//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Chicken Run // Story: Get Him! // by TJHoofer //------------------------------// Chapter 10: Chicken Run Earlier… “Well? Is it true about what ya'll said? About the pot of gold Bits?” It had barely been a minute since Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle left the club house and leaving Alex alone with Applebloom. He had pretended to be a Leprechaun and promising them cutie marks, while at the same time taking advantage of the situation by having them wait on him hand and foot when he should’ve been escaping. Eventually, that scheme didn’t last long and now he was doomed to become their school science project. Once the others had left to fetch books and material for their work, Applebloom had stayed behind to keep an eye on him. Or so he thought… “What?” Alex asked confused. “Ya’ said ya’ll had a pot of gold Bits somewhere, right?” “Uh… Yeah?” Alex said. “A REALLY big pot of gold Bits? Lots of Bits?” her eyes gleamed. Alex saw the look in her eyes. She was being serious! He immediately saw this as a possible means for an escape and decided against better judgment to continue his little charade. “That’s right.” He extended his arms. “A big, BIG pot of gold Bits! With SO many Bits it’s nearly impossible to count them all.” The mere mention of THAT many Bits made Applebloom more excited as her ears flickered. “Holy Appleseed! An’ ya’ said ya’ll would give us the Bits once we set ya’ free, right?” “That’s right!” Alex smiled. Now came the hard part. Ince he was out of the jar, we would to convince Applebloom to wait in the club house while he went to ‘fetch his gold’ to her. The key to his freedom lay with the little filly’s trust in him and he hoped his talk of gold had won her over. “Just open the lid, wait here and I shall return with the gold.” Applebloom was about to open it, when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. She looked at Alex and pulled away her hoof. “Wait… How do Ah know ya’ll keep yer promise?” Alex jaw fell as the question he had hoped not to answer was asked. He had seen it coming a mile away, but had blindly hoped his talks of great fortune had blinded her of rational thought. Sweating, he decided to try anyway. “I swear on my ‘Leprechaun Code’ that I’ll return once I find the gold.” He held his left hand over his chest and raised his right hand. Applebloom narrowed her eyes and didn’t seem convinced. “Ya lied to us about them cutie marks. How am Ah sure y’ jus’ won’t run off once Ah let ya go?” She then eyed him a bit closer. “And if the pot of gold is as big as ya’ll say it is, how are ya supposed to get it here?” Alex was silent for a moment as he realized he had forgotten something important. Thinking fast, he smiled sheepishly before answering. “Um… With my Leprechaun magic...? Squee!” “Ah thaught ya’ said ya’ll ain’t got no magic?” said Applebloom as she cocked her eyebrow. Alex blinked. “Oh that… Ehehe… You see, what I meant was…” Alex’s plan started fall apart like leafs on an apple tree during autumn. “Hey! I know! Why don’t ya’ jus’ tell me?” Appleblom chirped. “If ya’ll jus’ tell me now, Ah’ll carry ya there n’ let ya go once we get there!” This filly, for lack of a better word, was brighter than she looked. He knew he would be screwed once she realized he was only leading her astray. He decided to pull out all the stops. “No!” he folded his arms and turned away. “The gold lies someplace very secret only us Leprechauns know about and we’ve sworn to never reveal it to ponies. Especially young fillies.” Applebloom was stunned. She lifted him up and held him at eye level. “What? But..” “No ‘buts’!” Alex stomped his foot against the glass. “Release me now, and I shall bring you the gold!” Applebloom pressed her face hard against the glass with her puppy dog eyes. “Please Mr. ‘Peppercan’? Ah’ promise Ah’ll set ya’ free.” ‘Awww! How cute-’ Alex shook his head. “No!” “If ya don’t tell me right now, we’ll jus’ wait here til’ Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle return…” she said with menacing tone, trying to scare him. “Ah’ll bet y’ll look real 'cute' once we’re done with ya’.” The idea of him standing in a classroom dressed in green was enough to make Alex cringe. He knew he was done for if he couldn’t get out of the club house somehow. But nevertheless, he stood firm. “I don’t care! It’s my freedom or no gold!” Applebloom’s ears dropped with disappointment. She could tell by the sound of his voice he was not going to tell her anything. She rubbed her chin as she tried to think of an idea. She just had to have those Bits. She remembered her sister Applejack mentioning something about money earlier today and she knew it would really help out her family. Suddenly, she realized something. She then for unexplained reasons reached up and pulled a string that made a light bulb hanging above her glow as she had an idea. “AH GOT IT! Ya’ll said y’ came from the Everfree Forest, right?” “Uh… Yeah..?” “Then that’s where the Bits are!” Alex’s eyes grew wide and his pupils shrank with horror. This filly wasn’t serious, was she? “No! No way! Bad! Very bad idea!” Applebloom didn’t listen. She quickly scribbled down a note, telling her friends where she was going and why. She then found some rope and strapped the jar with Alex on her back. She then bolted out of the club house and galloped in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “APPLEBLOOM, STOP!” yelled Alex. “You can’t go in there! It’s dangerous! Trust me, I know!” She paid him no attention. “APPLEBLOOM!!!” ***** Present… Applebloom hummed happily as she skipped along a path through the dark forest, while Alex on her back looked rather frightened and concerned. After fruitlessly trying to stop her from entering the forest, he had been on constant alert for anything dangerous. Last time he barely got away if it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash. But now he was smaller, accompanied by a small filly. Things didn’t look good. ‘This is nuts! No, scratch that! Insane!!!’ Alex muttered to himself. The sound of a crow echoed through the woods. He couldn’t take it anymore. Nuts to this! A green suit sounds a whole lot more better than this! He got up and banged on the glass to get her attention. “Applebloom. This is a really bad idea. Turn around and lets go back to the club house, right now!” “Not until ya’ll tell me where them Bits are.” She smirked. Alex realized what she was doing. She was trying to chicken him out by forcing him to tell her where the gold was. He then decided to tell her the truth. No lie was worth this much trouble. He had to tell her right then and there, even if it meant that if the forest didn’t kill them first, Applebloom would kill him. “Applebloom…” “Besides, it’s alright. Ah come in here all the time.” Applebloom smiled. “Applebloom, I have a confe- EEEEH!?!” “Ah said, Ah come here all the time when Ah’m visiting my friend Zecora.” “Zecora?” “She lives in the Everfree Forest. Perhaps ya’ll seen her? She’s a Potion Maker. Makes all kinds of magical potions and brews. “Potion Maker?” “Like this one time, Ah chipped mah tooth fallin’ down a hill n’ Zecora fixed it all up again.” she smiled. “She even cured mah big sister Applejack from Poison Joke.” “Really..?” Alex said, suddenly becoming more intrigued about this Zecora. “Poison Joke, huh?” “Yeah, it turned mah’ big sister into mah’ little sister. Jus’ bout’ as small as ya’ll.” She giggled. “T’was really funny…” ‘Little sister..?’ Somehow that seemed to explain a few things. “This Poison Joke… Is it some kind of plant..?” “Eeyup! It’s a blue flower found here in tha’ Everfree.” replied Applebloom. “Blue flower?” Alex seemed to remember that patch of blue flowers he had hidden himself in during Rainbow Dash’s hunt for him. Putting two and two together, he finally realized what had happened. Suddenly Applebloom stopped. “Wait… Ah thaught ya’ said ya’ll lived here in tha forest. Didn’t ya know?” “S- Sure I knew!” he lied. “I just… wanted to see if you knew Squee!.” “Oh!” Applebloom grinned and continued skipping along. ‘Guess it wasn’t the pie…’ thought Alex with some relief. Then another thought came to him. If he was a victim of this ‘Poison Joke’ and this Zecora cured Applejack of her condition, then maybe she could cure him as well. Alex decided he had to get to her. He knew he had to play this out just right. “You know… While I was hiding my gold, it was close to this pony in the forest…” “What pony?” asked Applebloom. “You know. That Zecora you talked about…” “She’s not a pony. She’s a zebra.” Alex was quiet for a moment. “Like I said, I saw this zebra in the forest. She looked a bit strange…” “She’s a bit strange yes…” Applebloom giggled. “…but that’s jus’ how she is. She’s real’ nice and she lives in this big ol’ tree in tha’ forest.” “A big Tree? That’s where I hid my gold Bits!” exclaimed Alex. “I hid it all under the roots of this giant, hollowed out tree that looked like a house.” “Really?” Applebloom exclaimed happily. “Then let’s go.” She began to pick up the pace. Alex was happy that his ‘small’ problem was soon to be over, but not without concern though. He had just once again lied to a little filly. But if it meant that he’d somehow get back to normal size, he had to take that chance and face the consequences later. Right now he was more concerned for their safety. There was still the ever-present danger of running into a timberwolf or worse. But as long as they remained quiet, things would be alright- SCREECH! “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: HUMAN EXPERTS! YAY!” For no apparent reason whatsoever, Applebloom had stopped dead in her tracks and shouted at the top of her lungs. “What are you doing?” asked Alex bewildered. “I… don’t know…” answered Applebloom, looking rather puzzled herself. There was a long pause. Alex looked back in the direction from where they came and questions started circulating inside his head. “What’s a human?” Applebloom suddenly asked herself as she cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Alex, apparently too caught up in his own conundrum, merely shrugged. “I have no…” Alex’s eyes widened as he seemed to notice the entire forest seemed to stare at them. “Applebloom..?” Applebloom gulped. “It’s okay… It’s all…” RUSTLE! Applebloom, frightened beyond belief, screamed and blindly ran off the path. “Applebloom! Wait! STOOOOP!” yelled Alex, while trying (and failing) to maintain his balance as he got tossed around in the jar. A small Jackalope hopped out of some nearby bushes and titled its head as it watched the scared filly disappear into the darkness of the forest. ***** To Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Ah’ve taken the Lapredan with me to the Everfree Forest to find his big pot of gold Bits. Please don’t be mad. We’ll be back soon. Applebloom “I can’t believe this!” shouted Sweetie Belle as she read the note one more time. She sat in the trolley while Scootaloo pulled her with impressive speed, trying to keep up with a galloping Twilight. “I know!” Scootaloo was fuming. She couldn’t believe Applebloom would do something so reckless. Sure, they had wandered through the Everfree Forest several times before, but it was never safe regardless of how careful they were. Especially alone! “I can’t believe Applebloom bought that ‘gold Bit’ story!” She snarled. “When I get my hooves on that little liar…” “That’s not how you spell Leprechaun!” Sweetie fumed, causing Scootaloo to glance questionably back at her. “Groan! He’s not a ‘Lepeprecan’!” “I know, but still… And it’s Leprechaun!” “Hey Twilight, wait up!” shouted Scootaloo. Galloping ahead, Twilight was too focused on following the trail of hoofprints that belonged to Applebloom to pay the others any attention. While she was aware of Applebloom’s visits to Zecora, the thought of her traversing the woods alone was always unsettling. Worse, she had Alex with her, placing him (and her Hoofbel Prize) in mortal danger. ‘I do hope they’re safe!’ thought Twilight as the forest finally came into view. ***** “Are we there yet?” asked a moaning Alex as he continued to rub his sore and aching body. “Will ya stop askin’ me that!” After having been scared off the path, Applebloom finally stopped running as she was out of breath. While Alex was recovering from his bumpy ride, he could’ve sworn he heard Applebloom admitting she didn’t recognize where they were, but then soon after denied she did. Putting on a serious and confident face, Applebloom simply stated that she going to retrace her steps back and find the path to Zecora’s hut in no time. That was nearly an hour ago. “Face it Applebloom. You’re lost. You don’t even know where we are now.” Of course Ah know where we are! Zecora’s hut is jus’ beyond those trees…” ‘That’s what you said 10 minutes ago…’ grumbled Alex as the notion that they were completely lost became more and more evident. Hold on a minute!” Alex suddenly yelled. “That tree looks awfully familiar!” He pointed at a nearby oak with a strangely curved branch. “Of course it’s familiar. We’ve passed it FIVE times! We’ve been going around in circles! I thought you said you knew the way?” “And Ah’ do know tha’ way!” Applebloom argued. “It’s not mah fault everythin’ looks the same aroun’ here.” Alex frowned at her. “Just admit it. We’re lost!” “We ain’t lost!” Applebloom argued again. “Are too!” “Are not!” “ARE TOO!” “ARE NOT!” While they were trotting away arguing, they were unaware of a shadowy figure that slithered up from the nearest bushes. Having been stirred from its slumber, it regarded them menacingly with bright, red eyes. ***** Somewhere close by, Twilight, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were still searching. Leading the way, Twilight was steadily following the trail left behind by Applebloom. It had led them the path to Zecora before suddenly trailing off. “Strange… The tracks go this way.” She got off the path and followed the tracks, with the fillies close behind. “You two really shouldn’t have come along.” “Applebloom is our friend Twilight.” said Scootaloo. “Yeah! And we really need that human to get our cutie marks!” said Sweetie Belle. Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine, but follow me and stay close.” Scootaloo, forced to leave her scooter behind, tried her best to keep up with Twilight through the thick foliage. She then noticed Sweetie Belle looked more worried than usual. “What’s wrong Sweetie Belle?” This too caught Twilight’s attention. “I’m just thinking about Spike. Do you think he’s okay Twilight?” ***** Inside Applejack’s barn, Spike was tied to a chair as menacing shadows approached him. “No! Please! Not that! Anything but that! TWILIGHT! HEEEELP!” ***** “I’m sure he’s fine Sweetie Belle.” smiled Twilight. “Don’t worry about him. Just be on the lookout for Applebloom and Alex. They can't be too far away. If we’re quick enough, we might be able to catch up to them before anything else does!” The three ponies quickly cantered off, following the trail leading further into the woods, unaware that at that moment they disappeared from view, a little bow-wearing figure emerged from the bushes behind them. Applebloom came to a halt and panted, covered in leaves and foliage. “*Pant!* We… *Pant!* We oughta to be close now…” “Uh… Applebloom…” Alex earned her attention and pointed at the nearest tree with the curved branch. “Oh for cryin’ out loud!” fumed Applebloom. Alex was starting to feel uneasy. The forest had suddenly gone too quiet and he felt a creepy vibe crawling all over him. As if they weren’t alone. As if something was stalking them through the trees. “Applebloom, I don’t like this...” “Ah told y’ we ain’t lost!” she said. “Ah know where we art’ to go now.” “It’s not that…” Alex looked around nervously. “It feels like we’re being wa-” Suddenly, shadowy creature popped out of the bushes before them. It let out a terrifying squawk as it rose up, flaring up its scaly wings. “SCREEEEEAAAAAARCK!!!” Applebloom reared back with a fright, causing Alex to lose his footing and knock his head on the glass. She backed slowly away as a bird-like serpent menacingly approached them, its eyes glowing threateningly red. Rubbing his head and recovering from the pain, Alex managed to get a glimpse of the creature. It resembled a snake but had the head of a chicken. “Wha- What is that?” Alex shouted. “It’s- It’s a Cockatrice!” Applebloom said, trembling. “A Cock-a-what?” “A Cockatrice! It's got the body of a snake and tha’ head of a chicken!” Alex squinted at the creature. “No, that’s a Basilisk.” “No! It’s a Cockatrice!” Applebloom corrected. “My knowledge of mythology may be a bit rusty, but I’m pretty sure that’s a Basilisk.” “It’s not a Basilisk, it’s a Cockatrice! Don’t look at it!” Applebloom shielded her eyes. Alex did the same. “I know! Looking directly into a Basilisk’s eyes will turn us to ashes!” “It’ll turn us to stone!” “Ashes!” “Stone!” “ASHES!” “STONE!” As they argued, a low flying bat suddenly flew in front of the creature, distracting it. It eyed the bat as it met its gaze. The bat froze in mid-air and landed with a solid thud on the ground, completely petrified. Applebloom and Alex, witnessing it all, stared silently at the creature before it drew its attention back towards them. Applebloom slowly backed away. “Applebloom..?” “Yeah..?” “It’s a Cockatrice…” “Told ya…” “Applebloom..?” “Yeah..?” “RUN!!!” Applebloom vanished in a cloud of dust as the Cockatrice let out its terrifying squawk. They dashed through the woods as fast as they could, plowing their way through bushes and foliage. Having reached quite a distance, they stopped and hid behind a large tree. Applebloom panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. So did Alex (for some reason). “Did we lose it?” asked Applebloom. “I think we lost it!” said Alex, looking somewhat relieved. Just then, they heard the sinister sound of clucking in the tree above them. A leaf suddenly fell on Applebloom’s snout. They looked up, seeing the red glowing eyes of the Cockatrice peering through the leaves and branches. They both let out a terrified shriek as the Cockatrice swooped down towards them. “SCREEEEEAAAAAARCK!!!” “AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” ***** Having trudged through the forest for quite some time now, Twilight stopped, allowing the fillies to catch up to her as she tried to find her bearings. “I don’t understand…” she said puzzled. “There seems to be something wrong here...” Scootaloo then turned her attention to the nearest oak. “Is it me or have we passed that tree before?” “SCREEEEEAAAAAARCK!!!” “What was that?” cried Sweetie Belle, shaking as the sound reminded her of something terrifyingly familiar. “AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” “THAT’S APPLEBLOOM!!” exclaimed Scootaloo. “COME ON!” said Twilight and dashed off in the direction of the scream, quickly followed by Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. ***** Applebloom and Alex screamed as they galloped through the dark forest, with the Cockatrice in hot pursuit. Applebloom tried to run as fast as her filly legs could carry her. Alex took one quick glance back at the creature as it relentlessly pursued them. “Hurry! It’s gaining!” “Ah’m going as fast as Ah’ can!” cried Applebloom. She closed her eyes to avoid looking behind her. Alex soon noticed his ride had no driver and now she was fast approaching a tree. “Applebloom! To the right!” yelled Alex. Applebloom made a sharp turn to the right, avoiding not just the tree, but the sharp talons of the pouncing Cockatrice as it nearly caught her and collided with the tree. The Cockatrice quickly shook off the painful impact (and the stars around its head) as it snarled and continued pursuit. Despite their luck, Applebloom and Alex weren’t out of the woods yet. Alex could hear the dreadful squawk of the Cockatrice as it burst through the treebranches, its eyes glowing red with rage. “Faster, Applebloom! FASTER!” Alex yelled while trying to keep his stomach in order. Her movements made it nearly impossible for him to get a proper footing inside the jar. The chase continued, until the path ahead of them reached its end straight down a cliff. “APPLEBLOOM! STOOOOOOOP!!!” Applebloom skidded to a halt, stopping just short by the edge. There was no way she could climb down that. “We’re trapped!” wailed Applebloom, just as the Cockatrice caught up and landed behind them. Applebloom shrank down on her haunches, covered her eyes and trembled with fear. “Ah’m gonna be turned into an ornament!” she cried. Alex clenched his teeth and tightened his fists as the Cockatrice moved closer, its eyes glowing menacingly at them. He covered his eyes. If only he was normal sized and not trapped in a jar… “There they are!” a familiar voice was heard. It was Scootaloo, with Sweetie Belle and Twilight following close behind. “Applebloom!” yelled Sweetie Belle. “Alex!” yelled Twilight. Applebloom jerked her head towards the sound and tearfully answered back. “Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! HELP ME!” “Twilight?” As much as he hated to admit it, Alex was actually happy to see Twilight right now. “Close your eyes!” yelled Twilight. “Whatever you do, don’t open them. I’ll handle this!” The Cockatrice noticed Twilight and briefly ignored its prey as it snarled and glared at her. Twilight nervously bit her lower lip and gulped. “Somehow…” She didn’t dare telling them that she was afraid. Her previous encounter with this foul creature almost left her as a new addition to Canterlot’s royal statue garden. While she had learned how to counter such a stare, she couldn’t get too close without the Cockatrice harming both Applebloom and Alex. And with the Cockatrice glaring at her, she couldn’t do much without looking directly at it. Even though Twilight had told him to close his eyes, Alex carefully glanced passed the Cockatrice at Twilight. He could see the fear in her eyes. Just then, he eyed Scootaloo. He lingered at her for a moment and then remembered something he had read. It was by definition a very, VERY long shot, but time was running out. “Applebloom! Tell Scootaloo she has to crow!” “What???” “Just do it! Trust me on this!” Applebloom was puzzled by this. She remembered teasing Scootaloo by calling her a chicken before, but this was too much. And even though she was mad at him for lying to her, Alex somehow sounded serious about this. She bit her lower lip and hoped Scootaloo would forgive her for this. “SCOOTALOO!” Applebloom yelled. “YOU HAVE TO CROW!” “WHAT?!?” “CROW! LIKE A ROOSTER!” Scootaloo fumed. “I’M NOT A CHICKEN APPLEBLOOM!!” Twilight’s eyes widened. Applebloom was a genius. “Scootaloo! Crow!” Scootaloo looked at her in surprise. “What? But…” “JUST DO IT!” Unable to protest further, Scootaloo took a deep breath and… “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!” The Cockatrice eyes widened with fright. It turned in the direction of Twilight and the fillies. Scootaloo let out another crow. “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!” The Cockatrice shook violently as it tried to shield it ears. The horrible sound piercing its head was unbearable. As Scootaloo worked up for another crow, the Cockatrice bolted, flying away as fast as it could until is disappeared into the dark forest. “It worked!” cheered Sweetie Belle, hugging Scootaloo. “That was amazing, Scootaloo!” “H- How..?” “It’s quite simple, really.” Twilight proudly explained. “A Cockatrices’ main weakness is the sound of a rooster crowing.” Scootaloo just gawked as Twilight cantered towards Applebloom. “I- I’m a rooster..?” Applebloom raced towards Twilight and embraced her with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Thank ya’ll so much, Twilight! Ah was so scared…” “There. There. It’s alright now.” Twilight hugged Applebloom. “That was good thinking by the way. How did you know Scootaloo’s crow would work against the Cockatrice?” Applebloom pulled back from the hug and blushed a bit. “Actually, it was Alex who told me.” She showed her Alex. “Really?” Twilight leaned closer to get a good look at him, and was relieved that he was okay. She could hardly believe how small he was. Alex looked nervously up at Twilight. She was huge! “Nice to see you again, Alex. You were really hard to find.” She couldn’t help putting on a small victorious grin. “Applebloom, you’ll never guess what!” Sweetie Belle suddenly exclaimed. “Alex is a HUMAN!” “A’ WHAT???” She turned and looked at him with disbelief. “Ya’ mean… Yer not a ‘Leppycarn’?” “Leprechaun…” Sweetie Belle said bluntly. “Then... All that thar talk about them gold Bits, was a lie too?!?” Alex gulped and laughed nervously. “Ehehe… Sorry..?” “SORRY!?” Applebloom yelled at him. “We almost became statues over nothing!!!” Infuriated, she undid her strap and threw him off her. Alex was almost about to hit the ground until the jar was seized by Twilight’s magic. “Ya good fer nothin’ liar! Ya'll shoulda been turned to stone an’ left in tha’ forest!” “APPLEBLOOM!” Twilight scolded her. She understood Applebloom was angry, but that was going a bit too far. She looked at Alex and saw how ashamed he looked. “Sigh! Look, I’m sure Alex is very sorry about all this. But now that we are all safe, we can all go back and…” “SCREEEEEAAAAAARCK!!!” A terrifying squawk filled the air and they all looked up in fright. The Cockatrice had returned! It swooped down with tremendous speed… “LOOK OUT!!” YOINK! …and snagged the jar with Alex still inside. The ponies watched with horror as it flew away and hovered above the cliff. “ALEX!!” yelled both Twilight and crusaders. Acting on instinct, Twilight shot several beams of magic at the Cockatrice, hoping to stop it from carrying Alex away. PEW! PEW! “TWILIGHT! HELP ME!” Alex hammered frantically at the glass. The cockatrice then suddenly glared down at its catch and Alex froze as he met its eyes. Everything suddenly went black. “AH-*” “NO!” The ponies cried with horror as Alex was turned to stone right before them. Suddenly Twilight’s fear of the Cockatrice completely vanished and her determination to save Alex grew. Fueled by anger, she quickly powered up to cast a powerful spell at the flying monster, when three very angry fillies suddenly stepped in front of her and… “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!” The sound painfully pierced the Cockatrices’ ears, causing it to let go of Alex. This was the last straw. With an ear-piercing headache, the Cockatrice finally retreated and disappeared into the dark forest for good. The ponies gasped as the jar plummeted to earth. Twilight tried to get a lock but she was still in shock and watched helplessly as it disappeared in the forest below beneath the branches of the trees. There was a faint sound of shattered glass. CRASH! “NO!” Twilight cried. She bolted off to find a safer way down the cliff. The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched her gallop away before Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle eventually followed suit. All except for Applebloom who didn’t take her eyes off the spot where Alex had fallen, her tear-filled eyes trembling with regret. “Ah… Ah know what Ah’ said… But Ah didn’t mean…” “Come on!” yelled Scootaloo as she ran back and pushed her along after Twilight. ***** Deep in the forest below, a lone hooded figure was gathering herbs when the sound of shattering glass suddenly echoed through the forest. Curious, the figure followed the source of the noise and found the remains of a glass jar. The figure then saw a small figure on the ground with the look of fear in his eyes. If Alex could think, he would come up with something very funny to describe the situation he was in. In many ways, one would consider him lucky. If he hadn’t met the eyes of the Cockatrice, the fall and the shards of glass would have injured him greatly. The jar had fallen on a rock and basically exploded on impact. Fortunately, Alex missed the rock and was instead thrown into the air before landing and digging his legs into the soft ground. He looked like a hood ornament. A very FRIGHTENED hood ornament… The hooded figure stepped up from the shadows before him, reached out its hoof and scooped him up. “What is this that fell from the trees? A victim of the Cockatrice?"