Chapter Two
Dragon vs Manticore
You know when most ponies come to visit friends or family in the hospital and they ask how they're feeling, or what has the doctor said, things like that, right? Well, apparently Twilight didn’t get the memo, because for the last hour and a half she’s been lecturing me on why I shouldn’t be in the Everfree Forest. As if I didn’t know already.
"...And furthermore once you are released you are grounded until further notice mister!" Twilight said, finishing her tirade.
I stared at her with blank expression while biting my tongue. “Are you finished yet?” I said through a strained voice
She gave me a glare that would have frightened a hydra before answering. “Don't take that tone with me, you know you were at fault in this mess.”
“Are you going to let me defend myself or are you just going to stand there and say how stupid I am?”
“Spike I never said you were stupid I was just…” She was cut short by the dragon crossing his arms over his bandaged chest and letting out a loud snort. “Go ahead spike.”
“Ok then first off I shouldn’t be getting grounded over this since its not even my fault, I was the responsible one. Second it’s Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo’s fault, if they would have told me the truth I would have sent them back to their clubhouse in the first place. And thirdly and most importantly why the heck are you yelling at me? Shouldn’t you be more happy that I’m not manticore chow right now?”
Twilight sighed “Spike, believe me when I say, I’m happy that you’re safe, but that doesn’t excuse that you, somepony who is suppose to be responsible, willingly went into Everfree with those three girls”
Spike had to give her credit she was right about that “Yeah but, it was a moment of weakness! Twilight you have to believe me!” I shouted desperately
“How so?”
“They had cupcakes”
“Cupcakes?”
“Gem cupcakes to be exact and there was twelve flavors to top it off”
“So you risked your life for cupcakes”
“I know how it sounds, but hey when three young cute mares come at you with cupcakes how can you say no?”
I wasn’t sure what went through Twilight’s mind when I said that, but the look on her face showed displeasure.
“Spike,” Twilight said in a tired voice “that has to be the most, pardon my rudeness, stupid excuse I’ve heard in a long time! On top of that, you just sat there telling me you were the responsible one!”
“Hey! You weren't even there!” Spike pointed an accusing claw at the alicorn. “ So think like you knew what happened. And l in my defense the manticore wouldn’t have even attacked if it wasn’t for them in the first place! Hell, I really thought we were headed to Zecora’s house.
“Wait the manticore didn’t attack the four of you itself?”
“No it was the crusaders that made the first move”
“Explain”
“Gladly”
"Where are we? I thought Zecora's was closer than this," I asked after I noticed we had been walking through the forest longer than we should have been
The girls exchanged some looks which sent a shiver down my back.
"Don't worry we should be nearly there," Apple Bloom answered.
I was getting nervous more and more nervous every step. I was pretty sure Zecora didn't live this far into the Everfree, and was thinking of turning back soon. Just as I was about to speak up though, we found ourselves in standing in front of large clearing. I nearly had a heart attack from what I saw standing in the middle. There, taking a nap in the midday sun was a the biggest manticore I had ever seen. I was pretty sure it’s paw was twice as big as his head and then some.
I quietly took a step back and gestured for the crusaders to do the same. Sadly when I looked to my side I found they weren't even next to me any longer. When I looked forward my eyes widen as I noticed the three of them were slowly approaching the manticore.
I instinctively went to yell for them to come back, but stopped myself as I didn't want to risk waking up the manticore. I decided to watch the trio hoping they wouldn't do anything life threatening. Of course the ones I was hoping to not do such a thing was the Cutie Mark Crusaders. so of course I was wrong. There, in Scootaloo's hoof was a net just big enough to cover the whole manticore.
"Please oh please, don't do what I think you're going to do," I pleaded mentally.
Of course fate decided to pimp slap me in face and not a second later there was a net flying through the sky. Quicker than its size would make you think it could, the manticore shot up to its full size both eyes opened angrily and shredded it the net with it’s humongous claws before it could even land in him. It let out deafening roar, effectively petrifying the three fillies.
It stepped towards the frozen crusaders and raised its paw with the the full intent to kill. I’m not sure what happened, but all sense of reasoning seemed to shut off in my head and I found myself charging towards the manticore. With a hard thrust from my wings I shot forward quickly and tackled the manticore into a tree. This only succeeded in pissing off the manticore even more.
It slapped my chest with the back of it’s paw, throwing me into a nearby tree knocking the breath out of me. Before I had a chance to recover the manticore was already back on me. It swiped it’s claw at my arm making a large wound in it. The pain of the injury to my arm caused me to let out a cry of pain which accidently made me let out a sputter of fire from my mouth.
The beast immediately backed off and threw itself on its back and thrashed around trying to stop the flames. I pulled myself up as quickly as I could and ran towards the girls so we could escape. I wasn’t expecting the manticore to put out the flames very quickly so when the searing pain as a giant claw raking across my wings I was very surprised.
I fell to the ground painfully and let a pained groan. It was at this point that I was about to give up. I wasn’t a match for the manticore. I just laid still on the ground hoping that my death would be swift and painless. That’s when I heard Apple Bloom screaming in fear and Scootaloo pearlized with tears flowing down her cheek. I heard Sweetie Belle let out a high pitched scream and looked over quickly just in time to see her pass out.
I immediately pushed myself up to see that the manticore had diverted its attention from me back to the crusaders. It was standing over them paw held high ready to strike A boiling anger erupted in my stomach at the thought of the manticore killing them. I forgot all about my pain for a moment and pushed myself forward with a mighty flap of my wings.
Time seemed to slow down in the next few seconds. I flew quickly over the crusader grabbing each of them and bring them to my chest tightly. I was just in time too, as the manticore’s claw dug into my left arm but it luckily didn’t stop me from flying off into the woods.
It wasn’t going to give up on its potential food that easily though. It gave chase and followed us through the forest.
“After it crashing after me through the branch I blacked I don’t know what happened,” I said, finishing the story.
Twilight looked at me in amazement. “You’re right Spike, you did the right thing, you’re a hero Spike and I am proud of you, but you’re still grounded.”
I groaned, “How come? it wasn’t my fault.” I said irritatedly .
“That doesn’t matter, it would never had happened if you didn’t take them in there in the first place.”
“What!? That’s not fair” yelled angrily
“I know it’s not but on the bright side I’ll give you triple layered gem cake when you're released for saving the crusaders”
My anger was immediately lost when I heard that. “I can’t wait until I’m out of here” I thought gleefully
“You know that was a really brave thing to do you know what made you do it?”
I shrugged. “I wasn’t really thinking about it. I was more concerned about the girls lives than I was about my own when I fighting the manticore,” I let out a sigh. ”I’m too nice for my own good, you know that.”
“I think that’s a good thing and you’ll be happy to know you won’t have to worry about the crusaders; they have been grounded.”
“Serves them right for what they did, but want to know what’s weird though?”
“What?”
“I’m not mad at them anymore. Actually, I’ve already forgiven them. Is that weird?”
Twilight laughed, “No, it just means you probably are too nice for your own good.
They both laughed.
“Oh yeah, what happened to the manticore after I passed out ?”
“Well from what I’m told Big Mac found you passed out just outside the forest all banged up, with crusaders crusaders under you and a manticore flying out of the forest towards you. He was able to scare it away somehow and brought you to the hospital.
“Well that’s good. I’d hate for anyone else to have gotten hurt.”
Unbeknownst to to the dragon and the alicorn just outside the door stood the three crusaders. They each had tears in their eyes. They couldn’t understand how somepony could forgive them so easily after getting they got him injured so badly and nearly getting them all killed.
They each looked at each other and made a silent agreement. They set down their package in front of the door and left to begin their plan.