//------------------------------//
// Well... It finally happend. 
// Story: From Human to...Rabbit? 
// by ThegoCarter110 
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The situation is intense, I didn't even have time to think here. But I was gonna have to make a choice... Even if I wouldn't be to proud of it.

In reality I only stood still for only a second... Give or take, to make my choice. My heart was sad knowing that I was probably going to get a child killed... But I couldn't leave Trixie to a terrible fate of being eaten by a mantacore while stuck under a tree!

I ran to the manticore quickly. Its obvious that I'm a fast runner, but even with my above average speed, he was still almost able to get a bite out of her. 

"C-come get some, you big s-son-of-a-bitch!" I yelled full of vigor. Its about after this point that I realized that I would do just about anything to save a close friend. 
'She better be grateful for what I would do for her.' Nope, still somewhat of a asshole.

I jump on its back and start pulling on the hair thats around its neck. Me doing that was more of an annoyance if anything. But it got his attention away from Trixie and thats all I really needed. 
Its then I yell.

"Trixie! You're gonna need to use a teleportation spell!" I yell with urgency in my voice.
"Trixie is magicly drained... Right now... She couldn't do anything useful if she tried." She then followed it up by saying "Just save little Cover instead."

Taking a quick look over to where the filly is. I see her completely turned to stone with no chockatrice to be found.
'I guess its a little late for that...' But at the risk of sounding like a dick. I didn't really have the time to be sad while riding a manticore.

After a quick snort in frustration, the manticore rolls on his back to try and squish me like a pancake. But I was able to jump off thankfully and avoid meeting such a terrible fate. 

But now that he is face to face with me, I'm gonna start to have a hard time with knocking him out.
In an attempt to intimidate me, the guy starts to use a really loud roar that could make anyone piss their pants... It's a good thing I don't ever have to pee in this world... I think.

The Manticore then jumps to take a swipe at me with his giant lion claws. But I take a quick jump to the side to avoid them.
I never got a careful look at them, but you can only assume that those claws could rip me into shreds of paper.
He then uses his bat wings to briefly fly in the air to get a quick boost in his next jump to get me.

Not expecting this, I dive off to the side in hopes of not getting hurt but that's not the case.
I get scratched with three claw marks in a horizontal line across my chest, The pain was horrible, I was having a hard time standing on my feet at this point and could see my vision start to cloud.

All I could do was remain where I was whille knowing that I failed to save two ponys at the same time.

The Manticore walked up to me as he was ready to pounce on his pray. I could see in his eyes that this beast was having a good day... And boy did that piss me off.
But no matter what happend, I knew that I wouldn't be able to do anything to help the horrible situation. So I closed my eyes knowing that this was a fight that I couldn't win...



Part of me had accepted the loss...




What I wasn't expecting though was the chockatrice to return with his ugly face and to start staring down the manticore.
And to think. What was only seconds ago, I was going to be lunch for a lion/scorpion.
I was saved by a staring contest.


The manticore however was not gonna go down that easy. He was able to fight back the chockatrice by using his eardrum bursting roar and his long reaching scorpion tail.
However the chockatrice was able to back up far enough to render him nearly useless. The tables have turned and I was able to slowly crawl away from the fight.

"Man if you weren't an ugly abomination, I would kiss you right now!" I say to the chockatrice, feeling happier then ever.

The mantacore gave one last rowr before becoming completely turned into stone. Leaving the clearing with a deafening silence.

The chockatrice then turned to me with his big red eyes staring me down. I was scared at first but... all I got was a little headache.
"Although I am thankful for you saving me. I can't allow you to turn me to stone." I say brushing him off to the side. 

After doing that. He then stops staring to then scurry off into the forest. I then hear Trixie say in a raspy voice say. "Carter, Come over here." She says before clearing her throat soon after. 


After a somewhat slow crawl across some of the clearing, I reach Trixie to then hear her say in a tired tone. "Carter, There should be some sort of tonic in Trixies saddle bag; Zecora gave us some just in case."

Even though she was still stuck under the tree, I was able to open the bag from where she was and was able to get the potion... Mostly intact. The glass broke near the top and most of it was spilled. But there was still some left in what remained of the vile

Taking whats left of the cure, I drink the potion carefully to make sure I don't swollow any glass.
Although the cuts were still on my chest, I felt some strength come back to me.

Taking a sigh in relief, I tell Trixie. "Thanks, you saved my life."
"Funny how things turned out." She responds in a monotone voice.

After a few awkward seconds, I say. "Need help getting out from under that tree?"
"No" She replies quickly. She then follows it up by saying. "Although Trixie is grateful that you saved her. You really should have saved the little filly."
"Ok, I'm sorry! But helping you was my first instinct!" I say to defend myself.
"But you could have done something like... Take the Chockatrice and use it on the Manticore from the start!" She counters.

I then stand up and point over to the stone mantacore saying. "But I wouldn't have had time to do that from where I was anyway! The chockatrice and manticore where to far apart for that to work!" I say trying to find an excuse at this point. The truth is that I didn't actually know if that was the case, I just wanted an out.

I can see Trixie get an annoyed expression before opening her mouth to say something... But instead remain silent.
Her face then go's from annoyance to sadness. She then opened her mouth getting ready to say something. 
Seeing this. I then start calm myself down about the small argument we had, and get ready to listen to what Trixie was going to tell me.

"Carter... Trixie isn't one for apologies, but... She is sorry..." 

I couldn't help but feel confused about this. I may be somewhat new to this world, but I know that Trixie wouldn't apologize that quickly.

"She found a family is some clearing. Although Trixie didn't get too close. She knows the father was a brown Earth Pony. And that the mother was a Unicorn with a white coat and red mane. These colors are super easy to make out in a forest if you ask Trixie"

I couldn't help but feel deja vu when Trixie described the parents, but I shook it off to continue listening.

"But anyway, While Trixie was carrying you, she walked up to the family and saw that they where in panic. Their little filly that's now turned to stone, was infected with poison from a Manticore. So Trixie being the hero that she is, gave some of the potion she gave you, to the filly."

At this point I could tell Trixie was getting choked up about something.

"Its over here! We got them now!

"Crap! Those guards love killing the moment, don't they?" I say looking over in the general direction that the guards would be.
I then turn to Trixie and calmly say. "We're gonna need to leave soon you know."
"Trixie will just teleport back to the cave. But she needs to tell you that the parents asked Trixie to take the filly back to Ponyville so that she would be safe!" She said serously. 
It was obvious that Trixie was skiping over details since she didn't tell me that she talked to them, but I say nothing trying to figure out where she was going with this. 

Trixie thinks for a second before saying. "She messed up a lot in the past. She wanted nothing more then to have ponies enjoy being around her... But no matter what she does. She can't help but feel discouraged by her past actions. Like she couldn't do anything good that would have a lasting effect."

I couldn't help but ask. "What happend back then that makes you think this?" 




But before she could answer, she suddenly gasps before I get grabbed from behind with a pony saying out loud.
"I don't care what they say about me after this." He then whispers into my ear saying. "Lets see how you like it!" Before another guard walks up and puts a rag over my face trying to sufficate me.

But before everything blacked out again. a magical laser gets shot at both guards, allowing me to escape and breath again.
The guards then started to approach her, but before they got to close, Trixie uses the last of her magic to teleport away. Leaving me to the two guards.

"Just leave this to me! I have a personal gripe with him!" The guard who was holding me said. The other one that was using the rag said. "Hey! At least let me hit him a few times then! The thing hit me with a hammer! I should be able to have fun too!"

I begin to get goosebumps upon hearing this. Taking a closer look at the guards, I figured out that the first one was the same guy that I choked out in Ponyville. And the ex-rag user was the same pegasus I used to escape Canterlot with. Not to mention the same one I got my bow from... That I don't have anymore.

Not taking any chances, I slip from the first ones grasp and throw a quick smack across the face of the pegasus before getting knocked down by a punch of their own. 
But for a split second, and a split second only. I saw green flames appear where I hit him.

Completely shocked, I stop to say "That didn't happen when I hit you with the hammer." 
His eye then turned green when looking at me before saying. "You never even knew." I get punched in the nose immediately after, leaving me dazed and helpless in the current situation.

But I knew more was coming. 

When I looked up I saw two guards smiling at me ready to do more damage... But stopped when he heard a voice saying. "Soldiers! What do you think you're doing!?" 
Behind them stood Shining Armor and a half a dozen soldiers behind him. 
But before the pegasus guard turned around. His eyes turned back to their normal color.
"Sir! He assaulted us, so we took action!"
"Even so. You can't hit them while they're down! Thats not the way we're to act!" Shining Armor said scolding them.

I then speak up saying. "Shining Armor! They're Changlings! Dont fall for this trick!" I say trying to give him warning.

"I would doubt that." He replied. I watched these colts train for a long time. I think I would have figured it out by now."
He then follows up his words by saying "And besides. Your not exactly trust worthy enough for me to take seriously." He said keeping on a stern face the whole time.

He then barks out an order saying. "You two! Take him out out here and back to Ponyville. Me and the rest of the guys here need to track down your little unicorn friend." he says looking at me for the last part of the sentence.

I then get picked up and dragged across the forest floor by the two evil guards past Shining Armor and out of the clearing.


Looking at the asshole guards carrying me, I say. "How long have you guys gone without getting caught?" 
The guards then looked at me confused. one then says."If your talking about that changling lie, then you'll be disappointed to know that we aren't changlings."
Green flames appeared earlier when I hit them. If they think Im gonna believe that, then they're stupider then they look. 

But looking to the side I saw a familiar looking chockatrice.

I then laugh before saying. "I wasn't talking about the changling thing. I was talking about how long you guys have gone without being turned to stone." I then point over to the chockatrice to see both guards stupidly look over to where I was pointing.

What happend next was obvious as they began to turn to stone. Which in turn, gave me the ability to escape from their grasp. One of the stallions started to scream at the top of there lungs soon after this happend. Causing the whole group to run to my position and see me off.

I was just barely out running them while dodging foliage that was in the way. 
I was able to hear one say. "Criminals can't run forever you know! Why don't you just give up!"
Although I didn't really have a reason to just give up, I knew I also didn't have a reason to NOT give up.

But just like always. I needed a plan.

Its roughly 20 seconds later that saw that lake that was near the cave and was going to make a last stand. I was wounded from the manticore earlier as well as a few other minor injurys... I needed to stop running.
I realized that if this was gonna end, I wanted it to end with a brawl against a bunch of guards...

And boy, did it end with a bang... quite literally too. I got hit it the head with a fairly heavy branch that one of the jerks picked up that just so happend to knocked me out... Or thats what they thought atleast.


After what was taking a look my "unconscious" body, I hear one of them say. "Looks like we got him yet again! Hey! Lets see about using that vine over there to tie him up." With a swift "Yes sir!" Right after.
I then hear the first voice say. "Well let's have a bigger group get him out of this stupid forest so we can send him to the princess." 

I then felt a bunch of hooves 'grab' me. (I say grab loosely here because I still don't know how it's done.) And lift me up into the air. The only thing that went through my mind at the time was.

'Well... Looks like I won't be seeing Trixie for awhile.'