After walking for about 15 minutes I stopped for a second hearing a river in the distance "Thank god for these ears, I can hear almost anything from far away now." As I had been walking I had been testing out new thing to learn about my new body and what else I earned besides my new found strength, turns out my tails are super flexible and can extend a decent length from their normal position. Their super strong too, I managed to pull 3 trees out of the ground all at once. After making it to the river I looked at my reflection and studied my face, I hadn't put my mask on because I hadn't really thought I needed it but decided to pull it out of my bag and have it rest on the side of my face.

I looked at my eyes for a second and they suddenly changed colors, my pupil became light blue like my tails and the rest became pitch black "Cool makes me look at least a little bit more intimidating" I said to myself I reached down, cupped my hands scooping up water and began to take a few sips, but then my nose was assaulted with a new smell one I hadn't managed to pick up while I was walking around, while it hadn't smelled bad it did raise a couple of red flags in my had. Taking it as an instinctual response that was added with my new fox like features, I sat up and looked around and saw nothing now in times like these the best option would be to get what you came for and leave as to not run into any trouble, but I'm not like most people so instead I raised my head and began sniffing out where the smell came from.

I looked in the direction the smell came from and began to follow it, as I began to get closer another smell overtook my nose. "Blood!" I thought to myself as I began thinking of what to do. I don't think I should keep going there could be something dangerous at the end of this trail, but someone could be hurt and are unable to get help. I-
--ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR---
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Hearing a scream that sounded female I immediately began running over to help, I walked through some trees only to see a clearing with 2 beings that made my jaw drop, it was a dragon and a manticore, but confusingly this dragon wasn't that big she was more around my size and as I continued to look over her I spotted a big nasty wound on her side.

Building my resolve I unsheathed my sword and began making my way out of the tree line quietly so I could take the Manticore by surprise. As I continued to get closer I began looking for the right place to attack it. “Attacking its head would be the way to end it quickly but if I do that he’ll have the time to stab me with his tail if the attack doesn’t one shot him... alright cut the tail off then go for the head as fast as possible” With my plan ready I closed in on the two as the Manticore kept leaping at the dragoness her constant scream after dodging an attack made me pick up the speed.

When I finally got behind the Manticore I saw the dragon look at me as I put a finger in front of my face telling her to not blow my cover, with her nodding in return I crouched down getting ready to strike. While being in position I hadn’t noticed my sword become covered in a silver covered aura like my necklace. “3.....2......1!” I thought to myself, as I lunged at the Manticore time began to slow around me as I got closer. “One handed sword style: Viper strike!” I yelled as I sliced the tail off, rushing towards the Manticore’s head I put my sword in a reverse grip and began spinning in a circle “Tornado Blade!” Cleaving through the Manticore’s neck as I decapitated it, oddly no blood had left from its neck until I realized that there was blood coming out it was just moving very slow, I put my sword back in it’s sheath and time suddenly sped back up.

??? POV

“I told everyone this would be a bad idea, I fucking told them!!”
—ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR-
“Fucking shit!” I yelled as I kept running
Me and my friends decided that exploring the woods was good thing to do while we hung out together despite how much the adults of our village tell us not to. Now I don’t know what happened but at some point one of them came running up to me yelling about how there was a Manticore coming this was and how it didn’t look normal. We all looked at each other and began laughing at him saying that it was impossible because no ones seen any in these woods for years he told us we were crazy and began running home telling us that he wouldn’t stick around for the shit storm, now he was the group clown so we never truly knew what he sounded like when he was serious so instead of following us we decided to wait there assuming he just didn’t want it to look like he was being a pussy about being in the woods with us.

But that all changed.... when the fire nation attacked( oh ahem wrong thing very sorry my dear readers idk what came over me 😆) It all changed when we suddenly heard stomps coming from the direction he ran into. A horrible smell went through our noses as we looked around and the stomps got closer, when whatever it was finally reached the little clearing we were in we saw something that I hope to never see again, it was a manticore and like our friend said it did in fact look different it had black and red fur and the point on its tail gave off a ominous purple glow, but that wasn't the most shocking part in it's mouth we saw our friend clenched between it's teeth with his eyes and mouth wide open as if he was screaming, but there wasn't any sound except for constant squish his flesh made as the manticore chewed on him. As it continued walking me and the rest of my friends ran into the bushes. We watched it in silence as it continued eating the rest of our friends corpse finishing his meal as he swallowed the rest of his body.
"He wasn't lying, oh sweet Celestia we wasn't lying and we just bucking ignored him" one my friends whispered in a panicked tone.
"Holy Shit!" another one said.
"I don't know Jewels is there anything you can do I mean your a dragon."
"I don't know and I'm not going out there to find out damnit!" I I said looking at him. Hearing the sound of erratic breathing I turned towards the only other female in our group see her curled up in a fetal position on the ground.
"Sunshine calm down it might hear you!" I whispered towards her, turning back around to keep an eye on the manticore.
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die" she chanted, I heard footsteps and out of nowhere a smack came from behind me. I swiftly turned back around and saw sunshine with tears in her eyes and a red handprint on her face.
"What the hell shade!" I exclaimed
"She needs to snap out of it we can't get away with her panicking like that." he said back to me. As we continued to stare at each other we saw Sunshine look up with a face of horror, I slowly turned back around to see the manticore standing over me drool dripping from it's maw with a bloody big toothed smile as it looked at us...….

We all got up and began running for our lives hoping to find some sort of place to hide, I looked back only to see the manticore walking slowly behind us as we ran, like it was getting ready for a game of hide and seek. As we ran the only thing our minds thought of was hiding not anything else, getting away was our top priority.
"Look there's a really big tree we can climb to stay out of it's reach!" yelled Shade, while the plan sounded solid he forgot one thing, Sunshine didn't know how to climb trees and with her being an earth pony she had the most weight out of the rest of us, yes you heard it us dragon girls weigh less that an earth pony mare surprising right?
"Shade you know Sunny doesn't know how to climb tree how are we going to get her up there!" I told him.
"That's the thing we don't, one of us has to stay down here and hide with her and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me so you go and find another spot to hide with her." said Shade
"What the FUCK! She your marefriend you jackass!" I yelled at him not being able to believe what I just heard.
" I can always find another girl, there's plenty of mares back home" he said nonchalantly.
"Shade how could you say that I thought you loved me, I gave you my virginity!" Sunshine yelled with tears in her eyes.
"You know very well what you were gonna get into dating me Sunshine!" Shade yelled back.

As we reached the tree Shade climbed up and looked back down at us. "I hope to see you two back home, but I'll make sure to tell your families the bad news if you don't" Shade said with a blank look on his face, as disappeared climbing farther up into the trees.
"If only I could fly her up there, but my wings aren't big enough yet. DAMN!
"Come on Sunshine lets find another place to hide, fuck him we'll be fine on our own." I said to her.
After looking down her I realized that she had curled back up and was looking straight at the manticore. She said words I'd hope to never come out of her mouth.
"Just go... Leave me Jewels, I don't want you to see what's about to happen." She said in a low voice.
"HELL NO! I AM NOT LEAVING YOU, YOU HEAR ME!" I yelled at her with tears in my eyes.
"Just go okay tell my parents what happened and tell them I love them." She said to me.
She slowly turned her head and looked at me with a look she's only used when she feels determined about something.
"Sunshine please I can't leave you, your my first friend please no, get up we can leave and go home you can see your brothers and sisters please get up if not for me, do it for them." I pleaded to her. As she looked at me her gaze softened. "Never forget me okay, now go." said Sunshine with that said I knew she wasn't going to change her mind giving her a nod I began running in hopes of finding a place to hide and wait so I could go home.

Sunshine POV

As I stood up. I ran back towards the Manticore who raised an eyebrow in response to her confusing actions. As I stopped and looked it in the eye it stopped and looked back at me.
"I know you want to eat us, so I ask you for one request if you can understand me" I asked it.
Surprisingly it gave an answer saying "Usually I'd eat you, but your approach confuses me pony, very well I will listen." Shaking away my shock from the talking manticore I told it.
"I want you to eat the bastard in that tree while I watch, I want to see his face as he experiences the pain he made me feel."
"… Very well little pony" It responded as it began walking towards the tree, it reached up it's paw and shook the tree and within seconds a thud was heard and as I looked at the ground I saw Shade with a look of horror on his face.
"What the hell! Why aren't you eating her you damn cat!" he yelled scared of what would inevitably happen to him.
"She has asked me for one request one in which I plan to do as a sign of honor to her death which will be soon after yours." After it said those words it began walking towards Shade with a sadistic smile.
"NONONONONONONO STAY BACK DAMNIT!!" Shade yelled as the Manticore got closer.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH----SQUELCH"

The manticore tore his body apart, Shade's constant screams gave me peace as I readied for what would be after this moment, the beast tore his head off and stabbed it on one of his teeth, slowly turning around he looked at me showing Shade's face with the life drained from his eyes and blood dripping from his mouth. I nodded at the manticore as it swallowed his head and began eating the rest of his body. When it was done he looked back at me and said
"Your request has been carried out and as another favor I will give you a death you are worthy of, lay down on your side so you may pass in piece." it said to me. I listened and laid down on my side hearing the Manticore get closer I closed my eyes.
A snap sounded throughout the trees as the Manticore cracked Sunshine's neck giving her the painless death he promised.
"Now for the dragon she smelled delicious" the Manticore said as it began following her scent

Jewels POV ---A few minutes later---

"I left her I can't believe I left her" I said to myself.
"Hello little dragon~~~" said a voice that came from behind me.
I turned around quickly and saw the Manticore standing over me once again.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH" I screamed as I began running the beast swung it's claws and me a slashed my side. I fell down in pain looking back up seeing it's tail poised and ready to strike, it's tail struck he ground as I managed to roll out of the way, climbing to my feet I began running seeing a clearing in the distance I began running towards it hoping to find someone who could help me get away from this monster.
"----ROOOAAAARRRR----" a loud roar came from the Manticore as I kept dodging it's tail while running away.
"Fucking Shit!" I yelled as I got closer and closer to the clearing.
Just before I got to the clearing I tripped on a fallen tree branch, falling to the ground I grunted as the Manticore got closer. It back handed me with its claw and sent me flying into the clearing I tried so hard to get to.
"AHHHHHHHH" I yelled wondering if this was the end. Looking around in fear I soon saw some type of thing behind the Manticore it putting a finger to it's mouth as it raised it's sword ready to attack. Within seconds the Manticore was on the ground with it's tail and head cleaved off ~~shhhiinnnnggggg~~, hearing the sound I looked behind me seeing the guy from earlier sheathing his sword looking at me.
"Hi I'm Shisai, are you ok?" before I could respond I passed out from the pain the last thing I was able to see was Shisai on his knees getting ready to pick me up before it all went black.

Author's Note

Hey my beloved shadows, I'm here with the 3rd chapter of my first chapter, and I have have reached 2.6 k words with this chapter! WHOOHOO YEAH! Tell me what you guys thought of everything I'll be in the comments later to hear everyone's thoughts on today's chapter. Remember I'm am always open to constructive criticism so don't be afraid to speak your mind.

May the light guide your path and the darkness watch your back.