The pony cursed herself; she couldn’t believe that they had been dragged into this. Blamed for stealing the books and now they had to enter one of the most dangerous places in Equestria to go slay one of the most dangerous creatures in history, the manticore. Twilight trekked lightly; her saddle bag hitting her hips didn’t help. She was scared, very scared. Sure she was the hoof picked trained pupil of the Great Princess Celestia, but steadily all of her training slipped away from her mind.
“So that’s the plan! Did you get all of that?” Spike asked looked up at his friend grinning.
The unicorn shook her head in worry giving a weak smile. She hadn’t been listening, the thought of getting ripped to bits by a mythological creature weighed in her mind. “I’m sorry Spike…”
Spike looked at Twilight concerned. Regret slowly began to take him. “No I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have just let you handle it.”
Twilight rubbed his head with her hoof. Though she agreed with Spike, what’s done is done. “It doesn’t matter. All that does is that the citizens of Ponyville are depending on us to go and defeat the manticore. Besides we may find some clues about the missing books as well.”
That is what she really wanted to know. Twilight knew the manticore should be her main priority, but the books overruled that for now. It was quite mysterious how the previous day she had visited the library that it had been abandoned and left in ruined. She also found it quite odd that any pony would try to get a book the next day when they hadn’t dared go near the tree in weeks, maybe months.
Her mind was made up.
They were connected. Manticore or not, she was going to go deeper into the Everfree forest and find the truth. Twilight trekked to a nearby lake coming to a stop near the water. The waters were rapid and the pony took quick notice of this. Across the rough waters there was a line of ragged stones. The pony also took notice looking at the current. The water bashed and drug towards a sudden dip.
Twilight gulped. “So it’s either jump or drown Spike.”
Spike looked to the waterfall and back to his friend raising an eyebrow. “Or don’t you mean jump or plummet off a waterfall to our deaths?”
Twilight rolled her eyes smiling. “Uh yeah, I that’s what I mean.” Approaching the water the unicorn looked to the first rock. The jagged edge would be too far to make from where she stood. If she could get a running start maybe she could catch some good air and get a good footing on the wet stone. “Spike hop on my back.”
“Oh really!” The baby dragon didn’t object hopping on his friends back as she back up and zeroed in on the rock. “Hold on!” She tensed and sprinted at full speed towards the river. With using her her hind legs she set off the ground wincing in a twinge of pain as Spike pulled at her mane. Twilight hit the rock shaking her hooves slipping. The unicorn clawed at the stone to get good footing, but the rough waves caught the lower half of her body. “SPIKE!”
The dragon responded quickly hopping off of her back and gripping her horn tightly. With all of his strength he pulled Twilight up the stone.
The unicorn fought against the water and with Spike’s help was able to heave her hoof to stable footing. She gasped breathing in deeply as she look to the rough waves splashing against the rock. Twilight gave a grateful glance at Spike. “Spike you saved my life.”
Spike scratched the back of his head embarrassed. “I-I-it was nothing.”
The unicorn hugged him smiling big. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Twilight’s courage was rekindled, her fear nearly dosed with it. She hopped with Spike along the rest of the rocks over to the safety of the trees. Twilight gave one last glance at the river before she happily trotted into the trees. She wasn’t sure what Princess Luna was getting at before that Spike wouldn’t be the one to assist her on her quest. Sure enough he had just saved her life and she was in his debt. The unicorn had her resourceful partner and that was all that she needed to defeat the manticore and to find the missing books.
Twilight trotted threw the trees, Spike ahead of her, but suddenly his figure vanished. “Spike! Spike!” She ran over to the hole looking deep in the maw to see her was alright, just covered in mud. She laughed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m alright!” he said getting up his claws scrapping out of the hole, but he didn’t appear that way. The dragon sorely limped out of the dip in the earth. Twilight gripped one of his spikes with her teeth and drugged him out. As he dusted himself off Twilight noticed something odd above his head. There was strange green bar that slowly decreased to yellow and numbers going from 50 to 35. “What’re you staring at?”
Twilight looked at the bar and attempting to touch it, but it phased straight threw her hoof. “What type of magic is this?”
“Twilight! Make it go away.” Spike swatted at it, waving his claws around wildly. The bar slowly fading away as he did so. “What in Celestia was that thing?”
Twilight looked down into the hold once more noticing the fall that Spike had taken was quite a hard one. Approaching the edge she looked back at her friend. “Hey Spike did that fall hurt you at all. It was a bit of drop.”
Spike rubbed the back of his scales. “Well just a little, but it wasn’t too bad.”
She had noticed the numbers decreasing before her eyes as it happened. The cap was 50 and he was currently at 35. What would happen if he hit zero? A sudden realization had hit her. Looking up above her head she wondered if she focused if she could see her bar. The pony closed her eyes envisioning the one she had seen above Spike. Sure enough she heard the baby dragon gasp and above her head was the bar full with a 150 above it.
Twilight’s eyes widen as she slowly came into the realization of what was occurring. Humans had returned to the world taking arms to fight a great evil. Some would die… did this bar… determine the lives of everypony and human in all of Equestria. Twilight fell back onto her bottom her heart racing at the thought. What type of sick cruel joke was this? Was this supposed to be a game? Was it supposed to be funny? If ponies and humans could die so simply…? What about everything else in the world? Twilight’s eyes ebbed as she looked to Spike who looked confused.
Shaking her head the mare stood up. She couldn’t let this stop her. Twilight looked to the hole that Spike had fallen in. Not far from it she saw tracks.
Trotting up to the tracks she quickly identified them as the manticore’s.
“Spike he’s close…” Twilight murmured. In her heart she was scared, but the unicorn remembered her training. Everything that Princess Celestia had taught her about magic had come to her. The Princess’s countless spells, private study sessions, and a desire to impress her mentor. The tracks continued threw the damp earth leading to a cave.
Twilight came to a stop outside the cave were countless books laid scattered around. Some of the pages were ripped out and soaked all the threw. The unicorn shrieked in horror. Running to the remaining pages she wailed. “By Star Swirl the Bearded! Who would do this?” Twilight bit onto several pages that were left undamaged and scrounged them together into a pile. “How am I supposed to find clues in these books if their scattered to bits!”
“Uhm Twilight.” Spike peeped staring at the cave.
Twilight ignored her comrade using her magic to pick up several of the damaged pages. “I may be able to recover them yet. We can dry these off when we get back to Ponyville.”
“Twilight…” Spike murmured as steam blasted out the cave hitting him in the face. “There is something coming!”
“Spike that’s not important right now, what is important is that we. Wait what!” Twilight’s eyes widened as from out of the cave the large claws of the manticore scrapped at the dirt. The large monster appeared snarling at the two, saliva dripping from its lips. The manticore towered over them. With the body of a lion and face of human covered in feathers. It had rows of sharp teeth and a long jagged scorpion’s tail. The beast had a crazed look in its eyes pages falling, sticking, and caught in its teeth… “Run!!”
“What!” He said looking at Twilight as she quickly scooped him up and ran towards the woods.
Letting out a deafening roar the manticore soared over the two. It landed sending them flying back towards the cave. Twilight winced at the backlash and saw her bar drop. Her eyes widened with worry. Her 150 had decreased to 120. Struggling to her feet the pony ran into the cave dodging the spikes the beast shot at her. She shrieked as acid dripped from the spine eroding whatever it touched.
“Twilight we have to fight it!” Spike wailed his claws digging into her back. “Twilight…”
The unicorn ran and ran knowing the manticore was hot on her trail. Spike’s voice was blacked out by her thoughts, her fear. She ran and ran, until a stone caught she hoof. Tripping Spike went flying hitting the back of the cave. Twilight scrambled to her hoofs, but felt the hot breath of the beast on her neck. The unicorn crawled backwards as it approached raising the scorpion tail to end its prey’s life. “Princess, help me…” She squeaked gripping onto Spike.
“Leave her alone!” The baby dragon roared shooting out tiny flame scorching the manticore’s nose. It wailed and swatted the dragon away! Spike hit the wall hard!
“SPIKE!” Twilight cried looking to her friend. The manticore had set its sights back on her and approached licking its lips. The unicorn stood up her horn a bright purple. “How dare you!! I won’t let you do this; you won’t keep hurting my friend!” The unicorn’s eyes turned a bright white. She rose from the ground a white holy flame surrounding her. She struggled to keep the form blasting the beast back with powerful flames, but it proved too much. Twilight fell to her hooves exhaling deeply amazed at the power she had used.
The manticore’s health greatly decreased dropping into the yellow zone.
Clawing back up it growled with anger and charged at Twilight.
The unicorn was already next to Spike. She wrapped her forelegs around the dragon and pulled him close to her chest. “Oh Spike, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t protect you.” Closing her eyes she felt the manticore’s hot breathe on her. Expecting pain she winced as she heard growls and snarls. The beast clawed to get at her. The sensation of death did not claim her?
Opening her purple iris’s she saw in front of her a human. It was the same one that was at the inn with her? In his both hand he held two steel daggers. He held back the manticore and threw it down to the ground. He looked different from when she had last seen him. Stronger, his clothing different and features more defined. Gripping his blades tight he charged at the manticore hopping over it his blades glowing a bright red.
Stabbing hard into its back the beast wailed struggling to fling the boy off.
Twilight looked amazed at how he handled the beast. Was he crazy, that monster could have killed him, but she looked above his head? His bar… was full green. The numbers above it made her eyes widen with shock. As she stared the teen’s luck didn’t continue as it was able to fling him onto the hard floor.
The boy hit hard his daggers still implanted in the beasts bleeding skin.
He stood up, but the beast stood on all fours gaining a strong bearing. The boy’s eyes widened with shock and he turned to Twilight yelling. “Get down its activating its skill!”
A loud roar sent huge winds blasting him back hitting the wall hard.
Twilight stood up and ran to his side and nudged him with her head. “No! You have to get up!” Her eyes pleaded with him to stand and he gave her a smile ruffling the mare’s mane.
“Don’t worry.” He got to one knee looking at the manticore as it stalked them. The teen examined its movements, his eyes scanning the patterns. A smirk appeared against his lips. “You said before, that your name is Twilight right? Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight looked to him and nodded. He was planning something and she knew. “Yes, what is your name?”
He stood up balling his fists. “That is not important right now, but Twilight… I’m going to end this now, and I need your help.” Twilight nodded standing next to him skidding her hoof against the earth. “You’re a unicorn, a natural user of magic. I’ve seen what you can do…”
Twilight guessed he was mentioning that power she released earlier. “B-b-but I don’t think I can.”
“Have faith in yourself. Just stay focused and follow my lead.” The boy ran at the manticore, Twilight following suit. She followed behind him amazed at how confident he was. The manticore roared unleashing another blast of wind. The boy jumped into the air his sighting zeroing in on his daggers. “Now Twilight!!”
She came to a halt her horn glowering red as she scorched the eyes of the beast with her flames. It wailed in agony. The boy took advantage seeing his chance. Landing on its back he gripped his daggers digging it deeper into the beast’s skin. He ran down its back the blades red as it sliced through the skin. Jumping off the beast the creature roared in agony falling to the ground and exploding into 0’s and 1’s.
The boy sighed looking back at the sight. Large letters appeared on above the defeated manticore and echoed throughout the forest. “Boss Defeated!” From the data a chest appeared.
The teen stood up wiping the sweat from his head. “Well that was nerve racking.” He approached the chest and opened it. From the treasure chest a necklace appeared garnering a strange aura. “Mage’s beads huh? Well I won’t find any use for them.” He shoved them in his pocket and turned his attention to Twilight who was over with Spike.
“Spike I’m sorry.” She choked fighting back the tears.
The boy approached smiling. He put his hand over her shoulder. He reached his hand in the pack on his back and pulled out a green vial. He placed it against Spike’s lips and Twilight watched with amazement as his health steadily increased. He picked up the baby dragon and looked over to where the manticore’s tail lay. A trophy of our victory. “Don’t worry Twilight he’ll be alright, he just needs some rest is all.”
Twilight stood amazed. She trotted next to him as they left the cave. She had secured the piece of the manticore’s tail and placed it in her saddlebag. Now that they were out of the dark she could see him clearly. He had short dark black hair and deep blue spirals for eyes. “Thank you for your help, I thought that we’d be goners back there.”
“You were in trouble.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t going to let that thing kill you.”
Twilight smiled. She could hardly believe it. That this human, the same rude one that she had met at the hotel had saved her life. He seemed different now. She smiled narrowing her eyes. “So are you going to tell me your name now? It’s not right if I don’t know how to properly thank you.”
He scratched the back of his head staring at the sky. “It’s that important to you huh?”
“It’s the polite thing to do.” She laughed. “Since I told you my name, now give me yours.”
He looked at her coming to a halt. “It’s Alex… Alexander Reed…”
“Alex hmm?” She smiled at him. The two talked the entire way to Ponyville Alex explaining that he was out in the woods trying to look for a book after learning they had all been stolen. When she asked what he was looking for he remained rather cryptic. All he let on was that but soon learned that whatever was happening to their world affected both humans and ponies alike. She discussed how she planned to recover the books with the citizen’s help and clear her name.
When they reached the town he looked to her. “You sound like you’re looking for something?”
Twilight looked away not sure if she could tell a human of her intentions, but what reason would she have of distrusting him. “I am. I’m searching for my friend. She’s out there and I think something bad has happened to her. I have to find her at any means necessary.”
“Then we both have something in common.” Alex looked out towards the sky. His eyes glazed over his body tensing. “I have to find her.”
“Who?” She asked looking at him.
He looked to her shaking his head. “It’s nothing; just pretend I didn’t say anything.” He looked at Ponyville than his view shifted to Twilight who tilted her head in confusion. “I have to accept it, I have to accept that I’m lost in Equestria, I have no clues, and my only friend is a talking horse.”
“Horse…” Twilight growled, but then realized what he had said. He had just addressed her as his friend. A smile slowly formed on her face as she looked to him. “You just called me your friend.”
The boy’s face turned red. “I- well… yeah…” He walked into the town with her. “To answer your question earlier, I am looking for my sister. When all of this-”
“It’s okay.” Twilight stopped him. Looking towards the sun she smiled at him and asked. “I understand, and you’re right we do have something in common. I also, have a proposition for you Alex. Maybe, maybe we can help each other. This quest I am on is dangerous, and… it might begin to get more dangerous.”
“So what are you asking Twilight.” He murmured looking at her.
Twilight looked to Spike who slept soundly in Alex’s arms and replied. “Come with me on my quest. We can help one another. Perhaps we can find what we’re looking for.”
Alex paused for a moment running his hand threw his hair. “Give me some time to think about it.”
Twilight looked confused. She had seen countless humans accompanying one another on her way to Ponyville. A few even had ponies along with them. What would make him any different? The unicorn decided not to pry. She nodded. “Alright… I won’t insist.”
The two reached the library and Alex placed Spike onto Twilight’s back. “Well I’m off… try not to get into too much trouble will you? I’d rather not hear you gotten eaten by a giant rat, or mauled by a mountain lion.”
“Trust me I won’t.” She gave weak smile. “Where will you go?"
Alex looked out into the open fields outside of Ponyville. “I honestly don’t know…” He looked back at the unicorn and suddenly a white screen appeared in front of him. He pressed a couple of buttons and soon a screen appeared in front of Twilight.
She hopped back a little in surprise. On the screen it read. ‘Alex47 would like you add you as a friend. –Accept or –Decline?’ Twilight looked up to him. He scratched his cheek smiling. She placed her hoof against the accept button and soon she could see his health bar clearly without having to focus. It still shook her, at a staggering 1,000.
“If you ever need to contact me just drop me some mail. Or just look at my location.” He said, showing her the friend’s list. “I’m positive that you’ll figure it out. You’re a pretty smart mare.”
Twilight nodded. “So you’ll get back to me with my answer right?”
Alex shrugged beginning to walk off. “Whenever we meet again I will have your answer. That is a promise.”
Twilight stood still in amazement at the teen. “Thank you! Again!!”
Alex raised his hand waving. He wished he could have looked back as her as he began his way out of Ponyville, but something in his gut told him that this would not be the last time he met the unicorn. They would meet again very soon. It still bothered him though. He felt weaker as he left Twilight at the library, it was the same feeling he had when he left the motel room. Did he feel a connection? The teen shook his head. This was his quest alone and she had hers. If it was a connection surely it would bring them back together?