//------------------------------// // Ch.4 All of our Fears // Story: Seconds to spare // by Hope //------------------------------// The group was able to find the bottom part of the road quickly, with Rainbow scouting from the air, and they resumed their walk with Eris feeling a little stunned by AJ’s actions. “Would you have done that for anypony?” Eris asked. “Yeah she would,” Rainbow laughed, poking AJ in the ribs with a hoof. “She’s a big softie, always trying to give people what they need. She could harvest her entire farm on her own, but does she? Nope, she hires on folks from town who need work.” AJ, though blushing, was smiling and laughed at the compliment. “Shucks Rainbow, didn’t know ya’ll kept tabs on the farm work! Well, ain’t been but eight years since my ma and pa passed on, but I’ll always remember ‘em. Mostly by followin’ their ways. Ain’t nopony but nopony deserve ta go without. That’s the Apple Family motto. Got a barn? Reckon it can sleep a few.” She shared a knowing look with Fluttershy, who looked grateful in return. “That’s touching, beautiful,” Eris said, admiring the way the ponies interacted, friendly and open. “It’s just how I am. Everyone has their good parts, it’s one of mine,” AJ replied. “Stop.” Everyone stopped and looked to Fluttershy, who had been quietly watching the road ahead. “What do your elf eyes seeee?” Pinkie whispered, peeking over Fluttershy’s back. “What’s an elf?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy shook her head a little. “I… there’s something up ahead. A creature I um… I can understand them, but… I think they’re talking to themself. I need to get… closer.” She swallowed nervously, staring at the dark road ahead. “I’ll come with, Shy!” Rainbow said, landing in front of her. “And I promise not to punch the scary animal in the face this time.” Fluttershy chuckled a little and started down the road, Rainbow leading at a slow hover. The rest watched from afar as they stopped, listened for a bit, and then came back. Surprisingly, Fluttershy looked to Eris right away. “Um… In your uh… Have you…” “Did you ever in the past steal the babies of a Manticore?” Rainbow asked flatly. Eris stared at them, and really thought about it before drooping. “Ohhh… um… so I’m like… really old. Well, I’m like a phoenix sort of? I come back? Two or three lifetimes ago I needed some Manticore cubs for a prank so… yeah, yeah I think I did do that actually,” she nodded, smiling nervously. “Then I think you need to apologize to the Manticore in the woods, and I’ll interpret,” Fluttershy said, shaking a little where she stood. Eris looked to her, a bit surprised. “Why… wouldn’t you all just go on without me?” Eris asked softly. “I did a bad thing in the past, I… The problem is me.” Fluttershy’s trembling, all her fears faded a little as she stepped closer, and all her other pony friends backed away a little, giving her space to do her thing. “Eris… I care for wolves sometimes. Do you know what wolves eat?” she asked gently. Eris grimaced, and nodded. Fluttershy nodded, looking away a little. “Sometimes they eat animals that they could… they should pick others. I teach them. I show them… Better ways and try to make it a little better, even if not perfect, but if a friend of mine has done bad things, then we do them right. We fix things. I won’t…” She sat up a bit straighter, and for the first time since meeting her, Eris saw strength in the pegasus. “I won’t abandon a friend,” she insisted. “And you’re my friend now. So we’re going to go over there, and put things right, as right as they can be.” With tears in her eyes, Eris nodded and followed Fluttershy down the road, until she could hear the growling and grumbling Fluttershy had initially picked up on. Fluttershy held out a hoof and stepped forward. “Excuse me, Mister Manticore?” she called out. Three trees crashed to the ground in a flurry of movement as a towering creature emerged from the dark trees. It looked for the most part like an abnormally large lion, except for the bat wings and scorpion tail it had, marking it as significantly more dangerous than even the most aggressive lion. When it laid eyes on Eris, it roared, shaking the ground and causing leaves to shake free from the trees all around, falling to the forest floor. Eris was trying to hide behind AJ, though it wasn’t working very well. But Fluttershy stood in between the Manticore and her friends, standing proud. “I believe that my friend owes you an apology,” Fluttershy declared. At that, the Manticore didn’t know how to react, if it’s stunned expression and confused noises were any indication of how it felt. “No,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. “She’s not going to try and take your children, and she knows taking your siblings was wrong. Eris?” Eris whimpered as she stood and slowly walked up next to Fluttershy, mentally calculating how quickly the Manticore could eat her. “Um… Hi, yes, I ah… I really really shouldn’t have done any of that, and I won’t do it again. Your siblings are living in Neighpon now and--” The Manticore mewled, looking to Fluttershy, who looked to Eris. “His siblings are still alive?” she asked sternly. “Yes!” Eris nodded quickly. “The prank was a village said that they would only allow a manticore to rule over them, so I found a couple and taught them political theory. It took a few years,” she was about to ramble on about the prank, but the Manticore was making noises at Fluttershy again. “I believe that she’s telling the truth, yes,” Fluttershy nodded. “She’s my friend now. So your siblings are probably still alive.” And with that, the beast’s great wings opened, and it launched itself into the air, soaring off into the twilight sky, leaving the path clear before them.