//------------------------------//
// Manticore quest 
// Story: The librarians and the cat of life 
// by Dragon Shimmer 
//------------------------------//

Spike walks into the guild and sees an orange dragon is grasping a white pegasus into his neck. The orange dragon throws the pegasus away and sighs in frustration. 

Bamboo looks around and asks. "What happened?"

"Just some ... 'traditional' ponies who want to get rid of the 'abnormal' thing." Sunset rubs her head and goes upstairs. "Breaker, you and Snow will deal with that hirer."

Breaker retorts. "What!? No way. I hate ..." she notices the glares of Sunset, making her turn away. "Oh right, we will do it." The brown Abyssian leaves the guild and does the job.

After a while, some of the guards come to the guild to arrest them. Spike turns to Sunset. "Hey Sunset, can this pink spy join your guild? She needs to earn some money." 

Bamboo glares at the purple dragon and wants to punch him. Sunset sighs. "All right, but you should choose one of those quests and go with your pink dragon."

"No way. He is annoying." Bamboo points at him. "Why should I come with him?"

"Believe me. You will get used to it." Sunset smiles. "Now please go ahead and pick one of them."

Bamboo grumbles and glares at the purple dragon. Spike picks a quest, then leaves the room. Bamboo follows him and asks. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Just go to Everfree forest and picks some manticore's tail." Spike gives her a paper. "Someone need to have a cure from manticore's poison."

"Manticore." Bamboo smiles. "I fought that thing so many times"

"Really?" Spike smiles. "Then what will you do with it?"

"I usually chop off its tail and take the meat, then we cook it." Bamboo licks her lip. "It's delicious."

"Doubt that. I will let you fight a manticore. And I will let Sunset create an antidote." Spike points at the orange dragon.

Bamboo rolls her eyes. "Now let's go. I want to get away from you as soon as possible."

Bamboo and Spike head to the Everfree to hunt a manticore.


 
"Ouch, ouch." Applejack is struggling not to yell in pain. 

Redheart shakes her head and uses the bandage to wrap around her back hooves. When she is done, she hangs her back hooves on not to touch anything. The white pony taps the paper. "Now, you have to lie there in 2 weeks. No retort."

Applejack huffs and turns away. Blue Bell walks inside and sees the orange pony is struggling not to yells out loud. The blue stallion asks. "What's happen?"

"Just someone who works a lot and breaks her bones." Redheart looks at Applejack. "Unfortunately for her, our hospital just runs out of anesthetic, so I have to treat her without it."

"I see." Blue Bed looks at the clocks. "Well, let's take a rest. You worked quite hard today."

Redheart and Blue Bell leave the room. The ponies walk to the room to take a rest. Redheart takes a cup of water and lies on the sofa while Blue Bed just stares at her.

The white pony puts her front hoof on her forehead and sighs. "Lucky that today we don't have an emergency. Anyway, before you come here, where did you work?"

"Canterlot Hospital." Blue Bed sips some tea. "I work as a royal doctor sometime, if I'm noble like me."

"I see. Bet that you got a lot of money, right?" Redheart takes the picture with the mare wearing gothic style inside. "Will you come back when the work is done?"

"Maybe." Blue Bed walks beside the white mare. "So, can you tell me where you learn all of the operations?"

"Just make operations on animals and others." Redheart puts the picture face down. "Before I can operate on a pony and other creatures, I do that on animals a lot."

The blue stallion glares at her. "How many?"

"I don't know."

"And what do you feel when you find somepony is better than you?"

"Just learn from that one." Redheart sighs. "Anyway, my shift is over. I will go home. It's nice talking to you."

Redheart wears the nurse uniform off and leaves the room. Blue Bed sips the tea and notices the picture. Looking at the picture, he smiles a little. "It looks like someone forgot her picture. I should give her back tomorrow." 



 
Amelia is flying into a mine. Inside the mine, there are many ponies and diamond dogs mining and resting. The white cat feels their happiness inside the mine. 

When white cat just flies to a room, a cage traps her inside as Amelia looks up. A light red Diamond Dog is looking at her in the cage while a big blue Diamond Dog shakes his head.

The blue Diamond Dog demands. "Release that cat immediately, Spirit. You shouldn't do that."

"Why? We don't have any cats. I really want a cat." Spirit looks at Amelia. "Eh, this cat is quiet... weird."

Flame looks at Amelia and opens the gate, then he takes the cat. "Yeah, this cat is too 'white'. I mean, white like milk."

Amelia sighs and starts to talk. "Thank you for releasing me. I am quite annoyed when you do that." Spirit and Flame are surprised while the white cat is floating in front of them. "What? First time to see a cat."

Spirit counters. "Not a cat that can fly." 

"Anyway..." Amelia claps her paw and a package appears, then puts it in front of Spirit. "You got mail."

"For me? Let see."

Spirit opens the package and sees a spear and papers. It writes. 'Finish the quest and you will have the spear'. Flame looks at the spear, then turns to his son. "What is the quest to do?"

"It is about helping to deal with White Rose's incident. Snow and Breaker are already there." Spirit smiles. "I will prepare, please hold on."

Spirit runs inside while Amelia smiles. Flame pats the white cat's head but Amelia slaps his paw away. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I can't resist patting you." Flame blushes. "You are so cute."

"Ah, you like cats but hiding from your son, right?" Amelia flies to Spirit as Flame blushes.  "I am going to tell him."

Flame quickly pulls the white cat back and whispers. "Can you please keep my secret, please? I will feed you with a lot of fishes."

"Aye, you know me." Amelia sits on Flame's shoulder. "Off we go. I want to taste your fish."

Flame sighs and he takes the package to go inside. He has to worry about his wallet after this fish purchase.




Spike and Bamboo go into the forest. After 45 minutes, the thing they only see is trees and rocks. Spike sits down to take a rest while Bamboo is looking around. 

The purple dragon sighs. "Can you just sit down and rest? You can be tired when you meet a real manticore."

"No, I can't." Bamboo taps her finger on the stone. "I can handle it. Don't worry about me." Spike grabs her tail, then yanks her down, makes her yelps and falls down. The pink dragon looks up and finds that she is in Spike's grab. Bamboo blushes and tries to get out his grab. "What are you doing?"

"Lie down and relax, please." Spike glares at her. "You don't want to be manticore's food, right?"

Bamboo snaps his arm out. "Oh right, just don't do this again." 

Bamboo sighs in relief as she feels her heart is beating faster. Spike makes a campfire and cooks a rabbit while the pink dragon lies down and takes a nap. The smoke comes to her nose and Bamboo wakes up. The smell is so good that she sleeps. Spike gives her a bowl of food. "Wake up already, we should eat."

Bamboo gumbles and takes the bowl, then has a taste. It is so good for her as she eats it like no tomorrow. Spike tilts his head. The pink dragon blushes and turns away. "It's not that your food is good."

"You can say that. Anyway..." Spike points behind the pink dragon. Bamboo turns around and sees a manticore is glaring at them. Spike pokes the stick on the campfire. "Your turn. I will sit here and watch what you can do."

Bamboo gives the purple dragon a smirk. The manticore jumps to her but Bamboo quickly ducks and punches at its stomach immediately. The manticore rolls on the ground and feels pain. Bamboo quickly jumps on its body and thrust into its chest, then thrust into its neck. The manticore can't do anything and lay there to die. 

Spike smiles. "Wow, it's amazing."

"It is just like my daily routine." Bamboo shakes her claw. "My claws are dirty."

"Here." Spike creates a water ball and gives it to the pink dragon, then the purple dragon stands up. "I will collect the tail. You can have all the food."

Bamboo grumbles as she washes her claw, then goes back to eating and enjoys the rest.





Amelia is enjoying the fish in Diamond Dog mine while Flame is crying inside because his money is gone. When Amelia is eating a small fish, she hears the sound from the west.

"What is that sound?" Asks Amelia. "It sounds like some audience is cheering for some arena competitors."

"You guess right." Flame rubs Amelia's back. "That is our only entertainment since we are exploring other things to entertain."

Amelia tilts her head. "Sounds weird. It's just like you race living under the ground too long and they are starting to explore the world." Flame looks away as Amelia sighs. "This is not the first time I've seen a race like that."

"I... see." Flame smiles and keeps rubbing Amelia's back. "You know. I like to have a pet when I was young, but my parent wants me to focus on my race."

"And I am not gonna to be your pet." Amelia giggles. "I like this teasing."

"At least you are cute enough to attract me." Flame smiles. "Anyway, is your race like this? I have never seen a cat that can talk like you."

"You got Abyssian anyway." Amelia smiles. "Don't tell me your race hates Abyssian." 

"Come on. Why are you telling the truth?" Flame folds his paws. "Just hate for fun. In reality. We don't hate each other much."

"Ah ah ah... don't tell me your wife is an Abyssian." Amelia teases. "I will be shocked when you have an Abyssian."

Flame says nothing and stands up without talking anything. The blue Diamond Dog looks at the white cat and smiles. "So... Can we go around."

"Sure... I guess. You okay?"

"I'm fine." 

Flame leaves the room. Amelia follows him and guesses that this Diamond Dog used to fall in love with an Abyssian, but she decides not to dig deeper.