The Everfree forest was a scary place. Danger lurked around every tree, rock and plant. One couldn’t take a single step without fear as to what could be following them. Light held no residence in this dense jungle of foliage and horror, only darkness had a home here. This horrific place was where Sunny Days the filly found herself with her best friend, Peachy Pie.
“I can’t believe we followed up on that dare from Rumble and Button Mash!” said Peachy Pie, throwing a hoof up in disbelief.
“They called us babies! Choice was irrelevant at that point.” Sunny Days gave her friend a matter of fact look. The two fillies were walking home from school earlier that day, when two of their classmates dared them to spend two whole hours in the Everfree. Not one to back down, they heartily agreed. It wasn’t until they actually set hoof in the forest that the reality of the situation set in.
“I wanna go home. I’m scared.” Peachy brushed a tear from her cheek and sat down in front of a nearby tree. “Is proving them wrong really that important?” They had only been in the woods for 20 minutes, and Peachy Pie already had enough. Sunny Days was definitely the braver of the two, and her friend was clearly not going to last.
“You should go home then, Peachy.” Sunny gave a sympathetic look toward the huddled mass of tears and shivers that was her best friend. “I’ll continue on from here by myself.”
“A-Are you sure?” Peachy looked up at her friend, shooting her a curious look.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She gave an earnest smile. “And I won’t tell them that you left early. Now, get going back the way we came, and you won’t get lost.”
“Thanks, Sunny! But, you’ll be safe, right?”
“Yes, I promise. I’ll be perfectly okay! Now go!” With a quick glance back, Peachy ran off toward the forest’s exit, leaving Sunny by herself in the massive jungle.
Weird noises emanated from all around the small orange filly. Some she recognized, like the chirping of birds and insects, while others sounded foreign and horrific.
“Wow. This place sure is a lot creepier when you’re by yourself.” She felt a shiver run through her knees as she followed the pathway of gnarled tree roots and broken branches. Suddenly, she stumbled upon a small clearing in the dark, where a small patch of sunlight reached a grassy area on the ground. As far as she was concerned, it was a safe haven in the valley of death. Her eyes widened and a sense of relief flooded over her as she took a step forward.
“RRROWWWWRR!”
Sunny jumped on instinct and dove behind a bush located on the outside of the clearing. ‘W-What was t-t-that?’ Her thoughts froze as her eyes darted around the clearing, looking for whatever creature caused such a noise. That was when she saw it— A mid-sized monster was sitting near the center of the area. Part lion and scorpion, it was truly a scary sight to behold. From what she remembered in school, this must be a Manticore. It let out another vicious roar, but this time it sounded less mean and more… sad?
She slowly moved out from the bush to get a closer look. She quickly realized that this was a younger Manticore due to its smaller size. And second, there was something wrong with it. It didn’t look angry, aggressive or violent, but quite the opposite. It’s head was hung low, and it’s tail was drooped to it’s side.
‘
I wonder what’s wrong with him?’ Sunny wondered to herself. She slowly but surely stepped closer to the beast, and what she saw next put everything in a new light.In a heap in front of him was what looked to be another, much larger Manticore. It wasn’t moving from what she could see, and the smaller one seemed very upset. Through the fear of being attacked, she decided to take a chance and see what was wrong.
She cautiously stepped forward toward him. Her knees quivered with every step. She was soon close enough to hear his breathing, which came out more like sobs at this point. She was soon only a couple feet away, and could see the fresh tear stains coating it’s fur. From the looks of it, it was probably the same age as her. She gently placed a hoof on the larger animal’s shoulder. On contact, the Manticore spun around with a snarl, causing Sunny to jump away from it in surprise. The beast lowered it’s head in a threatening position.
Sunny flinched and shut her eyes, preparing for the worst, but nothing happened. She cracked open her eye to see what was happening, and the sight was surprising to say the least. The young Manticore was huddled to the ground, tears freely flowing from its eyes. It kept glancing back toward the larger one and the tears flowed even more. She couldn’t help but feel terrible for it. She stepped closer once again, and gently stroked the young one.
“Shh. It’s alright. It’ll be okay.” She wasn’t sure if it understood her, but she was no stranger to the pain of losing a loved one, and sometimes comfort is the best help to give. The tears began to slow down and the animal started purring softly. She glanced over the larger Manticore and noticed it looked quite similar to the younger.
“Was he your daddy?” she asked in a quiet voice. He gave a small nod of his head in response to her question, and tears threatened once more. Sunny Days bent in closer and gently nuzzled his cheek. She wanted a way to make him feel better, even a little bit. That’s when an idea hit her.
“I’ll be right back, I promise.” The manticore gave her a saddened look as she darted away. However, she quickly returned, carrying something in her mouth. She raced forward toward her new friend, and gently placed the object down. It was a small flower, the same color as her coat. “Here. This is for you, so you’ll remember you always have a friend.” She gave him a small smile.
The young creature rose up on its hind legs. It was roughly the size of a grown pony at full height. It gently traced a claw over her mane before racing off into the jungle, much to Sunny’s surprise. He also returned quickly with something. When it got closer, Sunny’s eyes widened in surprise. It was holding out the most glorious jewel she had ever seen. It was a bright yellow gem that seemed to reflect the sun’s beauty itself. He placed the jewel by her hooves, and picked up the flower. He looked over it for just a moment before a small tear sprung into his eye. In a quick movement, he swept the young filly into his arms and they shared a tight hug. After it ended, Sunny looked down at the jewel she was given and back up to the creature she received it from. “I’ll never forget you, either.”
With that, the two went their separate ways, each carrying a testament to their newfound friendship.
