//------------------------------// // Ch.11: Forest journey part 2 // Story: The Element of Balance // by Sonic Boom //------------------------------// Chapter 11 Journey into the forest (part 2) _________________________________________________________________     05:59 a.m.     Everfree Forest     Twilight and the gang were continuing their way to the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. Fluttershy then remembered something that she wanted to ask Alex. She caught up to him and spoke in her usual shy voice. "Um, Alex?" Fluttershy. "Yes, Fluttershy?" Alex, now noticing she was beside him.     "Um, I was wondering...maybe, when this is over, would you...I mean, if you want to...um..." Fluttershy was cut off by a loud stomp a few yards ahead of them. Twilight was able to recognize the creature that had created such a force.     "A Manticore!" Twilight. The monstrous lion/bat/scorpion thing roared. "We've gotta get past him." Twilight. Fluttershy looked at the beast and could not believe such a creature from nature would be this angry and want to hurt her and her friends.    The manticore jumped up and charged at Rarity, but she managed to jump backwards and dodge the incoming paw swipe. She then counterattacked by hoof-kicking the beast in the face. "Take that, you ruffian!" Rarity, who was responded back by a loud roar that caused her mane to turn into a messed up afro. "My hair!" Rarity, who looked at the manticore and decided to flee.     "Wait." Fluttershy.     As the manticore charged towards the retreating Rarity, he stopped to notice that Applejack had jumped onto its head. "Yeehaa! Gitalong, little doggie!" Applejack. The beast was randomly jumping up and down, desperately trying to get her off his head.     "Wait!" Fluttershy.     "Whoaaaoooh!" Applejack. After the creature was successful in buckin' the orange mare off,.. "All yours, partner." A flying Applejack to Rainbow Dash. "I'm on it!" Rainbow. She dashed ahead towards the manticore.     "Wait!!" Fluttershy.     Rainbow Dash created a mini rainbow tornado surrounded the beast, hopping to make it dizzy, but failed as its scorpion tail flicked her and sent her flying into the ground. "Yaaaah!" Rainbow. "Rainbow!" Twilight.     Twilight had had enough of this. The manticore defeated almost half of her brand new friends one by one, and she didn't want the rest of them to get hurt either. She, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow all charged at the beast, who was prepared to take down the ponies all at once.     "WAAAAAAAAIT!!!" Alex, who quickly stepped in before this battle got more ugly. Everypony stopped and the manticore stood still.     Alex nodded at the sidelined Fluttershy who then hovered over to the manticore. It lifted its right paw, preparing to attack Fluttershy, while the girls covered their eyes. "Shh...it's okay." Fluttershy, who was nuzzling the manticore's left paw. The girls uncovered their eyes to see that Fluttershy was comforting the beast. The manticore revealed it left paw to have a severe splinter. "Ooh. You poor, poor little baby." Fluttershy. "Little?" Rainbow.      "Now this might hurt for juuust a second." Fluttershy, who managed to pull the splinter out of the paw. The beast roared as loud as it could. "FLUTTERSHY!" The girls, but were surprised to see the manticore licking Fluttershy as to thank her. "Aww...you're just a little ol' baby kitty aren't you? Yes you are. Yes you are." Fluttershy. Alex couldn't help but smile.     Once the girls and stallion made it past, the manticore released Fluttershy and flew off to who knows where. "How did you know about the thorn?" Twilight. "I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Fluttershy with a weird hairstyle thanx to the manticore's saliva. As Twilight pondered her friend's words of wisdom, she continued on and caught up with the others.    "Uuuooohh. My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck." Rarity. Drama queen. Alex's thoughts. As the mane 7 were continuing their journey to the old castle, it started getting more dark than usual. They looked up to see the moon was being covered up by the trees surrounding them. Fear started to set in. "Well I didn't mean that literally." Rarity.     "That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it." Twilight. As the mares started complaining about the darkness, a chill ran down Alex's spine. "Whoahoho. Ya feel that?" Alex. "Feel what?" Rarity. "That chill. That wet, mushy chill." Alex. "Ah know whatcha mean, cause I jus stepped in it." Applejack, revealing her right forehoof covered in mud.     "So, Fluttershy. What was it you wanted to ask me?" Alex. "Well, um, would...you...like...to..." Fluttershy, who then looked away and then suddenly screamed. "What's wrong?" Applejack. Fluttershy pointed towards a tree which had the most terrifying look EVER! "Yaaah!" Applejack, who jumped back in fear. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Rarity all stood in fear as the surrounding trees looked at the ponies with the scariest faces you can imagine. They all started shrieking, except for Alex who just stood there looking blankly at the trees, unimpressed by the nightmarish looking trees.     Pinkie was laughing at the scary looking (funny looking from her point of view) trees, as well as trying to make the same faces as them. "Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!" Twilight. "Oh girls, don't you see?" Pinkie. She started to sing a song.     When I was a little filly and the sun was going doooooowwwn...     "Tell me she's not..." Twilight.     The darkness and the shadows they always made me froooooowwwwwn...     "She is." Rarity.     I'd hide under my pillow     from what I thought I saw,     but granny pie said that wasn't the way     to deal with fears at aaaaalllll.     "Then, what is?" Rainbow.      She said, "Pinkie, ya gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears.      You'll see that they can't hurt you. Just laugh to make them disappeeeaaar.      Ha. ha. ha.      Gasp!      Sooooooo...      Giggle at the ghostie.      Guppa at the grossly.      Crack-up at the creepy.      Woop it up with the weepy.      Chortle at the kooky.      Snortle at the spooky.     (gibberish then deep breath)     LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!     The mane 7 fell onto the ground on their backs laughing like there was no tomorrow.     They made their way past the dark trees and reached the river, but they suddenly stopped, as they noticed that the river was churning rapidly. "How are gonna cross this?" Pinkie. Alex was about suggest that he, Fluttershy, and Rainbow fly over the river while carrying the others, but then they heard crying. "Huh?" Pinkie.     The ponies looked around and saw a sea serpent crying and splashing the river with his tail. "What a world! What a world!" Sea serpent. "Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?" Twilight. "Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisp! past me and tore half of my beloved mustache, clean off. And now, I look simply horrid! more crying" Sea serpent, as he fell and back-splashed the ponies with water, much to their frustration. "Oh, give me a break." Rainbow. "That's what all the fuss is about?" Applejack.     "Why of course it is! How can you be so insensitive? Ooooh, just look at him. Such lovely, luminescent scales." Rarity. "sniff I know." Sea serpent. "Your expertly, quaff mane." "Oh I know, I know." "Your fabulous manicure." "Oh it's so true." "All ruined without your beautiful mustache." "IT'S TRUE, I'M HIDEOUS!" "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulousity go uncorrected!" Rarity grabbed one of the sea serpent's scales. "OW! What did you do that for?" She raised the scale and... "Rarity, what are you..." Twilight. SLICE! The sea serpent fainted.     Rarity had cut off her own tail with the sharp scale that she had now thrown away. She levitated the tail to the mustacheless side of the sea serpent and attached it so. The serpent woke back up to check out his newly styled mustache. "My mustache! How wonderful." "You look smashing." Rarity. "Ooh Rarity. Your beautiful tail." Twilight. "Oh. It's fine, my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back." Rarity. "So would the mustache." Rainbow whispered to Twilight, who just simply rolled her eyes.     "Excuse me, mister..." Alex. "Magnet. Steven Magnet." Sea serpent, now dubbed said name. "Steven, could you help us cross this river, please?" "Oh, of course. Allow me." Steven used his body to create a bridge for the ponies to cross the river. After crossing said river, and waving goodbye to Steven, the mane 7 continued onward.     They kept walking until they spotted the old ancient castle they were looking for. "There it is! The ruin that holds the elements of harmony. We made it!" Twilight, who dashed forward towards the ruin. The others dashed as well, too. "Twilight, wait for us!" Applejack. "We're almost there...Whoa!" Twilight, who stopped suddenly before she ran off a cliff with a broken bridge. Luckily she was saved by Alex, who pulled her tail and dragged her away from the cliff. "You and cliffs don't get along very well, do you?" Alex.     Sigh "NOW WHAT?!" Pinkie. The only thing standing between the mane 7 and the elements of harmony was a broken bridge. "Duh." Rainbow, showing off her wings and then taking off. "Oh yeah." Pinkie. Rainbow Dived down the chasm to retrieve the other side of the broken bridge and bring it back to the other cliff. But before she could tie the bridge up, she heard her name echoed. Rainbow Dash "Who's there?" Rainbow. She heard it again. Rainbow Dash "I ain't scared of you! Show yourself!" She stood on her hind hooves and performed some karate moves.     We have been eagerly awaiting for the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria.     "Who?"     Why you of course.     "Really?! Well I... Oh yeah. Me! Hey, uh, you wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that, wouldya? Cause, I've been tryin' to get into that group for like...EVER!"     No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join us: The Shadowbolts!     3 pegasi who had the same jumpsuit design as the Wonderbolts but with dark colors instead appeared in front of Dash, who gave a "whoa" look. "We are the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greastest in all Equestria. But first, we need a captain. The most magnificent..." "Yup!" "swiftest..." "Yes!" "greatest flyer in all the land." "Yes, it's all true." "We need...you."    "Woohoo! Sign me up! Just let me tie this bridge real quick and then we have a deal." Rainbow. "No! It's them or us!" Nightshade. "Rainbow! What's taking so long?" Twilight, who then noticed the Shadowbolts. "Oh no. Rainbow!" Nightshade's eyes sparkled as she covered up the bridge with clouds. "Don't listen to them!" Twilight's voice soon became silent.     Rainbow Dash had to choose between the Shadowbolts or her friends. "Well?"     "You."     "Thank you, for the offer I mean. But I'm afraid I have to say no." Rainbow Dash tied the bridge together and headed back to her friends.    After a few seconds of applauding Rainbow, the mane 7 crossed the bridge towards the old castle. "Good job, Rainbow." Twilight. "See? I'd never leave my friends hangin'." Rainbow. "Finally, we're here." Alex, as he looked up to see the ruins of the old castle of the Royal Pony Sisters still standing. _________________________________________________________________     Almost done...     Chao!