//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 :Canterlot road // Story: furred angel // by ervn92 //------------------------------// Leaving the cottage was surprisingly the easiest thing I had to do in order to leave ponyville, scurrying between buildings, mad dashes to avoid being seen, Etc. Finally leaving Ponyville behind. At least, that's what said a giant sign of a pink colored mare with pink letters saying you're leaving Ponyville. The mare of course waving "goodbye" that`s not normal... I continued the unknown road. What new adventures i will find until i reach my destiny? I will find friends? Enemies?....Why I sounded like the narrator of Pokémon?. A couples of hours later nothing seemed to change the road was unsurprisingly empty, very little people seemed to use it now.. Make that ponies, a world ruled by ponies how weird is that, its like “Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” My musings were cut short by a screaming heard in the distance… of course I fastened my pace to go away from the screaming 'what? i'm no hero.' “AAAaaaaahhhhhhhhh!” The scream got louder, I started running, is the screaming chasing me? “Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!” I stopped dead trying to prepare myself for the incoming danger.Then I realize, the sound was coming from above!, My eyes went up only to see a ball of fire falling on my back. The little screaming fire landed there, cushioning his fall. Let me tell you something; my back was never meant to be a stunt cushion. and of course end it up injured again. Why always got hurt, maybe the universe just hate me. I stood up cracking my back to its original position *crack* *pop*. the fire fell to the ground. The fire, that on a closer look, was not a fire; just a flaming bird. …No. A phoenix, too little to be full grown bird, maybe a chick? apparently to little to fly and fainted if the comically roll of his eyes were any indication. I did what appeared to me be the right way of waking him up. I grabbed a stick and poked him to consciousness. Well maybe I was getting some fun doing it, don't judge me¡ “Are you alright? ”I said as the chick responded to the prodding. Of course the look in his eyes told me how afraid he was. “Are you going to eat me?” 'Do I looked like I could?' checking myself, yeah now I could. The chick started shaking in fear and the smell of it make my new instincts flare, after ignoring them. I did the only thing in my power to calm the chick down Ranting. “ Again with the eating thing! What am I a living stomach? No! , thank you for saving me perhaps? or even; thank you, for stopping me to become a pancake?!...”saying that and making my eyes twitch was the final straw, the chick was laughing his...tail? off with my rightful anger " now you're laughing, pleease decide. panic or laughing, panic or laughing" keeping the act only make the chick laugh more "so laughing it is heh" now in my normal voice more to myself. "i still got it" chuckling a little myself, a pleased smile appeared on my face, my ranting worked like a charm. Why do you may ask. I don't rightfully know, people always loved when I was complaining in my show, working in a comedy club for some time; Good tips, but when something better came up I took it. the comedy stayed with me though. Story time is up, regular schedule starting in 3..2..1.... "You're funny" Ah the chirp voice of innocence Looks I still have it, chuckling again. "What were you doing up there?"I said pointing up. "I felled from my nest by accident" it was a lie. I don't know why, the posture, maybe even my new nose but I just knew. "What were you really doing?" "I was trying to fly" he admitted. "Can you go back up?"he shook his head.Hello conscience glad you could make it. "Where is your nest?" he pointed to the tree that was right behind him. A tall one, facepalming hard. 'FFFFFFffffor the love of god WHY?'. "Well lets get you back home"Putting the chick in my head between my ears. Standing a the tree's base, nailing my claws in the tree. I climbed it and wasn't easy slowly making progress. I was halfway to the tree, when of course god reminded me. "Mommy!!" This won't end well, right. "WWRRRYYYYYYYY"The battle cry of a pissed mother. "Crap". The mom `s chick arrived, meeting me with her talons; trying to take the chick from his riding place. that or getting my eyes out of their sockets, probably both. Meanwhile, I tried to wave her off but she kept coming at me. In the scuffle, accidentally pulling my claws in. I felled backwards. Luckily I had the presence of mind to grab the chick, putting him in my chest and protecting him from the fall, the branches broke most of the fall; but it still hurt, a lot. In the floor I stood shakily, in tree legs still holding the chick against my chest, I realized this and putted him in my back , the chick was worst than me he was paralyzed by shock and trembling constantly. "WWWRRRYYYYYYY" mom to the rescue, again came swooping at me again at great speed, head on. Her mistake. I steeled myself and let my wild side loose, giving me just the edge needed to grab her in the air, in one fluid motion. "ROAAAR"Roaring in her face. I kept her in my paw, my grip firm but not hurting, staring in her eyes; making an unspoken statement: 'I can kill you, don't fool with me` "Are you going to stop attacking me?"I could swear her eyes doubled in size, she gulped and nodded. "Chick, is this your mother?"I grabbed him with my other paw, me sitting in the grass. The chick shock passed and tackled her mother in a hug, the mother kept glancing between me and him. A look of pure confusion on her face. "If you attack me once again..." growling a little for effect , I putted them both on the ground. The mother checking his son looking for injuries, The chick meanwhile laughing of her mom's 'tickling' after checking him she gave him a hug. I chuckled. The mother remembering her situation put herself in front of the chick 'protecting' him from the predator. I just rolled my eyes and continue my way. glancing at the road, *sigh* the long road ahead of me. "Blazer!"the chick mother's cried, I glanced and she was looking at me. Well more precisely to a little fire that was clinging to my tail chirping. "Thank you for finding my mom and for saving me"It was so nice that I couldn't help me but lose all the bad guy act "You're welcome kid" What can one says, I have a soft spot, especially for kids. " now get off before you start a fire in my tail" I glared him. I'm not that good, physical injuries, I draw a line there besides; this people don't know personal space!. Blazer just hugged me tighter, even with a few swings of my tail. He wouldn't budge. That actually seemed to thrill him further, like a fair game. Meanwhile the mother seemed about to have two attacks; one from giggling and a heart attack, she was standing with her wings open ready to catch his son with a smile in her beak but her eyes so wide open that they seemed about to fall off. "Hey you" I called her "Want him back? lend a hand..er wing" I carried Blazer closer to his mother and between us both managed to separate him. "But I don't want him to leave, he saved me" I heard him say while trying to escape his mother. "what does *grunt*he mean?". "He fell from the nest, and I managed to save him" Well he used me as a stunt cushion, what she doesn't know.. "I was trying to put him in the nest when you appeared"Her surprise was so great that left Blazer go. That led to a very weird chase. Imagine a lion being chased by a baby zebra, but more ridiculous. The chick never stood a chance, when his mother grabbed into her talons, she left him in the nest then perched in a nearby tree. "Thank you for saving him.. You're not like other manticores " "Thank you for the compliment" she twisted her neck, like trying to figure me out from a different angle 'HAH good luck with that'. She kept darting into different trees following me. "So... What's your name?" I asked never mind a little company "Swift" "You're going to keep stalking me?" "Yep" her eyes narrow with suspicion "Why?" "You tell me why." she said, anger in her voice "Why, what?"Truly confused this time "Why did you save him?,why you came looking for our nest?,why even you don't kill us both when you have the chance!?" Wow, she was having some sort of breakdown, caused by me! " I don't think no one would have done it, what are your plans?, eat us later? or some kind of sick game to you, playing with your food? what is your move?"that last bit went with all the venom only a mother can convey and sent shivers down my spine. "Look believe it or not; the reason to save him was only... Being there at the right place, at the right time nothing more and the reason to bring blazer home.That was only well"stopping for once thinking what to say, I decided to answer with the truth. "I have a sore spot for kids OK. That includes the family of said children. It would break my heart to see a mother that lose a child, and also if not more to see a child losing her mother!" As I talked my voice grew stronger to the point, I was nearly shouting, then I mumbled so low to myself so she wouldn't hear. "Losing a parent is a sure way to leave you scarred for life" looking again at Swift her demeanor changing to something more calm. Swift begun preening her wind and left a feather fall close to me. "Take it, if you ever need help, tell to the feather and I will appear as soon as possible" she took off to her nest and I begun anew the long walk to Canterlot.....suddenly a bright idea occurred in my head "WAIT!" ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº "Flying lessons, but manticores can't fly"she shook her head "Well on my way here I happened to glide from a very tall tree, my wings seemed fine to support my weight" "Well, show me what you've got"Swift said shrugging I started by flapping my wings, then doing it as hard and fast as my body take off, a few inches above the ground "Stop" I did it " well apparently you CAN fly, lets see" she began scouting for something "What are you looking for?"My 'spider sense' tingling "A cliff"No,my sense of dread escalating "What for?" I knew and hate the answer "So we can get in to your flying, of course" "No cliffs" I cut her off "What , why, none of this trees is tall enough to hold" "No trees neither" "I thought you wanted to fly¡"The plumes of her chest begun to puff in anger "Yeah but I never said anything about a crash course on flying, can we do this another way?" "Fine, lets do it your way" Swift took me to a green plain close to the road with not many trees in sight " Well first lesson; Take off, flap your wings" I did it hard and fast "No, not like that *ugh* how do I explain this" she took her wing to her head massaging her temples "Don't go against gravity, you want to avoid it, move forward" I nodded took a huge leap and telling my wings to go forward, it was like swimming. Figuring how to go up Swift caught with me "Good you're a natural, now second lesson; Drafts" she veered to the left.Me close behind her tail, then a warm breeze was caght in my left wing; making me going up very fast, sadly my right wind coldn't caught the draft, making me uneven and of course the crash came. 'Mmm the taste of fresh dirt in my mouth' sarcasm. Swift came back some time later after my crash landing with fish to eat. We began chatting a little. Apparently fish was the preferred food for 'good' predators, unless you go to the north; where the animals don't beg not being eaten, unless of course you were the other kind. The kind that loved the screaming and torture of food, which apparently all manticores did. I winced at the comment, later on we continued my lessons. The draft Swift explained; was supposed to carry me very high and in the end of it. I just would just glide down, until I found another this apparently was the favorite method just keep falling down with style. Unless I was a speedster and in the fall I put my wings to it and make tricks. When I tried the second way, lets just say that many trees in the area between Canterlot and Ponyville were 'marked' with my outline. by the time I got the hang of flying, The blue sky was tinged orange. It was time to go. Landing in front of the tree, I shouted to them "Swift, Blazer can you come down"Swift came down carrying little Blazer in her back. "Kitty! you came back!" "Leon" I said with a chuckle then nodding to Swift "Leon Truman, if all goes right in Canterlot, we won't be seeing each other again" Blaze seemed downcast at the news, Swift took his son and hugged him tightly. "When that happens. I will not came here to say goodbye, so... this is goodbye, but let me tell you something kiddo. meeting you both have made this trip a blast."he perked up at my words "Now little guy I need you to do something for me" I closed in and whispered "I need you to grow fast and strong. so you can take care of your mother" he nodded I sat back and with my best commander voice "Will you take your mission?" "Yes sir." "I can't hear you" "Yes sir!" With that we exchanged goodbyes and farewells. I took off, the sky going orange by the minute. ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº By the time I arrived at Canterlot it was close to midnight, the city seemed deserted, outside from some nightclubs still running and the guards in the castle peripheria and in the sky. Thats it, apparently the castle guards are vigilant even in this late hour. The time to make my move seemed more correct now. Tomorrow in the gala, all the guards will be occupied with the guest to notice a manticore, even if they would, they would think i'm just another zoo pet and they will put me in a cage for that. I will just stole the keys first and hide them in my person, as a backup. First thing I need is a place to sleep. I grew closer to the castle, the guard grew thicker, Making me hide from roof to roof. looking for some place to crash. I needed to find another place this neighbourhood was too well guarded. then a sound from below alerted me. It was only a ponies. In the air my view of the city seemed to be sparkling clean, even from a great distance. Passing between the alleys, I saw the dirt of the city so to speak. In the alleys and dead ends of Canterlot that's where all the trash was taken. Even here in the heart of candy land, there were homeless ponies looking in the trash cans. I realized something very interesting. Maybe not all was good in the land in the land of sunshines and rainbows. Following the hobos I found their den. It was in the worst part of the city rundown buildings about to be condemned. fighting and shouting sounds could be heard in all the zone and founding my hiding place. I slept in one of the buildings with a large hole in the roof, When you're in doubt know your way out. I slept soundly maybe this time tomorrow. I will be in my own bedroom "Home" drifting of to sleep a tear rolled down my face