The Lost Shy

Chapter 3: Whats Is He

Applebloom kicked with all her might at the face of the oncoming wolf, feeling her hooves collide with soft fur and solid bone. She was In pain but she knew that her friends were the only hope she had. The wolf did not look back at her, instead it stared up at her friends for a second before they ran off as fast as they could. The wolf called back to the Manticore in some strange language.

“I’m sorry I hit you missta wolf but you tried to attack me, please don’t hurt me.” Applebloom pleaded to the wolf.

“Now why would I hurt you Applebloom” came a voice that chilled her to the bone.

Three thoughts went through her head. “How can that wolf talk.” “How does it know my name.” and “why do I know that voice.” she stared at the wolf as it turned its head, and the Manticore came up behind it.

“H-How I-I.. you are dead I went to your funeral.” Stammered out the frightened filly. She was looking into the eyes of Fluttershy, after a month of her being dead.

“They had a funeral, how nice, did all my friends show up?” Fluttershy said in her normal voice, except that there was no shyness at all, like she was stating the facts not talking about her own supposed death.

The filly nodded and said. “Everyone in Ponyville was there, including the Princesses”

Fluttershy smiled, then the beast behind her said something she could not understand, she nodded and spoke back then looked at Apple bloom. “He wants to know if you can still walk or need to be carried.”

The shock of the encounter had numbed the pain in her legs, but as soon as she thought about her wounds the pain came flashing back, she screamed out in pain. The Manticore took that as his signal to come over and pick her up so that there was less stress on her legs. After picking up the quivering little filly he pulled a piece of wolf skin out of his pocket and placed it on the ground and drew a simple map on it that would lead whoever found it to the camp. He handed the map to Fluttershy who wrote a quick note on it then tied it to a tree, near the creek bed. Both of them turned around and started walking back to there camp.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ran as fast as their little legs could cary them, not really knowing the way home, they just ran.

After a long period of time the two broke out of the forest, both breathing heavy, covered in scratches and mud. They had appeared on the far side of Sweet Apple acres, with a quick glance at each other they ran towards the house. They could see Applejack looking around for something as they ran closer.

“Well there ya’ll are ya little varmints, I’ve been lookin for ya all day.” Applejack said in her country accent. “Hey what happen to ya’ll, look like ya been in a fight.”

“Appleblooms in trouble” Scootaloo wheezed as she caught her breath. Applejack’s face got grim when she said that.

“What happened and were is Applebloom.” Applejack was both angry and scared for her sister.

“We went to go see if Zacora could help us get our cutie marks, we got lost and Applebloom fall down into a creek bed.” Sweetie Belle said now that she had regained her composure. “We were trying to find a way down when a large wolf and Manticore came walking up the creek.”

Applejack looked horrified at the thought of another Manticore related death, and the loss of her sister.

“Applebloom hit the wolf in the face, knocking its hood down” Scootaloo said now ready to go again. “It was Fluttershy, she was wearing a wolf skin coat and had some nasty scars across her face.”

Now shocked, Applejack just stared for a second before she started running towards Twilights home yelling back to the fillies. “Go get the others I’ll get Twilight.”

The two just looked at each other and ran off in different directions.

When Applejack arrived at Twilights she saw that the door was slightly open and creaking in the soft breeze. She looked inside to see Pinkie sobbing into Twilights mane, nether noticed the new arrival. Until her hooves hit the wooden floor, sending a “thud” through the room. Twilight looked up in surprise with tears forming in her eyes. Pinkie looked around still sobbing.

“Applejack its horrible, my Pinkie sense is do it again, the same one from when Fluttershy died." Pinkie said while falling to the floor.

“That’s what Im here about, Applebloom and her friends went into the forest and got lost, Appleblooms been hurt.” she said with fear in her voice. “they also saw something..” Applejack trailed off unsure on how to say it.

“What did they see?” Twilight said as she started writhing a letter to the Princess.

“They said that the saw a large Manticore…” the other two gasped at the thought. “…and Fluttershy was with it.”

The room was silent. Twilight and Pinkie just stood there for a moment taking in the new information. Twilight was the first to speak.

“T-That is impossible we all saw the blood in the clearing” she said in disbelief.

“I know but they seemed sure it was her, plus we never found a body just the saddle bags, they also said that she was scarred pretty bad.” Just then Rarity and Rainbow dash bust through the open door.

“Is it true.” They both yelled at the same time.

“I don’t know but we don’t have time to sit around, whether she is there or not ma sister is in trouble.”

“that’s right” Twilight said while tossing a letter to Spike and moving out the door. Spike burned the letter, while they all leave the room and start rushing toward the forest.

After they made it into camp Fluttershy started making the medicine needed to help Applebloom heal, while the creature reset her broken bones and put them in splints. He then ran his claws over her body checking for broken bones. He found that there was a broken rib and another fracture above her front right hoof. When this was done he restarted the fire and wrapped the filly in the Manticore skin that was draped over his shoulders, holding her close to keep the little filly warm.

“Here we go” Fluttershy said while slowly pouring the mix into her mouth.

“Thank you” Applebloom said while still snugly wrapped close to the creatures body. She had stopped shaking after seeing that he was not going to hurt her.

“Your welcome.” she said the looked at the creature and said. “Sinkro fashida”

The creature moved slightly allowing the small pony to get comfortable near the fire before he got up to go get some food leaving the two ponies alone.

“What is that thing and how can you talk to it?” Applebloom asked.

“What it is I don’t know, how it can talk, I guess it is from very far away.” Fluttershy answered.

“You speak his language, what is its name?”

“No, I only know a few words, we have spent more time surviving then talking, you’re the fist thing I’ve been able to keep a conversation going with for a while. As for his name I could never pronounce it so I just call him Skinner.” Fluttershy stated.

Their conversation got cut short when Skinner returned with two bowls of vegetable soup for the ponies. He then went to the cooking fire and grabbed a couple fish that were roasting, and came back to were they were sitting. Applebloom looked on in horror as he took large bites out of the fish, Fluttershy just started eating her soup, she looked at the shocked filly.

“Are you not going to eat, you should it will help you heal, he puts these delicious plants in here that boost healing and energy.” Fluttershy said after finishing here meal and started going back for seconds.

“H-How can you eat while he is tearing into those fish?” stammered Applebloom.

“Oh you get used to it after awhile, at least he is not eating us.” Fluttershy giggled as she finished her second bowl, putting it down and taking off her wolf skin cape.

“That cape wareja get it?”

“Oh this, Skinner made it the day I got here, it is very warn and keeps other predators away, because they fear the wolves. The same reason he wears the Manticore skin.”

Skinner had finished his meal and was preparing the sleeping arrangements for the night. He laid down the Manticore skin that he made into an mat stiffed with fur from several animals and then started to walk toward the girls. He leaned over and picked up Applebloom and motioned for Fluttershy to follow him. He laid down putting Applebloom on the ground next to him while Fluttershy cuddled in next to him. He lifted his Manticore cape and pulled it over the two tired ponies.

The five friends rushed through the forest with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle leading the way. It took the several hours to reach the Creek bed that Applebloom had fallen into. But finally they arrived, they started looking around for any sign of her when Applejack yelled “I found somthin.”

They all rushed over and gasped at what they saw, it was a piece of skin with a drawings on it. At first they were all disturbed by what it was written on, but when they saw what it said they were unsure of how to react. There was a map of the area and two points were marked, one was were they were the other was what looked like a small camp. There was also a note written on it

“Hello, we have Applebloom she will be fine, you should leave the forest before the sun sets it gets very dangerous at night. Come back during the day and we can all return to town together, see you soon.” signed “Your friend Fluttershy”

They were all dumbstruck at the note. They were a couple of hours away from the other marked spot on the map and the sun would set soon.

“What do you want to do Applejack, come back tomorrow or go there tonight?” Twilight asked.

“If she is safe for the night we should go back befer we get hurt and there in no rescue party to come get here.” Applejack said while walking the way they came.

With that they all started walking home except for Pinkie who just stood there.

“You aright Pinkie?” Twilight asked

“She is not dead, she is not dead, SHE IS NOT DEAD!” She yelled then jumped into the air.

Then she started home with here normal smile on her face. She got a few looks from the rest but they left it at that and started walking home.

Applebloom woke up last in the group, seeing that the pelt had been left on her and Skinner was walking around in some strange clothing that he had worn under the coat. she finally saw what he really looked like. He had ash gray skin, that seemed to be made out of thick bone plates that were strong yet flexible. He stood well over seven feet with very thick and long legs that looked like they were designed for running and jumping. His arms were like his legs long and thick, ending in what looked like six smaller appendages, four on the upper half with two thicker ones separated on the lower half. His face had a arrow shape to it, like it was based for speed, two large shining eyes with what looked like gems set into them for protection. His mouth had two rows of razor sharp teeth and a thick green tongue.

“Strange isn’t he?” Came a voice from behind, she turned to see Fluttershy holding two bowls.

“Ya, I’ve neva seen anything like him.” she said while taking the bowl, the soup look different then Fluttershy’s.

“Yours has more medicine to help with your broken bones” she said with a smile.

“W-When can I go home?” she asked

“When our friend get we can all go home” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Wadja mean when they get here, why not now?”

“Because nether me nor Skinner know how, why do you think we've been out here all month?”

“Ya mean we cant go home?”

“Not until our friend come here or my wing becomes useable again.” she said while looking at her tied wing.

It was early morning and the five were gather along with the princess and her guards.

“Shall we go” Celestia said as she started walking.

Two hours of walking brought them to the creek bed and another hour and they were within sight of the camp, yet none of them dared go any closer, the trees were painted with blood, there were skins hanging everywhere.

“Lightwing” Celestia said

“Yes your majesty.” replied one of the guards.

“Fly over head and tell me what you see”

“As you command.”

And with that the guard left only to return a few minutes later.

“Report”

“There are two ponies in the clearing along with a strange creature, they seem to be in no current danger.”

“Thank you. We should go and meet our long lost friend.” The princess said while she started walking towards the camp. The other started to follow.