//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Spirits of Mana // by Camlio //------------------------------// I do not own the rights to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or The Mana Series games. Please support the official releases. A figure garbed head to toe in red stood before an assortment of beasts and fiends. He spoke with a deceptively kind voice that could lead anyone who heard him speak to believe he was a man of noble intent. This was not the case as he had proven once before when he helped destroy the Mana tree in this dimension many millennium ago. "And so a new hero attempts to right the flow of life and return the Mana to this world proper. Sadly I cannot permit this act... Chobin Hood!" A humanoid mouse wearing a cloak and hood stepped forward at the call of it's name. "Find this hero and any allies he may have and kill them all. Leave none alive, if you fail or attempt to defect I will send the Mantis Ant after you." A massive beast clacked it's mandibles and drooled at the prospect of tasting Pony flesh. "You have your orders... GO!" The Chobin hood knew better than to question his master's orders and ran off in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. -MANA- Luna had left with the spirit of the Moon while Fluttershy recounted what happened. "So that's why you were so frightened... Then again if I was hearing an animal speak to me in a manner I could understand for the first time I would be shocked too." Ferrik said with a chuckle as a glint of light caught the corner of his eye. "Yes, and if my memory of that event hasn't faded you tried to attack the poor frog with Wisp's power screaming it was possessed by the Mana Lord's evil magic." Dryad said with a giggle which caused Ferrik to facepalm before he drew his sword and swung into the open air just over Twilight's head. "Ferrik! What are you doing you could've-" Twilight's comment was cut short by the arrow pieces halves fell down in front of her. Ferrik had sliced the offending projectile to defend his new found friends. The Chobin Hood was not pleased, seeing it's first shot failed it proceeded to knock another arrow this time chanting a spell before firing. "Get down!" Ferrik cried out as he stepped in front of the next arrow that gleamed with a sick purple haze. 'Crap Poison Arrow... not enough time to dodge or deflect it...' He thought as he held up his sword in a last ditch attempt to guard only for the arrow to be halted by a glowing shield made of powder blue magic. "If you have anyone who can get the creature to stand down and switch sides that would be nice!" A powder blue unicorn mare shouted her horn lit up with the same aura as the shield's color. "Fluttershy, please speak with it and see if you can get it to stop. I would rather not have to kill it." Ferrik said the last part with the tone of someone who had done enough of it already. Fluttershy meekly complied and after a minute or two she returned to the group. "She said she would love to help us but, even if she did the mean man who sent her would still send a beast called a Mantis Ant." Fluttershy said as the Chobin Hood approached the group with a sad look on it's face. "Well if she wants to help that's fine. I can handle a mantis ant and besides... we can use all the help we can get." Ferrik said with a smile and nod towards the Powder blue unicorn that had approached the group. "Wait... Trixie?" Twilight said with an inquiring look. To which the unicorn could only make a sullen nod. "I came to ask for forgiveness for what happened last time..." Twilight pulled Trixie into a hug. "You saved Ferrik! Of coarse I forgive you. By the way... when did you learn such a powerful shield spell?" "That would be my doing Lady Sparkle." A voice came from nowhere which soon took root into a ball of glowing white light. "I am known as Wisp the spirit of Light. My magic is mostly known for it's defensive properties and I'm afraid your history is a bit mistaken... Teleportation is not in my list of skills. That honor belongs to the spirit of the Moon which I'm sure you've met." The glowing spirit said with a feminine voice. "But, she digresses. Wisp asked me if I would help the Hero of Mana in his quest in exchange for a boost to my spells. I agreed as soon as she told me where I needed to go." Trixie said with a smile towards Twilight. "Well it's getting late... Shouldn't we all get some sleep? From what I've learned from Wisp the Mantis Ant hunts during the day and even then prefers to wait in a den like an Ant Lion. So we should be safe for the night. The young knight can stay in my wagon for the night." Trixie said with a smile to which the group agreed. -MANA- As Ferrik entered the wagon he gave off a low whistle. "Wow, this wagon looks a lot bigger on the inside." He said as he placed his weapons and armor next to the bed taking note that there was only one. "I guess I'll be sleeping on the floor or couch." Ferrik thought as he detached the Sword of Mana from him it changed into a glowing sphere and vanished until it was needed once more, to anyone or anypony watching it would look like it entered his chest and came to rest within his heart. "I'm sorry about the lack of a guest bed but, I didn't really expect to have company..." Trixie said as she exited the washroom freshly cleaned from her shower. "The shower's free if you need it, oh and your welcome to share the bed... it's big enough for the both of us." Trixie said trying to hide her blushing face from the young knight as she climbed onto the bed. Ferrik waved as he entered the washroom and set aside a towel and fresh clothes before his mind caught on to what just happened. "D-Does Trixie like me?" He said quietly to himself before shrugging it off and readying for bed.