The great hydra stomped as lightly as it could through the forest, all of its heads turning and looking constantly, always on the lookout. Though the forest was quiet, the beast did not let its guard down and constantly regarded every single sound and movement carefully. Ahead of it, a slight hill could be seen as well as a cave that was mostly hidden by a large bush. Tracks from various creatures could also be seen leading to the cave, something that would normally make the hydra begin to worry for its safety, which now made it feel the opposite.
Breathing a sigh of relief the great, many headed beast pushed aside the bush and slipped inside, lowering its massive bulk in order to do so. Though a little tight, the hydra fit within the confines of the cave, and was just barely able to pass to the point that it could rise up once more. Once it was able to do so, the creature noticed it was surrounded by other creatures of the forest, all of whom seemed relieved to see it.
The manticore to the hydra’s right was old, and covered with scars from many battles, yet despite the forest alpha being here, there was no aggression in its features. “Thank goodness you made it.” Remarked the manticore, who nodded to the hydra.
Who plunked down to the manticore’s right, making the entire cave shake when it did so. “I’m glad I made it too.”
Beside the manticore sat a cragadile who was curled into a tight ball in order to conserve space in the now quite packed cave. “You werent followed were you?” Asked the great lizard, who glanced nervously to the cave entrance.
The hydra shook several of its heads. “Unlike you, I can watch every direction at once.”
“Good.” Muttered a smaller voice that came from a cockatrice. “We can't let her find us.”
At the mere mention of her, the various creatures trembled, with the cragadile’s teeth chattering audibly. “Shhhh don't even say that! If you even mention that thing she can hear you!” Hissed one of the hydra’s heads.
“R-really?” Asked the cragadile nervously.
“She even knows where you are just when you think of her.” Added the same head, only to get its face bitten by another of the hydra’s heads.
“Would you shut up?” Barked the dominant head. “Your going to make him pee himself and we’ll be stuck in here smelling that.”
The manticore sighed and ran a paw down its face. “She cannot hear you when you talk about her, or know where you are when you think of her.”
The cragadile breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you sure?”
“I’m absolutely sure.” Stated the manticore. “She's just a zebra.”
“Just a zebra?” Asked the cockatrice mockingly. “She took down my entire flock by herself with nothing more than some stinky bottles and her wits!”
The manticore frowned. “You know what I meant.”
“Yeah and I’m telling you she's not just a zebra, she might as well be the alpha of the whole dang forest at this point.” Remarked the cockatrice.
The manticore surged upwards and pounced on the smaller creature, pinning it to the ground. “I’m not dead yet and for as long as I draw breath, I am still the boss.”
The cockatrice gulped. “So uh, what's the plan then boss?”
The manticore crept back to his spot and plopped back down on the cold stone floor. “First you all are going to tell me what all happened, then I’m going to figure out a weakness. You will start.”
The cockatrice grumbled. “What's there to tell? She threw a bunch of stinky bottles at us and my flock started dropping like flies until it was only me and her.”
“Then what happened?” Asked one of the hydra’s heads.
“I ran okay?” The cockatrice spat. “She shrugged off the gazes of the others like they were nothing! She didn't even have the stare, or even seemed affected by our petrification at all.”
“So she did not have the same power that Fluttershy has?” Asked the manticore pointedly.
The cockatrice shook its head and fluffed its wings. “No, I mean she had a crazy stare, but not the stare, ya know?”
“Interesting.” Muttered the manticore. “What else happened?”
The cockatrice began to pace slowly. “She chased after me for a bit, but I knew where this big thorn bush was and managed to slip through it before she caught me.” The creature shivered in fear. “She just sat there, watching me for a few minutes before leaving and saying something in that weird language of hers.”
The cragadile shivered. “Did she eat your flock?”
The cockatrice shook its head. “No, she just left after poking them all with this pointy thing.”
“Maybe she was taking their blood for a dark ritual that will steal your flock’s souls.” Offered the paranoid hydra head, only to get another bite on the nose. “Hey!”
“I said cut it out.” Barked the dominant hydra head who glared down its twin.
The manticore hummed thoughtfully, the old alpha tapping the floor with a claw. “So it came after your flock just to poke you a few times and leave then? That is strange.”
“Your telling me.” Muttered the cockatrice. “It was like she was hunting us just for fun or something you know? Like she was proving she was top creature and taunting us all for our weakness.”
“So, what happened to you? How did your encounter with this scary zebra go?” Asked the manticore, turning to the cragadile.
Who gulped. “P-pretty much the same thing. She started throwing these bottles around and one of them hit my mate and knocked her out cold. I thought she was dead until I heard her start to snore. I tried to fight the zebra off, but she was so fast, so nimble, no matter what I did, I could never catch her.”
The main hydra head sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that. How is your mate?”
“Shes fine, but she said she felt funny for a while.” Replied the cragadile. “It was the strangest thing, she felt sick for like a day and then it was gone. What does it all mean?”
“I don't know.” Answered the manticore. “What happened when you were chasing her?”
The cragadile winced, and laid its head on the ground. “She tricked me into getting ensnared in a bunch of vines, and had that big pointy thing ready to jab me in the belly when I well… freaked out. I managed to break the vines, and the trees, and accidentally rolled off a cliff.”
Every creature winced. “I assume you landed in the river?” Asked the old alpha.
The great lizard nodded its head. “Yeah. I was really lucky.”
“What did her sharp thing look like?” Asked the manticore pointedly. “What color was it?”
“It was silver with some purple stuff inside of it.” The cragadile shivered. “It was like spear but with liquid or something in it. Only it was pretty smaller then that, like as big as my foot.” The lizard lifted a foot for emphasis.
“And your mate said it didn't hurt?” Pressed the enormous feline creature.
“She was asleep at the time but the spot it poked her hurt until the sun went down.” Answered the cragadile.
“Weird. My flock said about the same.” Added the cockatrice.
“What do you think it means?” asked the cragadile, who leaned towards the alpha.
“I’m not sure yet. Though I do have a good idea.” He replied, before looking up at the hydra. “Tell me, how did you escape Zecora?”
“So thats what its called. How do you know her name?” The hydra replied.
Shaking its head, the manticore dismissed the question. “I will tell you soon. First I need to know what happened to you.”
The hydra nodded, only to turn to the paranoid head and glare at it the second it opened its mouth. Under the intense scrutiny of the more dominant head, the second head closed its mouth and pouted. Gaze narrowing, the dominant head maintained its glare for a few seconds longer before finally looking down at the manticore.
“I saw Fluttershy and was intrigued by what she was doing way out in the bog so I tried to sneak up on her.” The hydra began.
“You werent trying to eat her were you?” Asked the cockatrice pointedly.
“You better not have been. That's not cool man.” Added the cragadile.
The hydra snorted. “I just wanted to scare her, that was it.” The head blushed slightly, and looked away. “She makes really cute noises when she's frightened.”
Every creature nodded sagely. “That she does.” added the manticore.
“Right, so I was trying to sneak up on her when I noticed that she had a bag full of those sharp pointy things you guys were talking about.” Continued the hydra. “Then that zebra comes flying out of nowhere, with one of her stink things raised and well... I just moved on instinct you know?”
“What did you do?” Asked the manticore.
“I may have threatened Fluttershy just a little bit.” Admitted the hydra.
“I thought it was a bad idea.” Added the paranoid head, only to receive a harsh hissing. “What? Not threatening the butterfly pony is like an unwritten rule man.”
“I know, it's just.” The main head sighed. “I messed up, okay?”
“She wasn't hurt was she?” Asked the cockatrice, who hopped a little closer, eyes narrowing.
“No, she was fine, I just kind of hovered a foot over her you know?” Replied the hydra. “The zebra stopped, and I pointed away from us. She got the picture and backed up until she was out of the bog then I let Fluttershy go.”
“I don't like it, but you did what you had to do.” Exclaimed the manticore sagely.
“I agree, but it still puts a bad taste in my mouth.” Added the cragadile.
“Your telling me. She was almost crying! Like with big cragadile tears and everything.” The hydra sighed. “I almost wanted the zebra to get me after that.”
The cave was silent for several moments before the manticore sighed. “I suppose I should tell you all what happened, and what I have planned. First, I know her name because she told me it, after giving me this.” The manticore pointed towards a large gash over its right eye.
The cockatrice winced. “Yeesh, your lucky you didn't go blind.”
“That's just it. I just about did, but Zecora splashed something into my face and it healed pretty much right away.” Explained the feline creature. “We had fought for nearly an hour at that point and even after I got a good slash on her leg she still still healed me.” He frowned, and looked down at the ground. “Its like shes trying to be the strongest thing in the Everfree and is just using as practice or something.”
“That's spooky man.” Remarked the cragadile. “You don't heal your enemies, you eat them.”
“Or turn them into stone and save em for later.” Added the cockatrice.
“I was confused too and we left each other alone after that.” Continued the manticore. “I did find out where her nest is though.”
“Ooh. Where is it?” Asked the cragadile curiously.
“Wait, don't tell me you want to go into her territory and gang up on her?” Inquired the main hydra head.
“That was my plan.” Answered the manticore. “She’s good but she can't take all of us at once.”
“I don't know, working together is against the rules of nature or something.” Muttered the cockatrice.
“Screw the rules.” Replied the manticore with a snort. “I’m the alpha of this forest, and I say we raid her nest and kick her straight out of the everfree. She's messing everything up and putting the whole forest on edge. Whose with me?” The manticore stuck out a paw expectantly.
“I am!” Declared the cragadile eagerly, putting his a limb into the center of the room.
“I guess if the alpha wants it…” Murmured the cockatrice who put a wing in.
“Alright, but we should probably go over the plan in greater…” The hydra remarked only to stop and sniff the air. “Do you all smell that?”
The manticore’s eyes went wide and he leapt towards the exit. “Its her!”
He didn't make it far before a potion bottle flew into the room and crashed into the ground, causing a great cloud of pink to fill the area. One by one the creatures inside the room dropped to the ground, starting with the cockatrice, and ending with the manticore. Who had tried to hold his breath, only for a panicked and disorganized hydra to accidentally kick him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.
The manticore couldn't even mutter a curse before he hit the ground, followed a second later by a several ton hydra. Then, all was silent for nearly a minute, until Zecora walked in wearing a bandana over her mouth, followed closely by Fluttershy who was wearing a similar peice of apparel.
“That looks like the last group, though they certainly are a mottly troupe.” Remarked the zebra, who surveyed the slumbering creatures scattered throughout the cave.
“Oh my.” Fluttershy murmured. “I wonder what they were all doing here together.”
“The alpha of the forest we did cross, and he rounded up a posse to show us whose boss.” Declared Zecora, who gestured to the scarred manticore.
“He's so old. Are you sure he's the alpha? I’ve never heard of him working with anyone before.” Fluttershy inquired quizzically.
“That must be it, as nothing else does quite fit.” Replied zecora.
Fluttershy nodded, and pulled a needle from her bag. “Thanks for helping me inoculate the forest creatures against that new strain of rabies. After I heard about a bunch of animals coming down with it I knew I had to do something.”
Zecora nodded sagely. “My help was gladly given, though I hope I will be forgiven.”
Fluttershy paused as she retracted the needle from the hydra’s body. “What do you mean?”
“The creatures of this forest are quite smart, and have a surprising amount of heart.” Zecora replied, before pulling out her own needle and jabbing it into the manticore's neck.
Fluttershy withdrew her final needle and padded the slumbering cragadile on the side. “I know what you mean. Sometimes I wonder if they are as smart as us.”
Zecora smiled as the pair turned and began to trot away, their job done. “You are more right then you know. From great hydra to simple crow all have secrets they do not show.”
Author's Note
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