Chapters "Come on, just a few steps closer..." I whisper. Gripping tighter to my makeshift bow of sticks, vines and something that resembles string. It had taken a few days of gathering the proper materials to make the bow, and practicing with it before the bow was ready for use.
'Hunting takes skill, precision, and patience to be effective. You must wait for the prey to come to you before striking, or risk losing the kill. Only hunt for food and survival, never for pleasure or out of boredom.' I repeat these rules in my mind several times while lying under the bushes, waiting for my prey to come near.
My current hunt is a smaller than average rabbit, happily munching away on a carrot. So far it seems that I am undetected by this little critter as it makes its way closer to my hiding spot. Pulling back on the bowstring I carefully take aim at it's chest and wait. The animal comes closer, closer... now!
I release the string and let the arrow fly through the rabbit's chest, directly on mark. The arrow comes out the other side bloody and sticks into the ground. I stand up and walk out of the bushes, carefully making my way to the rabbit in case another predator was stalking the same prey. Luckily nothing is waiting for me and I take hold of my kill.
The rabbit's body is twitching slightly as I pick it up, I need to put it out of its misery. Taking hold of the head and body I quickly twist the rabbit's neck with a resulting snap. It's loud enough to make me cringe, and for a moment I feel sorry for the animal.
"It's for survival, nothing personal. It's for survival, nothing personal..." I chant to myself while cleaning off my arrow and re-inserting it into my quiver.
It's been weeks since I came to this forest, possibly months, I've lost track after so long. Waking up in a dark forest with an empty case of beer and no recollection of how you got there isn't exactly how I pictured my that weekend.
None of that matters any more, I just need to get back to the shelter and cook up some meat. It'll be nice to have something besides fruits and vegetables for so long. I don't have a problem with vegetarian food, but meat is definitely a treat.
"Angel! Come on Angel it's time for dinner!" A voice in the distance calls out.
"Shit..." I mutter under my breath. "Sounds like something else is here after all." I found out fairly early on that I'm not the only kind of intelligent animal around here.
On one of my scavenging trips I found a small group of ponies wandering along a dirt path in the forest. Each one was colourful and several of them had a horn or a pair of wings. Capable of speech, the six of them seemed to be talking about a landslide or something they just made it out of. I considered talking to them, they seemed harmless enough, but then they walked across... what did the purple one call it... a manticore? It was about ten times the size of them, and boy was it pissed, but they went at it head on. Kicking it in the face, riding it like a bull, and overall beating the living shit out of it. I didn't stay for long after that, but now if I see any of them I duck for cover or run away as fast as I can. So far they have no idea that I even exist, and I want to keep it that way.
Hastily diving into my hunting spot in the bushes I leave the rabbit and peek out from underneath in hopes to get a good look at the pony. It's mane was a bright pink and has a coat of light yellow with a pair of folded wings laying across its sides.
"Oh there you are Ange- Angel what happened!?" The pony took hold of the rabbit and began to cry over it's dead body, "Who... what did this!? Not Angel! No!"
The sobs coming from the pony are heartbreaking, but I can't get out to comfort the pony in fear that I'll end up just like that manticore. Leaving seems to be the smartest option and I slowly back out of the bush in hopes that no noise is made.
*Rustle*
"Is somepony there?" The pony gets up on it's hooves and begins carefully walking over to my bush.
Shit! Only one option now... run! I gather my bow and sprint out of the bush and past the pony. It seems my sudden appearance startled it, giving me the perfect opportunity to leave.
Jumping over logs and trying my hardest to escape from the pony that may or may not be following my I desperately try and escape the incoming angered pony.
"I'm not going to hurt you! Please wait!" The pony's tone is not as angry as I thought it would be, it almost seems kind, but I'm still not falling for anything and continue sprinting to home.
The hoofbeats get louder and louder as I get nearer and nearer to safety. Taking a quick leap over the stream and around the last few trees I manage to get to my shelter and quickly cover up the entrance.
My home is just a hole under a large tree that I've dug out and patched up so that there's a small sheet of leaves and vines covering the entrance. Inside the roof is about four feet tall with a small fire pit in the corner and a bed of grass and moss on the opposite end. I have to crouch to move around, but after crawling and digging on my hands and knees for a few days in the process of making it, I find the crouching to be a luxury.
Slowing my breathing and listening intently for any sign of the yellow pony I lie on my bed facing the entrance with an arrow in my bow, ready to fire if necessary. I didn't want to hurt anything that could speak, although I guess I already did by killing that rabbit, but physically is a different matter. I don't want to kill the pony, perhaps they aren't as dangerous as I think.
The hoofbeats get louder and louder before the interval between each slows down and changes from a running pace to a walking pace.
"I don't want to hurt y-you... p-please... j-just come out," the pony calls in between sobs. How much did that rabbit mean to that pony?
Still silent I carefully put my bow and quiver aside. I'm not going to hurt this pony if it does find me, I've already done enough damage.
The pony continues to call out for several moments until breaking down into sobs and running off. The clopping of the pony's hooves become distant before finally becoming silent. I carefully peek out of my hole and look around, making sure the pony is nowhere in sight.
"Whoever that pony was, making her cry is probably not going to end well..." I take a deep breath and let it out before setting out to gather some food, hunting is no longer an option after what just happened.
Just as I step out of my shelter a loud roar goes throughout the forest making my spine tingle and cause some of the leaves on the trees to fall. Taking a short trip back into my shelter I return with my bow and arrows, can't hurt to be prepared.
***
It was a bright mid-afternoon in Ponyville, and a purple unicorn and cyan coloured pegasus were reading their books together in the library.
*Knock Knock Knock* Twilight looked up from the book she was reading, and walked over to answer the door.
"Oh hello Fluttershy. Is... is something wrong?" The purple unicorn noticing tears in the corner of her friends eyes.
"Y-yes Twilight. Angel, well, umm... Angel is..." Fluttershy broke down into tears and held out a small white rabbit wrapped in white linen with a red stain along the middle.
"Oh Fluttershy, I'm so sorry." Twilight went closer to her friend and gave a friendly hug followed by Rainbow Dash coming to give the same comforting embrace.
"What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked, breaking the hug for a few moments.
"Well... um... Angel had run off into the Everfree forest and I followed her so she could get some dinner, but when I found Angel... like... there was something... oh..."
"Fluttershy..." The unicorn unwrapped the rabbit from the linen and instantly her mouth went agape, "What kind of animal did this?"
"I-I don't know... it ran away from me and I tried chasing it, but it got away."
"Fluttershy, whatever did this is extremely dangerous, why would you try chasing it?"
"While I was mad and it seemed afraid. I didn't want it to be scared so I-I..."
"Fluttershy, that was very kind of you, but you need to be more careful. Ok?" Twilight demanded, concerned for Fluttershy's safety.
"I-I will Twilight. Thanks, but um... Can you help me plan a funeral for Angel." Fluttershy was close to tears again, "I just want to make sure my little bunny is put to rest properly." Twilight couldn't deny her friend anything while she was in this mood.
"Sure thing Fluttershy. Now get some sleep, I'll meet you by your house tomorrow with Rainbow okay?"
"Oh that would be g-great Twilight. Thank you." The pegasus sighed with relief and took back the re-wrapped bunny in her arms, tearing up slightly she flew back towards her home near the Everfree Forest.
"Rainbow, can you help me with something?" Twilight asked while shutting the door.
"This has something to do with what Fluttershy saw doesn't it?" Rainbow replied, giving a suspicious look at her friend.
"Yes. Whatever animal can cause damage like that to Angel is probably going to be very dangerous to everyone in Ponyville, maybe even Equestria."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Right now we need to research every animal in the Everfree forest to see what could have done this." The unicorn said while grabbing multiple books off the shelves with her magic.
"Do we really need to research every animal?"
"Yes Rainbow, you saw what it did to Angel. What if something like that happened to Fluttershy?" Twilight's eyes looked towards Rainbow Dash's, both now filled with worry.
"Okay I'll help, but if I fall asleep don't wake me," the pegasus agreed.
"Wow Rainbow, I didn't think you'd be this easy to persuade."
"I wouldn't be usually, but this thing needs to learn that nothing and nopony makes Fluttershy cry!" The pegasus' words hard and sure. Twilight simply nodded in return and placed a few books in front of Rainbow Dash.
"It's like Rainbow said," Twilight thought while opening her own book, "Nopony makes Fluttershy cry."
It's been two days last I saw the winged pony, and since then I haven't gone hunting...or eaten for that matter. I have been trying my luck at gathering once again, and took to fishing in a small stream near my home, but nothing edible came of the two.
The early trips had been much more successful, I simply stalked animals and ate what they ate to hopefully avoid anything poisonous, but now I can't even find a chipmunk. In hindsight I probably should have been more careful, but at least I had a full stomach. The closest thing to food I've found recently was a bush with some blue raspberry-like fruits growing on it, I almost ate the entire bush until one of them blinked and made me run.
A ray of light peered through my home's entrance waking me up from my sleep, and my stomach growling forced me to stand. That yellow pony may have stopped me from hunting for a while, but right now I'm desperate for anything besides water. Taking a quick inventory check on my supplies, bow, quiver with three arrows, and some socks, I crawl slowly out and away from the safety of my shelter. I look to the stream I had tried fishing in before and begin to walk along one side, hopefully to find something to eat.
I followed the stream for several minutes before the trees began clearing from around me, exposing me to a small green field with a large tree in the middle, surrounded on three sides by the stream I had followed. In the field, from what I could see, were deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice, and several ducks drinking and swimming in the stream.
Steadying my aim at the deer, I carefully pull back on the string and let my arrow fly straight and true...directly into the ground next to the deer. It seemed startled at first and took a jump back, but much to my surprise it didn't run and just stared at the projectile laying at its feet. It moved closer and began circling around before cautiously tapping it with a hoof and turning its head towards me, eyes wide.
"Shit!" I shout a little too loudly, causing the rest of the animals to stare at me as well.
Quickly replacing the arrow I just shot the animals scatter, some running directly towards the forest for cover, while the rest flee farther into the open plane. I take off instantly after the ones that ran further into the plane, hoping to at least catch something to eat today.
Only a few animals in front of me, a rabbit and two squirrels, more food than I've had in days. Sprinting after the little critters I wrapped the bow around my shoulder and took an arrow in hand in case I manage to get close enough to grab one.
Farther and farther the critters ran, with me hot on their tails, into the open plane before finally slowing down enough for me to catch up. Close enough, I dive out on top of the rabbit, practically crushing it under the weight of my body, I hold it down the to ground by it's ears and raise my arrow to strike the finishing blow.
Knowing what I'm about to do, it closed its eyes and put its hands together, similar to the look of someone praying. Now I know how much I need food, but the look in the rabbit's eyes and the praying breaks my heart, I can't kill this little rabbit.
Releasing my grip on its ears I stand back and look at the rabbit, now opening its eyes and looking at me worriedly.
"You can go, I'll find some leaves or something to eat." I sigh and head back in the direction of my home.
***
"H-hi Twilight... How long have you been here?" Fluttershy just left her home with a small coffin containing Angel's body, only to find Twilight setting up a small table with plates covered with different vegetables and treats. She was followed by several animals, each one
"Oh hi Fluttershy, I've been here for a few hours." The purple unicorn's mane was sticking up in places and she had large bags under her eyes, "I stayed up all night writing my speech for Angel's...um...funeral and I had to be early in order to set up. Look," she pointed to a small stone, "I even made a little gravestone for Angel."
Fluttershy looked down at the small grave stone. True to her word, Twilight had engraved the message; "Here lies Angel, a great pet and a great friend" on a flat slab of rock and placed in front of a small hole.
"That was very kind of you Twilight... I-I know Angel would have liked it." Fluttershy placed the small coffin down and walked over to the snacks, "Um... do you mind if the animals have some of these. I mean, if you don't mind. They skipped breakfast and are pretty hungry."
"Oh go ahead Fluttershy, I'm done here." Twilight held out a plate with some food on it.
Fluttershy tentatively took a few, handing them to each of her animal friends who gladly took them and wandered off into the forest.
The two ponies stood together in silence, patiently waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive while avoiding the obvious topic before them. One by one the rest of the guests arrived, first was an overdressed Rarity, who was wearing a long black robe and a dark black veil to hide her face. Followed shortly after by Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
"Now that everypony is here, let's start," Twilight announced.
Each of the ponies, excluding Twilight took a seat on the grass, ready for the funeral to begin.
***
After about ten minutes of walking aimlessly I gave up to sit under the shade of a nearby tree.
"I'm going to need a new place to sleep tonight."
A thumping on my leg made me look down and find the same rabbit from before, now holding out a carrot to me.
"For me?" I ask, the rabbit nods and holds the carrot up higher. I pick it up and take a small cautious bite, but after having nothing for so long I wolf it down in a few moments.
"Thanks little guy. I'm done with hunting, too much stress." The rabbit gives a sigh of relief and sits down next to me, "You're an odd rabbit you know that?"
The rabbit gave an annoyed glance at me, before putting its chin up and hopping slowly away.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. All I meant is that I usually don't talk to animals and the few I've seen are nowhere near as intelligent as you are. You're actually a pretty cool."
Quickly the rabbit came back and sat down next to me, it was something that made me smile. Honestly the little guy was cute, and no matter how hungry I was I couldn't hurt another rabbit. Plus I didn't want to incur the wrath of the yellow pony and or a possible bunny loving brigade.
My stomach argued against me, growling at the thought of food and reminding me how starving I actually was.
"I'm starving... You wouldn't happen to know of a good place to eat, would you?" The rabbit stands back up and began walking off, it looked back quickly and waved me to come.
"You want me to follow you?" The rabbit nodded and begins hopping away.
I grab my supplies and come out from my spot under the tree to follow it, no idea where the rabbit is going, hopefully somewhere with food.
***
"And so we put Angel to rest, in hopes that he can sleep peacefully." Twilight finished her long winded speech, taking up the better portion of an hour. Does anyone has anything they'd like to say before we go."
Fluttershy took a deep breath and stood up to give her last goodbye, "I'll miss you Angel. I just hope that you're getting your favorite meals, and that you have a warm place to sleep, and... and..." Fluttershy broke into tears before finishing.
Her friends moved in closer to comfort her, only to be waved off.
"It...It's okay. I need to be alone for a while." Taking a deep breath Fluttershy turned back to the grave, away from her friends.
Twilight moved in again to comfort her friend, but an orange hoof blocked her path. "You heard her Twi, she just needs some time to think." Twilight nodded and walked off with her friends, leaving Fluttershy alone.
Fluttershy sat next to the grave, barely holding back the tears that were desperately trying to break free. She looked at the grave and considered digging it up several times just to see her little bunny again, but knew that would just make her feel worse.
"Oh Angel... I miss you so much."
***
Staring at the grave for several long minutes, Fluttershy prepared to clean up the snack table, only for a rustling of bushes make her jump and run for cover in her cottage home. Peeking out of her window she saw a small rabbit come out from the bushes, it calmed her down slightly until noticing the large animal that killed Angel following it.
"Oh no! That poor little bunny is going to be eaten by that big meanie!" Fluttershy paced back and forth in her home. "It's just like with Angel... Only this time I can do something about it! Maybe if I sneak up on it I can save the bunny..."
Fluttershy began creeping around the back of her house, putting her plan into action.
***
The rabbit led me through a path of shrub, trees, and large amounts of mud, but eventually we came to a path leading to a cottage. Just outside of the cottage a single table had been set up, as though there was a party going on.
"You got that carrot from there?" I ask the rabbit, who nods in return.
Moving closer to the table for a better look I see plates topped with carrots, celery, lettuce, and different kinds of apples. Letting my hunger get the best of me I take one of the apples and take a large bite, not caring if it was poisoned, drugged, or even an apple. Luckily It tasted like an apple, sweet, juicy, and crisp, utterly perfect in every way, especially to someone that had gone without food for the past few days.
"You are my saviour little guy!" The rabbit looked proud of himself and took a bow. "Oh you like that, huh? Then that's what I'll call you from now on, Saviour."
It's an odd name for a rabbit, but after all he did for me it seemed more than fitting. Grabbing another apple I shined it on my shirt and began devouring everything on the table.
I had finished off the apples and began reaching for some carrots before looking back to Saviour in order to give thanks, but something seemed amiss. He had his head bowed in front of the tombstone next to the table, and just like I first saw him he seemed to be giving a silent prayer. I moved closer to the gravestone and crouched down in order to read carefully what was engraved along the front;
Here lies Angel, a great pet and a great friend
"Angel... Where have I heard that name befo-"
Without warning something rammed into the side of my head, knocking me to the ground. A yellow hoof was all I could make out before getting another swift kick to the head, making my vision go black.
***
"I did it!" Fluttershy ran up to grab the rabbit in her hooves, jumping over the monster's unconscious body as she went. "Are you alright little guy?"
The rabbit stared dumbfounded at the yellow pegasus, surprised at how the pony just knocked out something twice its size. Walking closer to the body of its unconscious friend, the rabbit gave it a few pokes, and began looking the large body over.
"You really need to be more careful! That thing could have killed you... just like poor Angel." The thought of her deceased pet made Fluttershy look away and fight back tears.
She would have stood there sadly for much longer if not for a groan coming from the monster's body, making her jump and give it another swift kick to the head. The rabbit put a hand to its face and let out a deep sigh before breaking free from Fluttershy's grip and pointed at the monster.
"Is something wrong? You don't have to worry about him anymore, I won't let that big meanie get a hold of you."
The rabbit made the gesture of a roof, of something sleeping, and then started pointing at the monster.
"You need somewhere to sleep?" Fluttershy guessed, the rabbit shook its head and repeated its gestures, "You um... want it to have somewhere to sleep?" The rabbit nodded in return and lazily leaned against the creature.
"I don't think it would be a good idea... I know" The rabbit looked back to Fluttershy and set up sticks in the shape of houses before smashing through them like a giant. "I see what you mean, if it ran around Ponyville somepony could get hurt. Fine, I'll keep it in a bear cage for now, then tell Twilight. She'll know what to do from there."
Fluttershy took hold of the creature's pant legs before dragging it behind her house and into a large cage, locking the door with several large padlocks. The rabbit snuck underneath Fluttershy's legs before the door closed and lay down in wait for the creature to wake up.
"There." Fluttershy looked at the now caged creature before walking in the direction of Ponyville. "I think I'm getting the hang of this assertiveness thing."
***
"My head. What hit me?" Head pounding I sat up, only to knock my head on the top of something. "Crap!"
I stopped moving to rub my pounding head and get a good view of my surroundings, but beyond a roof, four walls, and a cage door there was nothing to see. I panicked and tried flipping the crate and kicked furiously at the door, both without success. Giving up I started lie down, but noticed that a small rabbit was being crushed under the weight of my leg.
"Oh sorry man." I lifted my leg, and moved out of the way to give him some space to breathe.
I lay down and looked at the ceiling to think, At least I have somewhere to sleep tonight.
The sounds of an animal chasing me were all I could hear while dodging tree roots, leaping over hedges, and sprinting as fast as I could from the unknown danger. I sprinted as quickly as my legs would carry me, but the noise grew louder and louder, until I could hear a chicken screeching at me from behind. I had to force myself to not look back, I had just seen this animal turn several others into stone, and if it not for a pony staring it into submission, they probably would have stayed that way. I did not have the same pony luxury.
Eventually the rough terrain opened to a small field, surrounded on three sides with tightly nit trees, too tight for me to squeeze through. The screech of the monster became louder every passing moment, and with nowhere else to turn I placed an arrow in my bow and aimed half-heartedly in the approaching monster's direction. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, the suspense practically killed me. Suddenly a half-chicken, half-snake monster dove out of the bushes, making me shut my eyes tight to avoid being turned to stone.
The creature dove at my legs, wrapping its body around them while dragging me to the ground. It pecked viciously at my face, trying to get my eyes open by means of ripping my eyelids off. I swung my fists furiously at it, hitting a large blow to the side of its head and forcing it to release its grip on me with a loud cry of pain. I quickly got to my feet and took an arrow in one hand, throwing my bow to the side, ready to stab the monster if it came to near.
Diving once more for my legs the monster wrapped me once more, this time I was ready. Listening to the sound of where the animal was approaching from I stabbed downwards, creating a large gash on one side of its serpent tail. The monster screeched in pain, but continued to wrap its body tighter and tighter around my chest and neck. The pain was unbearable, and choked much of the air from my lungs making me release my grip on the arrow to furiously pull on the creature's choke hold.
It was no use, and the creature simply tightened faster, making me let go of the arrow and lie in a heap of pain. The choking continued to get tighter and tighter until something inside my mind snapped opening my eyes and making me stare directly into the monster's with pure bloodlust. The creature loosened it's grip on my chest before it's eyes began to glow a bright red, it was a distraction. Feeling my legs go numb I reached out to grab my arrow and stabbed at the monster several times in its eyes, blinding it before continuing to stab the head and neck. Even though I was tired, out of breath, and should barely had enough energy to move I continued to lash out at the monster, my hands and face soaked in blood.
I woke with a start, panting heavily with sweat clinging to my face and hands, I looked frantically around at my surroundings, I was still in the cage, and surprisingly Saviour had managed to stay fast asleep. The sight of him calmed my nerves, allowing me to lean back against the wall, drifting slowly back to sleep.
***
Fluttershy ran back from the library with Twilight, having told her of the creature she captured and sparking the unicorn's interest. Following the path to Fluttershy's cottage Twilight asked a constant stream of questions, waking Rainbow Dash from her nap on a cloud.
"Hey! Fluttershy! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called down from her cloud, "Where you off to in such a rush?"
Coming down from the cloud Rainbow Dash walked up to Fluttershy, greeting her friend.
"There's something I want to show Twilight you at my cottage. You can come too, I mean, if you want... I'm not sure if it's safe though... Maybe you don't want to see. Oh, forget I said anything."
"Psh, danger's my middle name. Now what is it that you have to show me?"
"Do you remember the monster that attacked Angel?" Fluttershy replied.
"Yes, Twilight and I spent hours trying to figure out what it was. It was so boring and we didn't even find anything in the end."
"Well I, um, caught it." Fluttershy trailed off at the end of her sentence.
"You what?!" Rainbow Dash stared at her friend in disbelief. "What does it look like?"
"It's um... about twice the size of a pony and stood on its hind legs. It was wearing a dirt covered, shirt and pants, and held this weird stick with a string on it. Oh! And it looked sort of like a monkey, except with hair on its head and chin." Fluttershy seemed slightly proud of herself after finishing.
"And you caught this thing?"
"Well... yes."
"You've gotta show me!" Rainbow Dash quickly flew off, leaving Fluttershy and Twilight in the dust.
***
Being confined in a small box alone for hours on end can be a little unnerving, but thanks to Saviour I was able to keep much of my sanity. At first it felt odd being trapped with a rabbit intelligent enough to understand speech, even in a world where ponies could talk and monsters from mythological tales existed, but after the first hour or so, and several games of tic-tac-toe later, I hardly noticed he was a rabbit. We had just finished a few games of charades, at which, for a rabbit or any other animal, he was an extremely good actor, not the best guesser though.
"It's over here..." A feminine voice whispered in the distance, "I think it's asleep. Try not to wake it, I don't know if it has seen me yet."
"Wow. It's huge! How did you manage to catch that thing?" Another feminine, but somewhat masculine, voice said.
I turned my head to the cage door, staring at me were three colourful ponies. One of them was the yellow pony I had seen several times before, and the other two I recognized from the manticore attack. One was cyan with a rainbow mane, the other purple with an accompanying purple mane. I stared back at them, silent, wondering why they had kidnapped me.
"Eep!" The yellow pony dove behind its blue coated pony, trying to hide itself from my view.
"Fluttershy, I think it already saw you. Plus it's in a cage, what is it going to do?"
So Fluttershy was the yellow pony's name... seems fitting.
"What do you think it is Twilight?" The cyan pony asked it's purple friend.
"I have no idea Rainbow. I've never seen anything like it in any of my books." The purple pony, Twilight, responded.
I had forgotten about my rabbit roommate who woke up from its deep sleep, rubbing its eyes and walking up to the cage.
"Oh! The monster captured that poor bunny!" Fluttershy jumped out from behind her blue friend, beginning to unlock the cage's door.
"Calm down!" Twilight's horn began to glow and Fluttershy was engulfed in a purple aura. "Maybe it didn't notice him yet. We can't give it the chance to free itself."
I looked down at Saviour, who looked back up at me, Maybe I can mess with these ponies a little. I picked Saviour up by the ears and dangled him over my mouth. Beyond being a little annoyed he didn't seem to mind and just put his arms together, waiting for my charade to end.
"Oh that's it!" The blue one began unlocking the cage door just like its friend before, this time managing to undo all of the locks before in at me.
"Rainbow Dash wait!"
The pony was fast, but I managed to dodge the attack and the pony smacked face first into the floor where I had just been standing. I leapt out of the cage, locking the door behind me, and headed for the woods, carrying Saviour in my arms and running for my life. Noticing my bow and quiver leaning against the cottage's walls I ran over to grab them, swinging both over my shoulder in one smooth motion. Inches away from freedom the same purple aura that had surrounded Fluttershy came over me, dragging me slowly back into the cage.
I had been locked in that cage for long enough, and had no intention of going back. Planting my feet firmly in the ground we began a desperate game of magical tug-of-war, audible grunts came from the pony behind me as I pushed harder and harder against the magic.
"Look out behind you Twilight!" I shouted back, trying my best to sound like her Rainbow maned friend in an attempted distraction.
Luckily she glanced over her shoulder, actually believing it was her friend that called out, and lost focus on her magic. It was more than enough for me to break free from the glow and sprint into the forest, escaping my pony captors with Saviour clinging to my back as I ran.
***
Fluttershy teared up at the sight of the rabbit being taken into the forest by the monster, and began crying outright as they disappeared behind the trees. Twilight walked up behind Fluttershy and placed a comforting hoof on her back, trying to calm her crying friend.
"We need to go after that monster!" Rainbow Dash had just been freed from the cage and was about to race off into the forest, if not for a purple leg blocking her path.
"I agree, but it won't do any good to rush in without a plan." Twilight glanced back at the sobbing pegasus. "Plus, one of us needs to stay behind and comfort her."
"Fine..." Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and sat down in a huff. "What do you want to do?"
"I'm going to follow it and then teleport both of us back to the cottage. You stay here and calm Fluttershy down. If anypony else comes by the cottage tell them what happened, alright?" Rainbow nodded and saluted Twilight before walking over to Fluttershy, calming down her weeping friend.
Twilight began galloping towards the forest, skidding to a halt to look up at the threatening trees. Swallowing nervously the unicorn started chasing after the monster again, following the sounds of branches breaking and bushes being parted.
Twilight closed the gap between her and the creature before finally being able to see its back clearly. Concentrating her magic Twilight began to cloak the creature in it. Closing her eyes to concentrate the magic further Twilight lost sight of where she was going and ran into a furry, large, and growling manticore. Looking up at it the manticore gave a low growl and swiped Twilight with a large paw, throwing her very roughly forward.
***
I made my way through the last few bushes before coming into a small clearing, the same one from when I was fighting the half snake, half chicken thing. The hoofbeats stopped and for a moment I thought the pony stopped chasing me until Twilight's body came crashing through the bushes and fell in heap at my feet.
Behind her, an ear shattering roar and in the distance I could see a manticore barrelling through the trees, knocking several down as it went. My first instinct was to run, but something about the fear in the pony's eyes made me stay. I dragged her body to the other end of the clearing and camouflaged her and Saviour with loose branches and shrubs before looking back to the incoming manticore.
This pony better be fucking thankful... I thought as removed the bow from my shoulder and readied an arrow.
The manticore jumped into the clearing and let out another loud roar, shaking the ground around it. Keeping my feet I stood tall and tried to make myself look as threatening as possible, which was fairly hard considering the manticore-s size and strength. It looked confusedly around the clearing and held a paw up, drawing the figure of a pony in the air. I shrugged, much to the manticore's disproval, and it walked slowly back into the forest.
I waited until I could no longer hear the manticore before removing the makeshift camouflage from on top of Twilight's body. She gave me a terrified glance and shrunk back slightly at the sight of me as I removed the last few bits of sticks from on top of her. I held my hand out, offering help, the small gesture seemed to help her loosen up slightly and she took my hand in her hoof, which was softer than I had imagined it would be.
Pulling herself to her hooves with my aid, Twilight began taking a few cautious steps forward before collapsing on the ground with a yelp of pain. Crouching down I beckoned for her to grab onto my shoulders, and after fidgeting awkwardly for several moments I had her head resting against my shoulder and her hooves wrapped around my neck, similar to a piggyback ride. Saviour came out from his hiding spot in the bushes and looked at the two of us with an odd look, confusion and surprise etched onto his face.
I carried Twilight in silence through the forest for several long and awkward minutes, careful not to knock her head on any branches or trees. She kept prodding me with her hooves, which were a lot softer than I'd have imagined, and she seemed to be unsure if I was dangerous or not. Eventually she stopped with her consistent prodding and I felt her loosening up and getting comfortable.
"I don't know if you can understand me but, um... thanks," she offered, smiling up at me.
"No problem," I replied, returning her smile.
Twilight stared up at me, mouth agape and eyes wide. After a few seconds of her staring I began looking around for another animal or something that could have startled her.
"You can talk?!"
I stopped looking around randomly to answer her, "Yes I can
A loud crash interrupted me, and behind us stood the very large, very angry manticore from before. It stood on its back legs, lifted its head, and let out an ear-shattering roar, shaking the ground and the trees around us.
"Run!" Twilight shouted.
I didn't need to be told twice, and soon I was running as fast as I could towards the edge of the forest. The manticore ended its roar and began charging at us, crashing into trees and knocking them down as it ran.
Over, under, through, around, I ran past every bush and tree, trying to stay on my feet and carry Twilight at the same time. The manticore continued running at me, a murderous look in its eyes. I started to distance myself on the monster, and for a moment I felt as though I was going to make it out safely. It didn't last long though.
A miscalculated step and a tree root caught me by the foot, twisting my ankle and bringing the two of us crashing down to the ground. Luckily for her something soft cushioned her fall, unluckily for me I was the cushion and the sudden hit knocked the wind out of me.
"This is not going to be good..." I grunted, noticing my bow had snapped into two pieces from the fall.
I grimaced, preparing for the impending attack, but it never came. I looked up to see Twilight standing over me, horn aglow and before either the manticore or I knew what was going on, Twilight threw her head to the side and the manticore went flying deeper into the forest.
She collapsed on the ground in front of me, breathing hard and fast. I just stared, confused at her change of heart. When her breathing slowed to a natural pace and she turned her head towards me.
Did she just save my life?
"Are... Are you okay?" She asked, panting heavily.
"Y-yeah..." I stuttered out.
"Thank Celestia... Do you think we could keep moving? I really don't want to be in the forest any longer than I have to."
I lifted Twilight onto my back again and let her get into a more comfortable position, she rested her head against my shoulder and quickly fell asleep, apparently magic has some exhausting side effects.
The sun slowly creeped out of the sky, and I knew better than anything that night in the forest was much worse than the day. The majority of my attacks came at the night while I was trying to get back to shelter and usually ended in something getting broken on both sides.
I looked around for somewhere safe to sleep and noticed some familiar landmarks. A stream, a large tree, and an oddly placed pile of leaves. I held Twilight with one arm and pushed away the leaves to reveal the entrance to my old shelter.
"Thank you..." I whispered to the sky, trying not to wake the sleeping pony on my back.
Careful to keep Twilight from knocking into anything, I crawled in the shelter and placed her on the bed of moss. Crawling over to the other end of the room Saviour was waiting, tapping his foot with his arms crossed.
"Oh sorry... Guess I forgot about you."
He gestured with one paw for me to come closer, still tapping his foot impatiently. I crawled over to him, and as soon as I was within his range, he jumped up and smacked me in the face.
"Ow!" He had a mean left hook. "I guess I deserved that."
Saviour gave me a wicked smile, he had gotten his point across.
"I'm exhausted... How about we get some sleep, alright?"
Saviour nodded and moved aside, allowing me to have enough space to lie down across from Twilight and get a clear view of the entrance. Saviour leaned up against me and within a few minutes we both fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
***
"It's no use Rainbow Dash, it's too dark to see anything." Fluttershy called.
Rainbow Dash was circling the forest for several hours, diving in and out of the trees at any noise that sounded like hoof beats, only to come back up disappointed. The sun had set several hours earlier and the moon now shone brilliantly over Equestria.
"I can't Fluttershy, she wouldn't stop for us!" Rainbow shouted back, taking another dive into the treeline.
"Please Rainbow... It's too dangerous for anypony to be in the forest at night. You can start again tomorrow."
"Uhhh..." Rainbow Dash moaned, "Fine."
She did not like leaving her friends when they needed her help, but her own exhaustion was getting the better of her.
Rainbow Dash descended from the sky and trotted over to Fluttershy.
"But I'm coming back first thing tomorrow morning."
"That' okay. Just try to get some sleep."
Rainbow Dash nodded and gave a small grunt before flying off in the direction of her home.
Poor Twilight, I hope she's alright...
***
The morning sun gleamed through the hole in my roof, slowly waking me from my blissfully ignorant slumber as I stretched my arms above my head, and I lay back down again. I almost fell asleep again, but a gentle nudge from my side stopped me.
"Umm... Hello?"
Still lying down I rolled over, putting my back away from the voice.
"Please, wake up." More nudging on my side.
I recognized the voice as Twilight's, but nonetheless I kept my eyes shut and waved her off with one hand.
"Just five more minutes," I pleaded in my sleep deprived state.
"Urghhh," She moaned, hitting me on my back with her hoof.
"Ow! Fine, fine. I'm up."
I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking towards Twilight who seemed nervous, and slightly impatient, but other from a few sticks in her mane she was untouched by the dirt and grime. I on the other hand had mud soaked into my clothes, hair, and dried along my arms.
"How are you feeling?" I asked her, pointing to the injured leg.
"It's, better. I've used some soothing magic to help eliminate the pain." She put some weight on her leg and winced slightly. "But I don't think it's working very well. How about you?"
"I'm alright." I began to sit up, but a strong twinge of pain shot through my leg, forcing me to lie back down. "Scratch that..."
"Oh no..." Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, and pointed to my leg.
There was a long rip through my pants that tore through from my knee to my thigh, and a bloody gash along the side of my leg. Most of the colour had gone from my leg, replaced by a pale white, while a green fungi seemed to be growing inside of the wound. Much of the wound had been covered by the ground, and prevented any blood from seeping out, but the movement seemed to have opened the gash and let the blood flow freely again.
"This... This is not good, is it?" I began to feel woozy, and fell on my side.
"We... We need to get you to a doctor!" A voice shouted in my ear.
"These ponies have doctors... That's odd." My eyes closed and I felt my consciousness beginning to slip away.
***
Fluttershy woke to the sound of a rooster calling out for the start of a new day. With a yawn she got up from the bed and trotted down the stairs, ready to give her animal friends their breakfasts, and to get something for herself.
"Good morning!" She called to the animals, eagerly awaiting their next meal.
Fluttershy flew up to her cabinets and grabbed several boxes of pet food and placed some in small bowls for each of the animals. Gingerly putting each bowl in front of each animal.
"Eat up! You'll need your energy if you want to-"
A blinding flash of light erupted from her living room, causing the animals to fly, run, and climb out of open windows and doors. Fluttershy ducked under the table and put her hooves above her head, hiding from anything that was in the next room.
"Fluttershy!" A desperate voice called from the next room.
Fluttershy recognized as Twilight's and wasted no time, running straight in to help her friend, flipping the table in the process.
"I'm coming Twilight!" Fluttershy leaped into the room, "What's wrong... Oh my..."
Fluttershy backed away at the sight of Twilight panting heavily over the monster that had attacked Angel, as well as the small rabbit Twilight had ran in to the forest to protect.
"Please Fluttershy! He's hurt!"
Fluttershy felt the urge to turn around and run, not wanting to go anywhere near the monster, but as she looked into Twilight's eyes she saw they were desperate and afraid. Fluttershy took a deep breath and flew to several cabinets, grabbing all medicines, bandages, and creams before sitting next to Twilight, nodding and beginning her work.
***
I woke up screaming loudly and panting heavily, not at anyone or anything in particular, but just terrified of dreams I could not remember.
Calming down I lay back down, but felt something soft under my head, unlike the usual hard dirt which I had grown accustomed to, and found myself sleeping on a comfortable mattress. I sat up on the bed, remembering the pain in my leg and looking around worriedly for any sign of life.
"Shh... You need your rest." The yellow pegasus I remembered to be Fluttershy came into view, gently pushing me down with a hoof. "You had a very nasty scratch and the medicine needs time to work."
My body took the offer and lay down, while my mind pleaded for something completely different.
"Are Twilight and Saviour okay?" I asked, sitting up once more.
"Yes Twilight and your rabbit friend are fine, just, um... Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning."
The bed was too comfortable and I was too tired to argue, so I simply nodded before lying down again and falling out of consciousness once more.
A chilling breeze flowed through the trees as I pulled tighter on my jacket to block the cold. The dark clouds threatened rain, and I was worried that I would not have enough time to get back to shelter. Increasing my pace I continued forward through the trees, stepping over rocks and stumps, all the while trying to stay as silent as possible in case there was anything nearby.
I just finished up a lucky day of hunting, two squirrels and a chipmunk lay limp across my back as proof. It had been the first time that I had used my bow, and I felt fairly good about myself. The sound of thunder coming off from the distance quickly broke my pride.
Rain began lightly falling through the trees, soft tapping noises came from the leaves above my head. As time went on the rain began seeping through the leaves, and fell more heavily on them, causing me to shield my head from the loose droplets of water. I gave a yelp as lightning struck a tree next to me, incinerating it completely and showering me with sticks.
The rain broke through the leaves, showering me with an uncomfortably large amount of water. My clothes and hair became soaked with the rainwater, adding unwanted weight and thoroughly drenching my hunt. Throwing the ruined meat to the ground I took a moment and grieved for my hunger, quickly recovering I looked for somewhere safe to sleep.
My original shelter was out of the picture, thoughts of the incinerated tree still lingered in my mind. As long as rain pelted the ground, and lightning struck, a tree was not a safe place to be. As if to prove my point another large tree exploded in a cloud of dust and debris.
I caught sight of a small cave in the distance, large and dry enough for me to wait out the storm. I continued on in its direction, twitching slightly every time thunder roared in the distance.
The ground had turned to complete mud, I slipped and fell several times, each instance accompanied by a swear as I picked myself up and wiped off the grime.
The thunder began going off far more than before, making me jump with each loud crack. I took long strides along the muddy terrain in an effort to keep my balance.
Suddenly, a lightening bolt struck a tree next to me and sent me flying through the air. I landed face first, and with a groan, I stood slowly, rubbing my face and limping deeper into the dark passageway and away from the storm.
A small light shone at the back of the cave, beckoning me closer like a moth to a flame. I continued forward, limping with every step and holding onto one of my arms to reduce some pain. The cave opened up into a massive room, lit by an unknown source. Near the back of the cave lay a large mound of bones, currently being used as a bed for one particularly large, sleeping dragon.
My first instinct was to turn back and run, but the exhaustion and pain from being in the storm had taken its toll. I walked forwards to a dark corner of the cave, using the thunder and rain to cover the noise from my movement, and carefully positioned myself so I was out of sight from the dragon.
"Hello?" a young voice called out, "Hello? What is that?"
Peering from my hiding spot I noticed an animal walking into the cave. Most of its body was covered with dark purple scales, but its chest had a green that clashed with it. The young dragon began snacking on the gems, laughing and talking to itself the entire time. I watched for several minutes, waiting for the inevitable, until it finally came.
The larger dragon stood up behind him, growling and grunting something until it began outright attacking it. I kept my distance throughout the fight, not wanting to get caught up in it. The young dragon dodged as many attacks as it could before finally getting trapped in a corner.
A "Hoo" echoed out from the cave's entrance, follower by an owl. The owl dived at the elder dragon, distracting it long enough for the younger dragon to escape before leaving itself. The larger dragon followed the two out of the cave, roaring and shooting bursts of flame in their direction.
The rain had stopped and I walked slowly out of the cave before heading off in the direction of my home, shaking my head and trying to make sense of the whole situation.
My leg burned as if it was on fire, pain shot through my entire body, waking me up in a more extreme fashion that I was accompanied to. Even in the forest, with the mud, the rain, and with nothing to eat, I had woken up completely ignorant to everything. In a place where almost everything was new, this had been a first.
I opened my mouth to yell, but held it shut after noticing a sleeping purple pony next to me. I took the pain and lay back down, mumbling every curse I knew under my breath so as not to wake her. I looked around the room, searching for something to distract from the pain.
I lay on a small bed in the middle of a large open room filled with all types and colours of birdhouses, cages, and different packages of food. No animals were in the cages, or at least none I could see, but several birds fluttered from house to house, chirping a light tune. Some furniture lay facing awkwardly away from me. Couches, tables, chairs, all probably moved in order to make space for the bed.
A twinge of pain brought my attention back to myself, and I quickly removed the blanket to check on the injury. One of my pant legs had been torn off, a blood stained bandage wrapped professionally over the wound. I took a moment to wonder how a pony could have gotten it on so well, and to try and avoid the pain, but unfortunately I had no luck.
I groaned and lay back on the bed, trying to ignore the pain in my leg once again. I looked to the ceiling and began to think of anything that could possibly be distracting enough.
***
Fluttershy woke to the sound of birds chirping softly in her ear, the sun shining brightly through her window. Pulling herself from bed she walked calmly to the bathroom, running a warm shower and carefully cleaning her mane. After her regular morning routine the pegasus trotted downstairs to check up on her most recent patient.
Sprawled out in the middle of the bed on her living room the animal sat with it's legs crossed, hands in small "O" shapes, and eyes closed.
"Umm... What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked, peeking her head cautiously around the doorway.
"Trying to meditate..." the animal responded, "To get rid of the pain."
"Oh... Okay." Fluttershy walked closer to the bed. "Is it working?"
"No..." The animal replied, collapsing onto the bed and mumbling words into the mattress Fluttershy couldn't understand.
"Well I could give you some cream, but um... it was designed for ponies and I don't think it will work for you."
"That's fine..." The animal looked up at Fluttershy, confused. "Then what did you give me last night?"
"Oh, um... that?" Fluttershy backed away slightly. "Well I, um... when Twilight brought you here I tried using a few different creams, but they just seemed to make things worse. I had to use all of the special medicine my friend Zecora gave me before it got any better."
"So that's all you did?"
"Um, pretty much." Fluttershy looked away nervously.
"Alright then..." The animal winced as it dragged its leg from the blankets, revealing blood-soaked sheets. The lower half of the leg had turned a deep purple from lack of blood flow. Much of the blood had been stopped, or caught, by the now dark red cloth on the animals leg. "Do you by any chance have more bandages..."
"Oh... Oh my..." Fluttershy gasped before running out of the room for a fresh bandage.
She started going through cupboards and drawers looking for a bandage, throwing aside bottles, pans, and creams of different kinds.
"Where are the bandages?" Fluttershy said to herself while searching, but stopped at the sound of her front door opening.
"Hey, Fluttershy! Are you home?" Rainbow Dash called out, "Oh so you're back for more, huh?"
Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy thought, Oh no...
***
I had barely enough time get out of the way as Rainbow Dash charged at me, flying just past my left ear and leaving it ringing. Missing her original target she quickly somersaulted and turned around on her hooves before making a second attempt. Lunging at me while I was getting up she pinned my body to the ground with surprising strength.
"Gah!" I cried out, her back leg was planted directly on my uncovered wound.
"What'd you do to Twilight?" She demanded, "And where's Fluttershy?!"
I gritted my teeth and winced as her hoof dug further, and further into my leg. I quickly wrenched one arm free and grabbed at her back leg before pulling it off from mine. The sudden loss of ground flipped her onto her back and gave me enough time to pull away.
After gathering herself from the ground, Rainbow Dash dove out at me again, this time I was ready. I put my hands up to block the attack, and inches before she struck I kicked my leg out to knock her back, but a purple glow stopped her, and my leg, in mid-air.
"Hey, what gives?" Rainbow Dash asked, acting as if someone interrupted her in the middle of a television show instead a fight, "Twilight?!"
Twilight sat up from her position on the couch and looked between the two of us before shaking her head. Her horn lit up and I felt the glow around my leg become warmer. I felt the pain in my leg numb as the glow became brighter, a white cloth materialized in the air and wrapped around my leg tightly.
"I think I need to explain." Twilight said as she released both Rainbow Dash and I from her magic.