Beasts and Beings - Stories of Equestria's Inhabitants

by Strongbolt Stonewing

Cockatrice

A Cockatrice is a frightening creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake.

That doesn't sound scary, it sounds silly. Sounds like the kind of thing you would look straight in the eye and laugh at, right?

No, you should never look a Cockatrice in the eye, do that and you'll be stone in seconds, quite literally.

Yes, it's difficult to fight a creature you can't look at, although it's rumoured that if your stare is more powerful than that of the Cockatrice, you can prevent petrification.

We're not entirely sure how the power of a stare is measured, so we can't really tell you anything about that.

In fact, we wouldn't be telling you anything right now had it not been for a pair of sunglasses.

In order for a Cockatrice to successfully petrify a pony (or any creature for that matter) it requires full eye contact for at least five seconds.

The sunglasses managed to keep me safe, but, well, the same couldn't be said for Shiera.

You've been waiting for this haven't you?

It seems to be the one story where I didn't get hurt, humiliated, kidnapped, beaten, shocked, traumatized, embarrassed or thrown into a pool of itching acid. Of course I've been waiting for it.

Honestly, I can't believe you sometimes.

That makes two of us, now, as I was saying: we were cataloging plants found in the Everfree Forest, I had just finished a report on Poison Joke when I heard a sickening scream. My expert instincts led me straight to the cause, my wife, Shiera.

I was stood in front of you, and why are you speaking like that?

I approached her carefully, asked her if she was alright, no reply. I nudged her shoulder slightly, and discovered that she was in fact... a statue! Dum dum dum.

Worst build up ever.

I was confused, I thought, what could possibly have caused this, then, from beneath the bushes, a horrifying chicken-snake emerged, I recognised the demon as a Cockatrice immediately and jumped back, shielding my eyes.

You know, you're an idiot sometimes.

I reached for my bag and pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses.

Now is one of those times.

Then, with a swift blow to the head, I knocked the beast unconscious and forced it to return my wife to her original state.

That's not what happened at all! We were in the forest, I said: "Look out, it's a Cockatrice!" You said: "What's that?" I turn back and accidentally meet its eyes, in the last few seconds I yell: "Get the sunglasses!" You scampered towards the bag and I lost consciousness for half an hour.

During which, I discovered that the only way to reverse a Cockatrice's stare is to make the creature gaze back into the statue's stony eyes.

To be fair, I'm pretty lucky you figured that out, otherwise I'd probably still be in that vile forest.

Yeah, I totally figured it out... by myself, of course! Maybe, with a tiny piece of assistance from a, um, guide to the Everfree Forest.

I sometimes wonder what's more use to me: you or books.

You can't marry a book.

Yes, that makes you the only other option.

Exac- Hey!