//------------------------------// // "I had the craziest dream..." // Story: "Wait!" // by AxelGunn //------------------------------// "I had the craziest dream..." By MrAnderson92 I stared calmly at the manticore, keeping its attention on me as I listened to Rainbow Dash carry Twilight over to Zecora and Applejack. Well, what's your battle plan? Keep it distracted long enough for the others to get away, then lose it in the forest. And if it follows you? Then I'll go faster! Ah, this plan can't POSSIBLY fail. The manticore roared at me, trying to scare me into running, but I stood my ground and stared it straight in the eye, unflinching. It leapt at me and swiped at me with its claws, but thanks to my nimble, agile flier's body I was able to stay just out of reach of those deadly claws. We should give it a name. Why in Equestria would we want to do that? Then I could try to taunt him...her...it...whatever! I'll be able to verbally fight back! Fine, how about Steve? No that's a stupid name for a manticore. We should call it Corey! Oh yes, because that's SOOO much better than Steve. Alright fine, I won't name the damn manticore! I grinned at the manticore, who was beginning to get frustrated with its inability to hit me. But I forgot one important thing about manticores. Namely that they have a scorpion-like tail at their disposal. And it was that very same tail that allowed the manticore to get the upper hoof. "AH!" I yelled as the manticore's tail slammed into my side where my sprained wing was, flinging me up against a tree. Ow...at least I avoided the stinger. Not entirely. It snagged on your bandages. Oh crap...Zecora's gonna kill me..Well she's going to have to wait in line behind the manticore, Rainbow Dash and Twilight! I felt the bandages slide away from my body, trying to hold my bad wing as close to my as I could, but extending my good wing, trying to think of any advantages it could give me. It can make me more agile! I'll be able to dodge its attacks easier! True. Or you could use your one good wing to go on the offensive. Actually fight back. I used my wing to give me a little more distance away from the manticore's claws, and jumped nimbly over its tail as it tried to impale me again. Flapping my good wing as hard as I could, I moved towards the manticore and kicked it in the jaw, using its shoulder as a means to propel myself away from the manticore. My assault on its jaw only angered the manticore even more than it already was, and it leapt at me before I landed on the ground. I did the only logical thing I could at that time, which was to dive under the manticore as soon as I touched the ground. Fortunately for me, the manticore completely missed me, and instead ran straight into a tree trunk. Well now...this might just work! I continued to goad the manticore into charging me, only to dodge out of the way at the last second and having the manticore run into trees. But I could tell that the manticore was beginning to wise up to my tricks. It's not going to work again! I have to finish this now! I had only one idea on how to beat the manticore, and it was crazy. Totally. Bucking. Crazy. Rainbow Dash would be proud of this idea. Yeah, if it even works. Only one way to find out! I ran straight at the manticore, and ducked underneath his outstretched paw as he tried to tear my face off. Knowing full well that what I was about to attempt was idiotic, I headed for the manticore's tail before it could turn around. Grabbing its tail in my mouth, I dug my hooves into the ground and started pulling with all of my strength. Astoundingly, the manticore began to get dragged around by me, as I continued to spin in a small circle, slowly gathering speed and eventually getting lifted off the ground from the gathering force. I spun faster and faster, hearing the manticore roar in frustration at being unable to get me to stop spinning him around in a circle. I felt my muscles begin to give way, and with a loud battle cry, I released my jaws grip on the manticore tail, hurtling the manticore straight into a thick oak tree. I collapsed to my knees, keeping a steady eye on the manticore in case it got ready to retaliate again. Please, for the love of Princess Celestia, stay down...I honestly cannot believe that worked! Thankfully, that last blow the manticore took from the mighty oak tree had rendered it unconscious, so I was safe to lay on the ground, as my muscles screamed at me in protest of what had just transpired. I did it... Oh! I got my cutie mark again! I jerked my head around, wincing at the pain in my neck as I did so, "Oh Goddess that's gonna hurt real bad in a little while." I groaned, as I folded my wing in to look upon my cutie mark. My cutie mark consisted of two clouds, the larger one on the right side of the smaller one, and had a shooting star traveling from one cloud to the other, with the tail of the shooting star ending at the bigger cloud and the tip of the star just touching the smaller cloud. I finally have my cutie mark! And its meaning? I'm like a shooting star. I'm the hope that some turn to in an otherwise dark and cold night. Zak needed my help in my past, and I brought him hope when I showed up to help him. Rainbow and Twilight needed a miracle, and I brought them hope when I saved them from the manticore. You can't count Twilight, she was busy being unconscious remember? Whatever, you know what I mean. I began to hear voices as I lay on the ground, still watching the manticore. That's probably the others, beginning to worry now that the manticore has stopped roaring. "There he is! He's ok!" I heard Rainbow Dash yell from somewhere above and behind me. Then I heard everypony gather around me as they noticed the manticore laying over by the tree. "Holy Celestia," Applejack said, the awe apparent in her voice, "did you knockout that manticore Cloud?" I nodded my head, not looking at anypony, anxious butterflies raging in my stomach. "Well it certainly is quite a feat, when a manticore is singularly beat." Zecora said, beginning to walk away from us, "I must return to my abode, I am quite sure you'll find the road. Goodbye my friends." And with that said, she disappeared into the brush. Twilight staggered over to me, obviously still hurt by her run-in with the manticore, and buckled in front of me, giving me a tired look in her eyes. Rainbow flew over and laid down next to her, their bodies touching from the close proximity. "Cloud," Twilight began, but Rainbow cut her off. "We are going to talk, here and now." Rainbow said firmly, looking me straight in the eye. I could tell just from looking at them that they had been up all night, looking for me. And yet they're still beautiful... I knew I couldn't look much better, with a wing sprained and covered in cuts and bruises from my attempts at learning to fly. I began to laugh. "What's so funny?" Twilight asked, a confused look on her slightly angry face. I just shook my head, smiling at the mares in front of me. I struggled to get to my hooves and stumbled over to them, collapsing just in front of them. "Thank you..." I murmured, giving both of them a quick nuzzle on their foreheads, "I don't deserve your friendship after everything I've put you through." I continued, looking at them in the eyes, calmly switching from one to the other, "Judging from the looks of things you already know about the dates I planned with both of you correct?" I asked them, receiving rather perturbed nods from both of them, "Good. Saves me a bit of explaining." I chuckled, "First off, I was not trying to play you two. I just want to get that right out in the open. But this is where things might get a little confusing. I DO have feelings for both of you. I'm quite sure of that. I also know that I don't want to hurt either of you, or to have you angry with me." They nodded slowly, hanging on my every word, "So...the real reason as to why all this happened...I'm an idiot. I spent a very long time thinking about it before I got lost in these infernal woods, and that was the real reason why this happened. I wanted to date both of you. I still do actually." "Twilight," I said, looking directly at her, "I was extraordinarily happy that you invited me to stay at the library with you. I think some of the books in there might be able to spark my memory into coming back, and I was overjoyed at the thought of spending more time with you." "Rainbow Dash," I continued, looking over at the cyan pegasus, "I asked you out because I truly wanted to get to know you better, better than just some overly hormonal ponies who can't keep their hooves off each other," I said, smiling at the memory of her kissing me ferociously. "Then there's my memory." I said slowly, "I keep recalling memories of an earth pony with whom I may have a relationship with already. I'm going to have to find out about her before I can truly be with either of you." I informed them, noticing the crestfallen looks they wore on their faces, "But that doesn't mean I can't spend time with either of you!" I assured them hurriedly, "If you two wouldn't mind, I would still like to have dinner with you two some night. Either together or apart. I don't want to lose our friendship because of my stupidity..." I began to trail off, realizing how long I had gone on rambling, "I'm so sorry..." I whispered, tears forming in my eyes as I hung my head, finally getting everything off my chest that had gathered within the last few days out in the open. I felt Rainbow Dash and Twilight lay down on either side of me, so close that their sides constantly touched mine, and nuzzled each side of my neck, the feeling as their pent-up emotions released in tears rubbing off on my coat. I looked over at both of them and lightly kissed them on the forehead before we all lay together and cried quietly, glad that all that had happened between us was over at this moment in time. I heard Applejack go over to Rainbow's other side and lie down next to her. I started feeling bad because I completely forgot she was there. After a short while of us lying there I decided we had to get going before the manticore woke up. I stood up, silently motioning with my head that the others should follow me, and we all walked close together as we moved toward the edge of the Everfree Forest, nopony wanting to ruin the moment that had obviously passed between us. We reached the edge of the forest rather quickly, and standing in the open sun, knowing that I could finally go somewhere and rest, I felt a massive wave of fatigue wash over me, almost causing me to collapse again. Apparently one does not get much rest when they're unconscious... I turned to look at the ponies who had gone through so much torment because of me. They looked so tired, barely standing upright, looking back at me with quizzical expressions. "If'n ya'll excuse me," Applejack said, stifling a large yawn, "I gotta get home 'n sleep!" And with that Applejack started trotting away from us, heading to her home. "Hey," I said quietly, still looking at Rainbow and Twilight, "I'm going to tell you what we're going to do." They both looked at me, questions practically written all over their faces. "We're going to go to the library and sleep," I started, then smiled a tired smile, "and then I'm going to take you both out to dinner when we wake up. Sound good?" Twilight and Rainbow almost fell over with the effort it took them to nod their heads, so before we all fainted from exhaustion, we all started walking down the path to Ponyville together. Well it certainly seems that you dodged a bullet. Indeed I did...Zecora was right. These mares are wonderful...I really am lucky to know them. Indeed you are. "So wait'll you hear this," I said, laughing quietly to myself, "I had the craziest dream..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/N: I felt warm and fuzzy inside as I wrote this chapter :3 I'm going to continue writing tonight, so keep your eyes open for another chapter just in case! :D Seems like things are finally turning around for Cloud!