I was taken to a barn like building. Trails on blood could be seen near the entrance and drying pools of red were in the pastures on the side of the barn. The Mare (as I will now call her) opened the door, prompting an angry roar to sound from inside. The light shown in from outside and I could see the manticore. It saw me and stopped it's furious roaring. It just stared at me, not moving, not blinking, just staring...right into my eyes. I looked it over and it looked vaguely familiar.
"Hmm...Those markings....and that tail....have I seen you before?"
The Mare spoke. "Something wrong? You seem distraught."
"This manticore looks....different from the other ones I've seen around."
"It is. It has rare coloration, we have only seen one other like it but that was years ago."
"One or two years?"
"Pardon?"
"Was it one or two years when you last seen it?"
She chuckled. "Try ten to fifteen years." I felt an odd relief. "But something tells me that's not the reason you don't seem like yourself. You can tell me Seth. Whats wrong?"
I looked it over again and then I saw a scar on it's side. The scar looked like a bullet grazed the manticore's side. That's when it hit me. I felt a brief rush of rage but it passed as soon as I looked into it's eyes. I thought a moment. "You trap my pet manticore and expect it to not effect me?" Both The Mare and the manticore tilted their heads.
"Your pet?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... It seems we made a slight mistake but understand we didn't know."
"I understand perfectly."
"But you know we can not deny the town it's meal."
"Really?" I felt my left eye dripping blood. I raised my hand to wipe some of the blood away when I noticed it dimly glowing. Then I had an idea. "Let me show you something, 'friend'." I smiled wickedly.
"I don't li-" She cut herself off as she looked around. "Well well, it seems like you have a unique gift, my friend."
"You've seen this before?" Ezekiel asked appearing behind her.
"Why yes I have. The Soul and Mind Link spell. It is old and dark magic, One does not learn it, you have to be born....or should I say re-born with it." Ezekiel frowned and disappeared.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It is rarely seen in living and undead alike. I have only seen it once. Well I should say I only had the chance to see it once. One night so very long ago," She seemed to lose herself in the memory. "I was walking along the very riverbank you washed up on. I ran away from Ponyville because I've gotten into a huge fight with my coltfriend. I stopped walking just long enough to be ambushed by a creature I had not seen before in my whole life. It was a species that was born with this ability. I'm sure you have came across it at least once. For the ponies that are lucky enough not to be caught in the creature's gaze describe it as having a petrifying stare."
"The cockatrice!"
"Yes. The cockatrice's stare is similar to the stare you used. The only difference being that, you can break the link between you and the other. The cockatrice can not. Well should say wont. I'm sure you are aware that you can do anything while in casting the spell?" I nodded my head. "So is a cockatrice. Except they only torture their victims. In case you don't know. What ever damage the cockatrice does is reflected in reality if the spell is not broken within a certain window of time. After that window passes all hope for the victim is lost. I was found on the riverbank by my coltfriend. He spent an hour crying and apologizing to me and carried me all the way back to the Ponyville Cemetery, Where I was buried. The reason for my missing eyes and all the gouges on my body is from that damned cockatrice. You being able to use the stare only means one thing."
"What's that?"
"You've killed one. That stare is a gift to those who have slain a cockatrice, you have my praise Seth. But enough about that." She turned back to her usual demeanor. "You wanted to show me something?"
"It doesn't seem important anymore."
"I see. Well if you be so kind as to let me go, we can get on with the day."
"Yeah." I severed the link between us.
"Now back to business." She recovered immediately. "We will let your manticore go. I have something else in mind."
"Ok?"
---------------
"Really another town in the Everfree?"
"Yes. We kinda have a misunderstanding of sorts."
"A misunderstanding, sure."
"Yeah so are we clear on what you need to do?"
"Yep, classic search and destroy mission. Not a problem. Is there anything I should know about the ponies that live there?"
"They look like normal ponies but don't be fooled. They transform when they attack."
"So they're undead too?"
"Yes but unlike us, they can transform, like I just told you and they have no cutie marks."
"How dangerous are they?"
"Pretty dangerous to living things if you are an undead you shouldn't be in any danger."
"Ok point me and the direction."
We were interrupted but one of appointed guards. "The 'guest' wants to see the New-Blood." He said to The Mare.
"Hmm..." She looked at me. "What do you think?" I shrugged. "Very well. She shall see you. Follow him, I will be waiting at my house."
"Ok."
I gave him a nod and we parted ways with The Mare and started towards where the guest was being held. It was about a ten minute walk before we reached the prison. Which was more like an Insane asylum. It had a few "feral undead" in the cells. I was brought to a closed door and the guard opened it and revealed a pitch black room that smelt like a bucket of shit kept out in the sun on the hottest summer for a whole week. Yeah, not pleasant. I looked the guard and told the guard to get her out of here. He said the best he can do was put shackles on her then bring her outside. I told him that anything was better than being in here. I walked outside to get away from the stink.
After a few minutes I heard some commotion from inside. I turned around to see what was going on and was tackled by the pony that was being held in there. I grabbed onto her, which prompted her to flail around, seemingly without control.
"Whoa there Applejack! Calm down, It's me!"
"Why should Ah calm down!?!? Who knows what they'll do to me!"
"Nothing. They won't do anything to you!"
"How do you know?!"
"Their leader told me. Now calm down!" She stopped flailing and calmed down a bit.
I heard a groan from inside. "You alright in there?!" I called, turning around.
"I may need....a little help!" He called back.
"Alright hold on!" I looked back at Applejack. "Stay right here. Don't try to escape they might not be as nice as last time."
"If that was nice, Ah don't want to see mean. Ah'll stay here."
"Good." I walked inside over to where the groans were coming from. I saw a headless body with the beside it. Applejack kicked his head clean off! "Oh my god!! Applejack what have you done!?!?!"
"What?!"
"You kicked his head off!!"
"Ah did?!?!"
"Shut up both of you! New-blood just reattach my head and I will be good to go."
I did and it reattached with a sickening crack. "Uh there you go comrade."
"Ах, вы говорите на моем языке?" (Google translate it. He's from Stalliongrad.)
"Uh...what?"
He sighed. "Nothing. Where is the 'guest'?"
"Right outside." I walked outside where Applejack was. "See?"
She looked kinda funny with her face like that. "But Ah thought Ah kicked his head off!?"
"You did. He's undead."
"Ya mean like a zombie?"
"Something like that, yeah. Follow me I'll take you somewhere safe."
"Can Ah trust you. I mean there has to be a reason Princess Lu-" I quickly used my hands to act as a muzzle.
"Do not say that name. They do not take kindly to ponies saying her name." I released my hands from her mouth.
"Care to tell me why?"
"Not to clear on that myself actually. But yes you can trust me. Even if you can't I'm the only way you can get back to Ponyville."
"Ah suppose yer right."
"Onward to safety!"
------------
For some reason the guard felt like he needed to follow us. We walked to The Mare's house and she dismissed the guard and welcomed Applejack as she did me. Which was strange because She's the one that captured Applejack in the first place. We sat in the living room, in silence. Well after A.J. tried to tear into The Mare. The silence was starting to get to me.
I clapped my hands together. "Soooo, why don't you guys get to know eachother while I let the manticore free?"
"Ok, have fun. I know I will."
"Yer gonna what?!"
"Let a manticore free. Don't worry I have it under control."
"Oh I just forgot I have to tell the town that we aren't eating tonight. Be a dear Applejack and watch my house?" She didn't get much of a chance to speak seeing as we both left at the same time. We walked together for awhile before we had to part ways. She spoke first.
"She's fun! I like her."
"Just don't hurt her to much, ok? That's my job."
"Hmm? I thought you said she was a friend?"
"She is...was...its complicated."
"I see. Well I'll help if you need me to."
"Thanks but that's quite alright."
We reached the crossroads and went our separate ways. I walked to the barn and opened the door when I reached it. Inside was the manticore. It was sleeping until he heard me moving closer. It opened an eye and growled at me, but stopped when he saw who it was. It stood up and just stared at me.
"Ok I'm going to do something. Don't be scared It's not going to hurt you." It raised an eyebrow and I used "The Stare". When it saw my left eye, it tried to back up but it was to late. Once the connection was made I spoke again. "Don't worry Nothing can hurt you here." It roared and ran towards me. "We're really going to do this again?" I snapped my fingers and a cage shot up in front of it. It stopped and began pacing back and forth. "I helped you, I hope you realize that. You were the towns dinner until I said you were my pet." It sat down and just listened. "Oh of course you can't talk back. Let's fix that." I snapped my fingers and there was a dim flash of light. "There that's fixed. Say something."
It raised an eyebrow. "Right like you would understand me anyway." He said in a deep voice.
"Well I did then. I think I'll call you...Charles the Talking Manticore."
"Y-you can understand me?"
"Yep."
"But how?"
"No clue but anyway, did you understand everything I said?"
"Yes. You saved my life. What do you want from me?"
"Well nothing but since you asked. I have a mission so to speak. Ever heard of Sunny Town?"