of Leggy's arms around his shoulder. "I've got ya, Leggy. Let's get back to the village before...Uh oh."

The three hadn't gotten very far, when they were stopped in their path, by the sudden appearance of the manticore.

"Well, it's been...it's been nice knowing you," Spike said to Leggy, as he instinctively held her close, putting himself between her and the Manticore, with his back facing the predator.

Spike wondered why he was doing it. Why was he so willingly offering himself up to the beast, for a couple of sheep like Leggy and Kirin? Why didn't he just run and try to save his own skin? Has he lost his mind?

Nevertheless, Spike held Leggy close, shutting his eyes tightly as he braced himself for the killing blow. But it didn't come. Why isn't it getting it over with already?

Curious, while cautious of what he might see, Spike slowly turned his head around to see a rather peculiar sight. Instead of proceeding to maul both him and the sheep, the manticore appeared to be mesmerized by a swarm of fireflies. Fireflies that were startled and disturbed by the commotion, causing them to fly from the grasses, as if they were sparks of fire, ignited in a blazing inferno.

"Uh...what just happened?" Spike asked, before ultimately deciding not wanting to stick around for an answer.

Using the opportunity, Spike took both Leggy and Kirin in the opposite direction of the manticore, hoping to find somewhere to hide, for the time being.

“I hope we lost it,” Spike said, as he hides himself and the sheep under a rocky structure.

“Leggy? How are you feeling? You alright?” Spike asked, looking to the sheep, who let out a quiet bleat that sounded more of a trill.

Spike pressed an his ear against her chest to hear that her heart was beating fast, if not rapidly. It sounded rather irregular, for a sheep, compared to a human’s regular heartbeat.

The man placed a hand, up to her forehead, checking that her temperature is rather hot than normal. She must be having a fever.

“Just hang in there, Leggy,” Spike tried his best to comfort the sheep. “We’ll get out of this…somehow.”

Spike wrapped his arms around Leggy and pulled her close. He was doing his best to comfort her the best to his abilities. Out of impulse, his fingers, unwittingly, proceeded to pet and stroke her hair.

At first silent, Leggy spoke up, in a bleating whisper, “Spike…”

“Yes?”

“Why…Spike…help me…and Kirin?” Leggy asked. “We…hurt. Spike…no…leave us?”

“Well, sheep or not, I can’t leave you two unprotected,” Spike replied. “It’s just not right…”

“Human Spike is crazy,” Leggy commented in more broken English. “Crazy, stupid, and brave…”

“Well, people do crazy things when they’re…when they’re…”

Spike almost said love, as if to say that he’s in love with Leggy. This wasn’t the case as he was simply quoting a popular quote from a Disney movie, that: “People do crazy things when they’re in love.”

Thankfully, he corrected himself.

“When they’re protecting their friends,” He said.

Leggy didn’t say anything, but bleated that sounded like a purr.

Before the tenderness between man and sheep could continue, Kirin suddenly sprang to life and bleated in alarm.

“Kirin! No! Shush!” Spike shushed to the little lamb. But it was too late.

Before long, the familiar haunting chitter of the manticore can be heard, as the beast made its presence known. From the tall grasses, the manticore’s ball of light emerged from the florals, dancing in the air, in another attempt to lure its preys out of hiding.

Spike held Leggy close, without knowing he had wrapped one arm across her wool covered breasts, and another arm across her midriff with his hand across her crotch.

Leggy almost let out a bleat, alarmed by such physical contacts. She was immediately silenced, however, when Spike gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Once again, Spike questioned himself on why he did what he just did, like he did with Fluttershy.

Meanwhile, Kirin pawed at the ground with his hooves, lowering his head down, horns at the ready to defend his adopted mom. Although, it’s apparent, the odds of a normal sheep, like him, fighting and surviving a manticore are slim to none.

Suddenly, without warning, the manticore finally revealed itself when it emerged from the tall grasses, like a ghost, with its blank, lifeless eyes staring into the hearts and souls of Spike and his companions.

The manticore looked at its three cornered preys, as if deciding its next move. Such as deciding who to eat first.

Tired and frustrated from feeling all helpless and scared, Spike let go of Leggy, pulled Kirin away, and stood in between the beast and the sheep.

“What are you waiting for?!” Spike screamed loudly at the manticore, watching it reel its head back in surprise at the man’s outburst.

“You hungry? EAT ME! EAT ME!!!” Spike screamed in defiant.

Spike, at this point, no longer cares about what becomes of him. If he is going to die, then at the very least, he died knowing that he protected someone.

As if complying at his demands, the manticore let out a bloodcurdling shriek as it thrusted its tail forward and stabbed Spike on the shoulder.

It was so sharp, yet so quick, that Spike hardly knew he was stung. Overwhelmed by the shock, Spike immediately collapsed to the ground. All he could do was look up to the starry night sky, feeling the ground trembling as the manticore was on the move to collect its latest meal.

It got closer, closer, and closer, until…

“HEY, UGLY!” Cried the screech of a falcon-woman. “PICK ON YOUR OWN SIZE!!!”

Soon, a new sound was filled in the air. The sound of Rainbow Dash screeching and the manticore roaring angrily, yowling in frustration for having its hunt disrupted.

But Rainbow Dash wasn’t the only one. Soon, just about a whole army of She-Beasts, and some Reverse-Hybrids, were heard, screaming, yelling, shaking the ground, charging at the beast. The sound of a battle.

A falcon screeching, a tiger roaring, to the sound of canines barking.

Spike listened to the sound of a scuffle, as everyone all drove off the manticore. The rustling sounds of the nearby florals were the tattletale signs of the beast retreating into the woods.

Spike felt a huge relief washing over him, and his frantic heartbeat came to a steady calming beat. That is, until a foot stepped on the side of his head, nearly crushing him.

“Spike? Spike? Where are you Spike?” Fluttershy called.

“You’re…standing on me!” Spike groaned, which thankfully didn’t go unheard.

“OH! I’m sorry, Spike!” Fluttershy frantically apologized, reaching down to pick the man up.

Much to Spike's embarrassment, Fluttershy had blindly picked him up by the waist and was holding him upside-down, so that she was talking to his backside.

"Are you alright?" Fluttershy continued to ask frantically brushing her wings across, what she assumed was his face. "Here, let me clean you up."

Spike let out a squeak, struggling to hold in a scream, with his face turning a shade of pink at the sensation of the She-Beast fondling with his butt. Even if it's not exactly her fault. The other She-Beasts and some Reverse-Hybrids couldn't help but laugh at the awkward sight, until Applejack came over to break it up.

“We came as soon as Fluttershy told us,” Applejack said. “Thank goodness we found y’all in time.”

“Still, have you lost your mind, Spike?!” Rainbow squawked. “Standing up to a monster like that? What? Do you have a death wish, or something?!”

“Everyone STAND BACK!!!” Fluttershy let out a deafening screech. “Give Spike some air! Both he and the poor sheep have had a horrible night!”

“Fluttershy’s right,” Sunset was heard calling. “Come on. We have to get them back to the village.”

With that, every She-Beasts present carried Spike and the sheep back to the village. Spike strained to turn his head, managing a glimpse of Leggy Lamb in the arms of Sunset Shimmer.

Little Kirin stayed close by Leggy's side, wanting his adopted mother to be safe.

Once back in the village, Spike and Leggy were treated to their wounds in the medical hut.

Twilight had put one of her hands on Spike's forehead, to check his temperature, while her other hand was feeling one of his wrists, checking for pulses from his heart.

The rest of the girls and Kirin were gathered around the two victims, anxiously awaiting to hear the news of their conditions.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it?” Spike asked.

“Well, Spike,” Twilight began. “I have good news and bad news.”

“What’s the good news?” Fluttershy asked.

“The good news is: you’re not going to die!“ Twilight confirmed, to the relief of Spike and Leggy.

“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered quietly.

“But then, what’s the bad news?” Spike asked, on behalf of Leggy.

“The bad news is: you’re stuck paralyzed like this, unless you could get the poison out of your systems.”

“And how do we do that?” Rainbow Dash asked, when she suddenly noticed Fluttershy approaching Spike. “Uh, Flutters? What are you doing?”

But Fluttershy didn’t answer. Instead, she appeared to be letting instincts take her over. The bat-woman lowered her nose towards Spike, sniffing him across the head and shoulders, until her nose was pointing directly at the wound, where the manticore had stung him.

“Fluttershy?” Spike asked.

Then, without warning, Fluttershy opened her mouth to reveal a pair of sharp fangs, which she used to gently cut a bigger hole in the skin.

“AH! I’ve been bitten!” Spike moaned in pain, rather dramatically.

“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie screamed, playing up on the drama. “Fluttershy is turning Spike into a vampire!”

“Pinkie…” Sunset scolded.

“What’s she doing?” Rainbow asked.

“Just watch,” Applejack advised.

Everyone watched as Spike’s blood proceeds to flow even more freely, while Fluttershy proceeded to lap up the blood, with her tongue. The bat-woman spits out some of the bloods that were most likely contaminated by the manticore’s poison.

This kept on going until Spike was able to move his whole body again.

“Wow!” Spike gasped. “I can feel my fingers and toes again! Thanks Fluttershy!”

“You’re welcome, Spike!” Fluttershy smiled.

“Now that Spike’s cured,” Applejack turns to Leggy Lamb, pointing, “Let’s give Leggy the same treatment!”

“Okay. Where’s the sting?” Fluttershy asked.

“On…leg,” Leggy bleated.

Fluttershy stumbled blindly for a while, until Spike helps guiding her snout, pointing it directly at the spot, the manticore had stung her. Like before with Spike, Fluttershy proceeded to bite into the wound, to lap up the blood, removing the poison.

“Um, I think that’s done,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Wow, Fluttershy. I’m impressed with you!” Rainbow Dash complimented. “How do you know where the poisons are? Is that part of being a fruit bat?”

“Not really,” Spike spoke up, as he begins to explain, “If I know my bats, that’s actually one of the perks for a vampire bat. They have a special sensor in their noses, that lets them detect where the warmest blood flow is, and bite it, to drink them.”

“Are you saying Fluttershy’s a mix between a fruit bat and a vampire bat?” Applejack asked.

“A vampire fruit bat…” Rainbow Dash worded. “Huh. It’s got a nice ring to it.”

“Actually, now that you mentioned it,” Twilight began. “It makes a lot of sense now!”

Spike and the rest of the group present exchanged confusing glances.

“Care to share the rest of the class, Twi?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, back in college, I remember reading a book about bats,” Twilight began to explain. “And from what I remember, vampire bats use echolocation to navigate their way in the dark and find their preys.”

“And?” Rainbow asked.

“And at first, we thought Fluttershy was genetically altered with DNAs of a fruit bat,” Twilight explained. “But what if it wasn’t just a fruit bat?”

Spike snapped his fingers at what Twilight was getting at, “You could be right, Twilight! I mean, after what we saw of Chrysalis and Tirek, I’d believe it. Fluttershy has the DNAs of a fruit bat and a vampire bat in her system.”

“So, her being a vampire is the reason she’s literally blind as a bat?” Sunset asked, before realizing her choice of words. “Uh, no offense, Fluttershy!”

“None taken,” Fluttershy shrugged.

“Why that low-down son of a bitch, Grogar!” Applejack snarled. “I’d tear out his throat and skin him alive for this!”

“Maybe some other time, AJ. But for now,” Twilight walked up to Leggy and asked, “So Leggy? How do you feel?”

Leggy slowly and carefully stood up on her feet, wobbling on her legs for a bit.

“Better…” Leggy bleated. “Spike…kiss…leg?”

“Huh?” Spike asked.

“WHAT?!” The other girls cried out in surprise.

“Can…Spike kiss…my leg?” Leggy Lamb bleated, holding up one of her curvy legs, while patting a spot on the kneecap for him to kiss. “Please?”

Spike was rather weirded out by the request. Although, since Leggy had asked so pleadingly, in a way that almost sounded like a child begging for candy, Spike just couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

“Uh…what the heck?” Spike shrugged. “But what happens on the island, stays on the island. I guess…”

With that, Spike gently picks up Leggy’s foot, gently caressing his fingers up her shin, up to the underside of her knee. In turn, this seemingly ignited a human moan from Leggy. It sounded as if Spike was pleasing her. What sealed the deal was when Spike gives her a quick kiss on the knee, close to where the manticore had stung her.

This made the other girls jealous, with Fluttershy being the exception, due to her blindness.

“Ooh, Spike kiss good…” Leggy bleated happily.

“Hmph!” Applejack huffed, “Two can play at that game!” The orange wolf-woman marched up offered her curvy muscular legs for Spike. “Well, Spike? Good enough for ya?”

Before Spike could answer, Applejack was shoved to the side by Rainbow Dash.

“Move it, wolf breath!” Rainbow Dash screeched, before she showed off her talons. “Mine are 20% cooler!”

“Kiss mine! Two of them!” Pinkie Pie screeched, holding up her feet.

The three She-Beasts started to get into a squabble with each other, until a rumbling roar bellowed, silencing everyone present.

“We just had a rough night,” Sunset Shimmer began. “You should all be thankful that Spike and Leggy are still with us, and you’re bickering each other like children? Really?”

“…Since you put it that way…” Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack looked down, clearly ashamed by their petty squabbles.

“We’re all very tired now,” Sunset continued. “Let’s just get some sleep.”

Everyone all exchanged agreements, as they all headed back to their huts to sleep.

Spike was on his way to his own hut, when he heard Leggy passing by, saying, “Spike brave…”

This made Spike feel good. But all good things must come to an end, and Spike ended the night, plopping into his bed, and was out like a bulb. Tomorrow is another day.

Author's Note

Up next, Starlight Glimmer’s She-Beast debut!