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// chapter 4: Pythons and Orthrusses and Alippoleos, Oh My! 
// Story: MLP- Wizard of Oz 
// by Votederpycausemufins 
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“How much longer ‘til we’re out of here Flutters?”
“I can’t say that I know. I’ve never gone to see this wizard. Where does he live?”
“A place called the Emerald City. Ah wonder why it’s called that.”
“THE CITY OF EMERALDS!!!” Exclaimed Flutters, “Of course he would live there! We still have quite a long ways to go, and that’s if we don’t meet any of the animals here along the way. They can be quite dangerous. But as long as I am oiled, I will be fine; and the scarecrow has nothing to be afraid of other than fire. You, Applejack, have the mark of the Good Witch of the North, I believe.”
“Mark? You mean where she kissed me on mah forehead?” A.J. inquired.
“Yes, I do mean that.”
“What about Winona? What’s gonna protect her? Ah can fight, but who knows what’s in this forest.”
“I know for a fact there is an Apollo python, some orthrusses, and some alippoleos too, but that’s only some of the worst I’ve seen.”
“Alippoleos? What are those? Do you know Applejack?” Twilicrow asked.
“They are half pegasus, half lion creatures.” Flutters responded The have the body of a lion, but the wings and head of a pegasus. I think I’ve heard one around the forest recently.”
That’s when it happened. A loud *ROAR* rang out through the forest. An alippoleo came out from a thickish part of the woods. One of it’s paws hit Twilicrow, and the other hit Flutters. Winona ran up, barking at the creature. Just before it could attack Winona, Applejack bucked the alippoleo from behind, just enough to draw it’s attention to herself. It turned and looked at her with it’s eyes full of… tears? Not only that, but it looked like her friend Rainbow Dash.
The Rainbow Dash lion sat down and started to cry her eyes out. 
“Waaaaaahhhhhh, I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to!”
Reminding herself that this wasn’t really her friend (especially after that reaction) Applejack responded by saying, “Then ya’ll should have attacked us like that. Especially trying to attack mah dog. She can’t protect herself. That’s just being cowardly.”
“I KNOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!” Rainbow lion cried “I’ve been this way forever. I can’t help it.”
“That explains why you’d attack somepony who’s stuffed.”
“Stuffed?”
“Yeah, Twilicrow there is a scarecrow. Ah thought you’d know that.”
“No, I didn’t. Is that one stuffed too?”
“No, I’m actually made of tin.” Replied Flutters.
“Oh, that’s why it hurt when I hit you.”
Then she looked at Winona and pointed at her. “What is this creature made of? Straw or tin?”
“Uh she’s neither of those,” Applejack replied. “Winona here’s made of, well she’s a… a meat dog, to put it simply.”
“She’s so small, you’d have to be a coward like me to attack her.”
“How are you a coward,” Flutters asked. “You’re a bit bigger than us.” 
“I guess I was just born that way. All the other animals believe me to be brave. Whenever I become frightened from a creature, I roar and they run away. The same goes with any man I see. If any bears or elephants or tigers tried to fight me, I would run away, but one roar and they would leave me alone.”
“Well the King of Beasts shouldn’t be a coward, It’s obvious if I know that” Twilicrow commented.
“It’s just whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."
“Could it be a heart disease?” asked Flutters “If you had no heart, you wouldn’t be a coward, and I think being a coward is better than no heart.”
“Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my heart.”
“Or maybe your brains. Do you happen to have any?” asked Twilicrow”
“Hmm, haven’t thought to check, and I don’t know how I would do that.”
Applejack, while wanting to help, was getting a little impatient of the discussion, so she asked the Rainbow lion if she would like to join their journey to the emerald city.
“Really the wizard could give me courage?!” She said excitedly
“Yep! Just as easily as givin’ them a heart and brains. C’mon y’all, we should keep goin’ if we want ta  get out of this here forest.”
The rest of the journey that day was peaceful. The alippoleo gave her name as Lion Dash, and the only bad happening was Flutters stepped of a beatle making her cry. She only finally stop when she could no longer move her mouth and Applejack had to use the oil can. She then told about how when she had her heart, it would be easier to prevent these happenings from occurring for without a heart, she would kill a small creature again without trying to stop.”
The group finally reached a large tree to sleep under where Flutters knew for sure they would at least see to edge of the forest by tomorrow.