Nurse Redheart stood her ground firmly "I'm sorry Miss Rainbow Dash, but you are too injured to leave the hospital."
Rainbow Dash looked at the nurse with big pleading eyes. Eyes that were slightly watered on the corners. Her ears splayed flat against her head. A face that could melt the coldest heart.
"I've seen it all before. You need to stay and that's final."
Rainbow Dash looked over at Twilight and the others. She did not want them to go alone.
Twilight cleared her throat "I think I have to agree with the nurse. You're too hurt and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you." She then placed a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow with updates on what's happening."
Rainbow Dash exhaled and slumped her shoulders. She then let the nurse escort her to her room. Nurse Redheart turned her head slightly and mouthed the words "Thank You."
The friends waved and moved towards the exit.
"Well that wasn't very fun." Pinkie Pie hopped along the street. "I would've like it if Rainbow Dash were here with us."
Twilight nodded "I would feel safer if she were here too."
Rarity moved her head from side to side as she started noticing the damages as they got closer to the square. "So what is the plan for this thing? If you can't touch it with your magic, how are we going to get rid of it?"
"We could try talking to it."
Pinkie jumped over Twilight to walk next to Fluttershy. "Did you see how big and scary that monster was? I bet the manticore would've peed himself!"
"You never know until you try."
Rarity winced. "If that creature could speak, then why didn't it when it heard all those ponies yelling at it? It didn't even say anything when it got captured."
Twilight looked at the sky and took a breath. "Fluttershy has a point. I doubt it, but maybe it'll talk to us."
"And if it doesn't? We can't have that thing rampaging around town with my poor Sweetie Belle frolicking around."
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Twilight smiled. "Isn't she and the other Crusaders having a slumber party at your house tonight?"
Rarity gasped as she placed a hoof over her mouth. "I completely forgot. With all the excitement, I daresay I lost track of time."
"It's ok Rarity. Maybe you should go home and make sure the kids are alright."
Rarity gave a careful glance at Twilights bandages. "Are you girls going to be alright?"
Twilight vaguely motioned towards Rarity's house. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. You need to make sure the girls are home safe. It's almost nighttime."
"Well alright. See you girls tomorrow!" Rarity trots off with the sun setting behind her.
The three ponies continue their walk through the streets. The sun's light slowly retreating into the distance until it finally sets. Lights from the houses light up the ground and converge with lights from the street lamps. The fillies cast several shadows as unique light sources hit them from different angles. They don't say much as they near the town square. They can feel the pressure in the air.
They start to hear consistent sharp cracking sounds, and as they face town square, the walls of the surrounding buildings light up with each noise.
The only ponies present are Big Mac and Applejack. The siblings silently watch, a grim expression adorned on their face.
The three girls approach the siblings while keeping a careful eye on the barrier.
Twilight cocks her head "Has it been attacking the shield this entire time?"
Applejack shakes her head "Not exactly."
Upon closer inspection, the creature's back is leaned against the shield. It's head slightly rocking back and forth. At each backwards motion, it's head strikes the shield, creating a brilliant flash and a loud snap as the barrier absorbs the impact.
"That doesn't look healthy."
Twilight squints her eyes and charges her horn. "Wow, the shield should be much stronger than it is. But it doesn't look like it's going to break soon."
Applejack sighed and took off her hat "That's good to hear. So what are we going to do with it?"
Twilight stares at the beast for a few moments. She then glances to see Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie eyeing the beast, not noticing her gaze. The flash from the barrier lighting up their faces periodically. "I can't move it with my magic. It's too resistant. This spell only worked because it was unique. I'm willing to bet only a very small amount of magic could work on it. Even then the magic has to be unconventional and even costly in nature. Whatever we do, we have to do it without magic."
"Would the elements of harmony work on it?"
"Technically, it should. But let's keep that as a backup plan. We should only use it if there is no way we can solve the problem. And we don't know how evil this thing is."
"Why does it matter how evil it is? The creature could be reacting to its environment based on instinct."
"The elements are an unconventional magic. It's extremely powerful, and even affects creatures like discord and ponies like Nightmare Moon even though they are resistant to magic. We don't want other countries to think we use it on just anything. That would be irresponsible."
"Hmm."
Pinkie shifts her gaze towards Fluttershy. She scratches her nose and lights up as an idea sparks in her head. "Hey Fluttershy, don't you have cages that we could put that thing in? Then we could just move the cage, so you wouldn't need any weird "no pony knows it" type magic!" Twilight and Applejack straighten up.
"I'm sorry Pinkie, but I don't have any cages that big. My cages are for birds and they aren't really cages since they can open the door and leave anytime." Fluttershy droops a bit. "I'm sorry."
Applejack rubs her chin. "We may not have any cages, but that doesn't mean we can't get some. How long does it take to rustle up a good cage?"
Twilight made a few quick calculations in her head as her eyes dart back and forth following invisible numbers. "I'd say a day or two. Give or take time based on when we placed the order, the dimensions of the cage, the strength, how-"
"Two days it is" Applejack stated. "What are we going to do in the meantime? This thing sitting here in town square. It's gonna scare ponies."
"I have a small tent I can set up. It doesn't have any walls, but it should keep it in the shade during the day."
Twilight glanced at Big Mac "How long are you going to be here?"
Big Mac shifted his sitting position. "As long as I need to."
The purple pony cocks her head to the side. "I know this thing is unusual, but why are you so interested in it."
Big Mac inhales and exhales slowly. "Ah reckon ah wouldn't normally take an interest in a critter. But this one's different."
The ponies all look at the creature before returning their gaze at Big Macintosh.
Pinkie Pie glances around before she bluntly asks "Why?"
BIg Mac takes another breath.
"It's intelligent."
Twilight looked confused. Her face scrunched up as she went over the events that led up to this moment. "How can you tell?"
Big Mac shifted his gaze towards the night sky. "There are many things that separate a wild creature from an intelligent being. The way it reacts to certain situations. How it handles stress. Even the way it walks. But the biggest giveaway was its eyes. They are cold. Intimidating." Big Mac returns his gaze to the beast. "And calculating."
"How intelligent do you think it is?"
"Ah'm not sure. But from what I can gather, it may be smarter than us all."
Pinkie Pie shivered with excitement. She tried to whisper but it sounded more like a quiet giggle. "Let's talk to it!"
Twilight took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's do this."
She gingerly stepped forward. Glancing back to see her friends giving her a look of affirmation. Another deep breath and she approached the barrier.
She walked right up to it, keeping a careful eye on the beast. The occasional flash from the barrier lighting the shadows. When she was not five feet from the barrier the creature stopped its rocking. Its head tilted higher to meet her gaze. She couldn't see its face under the darkness of its hood. Just a gleam of its eyes.
Twilight nervously cleared her throat. "Ehem. Hello, my name it Twilight Sparkle. Most faithful student to Princess Celestia." She announced her title to try and establish authority.
The creature sharply hisses and slams a claw into the barrier, a flash of light illuminates Twilight's face as she flinched.
Twilight paced around the barrier. Her head motioning up and down as she takes it in. The other ponies, excluding Big Mac, slowly walk up. The creature follows her with its gaze without moving from its sitting position.
Fluttershy hides behind Applejack, as Pinkie leans in and stares at it with one large eye. "HI! Whatcha thinking in there!" She then pokes the barrier and a few ripples flow throughout it.
Twilight snaps her head towards the pink pony. "Pinkie! Don't do that!"
The creature changes sitting positions and slams another fist into the shield. A loud shriek fills the air. The ponies wince and their ears lay flat against their heads.
Twilight approaches the barrier again. "I apologize for my friend's behavior. Maybe if we can talk about this, we can reach an agreement."
The creature lets out several grunts and illegible sounds in a slightly high pitched tone. It then turns its back to the ponies.
"It's ok. We won't hurt you." Fluttershy peeks out from behind Applejack."You don't have to be afraid."
The creature doesn't move.
Applejack fixes her hat. "Maybe it can't hear us through that thing?"
"Maybe not Fluttershy." Applejack glares at Pinkie Pie. "What? She's super duper quiet."
Twilight shakes her head. "No it can hear us. There's nothing to learn here."
The girls walk away from the barrier, Twilight trailing behind.
"...stupid pony."
Twilight's ears perked up. She slowly turned around to see the creature standing up. Its claws clenched. She walked up to the barrier again.
"...did you?"
Suddenly the creature throws back its head and roars. It franticly attacks the shield, vibrations from the barrier shaking the ground.
Big Macintosh stands up.
After a particular powerful strike, a crack spiderwebs through the shield.
Twilight jumps back. Pinkie points at the barrier and shouts "UH OH!"
Twilight lights her horn and squeezes her eyes shut. A torrent of clouds descends from the sky and circle the beast. Lightning reveals the silhouette of the rampaging beast, and shows the growing crack in the magic shield. Twilight grunts and the clouds spin faster. A flash of light. And the barrier is restored.
She turns back with a tired grin. "We may need a three day cage."
=====================================================================================
My sister and her friends are gone.
The sky is clear of all clouds. The night sky glimmers as its stars reflect off the windows and lamps of the town. No artificial lights present.
I sit there, quietly. Watching.
We have been here for hours.
The creature does not sleep, it does not show a pattern in its behavior. It rarely even blinks.
What are you doing here?
The creature hasn't moved in what seemed to be a century. It's gaze ever watchful.
Where did you come from?
Big Mac sighs and loosens his muscles. He stretches his neck and returns his sights on the beast. He puts himself in a meditative state, aware of his surroundings. But trying to conserve his energy.
I don't know when you will strike again. But I shall be prepared.
Hours crawl by. No ponies walk down the lonely streets.
The night is peaceful. Its beauty is striking.
The creature sits still, its forelegs crossed across its chest. Its hind legs crossed in front of it. Its breathing pattern changes at irregular intervals. If it weren't for the occasional gleam of its eyes, and the slight change in its breathing. No one would be able to tell if it was awake.
A familiar scent wafts through the air. Big Mac scrunched his nose, trying to identify the odor.
Salt?
He tilts his head, trying to get a better angle of the creature. He then looks around.
The creature remains motionless. A swift breeze eliminates the smell.
I shall sit here as long as it takes. When you escape, I will be ready.
The moon drifts across the sky. Its steady path painstakingly slow. It represents the amount of time that the two sit across from each other.
The unicorn statue casts a shadow that moves between the two. The only thing that connects them.
I'm starting to forget which one of us is the prisoner.