The Cutie Mark Crusaders where currently in the Everfree Forest on they’re way back from Zecora. Scootaloo pulling her scooter, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle where sitting in the wagon attached to it.
“Can you go a bit faster Scoot? It’s almost nighttime.“ Apple Bloom said, looking around nervously.
“That’s your own foult, you shouldn’t have talked that much.“ Scootaloo answered.
“Hey, we could have arrived at Zecora a lot earlier if yah would have been there in time.“
“I wasn’t that late.“
“You where.“
“Even if i was late, you where still talking that much that it wouldn’t have mattered in the end.“
“Not true, ah-“
“EYES ON THE ROAD!“ Sweetie Belle shouted with a panicked edge in her voice.
Scootaloo whirled around from her discussion with Apple Bloom to notice that they where heading full speed towards a sharp turn in the road.
Scootaloo gasped, before she quickly tried to take the turn, but she was not fast enough.
The scooter, wagon and passengers where send flying out of the curve and seemingly floated in the air for a moment before gravity took over followed by a loud crash.
The fillies groaned, picking themselves up. Sweetie Belle was the first to speak.
“Let’s stop arguing and get back on the road.“
The other two agreed silently and proceeded to move the card and scooter back when they made a terrible discovery.
“The scooter is broken.“ Scootaloo half screamed. “Now we have to walk, we will never be home in time.“
She turned to Apple Bloom. “Why dit you have to distract me? Now we are in even bigger problems.“
“You where the one driving. Don’t blame me!“
Sweetie Belle saw another fight coming, and was about to interrupt, but a low growl beat her in the race.
The CMC froze death track before slowly turning to the source of the noise and looking straight in the eyes of a manticore.
“Oh, oh.“
The fillies gave each other a look, before like on command ran of. The manticore quickly followed.
The crusaders where now running blindly trough the forest not daring to look around while still trying to stick together.
After a while Sweetie Belle dared to look around and quickly regretted it. Not because the manticore was close by, but because she ran head first in to a stone wall. Beside her her friends to came to a stop.
The quickly looked around for an escape route, but the wall stretched itself a fair amount in both sides and was to high to fly over. A quick look back told them that they’re pursuer was to close for running away to be an option. They huddled together, trembling.
“Hey! What are you doing here again? I told you to stay away.“
The manticore froze, growling at something left from the crusaders.
They looked around spotting a strange creatures who was looking angrily at the manticore. It had a gray skin that shimmered metallic and seemed to have no facial expression with the exception of one of his eyes that glared angrily, while the other was covered by some sort of eye patch out of the same color as his skin. It lacked any sort of hair except for three red one’s that seemed to come out of his forehead and disappeared behind his head. It’s mouth seemed to be made out of seven cubes, six grey and one in red. It lacked any kind of torso and it’s arms and legs seemed to be directly connected to it’s weird head. It’s arms and legs seemed to be made out of three thin limbs each, wrapped around each other in a spiral manner two gray and one red. It’s claws seemed to have only two fingers bend towards each other forming grippers. Finally there was some weird stick growing out of it’s head. (Author note: I never thought that a LapaBot description would sound like it came straight out of a horror movie.)
“What are you waiting for shoo!“ it said taking a step towards the manticore.
The manticore gave the crusaders a final look before it turned around and fled.
“And it’s gone.“ the thing sighted. “At last it didn’t destroy anything this time. Why did it come back? It has nothing to gain here.“ It was then that it spotted the crusaders, who where looking at him with awe.
Sweetie Belle was the first to move, as she slowly walked towards they’re rescuer who took in a defense position. He was however not prepared for her to hug his leg.
“Thank you mister, you saved our life.“ she said, not willing to let go. “Without you whe would have been manticore food.“
“Your welcome... i guess.“ they’re completely startled savior said, unsurely patting Sweetie Belles had.
“How dit you even do that?“ Scootaloo added. “You chased that manticore away without even attacking it. All you dit was looking at it and it and it ran away.“
“Well, i met it bevor, and i won the fight-“
“You beat a manticore on your own? Not even Rainbow Dash has done that.“
“Yes?“
The crusaders looked at him with awe.
“Anyway, my turn to ask. What are you doing this deep in the forest?“ it asked, regaining himself.
“Scootaloo‘s scooter broke, when we flew out of a sharp turn in the road. When we... discussed how to continue whe where attacked by the manticore.“ Apple Bloom answered.
There was a moment of silence as the crusaders watched they’re savior thinking for a minute.
“Can i give a look at it, i might be able to fix your scooter.“
“Really!“ Scootaloo started to bounce in excitement. “Thank you so much mister...“
She stopped bouncing. “You never told us your name.“
“I don’t have a name. Most people just refer to me as LapaBot.“
“Well we can’t have that.“ Apple Bloom said. “What do yah think of Lapa?“
“Already taken.“
“Lapy?“
The robot was silent for a minute.
“I can life with that.“
The tree fillies looked excitingly on they’re flanks for a moment before sighting.
“Guess it’s not Cutie Mark Crusaders Name givers either?“
“What is that?“
The tree fillies now started all talking one trough the other leaving Lapy even more confused when the explanation was finished.
“You know what, why don’t you show me the way to your scooter and explain on the way.“
“Here you go.“ Lapy took a step back from the now repaired scooter. “Fixed and ready.“
In the blink of an eye Scootaloo was standing next to him. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou.“ She jumped up and startet driving around.
“How dit yah do it without tools?“ Apple Bloom asked while Sweetie Belle was trying to calm Scootaloo down enough to put on the wagon.
“I was more or less build for that.“
Lapy watched the CMC get ready for departure.
Scootaloo was about to dash of, but turned around one final time. “You should come to visit us in Ponyville, i am shure our sisters are eager to meet you.“
Lapy thought about it for a moment. He had a base to keep up, and needed to protect it in case of an attack. But he wasn’t in the devasted lands, so there where almost no attackers.
“I see what i can do.“
The CMC gave him an exited smile before heading of.
“Keep your eyes on the road this time.“
“SHUT UP!“
Lapy would have smiled if he had a mouth.
“Children.“