//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: A Knight's Trial part 4 // Story: Guardians of Harmony: Rise of the Knights // by Postwarmonkey50 //------------------------------// After all of the husbands and Emily had disappeared, Genus was out cold from the sudden teleportation from the stranger they had never met. Stirring himself awake, he slowly opened his eyes. However, when he opened them, he noticed that there was a lush field all around him. “What the…” muttered Genus as he slowly began to sit up. When he looked around, ne noticed he was under the shade of a tree. But when he looked around, he was surprised at what he saw. All around him, he looked like he was on an African Safari, but it didn’t look like the one in Africa. Among them were also tons of trees and lushes of green, which looked like the Amazon Rainforest from Rio de Janeiro. It was quite beautiful. The forest was unlike anything he had ever seen. He was in places like the Everfree Forest, Whitetail Wood, and that other place he went with Fluttershy last month. “Wow,” said Genus as he stood up. “Where in the wide world of Equestria am I?” He looked up and saw a few birds up there, talking to one another. “Excuse me?” said Genus, gaining one of the bird’s attention. “You mind telling me where I am?” The bird whistled him a couple of times; thankfully, the lessons he received from Fluttershy about how to talk to birds had helped him quite a lot. After the bird was done, Genus thanked the bird, allowing the bird to fly away. “So, I happen to be in a place called Amajaro?” said Genus as he thought aloud. It then clicked to him as he said, “Wait, Fluttershy and I took a trip here a year ago. We took Warm Breeze with us that day.” He began to look around, trying to find his way around, wondering where he needed to go. “Wow,” said Genus as he looked around, “I forgot how big this place was.” But after he took two steps, he suddenly heard a faint moan, which surprised him. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but he had a feeling that the moan sounded familiar. He kept his ears perked up, trying to follow that noise. But when he went around the corner, he widened his eyes in shock. For what he was looking at was none other than a lion. Not just any lion, a lion two times bigger than any lion he had ever seen. Its fur was as white as snow, it had a more majestic look, and it nearly resembled that of a tiger. But all in all, it had been the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. But there was something wrong with it. It looked like it was in great pain; it even looked pale. Letting his curiosity get the better. But as he was nearly close to the lion, the lion growled at Genus, warning it to not let it get near it. “Hey,” said Genus as he showed his hands, signaling that he meant no harm. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you. I want to help.” Just as he was close enough, he heard a shout, “Who dares come near the majestic beast?!!” Genus nearly yelped while he sharply looked around, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from while figuring out that it must be a female. But just as he turned around, he was suddenly grabbed and thrusted against a tree. As Genus got a look at her, he saw that she was wearing an outfit that resembled Daring Do a lot. But what shocked him was that the one person, or pony, that threatened him was none other than… “Fluttershy?!!!” shouted Genus, not believing what he was seeing. “Fluttershy?” said the familiar-looking Pegasus. “My name’s Fluttershine. The bravest pony in all of the safari.” Genus flexed an eyebrow at that while he observed her. “Whenever others talk down to me, I’m not afraid to speak my mind, and I love to sing in public and not let others judge me. Cause if they do, I’ll smash their heads with watermelons.” Genus was quite surprised, for she may look like Fluttershy, but she was more assertive than she normally would. But the difference from this kind of assertiveness, she’s in control and does not let things go out of control. At least that’s what Rarity and Pinkie Pie told Genus when he wanted to get to know her first. “Uh, okay?” said Genus as he slowly stood up. “So,” said Fluttershine as she walked towards him, stood near him face to face with a stern gaze, and said, “Why are you really here?” “Honestly, I was busy looking around, trying to figure out where I am.,” said Genus. “I heard the sound of moaning, and before I knew it, I saw him injured.” “A likely story.” said Fluttershine. “Don’t you think?” Out of nowhere, a rabbit sat on top of Fluttershine’s head. To Genus” surprise, it was a bunny that looked like Angel. “Of course, she would also have an Angel Bunny.” muttered Genus, then spoke to the rabbit and said, “And I assume that your name’s Angel?” Then suddenly, the rabbit said, “The hell are you talking about, boy? I am a pure- breaded rabbit that doesn’t like silly names. Besides, I may look like a rabbit, or maybe a bunny to most folks, but I ain’t no angel.” Genus stared at the rabbit wide-eyed, for he sounded exactly like that one actor he knew back from his old home; Kevin Heart. The moment the gears had finished processing, Genus laughed out loud and fell over, laughing his guts out, which puzzled both Fluttershine and the rabbit with the Kevin Heart voice. “The hell is so funny, man,” said the rabbit. “You got a problem with what I’m saying?” Genus tried to collect himself, but it was much harder. “Sorry…I just…I just…” He again laughed as he couldn’t contain himself. “Okay, that’s it.” said the rabbit as he jumped off Fluttershine’s head and kept jumping on Genus, trying to teach him a lesson. The rabbit kept jumping and thumping and trying to punch him, but the punches had no effect. Which made the rabbit growl and say, “Stupid rabbit hands. Why the heck am I so girly?” He instantly picked up the rabbit and said, “Maybe because you’re a Pff, PIPSQUEAK!!!” He laughed again, making the rabbit growl, for he was getting tired of folks making fun of how he talked, especially his size. The white lion suddenly moaned out loud again, gaining Genus” attention. “Oh right, the lion.” said Genus as he let the rabbit go and instantly went over to the lion. Fluttershine again stood before him and said, “And what are you planning to do?” “Fluttershine.” The pony perked up and looked at the lion, which Genus also looked at it. “Let the human pass,” said the lion, surprisingly a female. Reluctantly, Fluttershine let Genus pass. allowing him to go to the lion. He sat on his knees and observed her. He looked at the lion, observing her. He slowly felt her stomach. She didn’t wince, which meant it wasn’t food poisoning. He slowly stroked her back; she didn’t wince either, which meant she had no back problems. Then he felt on her legs and didn’t wince, which meant that it wasn’t broken bones. He then took a look at her face. He slowly held her head and observed it. However, something caught his attention. Her left eye had a couple of purple veins. He then looked at the left side of her neck and saw what it was, which made him widen his eyes. “The hell are you staring at there?” said the rabbit as he jumped off Fluttershine’s head and onto the lion. He looked at what Genus was looking at, which shocked the rabbit. “Oh, hell no, this ain’t good.” He pulled out something that surprised Fluttershine too. For what Genus was holding was none other than a poison dart. “She’s been poisoned.” said Genus as he looked at Fluttershine. He went over to the lion, slowly placed his head close to her, and asked, “What happened?” The lion then whispered in his ear, unable to speak loudly. Genus listened carefully. The lion explained that while it was out on the field looking after the animals, she was attacked by a poacher in dark armor. While defending the animals, she got shot by its poison dart, but not before injuring the poacher enough to make him leave. She had been slowly feeling ill and could barely move, so she chose this spot, for it is the most secluded part where no one can find her. Genus looked around, thinking of a way to help her. He then suddenly realized that he still had his backpack that he had packed with him just in case. He took it off and quickly took out what he needed; a chemical testing kit. He placed what he could together and mixed a few chemicals. Then he took the bit of poison left over from the dart. He poured it from inside the chemicals, causing it to change into blue, making him realize what it was. “Venox,” said Genus. He looked at the others and said, “It’s a slow-acting poison. They first inject something like this to a dangerous beast, wait for a few weeks, then, in the end, die. She was poisoned about an hour ago, so there’s still time.” He placed his kit away and took out a few herbs. “This should help slow the poison more often so that she can at least breathe and be aware of her senses.” He went over and crushed a few herbs for them to be small enough to place on her neck. He moved some of the lion’s hair out of the way and placed the herbs inside, making the lion groan in pain, but it was somewhat working. “Ooh, that wound doesn’t look too good.” said the rabbit. He looked at him and said, “Now look, I don’t like you, but clearly, you know what you’re doing. How are we gonna help her?” “The only thing that can help her is a plant called the Aurora Stella Floss,” said Genus “Known as the Aurora Star Flower. The only problem is, I don’t know where to look.” “Hmph,” said Fluttershine with crossed arms. “If you must know, the only place we can find such flowers is high on a mountain over there.” Genus saw that the mountain was at least five miles away. Knowing it, it was also five miles up, which would take a long time to reach unless there was a different path. But the only way to be sure is if he travels there to find out. He stood up with a determined look on his face. “If there’s a cure up there,” said Genus, “I’m going to get it.” “You nuts, man?” said the rabbit. “You have any idea how dangerous it is up there, especially with that poacher dude out there.” “I’ll take my chances.” said Genus. “Good luck up there.” said Fluttershine with a smirk. “Oh no, you don’t.” said Genus as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. “You’re coming with me.” “Pff, as I’d ever…” said Fluttershine before she was interrupted. “Do it, Fluttershine,” said the lion with a growl, “Or I will find a way to feast on you in the afterlife.” Fluttershine looked at her, then groaned loudly, saying, “Alright, fine. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She then grabbed his shirt by saying, “Come on,” and walked until she stopped and pointed at the rabbit, saying, “You too, Heart.” “What?!” exclaimed the rabbit. “Why me?!!” “Because I said so, bub,” said Fluttershine. “Now come along before I have to go get the Tazmanian Devil to make you out of rabbit stew again.” The rabbit groaned again and said, “Okay, fine.” As the rabbit came along, Genus couldn’t help but smirk and thought, “If only my wife could say something like that to Angel.” Thanks to the herbs, the lion could use her strength to cover herself with camouflage magic so that she could stay hidden from the Poacher. But as Genus, Fluttershine, and Heart Bunny were about half a mile away from their lion friend, a mysterious stranger was watching from the hilltop. It was a certain armored individual dressed in a cloak and sporting a helmet with small horns. He watched from afar with his crossbow as he saw the two of them walking down. He lowered his crossbow, knowing he had to follow them, for if he could tell them where the lion was hidden, he would soon seek his prize. And thus, he slowly walked away and headed through the woods. At the same time, Fluttershine continued to guide Genus through the wilderness as they finally reached the jungle. “Alright then,” said Fluttershine, “If we can cut through there, we’ll be able to reach the mountain there, no problem.” “That’s going to be a problem,” said Genus as he studied the ground while looking at the prints. “There are more dangerous beasts lingering through here. We’ll need to take the safe passage if we’re going to make it to the other side.” “Pff, that’ll take too long,” said Fluttershine “We can go through the woods and be done with it, no problem.” “Didn’t you hear what I said?” said Genus. “I wouldn’t bother with her,” said Heart Rabbit. “That girl’s more stubborn than a thousand pack mules combined.” Genus groaned, for this one is more stubborn than Rainbow Dash. “Fine,” said Genus, “But I’ll lead the way.” He shoved her out of the way and grumbled, “She’s nothing like my wife.” They continued down the dangerous path, trying to ensure they weren’t attacked. However, Fluttershine wasn’t making it easy for them to be safe, considering she was singing out loud, which could attract dangerous predators. The rabbit hopped a bit after them but began to feel exhausted. Genus noticed this, walked over to him, and picked him up. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?” said the rabbit. Genus placed him on his head and moved on forward. “You were getting tired.” Said Genus. “You’re also small and wouldn’t be able to move on any further. Hence why, I decided to help you out. Cause the way I see it, you look like you really needed help. I know you don’t like to ask others for help, I can tell, but sometimes, all it takes is a little kindness that’ll help you get far in life.” Heart Rabbit was surprised by this statement and looked thoughtful over what Genus had said. “Wow. That’s deep. Who taught you that?” “My wife.” said Genus “She was timid for a long time, but because of her friends, she learned how to be brave. Then I met her, we fell in love, and we ended up being married later on. We even have a kid.” “Whoa, really?” said the rabbit. “What’s their names?” “My wife’s name is Fluttershy, and my son’s name is Warm Breeze.” said Genus “Both of them are Pegasi.” “Really?” said the rabbit, now interested. “What’s she looks like?” Genus pointed at Fluttershine. The rabbit took a look and was surprised. Then whispered, “You’re kidding. She looks like her?” “Yeah, but she’s the opposite of my wife.” said Genus. “My wife tried to be assertive but ended up hurting her friends” feelings. So, she chose to only use it if absolutely necessary.” “Wow,” said Heart Rabbit, “Wish Fluttershine was like that.” “I wish she was.” said Genus as they continued to walk. Fluttershine suddenly stopped them as she heard a loud rustling through the woods. “You hear that?” said Fluttershine. Genus and Heart Rabbit listened carefully to what was going on out there. Though thanks to Heart’s ears, he could hear the slight growling. “Oh no.” said the rabbit as his pupils shrunk while his ears drooped. “I know that growl.” And from right out of nowhere, a large creature pounced, causing the group to quickly jump out of the way. When they looked, it was none other than a Manticor. He looked around at the group and roared at them. “Oh,” said Fluttershine as she smirked and cracked her knuckles. “You wanna play pussy cat? Well then, let’s go right now!!” She charged towards the Manticore and tackled it over. She wrested the creature, trying to pin it down while the Manticore itself tried to shake the annoying Pegasus off with all its might. Heart Rabbit kept cheering her on, for even though they don’t get along, he does love a good brawl. “Yeah, come on!!” shouted the rabbit. “Kick the ugly cat in the booty!!” Genus couldn’t believe this. Fluttershy would never hurt the animals. This is really different. He needed to find a way to stop this, or they’d waste more time than they already had. However, he noticed that there was slightly something off about the Manticore. It didn’t look savage; it looked like it was in pain, struggling with something. He observed the Manticore while it was moving around. Then he suddenly saw something that caught his attention, a large thorn underneath its right paw. “Wait,” thought Genus to himself, “This is almost like what happened when Fluttershy first went out to the forest.” The Manticore threw Fluttershine off of it, making her crash against a bush. Just as she was about to attack, Genus stopped her. “What are you doing?!” shouted Fluttershine. Genus slowly walked over to the Manticore and signaled it to calm down. The Manticore slowly looked at Genus as it slowly tilted its head. “Here,” said Genus “Let me take a look.” The Manticore cautiously looked at Genus while the Manticore showed its right paw, revealing the large thorn. He slowly reached out towards its paw, using his left hand to hold it and his right hand to hold onto the thorn. “Alright,” said Genus as he looked at the Manticore, “On the count of three.” The Manticore nodded, with Genus saying, “One. Two. Three.” Within a split second, he pulled out the thorn, making the Manticore wince. “There you go.” said Genus as he observed the thorn and said, “Wow, that’s one heck of a horn.” And within a split second, the Manticore pounced on him and ended up licking him a couple of times while purring. He couldn’t help but giggle over the creature’s thanks. The Manticore allowed him to get up. “You’re welcome.” said Genus. “Do you happen to know which way to go? We’re in search of an Aurora Star Flower.” The Manticore nodded and pointed in the direction they needed to go. Genus looked back and petted it, saying “Thanks.” The Manticore licked him one more time and departed. Genus walked back to the group, with the rabbit surprised, and said, “The hell did you do?” “I helped remove its thorn.” said Genus. “It helps to observe the animals if they’re in good condition. In the end, all it takes is a little kindness.” “Yeah, and what if it decided to have you for lunch?” said Fluttershine with a scoff. “Better than your plan, you brute.” said Genus before he walked off. Fluttershine merely huffed while they continued on with their path. They soon made their way to another clearing, where a lake was nearby. At first, it looked drinkable, but Heart Rabbit stopped them. “Whoa now, hold on there.” said the rabbit, “Something’s not right.” “What?” chuckled Fluttershine. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of….” He grabbed her head and turned towards the direction to the left. There, she saw a handful of dead animals near the lake, all attempting to drink from the water. “Oh, I see.” said Fluttershine. Deep down, Genus was appalled. She didn’t care about the animals at all. Normally, anyone could’ve felt pity for them, but she didn’t. “Let’s just keep on moving.” said Genus. But just before he could take another step, he heard something, causing him to quickly tackle Fluttershine out of the way. At the same time, an arrow struck the ground, taking the rabbit by surprise. “Holy shit!!” shouted the rabbit. The three immediately looked up and saw an individual, who appeared from out of nowhere, staring down at them. It was a certain armored individual dressed in a cloak and sporting a helmet with small horns. He watched from afar with his crossbow and lowered it. It jumped from the tree branch and landed on the ground. He slowly stood up and looked directly at them. “You know,” said the Poacher, “You lot have been giving me quite the trouble, trying to keep me away from my prize.” “What the hell?” muttered Genus. “What is he talking about?” said Fluttershine. Heart Rabbit gasped, then whispered, “The Lion.” Genus and Fluttershine also realized that, which shocked both of them. “Once I’m through with you,” said the Poacher as he readied his crossbow, “I’ll make you tell me where my prize is.” “We need to get out of here,” whispered Genus. “The more we delay, the more we…” “No way, I got this!!” shouted Fluttershine as she charged ahead. “No, wait!!” shouted Genus. The Poacher used his auto crossbow and fired his arrows, but Fluttershine kept dodging from tree to tree, branch to branch. The moment she had a clear shot, Fluttershine jumped from wood to wood, branch to branch, then tackled the Poacher over. The Poacher pulled out what appeared to be batons and tried to score a couple of hits, but Fluttershine kept dodging his attacks. She delivered a strong roundhouse kick against him, causing him to stammer backward, then formed them together to become a bo-staff. But swing them around as he may, it wasn’t enough to stop the assertive pony, who used a back flip kick to kick his bo-staff away, causing to fall near Genus. “Wow,” muttered Genus as he looked at the Bo-staff, then to Fluttershine “Impressive.” Fluttershine continued to trade punches with the Poacher until she could kick his helmet away. At first, the poacher stammered, but he regained his footing. “You made a big mistake following me.” said Fluttershine. The Poacher slowly looked at Fluttershine. But when he showed his face, Genus widened his eyes in shock. “No…” said Genus as he saw the Poacher’s face. For he had the exact same face that the person he knew had, the very face that while Genus was away to get some food for the shelter, that very man was the one who sold the Shelter he worked at the food that poisoned his animals “It can’t be…” “Oh, believe me.” said the Poacher “In fact, I have you to thank.” “Thank me?” said Fluttershine. “I was hunting my prize for a while. Until I met you along the way.” said the Poacher. “During my time hiding in the shadows, you kept bragging about where the lion was. Even helped provide me the scent to track it down. Even helped provide info.” Genus was shocked that Fluttershine was responsible for the lion’s predicament. “Clearly,” said the Poacher as he drew both his knives, saying, “You’re not as smart as you think.” “I’ll show you.” said Fluttershine as she attacked again while blocking the knife attacks. Genus saw that Fluttershine was matched, but not for much longer. However, the more he looked at his face, the angrier he got. That very face, he could never forgive and forget. Because of him, the animals back at the shelter were dead. He looked at the bo-staff but knew it wouldn’t be enough. But then he noticed something fell off the Poacher’s belt, which appeared to be an anesthetic gas bomb. And seeing that the Poacher’s helmet was off, he figured he could buy them some time. He quickly grabbed the bo-staff and bomb and began to tie it up; he then looked at the rabbit and said, “I need you to find something that looks like a lasso.” “What?” said the rabbit. “We don’t stand a chance against him.” said Genus. “So let’s try it my way. Unless you want him to corner us, we risk losing our lives and our only chance to save that lion.” The rabbit quickly complied and darted towards anything that he could find. Genus kept his focus, ensuring that the lessons he learned back at school would work. After a couple of tries, he could make a spear-like object whose tip would explode. “That should do it.” said Genus. He heard a grunting noise and looked up. To his shock, he saw Fluttershine was pinned down and was this close to being gutted. “Now then,” said the Poacher “Any last words?” “Hey, bubba!!” shouted Genus, gaining the Poacher’s attention. “Take a whiff of this!!” He threw the bo-staff with all his might, allowing it to make contact with a tree behind it, creating a large puff of smoke, with the rabbit shouting, “Genus, here!” The rabbit tossed him a vine that would be a very effective rope. Without time to react, Genus used the vine to snag Fluttershine and dragged her away before the smoke enveloped the Poacher. As Fluttershine was wrapped up, Genus quickly grabbed her. “Put me down, right now!!” said Fluttershine. “No time!!” shouted Genus as he ran off, while at the same time, the Poacher fell off of the branch unconscious and he crashed onto the ground. With Genus carrying Fluttershine on his shoulder and Heart Rabbit riding on his shoulder, he ran for his life as if he had never run before. One hour later, After so much running, Genus was far enough from the poacher, and thanks to the lessons he learned from the animals, he was able to mask their scent so that the Poacher wouldn’t be able to track him. “Alright,” said Genus as he set Fluttershine down and untied her. “We should be safe….” But within a split second, she slapped him, surprising the rabbit. “I didn’t need your help!” said Fluttershine. “I was handling things fine on my own.” “Oh, like you were any better?” said the rabbit as he was appalled by her attitude. “You nearly got us killed out there. Plus, is that any way of thanking him for saving your life?” But at the same time, Genus grasped his fists; for now, he was really angry. “If that hairless ape hadn’t gotten in my way, I could’ve taken him,” said Fluttershine “And further more…” Having enough of her, he shouted, “THAT” S IT!!” And with great force, he shoved her, making her fall on her butt, and looked at Genus in shock while giving her his own stare and was now really angry at her. “Your worthless little bugger!!” shouted Genus. ““It was because of you he nearly knew about the lion in the first place!! We could’ve taken the safe route, but because of your impatience and lack of thinking, you nearly got us all killed because you wanted to take shortcuts!! Wake up, you worthless bitch!! No one will ever be nice to you and take things seriously if you keep acting out this way!! I’d feel sorry for any poor sap who’d be friends with you!! It’s no wonder you’re alone!! You’ve got no friends!! No family!! But I do!! My wife is twice the brave pony you are, but even she wouldn’t go that far by ignoring others” warnings!! Heck, I wouldn’t even hang out with you if my life depended on it!! You’re nothing but a worthless Pegasus!! I wished you never existed and had friends, to begin with!! You’re the most heartless Pegasus I ever met because you didn’t give a damn about the animals or anyone else!!” Fluttershine widened her eyes in shock. And from out of nowhere, her tears began to build up and fall, sniffling and whimpering. Genus was shocked to see that face, the very face his wife had whenever she was scared or yelled at. And within a split second, she ran away; for now, she was really hurt. Genus suddenly felt different on the inside. The way she looked, it looked like he was yelling at Fluttershy. Something he never ever wanted to do in his life. He leaned back against the cliff that they were supposed to climb. “What the hell did I do?” said Genus as he sat and looked down in shame. “Not that she had it coming and all,” said the rabbit as he hopped over and looked at Genus. “But that was really mean.” “I didn’t mean to.” muttered Genus. “Still,” said Heart Rabbit, “The way you yelled and got angry has nothing to do with how Fluttershine acted.” He looked down and said, “There is a reason. It’s something related to what happened back at my old home. Something that I wasn’t very proud of.” “Don’t you think you owe an explanation to her then?” said the rabbit, who then hopped to his shoulder and said, “In return, she might tell you why she’s been acting that way too.” He then looked in the direction that Fluttershine ran. The rabbit was right; he needed to make things right. He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked in her direction, trying to find her so that he could apologize and make things right. ********************************************************************* ************************************* From nearby, a part where there was a view of the entire valley, Fluttershine curled herself in a ball, shedding a few tears and partially whimpering over the human’s harsh words. How he looked at her and yelled at her was something bone-crushing that she had never felt in a long time. The more she thought about it, the more she kept curling herself while lowering her head. She heard rustling from the bushes, but she didn’t bother to turn around, for she knew it was the human. She instead looked ahead, not wanting to look at him. Genus came out and walked towards her. He then sat next to her, curling up and watching the valley. Genus didn’t know what to say, what to do. “Look, I…,” said Genus. But he stopped, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m sorry about how I exploded back there. I wanted us to take a safe route because I knew any other path would be dangerous. And I didn’t want you to get hurt, even if you were capable. Plus, I was angry because seeing that poacher’s face reminded me of the man I hated in my world.” He looked up and explained his story. “Long ago before I died,” said Genus, “I worked at an animal shelter on my summer breaks, then by the time I graduated, I applied for a full-time job. Then one day, the animal shelter was running low on food. We wanted to purchase more, but we were low on money. But thankfully, a friend of mine could give me a large amount for free because they were overstocked.” He looked down, disheartened. “But when I was on my way back, I discovered that they bought enough cheap dirt from someone else. But when I returned, all the animals got sick beyond recognition. It turned out the food for the animals they bought were tainted, past their expiring dates, and were also poisoned.” Fluttershine perked up on that and looked at Genus while he looked away and said, “I had to personally put down every single one of those animals to sleep. All fifty of them. Fifty that I rescued looked after, bred, and raised as if they were my own. I still remember their pleading and saddened eyes when they realized I had to do it, and I had to bury them all too.” He gripped both of his hands, remembering the one responsible. “The worst part was, they never caught the guy, for he’s been doing this kind of scam all over the Country.” said Genus as he looked ahead. “But sure enough, he died in a car accident a month later. I was glad he was gone, but I was disappointed that I didn’t get any justice for those animals.” He looked at her and said, “That’s why I lost my shit earlier. And I took it out on you. For that…I’m really sorry.” There was a bit of silence between them. He’ll understand if she’ll never talk to him. That was until… “Do you wanna know why I’m always like this?” said Fluttershine, gaining Genus” attention. She took a couple of deep breaths but was able to let them out. “When I was younger,” said Fluttershine, “I was constantly bulled because of my timid personality. Then one day, one of my friends tried to defend me, but they wouldn’t back off. So, she challenged her to a race.” Genus recalled what Rainbow and Fluttershy told him a while back. “But during the race, one of the ponies I knew and trusted rigged the race by cheating. And in doing so…” said Fluttershine before she whimpered and shed a few tears. “She ended up having one of her wings cut off.” Genus was surprised by this as he looked at her, for he couldn’t imagine anyone would do that in a race, even when it comes to cheating. Fluttershine looked down and said, “Ever since that day, I vowed to stop being weak and promised myself to be brave. But I also promised I wouldn’t just trust anybody, not the way one of them betrayed me. That’s why I am the way I am.” Fluttershine was quiet until she felt an arm wrapped around her, surprising her. When she looked, she saw it was Genus, who had wrapped his arm around her and held her close. At first, she wanted to protest, but instead, she wrapped her arm around him. Before she knew it, she whimpered and hugged him tightly, and he returned the gesture. They sat like this for the next ten minutes, trying to vent out what they’d been feeling inside. After she vented, the two stood up, allowing her to look at him, for he recognized that was the face. “I’m really sorry.” said Fluttershine. “Not as sorry as I am.,” said Genus. “Don’t be.” said Fluttershine “Truth be told, I needed to hear that. Thanks for snapping me out of what I’ve been burying after all these years.” “My wife once told me that even though sometimes everyone likes to be listened to,” said Genus, “We just need the time to understand them and that sometimes in life all it takes is a little kindness.” She lowered her head in shame, saying, “I wish I could’ve learned all that sooner.” He lifted her chin a bit, allowing her to look at him as he smiled while he said, “You still can.” She ended up smiling too. The two of them had come to an understanding. “Aw, see.” said Heart Rabbit as he came along, gaining their attention. “Told you all you needed was to talk things through, and there will be folks who will understand you.” “Now that you mention it,” said Fluttershine as she looked at the rabbit, then to Genus, “You’re the only one who understood me.” “What can I say.” said Genus with a shrug. “I’ve been taught by my wife, who represents Kindness.” “Uh, yeah, sorry to interrupt the kind of bromance; whatever thing is going on here?” said Heart Rabbit. “But we need to get moving to get that their flower, otherwise that their poacher of a hunter will end up waking up and hunting us down until we’re at his mercy.” “He’s right.” said Fluttershine “We need to get to the top of the mountain and fast; otherwise, we won’t be able to help save the lion in time.” Genus then thought about something. He remembered a while ago when they ran into the Poacher, he decloaked himself, like he was a Chameleon or something. And because of the helmet, he could see them as if he could see their thermal readings. But he also noticed that his eyes had looked slightly off like he needed the helmet to see properly. Though he may have overpowered Fluttershine without the helmet, he could temporarily see without it, so his eyes went a bit white before losing sight. That’s when it clicked. The cloaking, the helmet, the eyes, the gadgets. He was acting like the Predator from the Predator movies. Though he wasn’t comfortable enough to watch it when his friends back on Earth made him watch it, he could see how a Predator, like any animal, would try to take down its prey, so he had some idea on how to overcome it. “I know what to do,” said Genus. Fluttershine and Heart Rabbit looked at Genus as the Rabbit said, “Well then, if you’re gonna help, then spill it.” “You two go and get that flower on top of the mountain,” said Genus before he turned around and looked where they ran from. “I’ll deal with him.” The two were shocked by what Genus said. “Are you nuts, man?!” shouted Heart Rabbit. “You have any idea how dangerous that their dude is. And how the hell are you planning to take him on when you got nothing but the clothes on your back while also facing some dope shit in his dumbass uniform.” “It’s the only way.” said Genus as he looked at them. “I know how he hunts; I’ve seen moves like that before. I know how to beat him. And I’m also the only one who knows what he’ll think next. So, while I try to distract him, you guys get the flower up top no matter what.” Fluttershine could see that he was scared but willing to face that beast. She thought about it, then took a deep breath and said, “Are you sure about this?” “I am.,” said Genus. “I won’t lose another friend as I did to my animal friends back home all those years ago.” Fluttershine then suddenly hugged him and said, “Good luck.” She then bent over, picked up the rabbit, spread her wings, and flew off to the top of the mountain while Genus slowly looked back and took a deep breath. “Alright,” said Genus with determination, “Here we go.” He went into the woods to prepare himself, for if he was going to make it, he’d have to go full-on Predator. He began to pull his upper clothing off instead of his pants; he used the rocks to carve a few sharps rocks, which would make a fitting spear and arrow. With the help of some of the animals, he found the right and strong enough wood to craft his weapons, making himself a strong enough bow, a ton of arrows, two spears, and what appeared to be a knife. He even began camouflaging himself with the mud, trying to mask his sense to gain an advantage over his prey. Once he was done, he even wrapped his own made bandana and said to himself, “Let’s get dangerous.” 1 hour later From within the forest, the Poacher woke up, and boy, was he mad. He wanted to get the creature who outsmarted him, for no one would humiliate him and take him away from his prize. “That ape is dead when I see him.” said the Poacher to himself while he readjusted his weapons. “First, I’m going to hang him up my wall, and then I’m gonna show him what I’m capable of.” But then he suddenly stopped as he saw smoke from the horizon. He knew that that was where they were, making him smirk from underneath his helmet. “There you are.” said the Poacher and made his way toward the smoke. He continued to make his way toward the smoke, but unknown to him, some plants were suddenly placed all over that even the toughest chameleons couldn’t camouflage themselves under. He soon made his way to the smoke, revealed as a campsite. He slowly walked over to it, trying to figure out where they went. However, from atop the trees, unknown to him, a certain man, camouflaged with much mud and green, was Genus, who slowly began to aim his arrow at a certain spot that the Poacher didn’t see before. With a calm breath, he then released the arrow. But instead of the arrow heading straight toward the Poacher, it went straight toward explosive gelatin, which the animals of the wood were very thankful to provide him some. When it made contact, the gelatin exploded, causing the Poacher to be launched forward and crash against what appeared to be a boulder. This allowed Genus to quickly move to prepare the next part of the trap. The Poacher stood up, feeling groggy, but then began to grip his fists in anger, looking around but finding no trace of his prey. “He is so dead.” said the Poacher to himself. The poacher stood up and picked up his crossbow to find him. But again, he decided to use a cloak on himself to have a better chance of eliminating his target. On the other hand, Genus jumped from tree branch to tree branch, trying to make his way to the second spot. “Good thing I’m the top gymnast in my class.” said Genus to himself as he kept moving forward. After jumping so many trees, he was able to find his way to his secondary spot. A trap he had thankfully set up. He remembered that chameleons can lose their ability to go invisible by damaging the nervous system. So, with the right amount of fire and explosives, the Poacher will lose his ability to turn invisible. Genus slowly pulled out two arrows that would allow him to get a direct hit at his target. He kept his position, maintaining his awareness and ensuring that he stayed well enough to be camouflaged so that no one could detect him. He kept waiting and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He slowed his breathing, trying to stay calm. Then a bird flew by, whistling to Genus. Thankfully, Fluttershy taught him how to understand them, and he knows the bird says the Poacher is close by. Soon enough, the Poacher began approaching the spot where Genus had him in his line of sight. He aimed down his sight at the Poacher. Even though the Poacher may be camouflaged, he could see that the invisibility wasn’t doing any good at the plants he had planted. The Poacher slowly approached the large log and walked over it, trying to find any sight of his prey. Genus had a perfect line of sight once more. He aimed the arrow at what appeared to be water but was secretly highly concentrated water that he collected from fireweed, the most flammable substance he could find. Once he took a deep breath, he fired at the puddle, creating another spark from a rock that he placed next, causing the concentrated fire, causing it to explode while the Poacher was doused with it at the same time, making the poacher scream as he was lit on fire, allowing Genus to fire another shot, creating another explosion from another Gelatin, causing him to be launched from the log once more and against the hard rock. Genus was off again and made his way towards another spot…the battlefield of his choice. At the same time, the Poacher slowly got up and, to his shock, lost his ability to turn invisible. But he also noticed that his outfit was damaged, making him rip it off, and he noticed that his equipment was damaged. He only had six arrows for his wrist bows and his gauntlet blades. Angered by this, he severely tossed it away, growled a bit a couple of times, and let out a menacing scream that caused to stir most of the birds to fly away. Meanwhile, after they had finally reached the mountain, both Fluttershine and Heart Rabbit had heard the loud scream as they looked towards the direction, and saw where the birds were flying from. “Okay, I may not know the noise of every animal or human.” said Heart Rabbit as he looked at Fluttershine. “But even I know that there’s really bad.” “We’ll need to hurry.” said a determined Fluttershine. “The faster we find that flower, the faster we’ll be able to go back and help him.” The two of them darted off to find the spot where they could find the flower. But from down below, the Poacher continued on with his path, but this time chose to remove his helmet, for he wanted to look directly in the eyes of the one who tried to take him away from his prize and now his ability. Soon enough, he had made his way toward the clearing. From within the clearing, there were barely enough trees, and there was no grass, but there were a handful of trees, hills and some parts that appeared to be watery. But the Poacher didn’t pay mind to them, only his prey. Before he could react, the path behind him was suddenly blocked by a wall of fire, taking the Poacher by surprise when he watched it all go up in flames. But as he stared, from at least a few feet behind him, stood Genus, holding what appeared to be a spear, with a handmade Tomahawk in his right hand. The Poacher slowly turned around, looking at Genus, who looked right back at him in anger. “Who are you.” said the Poacher. “You first.” said Genus. “Hmph, fine.” said the Poacher, “I was born on a world known as Earth. My name was once Howard Thomson.” That name, that very name, was what haunted Genus for so long since he was a rookie during his summer breaks before he graduated. “Then it is you.” growled Genus. “Hmm?” hummed the Poacher as he looked at him with a flexed eyebrow. “You may not remember,” said Genus, “But I know you all too well.” “Do you really?” said the Poacher. “Does the Animal Haven ring any bells.” said Genus. That’s when the Poacher realized something as he looked at Genus. That very moment, that’s when the Poacher recognized him with widened eyes. “You.” said the Poacher “Now I remember you.” “And I know you all too well.” said Genus. “You poisoned every single one of those animals. Animals I rescued and raised and ensured that all of them were safe.” “So, what,” said the Poacher. “Like I’d ever give a fuck for those stupid animals.” “They were safe, going to have to have good homes, and they were living creatures!!” said Genus, then pointed a spear at him and said, “This is exactly why I made sure that they fired you!!” The Poacher was shocked by that, got angry, and said, “You…you were the reason I was fired?!!” “You were trying to sell the animals to illegal fighting matches!!” shouted Genus. “Which is against animal rights, by the way!! They’re illegal for a reason!!” “I just wanted to make some money!!” shouted the Poacher. “Not at the expense of the animals and making the shelter look bad!!” shouted Genus. Genus gripped his fists and said, “I hated you after all these years. You escaped custody until you died in a car accident. You may have escaped through death, but now.” Genus planted his spear hard on the ground and pulled out a torch, which surprised the Poacher as Genus shouted, “You’ll get what’s coming to you!!” He instantly tossed the torch at the right spot, creating large fire walls around them, causing the Poacher to quickly put his helmet back on as his eyes couldn’t handle it. At the same time, Genus quickly ran for it, trying to cover his tracks and ensure that he would have the element of surprise. The Poacher looked around, trying to find his target, but could not find him anywhere. On the other hand, Genus uses it to his advantage through one of the trees, aims the arrow at the Poacher, and shoots his leg, which causes the Poacher to scream in pain. Genus continued to jump from one ditch to another and fired another arrow, which struck against the poacher’s left shoulder, making the poacher grunt, but pulled the arrow out regardless. He fired two arrows, but both missed Genus as he kept moving. Soon the wall of fire began to surround him, which was a problem, for the poacher couldn’t see through the fire, especially through the helmet. All he could see was static, and the heat of the flames was messing with his senses. But just before he could respond, Genus suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and swung his tomahawk, grazing the poacher’s helmet while Genus went past him again. The Poacher was now really angry as he screamed whilst looking around, until Genus appeared from out of nowhere again and swung his tomahawk. Then again, and again and again, making the Poacher fire two more of his arrows, but they kept missing Genus by a fracture. The Poacher continued to frantically look around, but found no trace. Genus kept appearing again and again and again, bashing the Poacher by the leg, by the gut, by the arm, by the chest, and by the back. “Show yourself, you fucking coward!!” shouted the Poacher, but once again, Genus took cover behind one of the burning trees trying to camouflage himself. Genus panted, trying to make sure he was well hidden. However, the Poacher was not letting up, for he was going to kill him one way or the other. However, unknown to Genus, the Poacher used his helmet to help attune his senses further. After a second attempt, his senses were able to detect heartbeats. He could detect Genus” heartbeat while he tried to take a breath to calm down. Genus kept his breathing under control until he heard a crackling sound. He took a peek, and to his shock, he saw that the Poacher had his arrow at the ready, which had dynamite connected to it. Which could only mean one thing… “Oh, shit.” said Genus as he quickly ran. That’s right, for the Poacher knows where he is. The Poacher fired his one arrow, but Genus was able to jump out of the way before it exploded. Unfortunately, the second one blew at least inches from him, blasting Genus sideways as he crashed against a tree and landed hard on the ground, making him groan. The Poacher came along and placed his foot on top of Genus, making him groan as he tried to get it off. But the Poacher, on the other hand, wasn’t going to let up as he pulled out two of his wrist swords from his wrists gauntlets whilst growling at Genus. “I’ve waited a long time for this.” said the Poacher as he raised his arm in the air. But right before Genus bit the big one, the Poacher was struck on the back by something, which made him shout in pain. Genus looked and saw it was Fluttershine, who was able to save his life. But as he looked to his left, he noticed his handmade Tomahawk, allowing him to grab it and chop the Poacher’s leg, making the Poacher get off of him, and before he could react, Genus grabbed the Poacher’s wrist gauntlet and removed it. The Poacher noticed and saw Genus putting the gauntlet on his right wrist, allowing him to get the wrist sword out and stand ready to fight. The Poacher attacked Genus, but Genus was too fast, allowing him to chop off his right arm quickly, disarming him literally, and making the Poacher shout in pain. Genus then grabbed the gauntlet and tossed it away, allowing him to step on the Poacher in return. Fluttershine and Heart Rabbit saw that the Poacher had been beaten. “Damn,” said Heart Rabbit. “Never expected that.” “It cannot be…” muttered the Poacher in pain as he could not get up while Fluttershine and Heart Rabbit arrived at the scene. “I am the best hunter there is. It was my right…to be the best…and use what I had.” Genus lowered himself to the Poacher with a sneer and said, “You never were and never will be.” The Poacher grabbed Genus” leg and said, “Get it over with then.” Genus was about to deliver the blow, but then he stopped himself. He remembered that this wasn’t what the animals would’ve wanted. Nor…nor…Fluttershy. Genus remembered that Fluttershy told him once that she tried to be assertive, and she ended up being abusive and mean to the residents of Ponyville and even hurt her own friends. Then she remembered that time she encountered that wolf; what was her name, Nahmat. How she used Fluttershy’s stare power against her, and that it ended up breaking her and turning her into an emotional wreck. Now that he looked at himself, he realized he was going down the same path as Fluttershy. She would be afraid, disgusted, and ashamed if she saw him. This isn’t what he wanted. He… just wanted to avenge the animals used by a man that the shelter once trusted. This one doesn’t deserve death, for it would be the easy way out for him. Genus pulled away his spear and lowered it. He kept staring at the Poacher and said, “No. Killing you won’t bring them back. I made sure that Justice had been found. So, I’m offering you a one-time deal. Leave now. Run away from here, Howard. And never return.” Genus removed his foot from the Poacher’s chest and said, “But if you ever show your face here again. I will not be merciful.” He turned around and walked away. However, the Poacher wasn’t going to have any of it. He got angry and grabbed a rock while charging toward Genus. But before Genus could react, the Poacher grunted as he suddenly stopped. When Genus looked, he saw that Fluttershine had grabbed one of the Poacher’s fallen arrows and jabbed it through his chest. Within moments, Fluttershine released the arrow, causing the Poacher to fall over, no longer breathing or moving, for he had fallen. Genus looked at Fluttershine, who merely looked back at him. The two of them were silent, but Genus said, “Uh, thanks.” “You’re…welcome.” said Fluttershine. “Now that the poacher’s gone, the Safari will be a better place.” said Heart Rabbit. “But in the meantime, we’d better get this back to the lion and fast.” “Agreed, let’s go.” said Genus as he, Fluttershine, and Heart Rabbit quickly left to help the lion from her suffering. Sure enough, they made it to the lion, who was still hiding but was unconscious, for the poison to be slowed. Genus wasted no time getting to work as he began to crush the flower and mix it with other ingredients to make it into the medicine she needed. After much mixing, the liquid had turned into what it needed, allowing Genus to pour the contents into a leaf for him to pour into her mouth. Fluttershine held the lion, allowing Genus to pour the contents within the mouth, while the rabbit held the mouth to make sure not a single drop had lefts the lion’s mouth. Soon the last of the contents were emptied, allowing Fluttershine to rest the lion’s head on the ground. The three eagerly looked at the lion to ensure she would get better. Lo and behold, the black veins began to fade, and the lion’s breathing was normal. The lion opened her eyes and lifted her head, allowing the three to sigh in relief when they saw the lion was all better. “Thank you,” said the lion as he looked at Genus. “My name is Sekhmet. Thank you for saving me from my ill-darkened fate.” “The least we could do,” said Genus. “But I didn’t do it on my own. I have both Fluttershine and her rabbit friend to thank for helping me.” The lion stood up with a smile as she said, “And as thank you for what you did for me, I would like to offer you a gift.” The lion gently waved its paw, revealing a type of chest. Genus wondered what was inside. When the lion opened it, it revealed to be a large item, with what appeared to be a butterfly axe in tow. “This is called a Driver, which once belonged to the most powerful Knights of Old,” said the Lion. “Though the Knights may be powerful protectors, they also know when to stay their hand from an innocent or an unarmed opponent. For within their hearts shine a kind of Kindness that none had ever imagined. And because of the kindness you have shown despite the violent nature you were forced to use, you have proven yourself worthy of wielding it.” The Driver glowed red, allowing it to float right into Genus” right hand. At the same time, the weapon also hovered and landed in his left hand, which he was surprised was quite light, but he could also sense that the axe blade itself was quite powerful, especially with the lion symbol on both sides the weapon. “Use this weapon and power for good.” said the lion as Genus looked at him. “But only use it when absolutely necessary. For a true Knight never attacks unless they are being attacked and would try to trust before mistrusting.” Genus accepted them and bowed to the lion as he said, “I understand. I’ll do my best.” After he bowed, Fluttershine approached and said, “Thanks for helping me believe again. And thank you for being my friend.” “The least I could do,” said Genus. “When we have the chance, I’ll come back to visit both of you; that’s a promise.” “You’d better,” said Heart Rabbit. “I was just starting to like you.” Genus nodded while, at the same time, the vortex from beneath Genus appeared, which signaled that his trial was now over. That said, he waved to them as he said, “I’ll see you soon, one day.” “Goodbye, friend.” said Fluttershine as she and Heart Rabbit waved goodbye. “See you soon.” “See you soon, Fluttershine.” said Genus. Within mere moments, Genus vanished, allowing the lion, Fluttershine and Heart Rabbit to walk away. “Come,” said the lion. “Let us spread the word. The guardians will soon return.”