Raison d'etre

by Umbral Afro

First Confrontation

First Confrontation

Knowing direction Ponyville was in and going that direction proved to be two entirely different things. The path was almost completely overgrown with all sorts of vines and bushes. The undergrowth was so thick that it was almost impossible to walk through, and the canopy above them blocked out the sun making it hard to see. In short it was HELL, and both Connor and Abner just wanted to get out ASAP.

"Hey Connor, I have a question for you." Abner said to Connor who was behind him. "What is it?" Connor replied dryly. "If you could see that town off in the distance then why didn't you just fly us there, and save us both all the trouble?". "Because I'm not sure if I could carry us both there. I may be a pegasus, but I'm not se if my new wings would allow me to support us our combined weight."."So in short; you're unsure of yourself and, too scared to try." Abner said unphased by his friend's reasons. "I'm not scared!" Connor said angrily "I just don't want to break my wings carrying us both, or worse kill us both if can't fly properly, and we crashed into the forest."Abner scofed at Connor's response "Geez. You really need some more selfconfidence. I mean you have wings now Connor. Wings! And I saw how easily you lifted off yourself back there to have a look around; my added weight wouldn't be too much of a problem." Connor knew where this conversation was going. "And look up ahead." Abner continued "There's a spot where the trees are thinner where you could fly through."

Connor did not want to deal with a conversation like this right now. The kind where Abner shoots down all of his cautionary choices, and tries to have Connor do things his way. "Pay attention to where you're going Abner, we don't want to get more lost because of your needless questioning.". "Don't worry about us getting lost" Abner said with a smile "You know I never get lost." he said reassuringly. "Also my questions aren't needless, my point was that-" Connor cut him off. "Shut up" he said sternly as he stopped walking. "No need for the harsh tone" Abner said stopping as well. "I was just saying that-" "I said shut up Abner!" he sounded angry, but at the same time worried? "Why should I?!" Abner said getting mad at Connor. "Because if you were quiet I could tell you that there is something off to our right hiding behind all those trees, and it's probably not friendly." Abner stopped talking, knowing that if whatever it was had caught Connor's attention he would do best to shut up.

The wind as still, and the forest was silent while the two stared off into the woods for what felt like forever. They would try to creep past whatever it was, but for every step they took it would also take another step, effectivly keeping them where it wanted them. Suddenly Abner jumped to his hooves and began to gallop off. "Everypony for themself!" he yelled as he left Connor behind. "Wait! What? Abner wait up!" Connor began to call after him, but was interupted by a loud crashing sound coming from behind him. He took one quick look, and was both intrigued and frightened by what he saw. What he first noticed was its size. It was huge! Easily twice as big as both him and Abner combined, and it was brown. He saw what looked like wings on its back, and a segmented tail that ended in a nasty looking stinger. He was broken from his trance like state of examination by the bone rattling roar it let out as it charged at him.

Having thankfully been snapped back to the present Connor proceeded to follow Abner's lead and run for his life. Abner hadn't gotten too far ahead, Connor could still see him, and he swore that if they both survived he would kill Abner himself for leaving him behind.Connor finally caught up to Abner who had been stopped by a wall of thorns blocking his path. There was so much adrenaline pumping in him that he almost wanted to kill Abner before whatever was chasing them got the opportunity. "What the buck man?! Why did you leave me to die like that?!" Abner only looked back at him confused "Whose leaving anypony behind to die? My overdramatic exit was all part of my plan." Connor was now completly lost. "A plan that you'll have to learn as I tell you so do what I say, no thoughts just action okay?" totally confused now Connor agreed and then was narly pounced on by their pursuer who had just barely missed him, and landed between the two.

They both were now able to see what had been chasing them. It looked like a giant lion with the wings of a bat, a scorpion's tail, and 6 inch long fangs dripping with saliva. It stood there looming over them, making what little light that could filter through the trees become blocked out entirely. Connor half expected Abner to run out on him again when Abner called out to him "Try to fly away!" "What?!" he replyed "The plan" Abner said shooting him a reassuring look. Conor began to flap his wings, there wasn't anywhere to fly to with the canopy blockng his path, but Connor didn't have any other choice; it was go with what Abner said, or be eaten before he could find out what happened to them both.

The manticore turned its attention towards the pegasus and raised its paw to swat Connor down in an attempt to stop him from escaping. Connor braced for impact. This is what Abner had been waiting for. He focused in on the manticore's paw that was about to swipe Connor, making his horn spark a bit before lighting up with a gentle red aura. It then enveloped the manticore's paw, and spread to the rest of its body. Unable to move the manticore l out a deafening roar that was only made louder by the sound being bounced off of the surrounding trees. Then it started to thrash around trying to break free of Abner's magical grip "Now help me throw this thing into the thorns." Abner said straining to hold it back. Connor was still a bit dazed by the roar, but was able to hear his friend over the ringing in hs ears, and fly as fast as he could throwing himself at the manticore. When he hit it it was like hitting a brick wall made of muscle, but with the assistance of a teleknetic thrust from Abner it was tossed into the wall of thorns that had been blocking their path, effectively crushing it benth it massive bulk. "Almost done" Abner said to himself as he began to focus on the thorns themselves while still holding the manticore down. He started to move the indivudual vines of thorns making them wrap around the manticore, and when he was done the manticore was immobilized under a thick blanket of thorns.

"AWW YEAH!" Abner cried out standing over the manticore "Whose the boss!?" he looked over to Connor who was only able to look on in astonishment at what his friend had done. "H-How did you do that?" Connor stammered "You do know that I'm a unicorn right?" Abner said sarcastically. "No not that. I mean the plan as a whole; how did you come up with that whole plan in the span of a coulple minutes?" Connor said in disbelief. Abner though about it for a second "Well it was a combination of common sense and dumb luck." Connor could feel his mind die a little bit from how easy it sounded. Abner continued "It was obviously hunting us, and if we both bolted it would've chased us. The running gave me time to think of something, and the thorns." he paused "The thorns just happened to be there, and proved useful to me.". Connor could feel his brain dying of a massive aneurysm as Abner sat on his haunches. "It may have worked, but it took alot outta me" he said panting. Connor felt tired as well, but they had to reach that town before it got too late, and other predators were lured to them by all the commotion. So they decided that after a short break they would continue their journey.