As Jasmine walked deeper into the Whitetail forest, she came to the conclusion that this probably wasn’t one of her best ideas. At the time, of course, after she watched the monster disappear behind the trees, the feeling was clear. She was compelled to follow it, something in her gut told her to.
But why would she follow an evil monster—a monster with long, metal claws that had almost sliced her in half? A monster that had spoke to her in a rough, intimidating voice? A monster, for when she met its eyes, had looked confused. . .
No, this was no monster, at least not at heart. This was a creature that needed help. Perhaps her’s wasn’t the best, but it was all the creature had at the moment, and she was going to help in any way she could. It was just a matter of finding it first.
It was then, after twenty minutes of searching, that she realized her spontaneous plan was a bust. She had no idea where to look, what direction to go, or what to even say if she managed to find it at all. All she had was her determination, and that could only take a pony so far.
Discouraged, she halted her trek for a moment and found a particularly soft patch of dirt and grass to sit on. The trails were starting to look the same now and she was worried she may have lost her sense of direction on one of the many bends and turns she took. She sighed frustratedly, rubbing a hoof on her muzzle.
She glanced up through the trees. The sun was dipping lower, and soon Luna would raise the moon. She didn’t have much time left.
She looked left and right down the path, mentally deciding which way to go. She choose the right, hoping it was the way home. She travelled down the path for a couple of minutes until she suddenly heard something.
For a split second she thought it was the creature and felt her heart race, unsure what to say or do, but her worries were halted when she noticed the source of the noise.
There, a few feet in front of her, was a pair of bear cubs barreling through a bush excitedly. She felt her heart melt at the sight. They were adorable little fluff-balls of cuteness playing right before her very eyes! She ‘awwwed’ as she watched them jump and caper around the trees and foliage. She stood still as the cubs neared her, a large smile on her face all the while.
They got closer but paused when they noticed the stranger. They haltingly approached, tentatively smelling her and testing wether or not she was a danger. Luckily for them, they had nothing to worry about. Jasmine brought her nose down, nudging one of the the cubs softly as a reassurance. She giggled as the cub skittered under her, curious and lively. She turned to watch as they continued their playfulness.
Jasmine’s smile grew, but she knew she couldn’t stay long. Celestia’s sun was setting, and she didn’t want to be here at night.
With a small sigh, she walked over to the cubs to give a goodbye nuzzle. She eased up slowly getting one last look. Her eyes flicked to the distance for a moment as something moved. Her head snapped up immediately, alarmed as she watched the foliage rustle loudly. Without any warning, a massive body of fur and ferocity appeared.
She felt her heart stop. One thought rang in her mind.
The mother.
Jasmine simply stood there, frozen. The cubs in front of her cried out, running to their mother excitably. The mother paid them no mind as her nostrils flared and her head angled up to meet the stranger in the eyes.
Jasmine somehow managed to take a few shaky steps backwards. “I-I-I was just leaving. . .” she squeaked out. Her heart stopped when she noticed the bear started moving towards her.
She needed no further persuasion as she finally twisted around and bolted as fast as she could in the opposite direction, bobbing and weaving around trees and bushes—but it wasn’t to last. She didn’t make it more than a couple of yards before her hind leg caught between a branch on a fallen tree. Her body had soared over the tree, only to flop over the trunk of it painfully as her hoof stopped her momentum.
She squirmed frantically, trying to pry her hind leg free. It didn’t budge. Her heart hammered in her chest and her panic consumed her as she heard the bear come crashing through the forest. She felt tears in the corner of her eyes as she struggled fruitlessly to escape.
There was no time left as the bear came barreling right towards her. Then, suddenly, the bear halted to an abrupt stop three feet in front of her. Jasmine watched in horror with wide eyes as the mother reared up on her hind legs, her head blocking out the setting sun and casting a looming shadow over her. Jasmine simply froze, petrified. The bear rawred ferociously and Jasmine cowered, flattening her ears against her head and squeezing her eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable for the second time that day.
Only, nothing seemed to happen except for the ground shaking as the bear landed back on all fours. Jasmine felt the angered huffing breath of the bear and she shivered. She had half a mind to ease her eyes back open, still expecting death to arrive, but to her surprise, the bear wasn’t even looking at her. It was looking past her.
Jasmine twisted her head back around to get a glimpse of what the bear was looking at. Her eyes widened.
It was the creature.
It stood a few feet in front of her, its head bowed and its posture tight. Its eyes stared right at the bear, silent and intimidating, yet almost pleading.
The bear stared right back.
This staring contest seemed to go on for hours until a miracle happened. The bear backed up slowly, lowering her head. She huffed loudly as though irritated, her paws lightly scraping the dirt as she made to leave. One of the cubs cried out again, catching her attention. Apparently seeing there was no more danger, she turned around to tend to her family. She nudged her nose into them, sniffing them as if assuring they were all alright. With the danger gone and needy cubs to feed, she continued on her way, disappearing into the thick foliage.
Jasmine let loose a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Her whole body wen’t limp over the trunk of the tree. As she attempted to calm her heart and shaking limbs, she heard the creature take a few steps closer.
“You got a death wish, kid?” came the rumbling voice.
Jasmine flinched at the tone. She tried to still her trembling as she lifted her head hesitantly, slowly, until she was met with a strange scowling face.
The first thing she noticed was how tall it was. Back at Ponyville, when she had her first encounter with it, it had been on all fours, and even then it was as tall as a pony. But now, on its hind legs, it stood far above her. Her eyes locked on its face for a moment. Seeing this creature for a second time now, she noticed the patches of hair on its face and head—it was all very strange but the creature looked like a male. She had no way of knowing, or course—well, unless she asked—but she took note of it regardless and just assumed for now.
Past the daunting figure and the angered frown aimed at her, she suddenly realized something. He looked. . .well. . . alive. He didn’t have a single scratch on him, and he was lacking a rather distinctive gaping slash she had seen across his chest earlier that day, which, if she had anything to say about it, was impossible. On top of that, there were no burns or cuts and the blood he was covered in was mostly gone. Instead, his clothes were now damp, clean and washed, and his hair was wet; she could see little droplets of water clinging on the spiky ends.
A bath? She wondered. In the middle of the forest? Did he jump in a river?
Oh. Apparently she had been staring too long because now he was glaring at her.
"Well? Are you deaf, or just stupid?"
She ducked her head, both slightly afraid of his tone and embarrassed at her silent staring.
She opened her mouth to say something but it felt like she was a fish out of water. "N-no I'm. . . I'm just. . ." she didn't finish, hanging her head down in shame as she didn't know what to say.
What do you say to a creature you know nothing about that almost killed you earlier that day accidentally yet happened to save your life that same day?
Maybe. . . maybe a thank you?
She glanced up at him again. He was still staring at her, his features increasing in irritation for every moment of her silence.
She had to say something, anything. Her ears perked up slightly, they set at determined right angles. She opened her mouth slightly—
But the creature shook his head with a scowl on his face as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "I haven't got time for this shit." he muttered to the sky. He grumbled and took an unnerving step forward and leaned down slightly. “Why are you following me?”
Her ears fell back down, frightened by his tone. She shifted on the trunk of the tree uncomfortably as she opened her mouth again, trying to explain. “I wanted to . . . to help you. You looked lost.” She felt stupid the moment those words left her mouth. Here she was trying to help him and all she did was cause him trouble—for crying out loud, she almost got mauled by a bear! Who really needed the help here?
He growled deeply, unsatisfied with her response. “Look, I don’t need yer help. And you shouldn’t be out here alone anyway—it’s dangerous, if you haven’t noticed already.”
She let out a noncommittal laugh, "Yeah, I noticed." She sighed tiredly. The position of her body on the trunk of the tree was really starting to get uncomfortable, and she began to notice a sharp pain in her ankle—the one that had gotten caught between the branch.
A small price to pay, she thought. She looked back up at the creature and noticed him staring at her leg. Yeah, the least she could do is give him her gratitude.
“Thank you for helping me,” she said quietly, but genuinely. “You came just in time,” she added, then she cocked her head as a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Yeah. . . how did you find—?"
There was a strange sound, it was slow and sharp and. . . almost familiar. It made the hairs on her back stand on end.
Sssnikt.
She looked down slightly and immediately the the blood in her veins froze. Red eyes and barred teeth flashed in her eyes and her fear returned in full force. She wanted to scream, to run, to hide at the sight of those three familiar blades that slid out from one hand. She watched in horror for the second time that day as they rose into the air, glinting dangerously—almost beautifully—in an orange sunbeam that had slipped through a gap in the canopy. She squeezed her eyes shut right when they swung down, about to slice her right in two—!
Wood splintered with a snap and she fell a short distance to the ground. She landed on her side roughly, the dirt cold against her muzzle. She shook slightly with the aftershock of fear induced adrenaline—somehow she still had some of that left.
“Calm down. When I told you I wasn’t gonna hurt ya I meant it.” the creature said with a surprising amount of gentleness in his gruff voice.
She opened one eye hesitantly and eyed him suspiciously. He was right next to her, crouching with his claws unsheathed. His attention was elsewhere, his head swiveling from side to side and sometimes angling upwards slightly with a scowl as if smelling something unpleasant. She gave one last look at his hands and finally relaxed once she realized he wasn't going to stab her with those claws. She tried to slow down her rapid pulse by breathing deep. Too many times today had she felt fear grip her heart—she wasn't sure how much left she could take before she actually had a heart attack.
Lifting her head slightly above the dirt, she turned and saw the trunk of the tree, cleanly cut as though it were butter. Oh sweet Celestia, she swore in her mind. How sharp were those claws? She gulped down her trepidation, reminding herself that he was just trying to help. And he was because she noticed with a blink of her eyes that she was free. Her leg was no longer caught.
With a thankful intake of breath, she shakily attempted to stand. Immediately after, she hissed in pain. She turned her head to look at her back leg. There were plenty of scrapes and gashes from her thrashing, and it hurt to move it in any direction. She must have twisted her ankle pretty bad. She silently wished her cuts and bruises would heal just like this mystery creature's.
Speaking of, she heard him sigh, apparently he was looking at the damage as well. She turned around to watch as he hung his head, muttering an irritated 'great' under his breath. Her ears fell, he was clearly unhappy about the situation.
"Sorry," she said, feeling like a burden. "I-I know I wasn't walking the trails for too long, so Ponyville shouldn't be very far. I. . . I think I can make it from here. . ." She struggled to stand once more, managing to spread her weight on her other legs. Her eyes darted around the darkening trees for a few seconds, her face scrunched in confusion a moment later.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, eyes trailing up to the creature. "I. . . I umm, may have lost my sense of direction."
He dragged a hand across his face. "Dammit," he grumbled, coming to a stand. She couldn't tell if he cared about a word she said. He kept looking at her leg and then the at the trees around them.
"Is uhmm, i-is something wrong?"
"Yes, there is." he said with considerable anger, his fists tightening. "Your little friends are right on my ass, and I don't think I can outrun them."
Jasmine cocked her head carefully, trying to ignore his frightening tone. "Friends? I don't think anypony followed me. . . unless. . . . . . oh."
"'Oh'?" he repeated dryly.
"They're probably—"
“—NOPONY HURTS MY FRIENDS!”
A colorful blur rushed towards them, its speed unparalleled. Jasmine’s eyes widened in recognition, she had to warn him—! But, without looking, the creature simply leaned out of the way sharply, flawlessly.
Rainbow’s body flew by, her hoof a hair’s breadth away from his face in a blow that she wholeheartedly believed would’ve knocked out even the toughest of ponies. All she could do was watch as Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria, missed her target, which unfortunately for her meant she was headed straight for a tree trunk instead.
There was a loud Oooph as she smacked right into a tree, sending a shock wave rattling up the trunk and shaking the leaves. Her body fell to the ground, unconscious.
“Rainbow Dash!” Jasmine called out in shock and concern. She turned to face the creature in front of her.
His face was the expression of someone utterly unimpressed. “Saw that one comin’ a mile away, bub.” he said. He crossed his arms and looked over to Rainbow’s still form as if to assure she wouldn’t be getting back up soon.
She wouldn’t be.
Jasmine hurriedly moved to check on her friend, but in her quick movement she bumped her sore leg and she halted immediately, landing on her side.
“Now hold on a minute, relax” came his rumbling voice behind her. Jasmine looked at him worriedly. He bobbed his head in Rainbow’s direction. “Your friend’s fine.”
“Are you kidding?! She just slammed head-first right into a tree! She’s probably worse off than me!” she said, her voice bordering on a shriek.
"She'll probably just have a bruise for a couple of days, at most a minor concussion." he said as though it were a fact. "Besides, she deserved it."
"Deserved it?!"
"Look, she came barreling towards me, it's her fault she didn't think to fly in a direction that didn't immediately put her head-first into a tree. That's just bad offense."
Jasmine simply gaped at him. Neither had time to discuss it further as another voice joined them.
"Rainbow?"
Jasmine immediately recognized that voice as well, and she had a sinking feeling that something was going to go very, very wrong.
"Rainbow?! Rainb—! Oh my gosh!" A purple coated pony came through the trees and bushes, object concern written on her face. She came running to her friend, shaking her slightly with a hoof to wake her up. A low groan escaped—hurt but alive.
Jasmine watched the exchange. Relief washed through her at Rainbow's movement. At least she was going to be okay. Only problem now was convincing Twilight that this was all just a misunderstanding.
No sooner had that thought run through her mind, she watched as Twilight turned her head around and locked eyes with the creature, and then with her. It looked as though a multitude of thoughts were racing through her mind as her eyes bounced back and forth and between the creature and herself, only to come to a stop as she frowned, her eyes focusing on the creature. She stepped in front of Rainbow Dash protectively and angled her head down slightly, her horn aimed with purpose.
Jasmine knew what was happening, and she attempted to de-escalate the situation, her limbs flailing uselessly as she tried to come to a stand. "W-wait! Wait! It's not what it looks like!" she stammered, looking between Twilight and the creature.
Jasmine's eyes widened as Twilight's horn began to sparkle, the energy in the air spiking—it felt like static on a dry winter day. She watched as purple energy congealed around her horn, her eyes flashing in anger. Next to her, the creature stood, resolute, the fists on his sides clenching. His eyes were focused in kind, but piercing and daring.
Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut as Twilight shouted with a wave of energy hurtling towards the creature, "No more!"