The manticore roared at the ponies, clearly intent on attacking them.
"We have to get past it!" Twilight said, getting a determined look on her face. Before any of them could do anything, Thunder and Lightning stepped between the mane six and the Manticore.
"Get back! We'll protect you." Thunder said, facing the beast with bravery, as did Lightning.
"Hey, we don't need protection!" Rainbow said indignantly.
"Rainbow could you just let us do our jobs!" Lightning snapped.
As he said this, the manticore lurched forward to punch their lights out. With yelps of surprise, the brothers quickly got out of the way. Rarity suddenly jumped forward and kicked the beast in the face with her back legs.
"Take that you ruffian!" she said with a smile of triumph.
The manticore simply roared in her face, completely ruining her mane.
"My hair!" Rarity cried in dismay, then noticed the monster growling at her and bolted with it right behind her. While it was chasing Rarity, Applejack jump on it's back.
"Yee-haw! Get along little doggie!" she cried, acting like the cowpony she was. The manticore struggled and, after a few seconds, bucked the earth pony off.
"all yours partner." Applejack told Rainbow as she soared through the air.
"On it!" Rainbow said and dove towards the manticore. She began to fly around it and became so fast that she was a rainbow blur. This disoriented the monster until it lashed it's scorpion tail out, sending the pegasus flying to the ground.
"Rainbow!" cried Twilight as Rainbow hit the ground.
That did it for Lightning. With a snarl, he lurched forward and struck the manticore with a series of lightning-fast jabs. The manticore roared in pain from the blows, then struck Lightning, sending him to the ground next to Rainbow. Thunder then took his turn. Crouching down, he went flying with a crash of noise, striking the manticore like a cannonball. Doubling-over, the beast recovered and, grabbing Thunder by the tail, twirled and flung him to the ground in front of the rest of the ponies.
As everypony recovered, Twilight looked at the manticore. It snorted and made ready to charge. Twilight responded with a snort of her own and made ready to charge. As one the ponies all charged at the beast. This whole time Fluttershy had been saying "Wait" but she was to quiet to be heard by anypony else. Now she stood in front of them and, with a mighty shout, cried "Wait!". The ponies all stopped in their tracks, shocked by the sweet little pegasus's outburst.
Now that she had stopped them, Fluttershy went over to the manticore. The beast looked as if to attack her, causing Thunder and Lightning to tense up and the rest of the ponies to shield their eyes. Unfazed, Fluttershy continued onward.
"It's okay." she said, nuzzling the manticore on the paw and looking up at it sweetly. After a moment's hesitation, the manticore opened it's paw, revealing an overly large thorn stuck in it.
"Oh you poor little baby." Fluttershy said sweetly.
"Little?" Rainbow asked.
"My sentiments exactly." Lightning said.]
Ignoring them, Fluttershy reached forward.
"Now this will hurt only for a moment." she said, pulling the thorn out. the beast roared, causing everypony to go on high alert. But a second later, the manticore was holding Fluttershy in its paws and licking the giggling pegasus affectionately.
As the manticore continued it's affections, the ponies quickly slipped past it unnoticed. When Fluttershy rejoined them, Twilight asked
"How did you know about the thorn?"
"I didn't," replied Fluttershy "Sometimes you just need to show a little kindness.". After thinking on this for a moment, Twilight smiled and continued onward.
"We need to talk." Lightning said a little later. The ponies all looked at him, all ears about what he would say.
"We're supposed to be your guardians" Lightning said, indicating both him and Thunder. "And we can only do that if you let us be your guardians."
Twilight sighed and looked at the brothers. "Look, we appreciate your help and all, but we can handle ourselves just fine without you fussing over us."
"Still," Thunder said "We only have your safety in mind, so-"
"ugh" Rarity said, interrupting Thunder "My eyes could use a break from all this muck." Suddenly, everything went pitch black. "Not literally." Rarity said a little nervously. Soon everypony became lost, trying to catch their bearings.
"Ow! Lightning, you stepped on my tail!" Thunder cried.
"Sorry." replied Lightning.
"Oops. I think I stepped in something." Applejack said, a little grossed out. Fluttershy suddenly screamed
."It's just mud." said Applejack. But soon everypony was screaming as the trees took on the appearance of monsters. But to everypony's surprise, Pinkie Pie was laughing and even making faces at the monstrous faces. Thunder and Lightning, who had held onto each other in fright, quickly disengaged in total embarrassment.
"Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!" Twilight cried. Pinkie simply laughed.
"Oh guys, can't you see.?" Then she began to sing.
Pinkie Pie:
When I was a little filly and the sun was going down...
Thunder and Lightning: Huh?
Twilight Sparkle: Tell me she's not...
[Pinkie Pie]
The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown..
.Rarity: She is.
[Pinkie Pie]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 all
Rainbow Dash: Then what is?
[Pinkie Pie]She said: "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You'll see that they can't hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear."Ha! Ha! Ha!
Ponies: [gasp]
[Pinkie Pie]So, giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky
And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaauuugh!
During the whole course of this, the ponies were soon enthralled in and took turns laughing at each of the tree's grotesque faces. When the song concluded, the faces had all poofed away and light had returned to the forest. As for the ponies, they were all on the ground caught in a fit of laughter.
"Why are we laughing?" Lightning asked in between breaths. Thunder didn't answer, just kept on laughing.