Harmony and Light

by TheChronicler

Chapter 6 Unedited

Everypony was running as fast as the could to keep up with Rider who was being very vague about what they were running from, and finally Twilight had enough. "That dose it I am not taking another step until you tell us what were running from!" Twilight demanded making her point by plopping herself on the ground and her nose in the air.

"Agh fine." Rider sighed in defeat he turned around. "On one of my trips into the everfree forest to catch a criminal i saw something, something bad." He said as everypony started to get a pit of dread in their stomachs. "when i finally caught up to him he was being ripped apart by the Blanks pony's of rotting flesh and lifeless eyes cursed by the forest long story short the zombie pony's of sunnytown." He finished with a sirius look on his face.

"Oh for the love of-gah theres no such thing as zombie pony's thats just an old ponytail!" Twilight yelled as she got up.

Rider got a smug look on his face "Oh right how silly of me we better get back to our quest to get the magical gems form the old Castile in the forbidden forest so we can beat the mare in the moon and save the princess." He said sarcastically.

"Ah he's got a point lass our situation is kinda like old mares tail a'course this could all be a daze of all the paint's i drank at the party." Clover said trying to figure out if he was drunk.

"Okay I understand that this is weird and that strange things happen in this forest and somethings right behind me isn't there" Twilight said as Everypony nodded fastly with a freaked out look on there face twilight turned around to see.

"Braaaaiiins" The zombie said as it opened it's maw reveling sharp teeth covered in dried blood its flesh hanging off by a thread just as it was about to bite into Twilight a spike a on a chain destroyed its head sending bones, bits of flesh and black blood everywhere.

"Twilight run everypony get behind me NOW!" Rider yelled as everypony scrambled behind him. More blanks started to come out of the forest as if sensing one of their brethren had fallen. no matter how manny were destroyed by Riders chain they kept coming. "Agh dammit I was hoping to save this for Nightmare Moon BUT YOU'LL DO!" Rider yelled as his chains suddenly ignited he wiped them in a horizontal ark setting all the blanks on fire they burned fast and quickly turned to dust. withe their task done Rider's chains went out and he collapsed on the ground.

"Faith and begorrah Rider what the hay was that I thought i was crazy but you take the prize you don't set your self on fire just look at your hooves!" Clover exclaimed drawing attention to Rider's hooves they were chard black, the fur gone, skin cracked, and a little bit of bone showing.

"Hmm thats a forth degree burn right there anypony got a med kit?" asked Swiftblade as he examined the burn.

"In saddle bag." Rider said through grit teeth

As Swiftblade dressed the wound Applejack was busy chewing Rider out for doing something monumentally stupid "An if you ever scare me like that again I'll shove that chain were the sun don't shine!" Applejack yelled finishing her rant.

"Yeah yeah." Rider said dismissively until Applejack wacked him in the back of the head "gah all right all right i'll be more careful." He said.

"Just what was that anyway?" twilight asked.

"Enchanted chains from tartarus any monster touched by the flame is instantly destroyed." Rider explained as they rested all the while unaware a dark mist in the shadows flew ahed of them.

We rejoin our heroes further down the path after Twilight used a healing spell on Rider so he could keep walking as they came upon the exit of the canyon. "Ah finally come on everypony the sooner we get out of this canyon the sooner we can save the princess." Twilight said as they trotted towards the exit when suddenly a manticore landed in front of them and roared. "A manticore!" she gasped. as it roared again. "We've gotta get past him!" she said as the pony's went into battle mode except for Fluttershy who gained a worried look.

Rarity ran up to it but jumped back to avoid a swipe of its claw turned and bucked it in the neck "Take that, you ruffian!" she taunted. the manticore responded by roaring in her face "My hair!" she cried the manticore growling in he face before he was blasted in the face by Clover

"Wait." Fluttershy tried to say but nopony heard her

The manticore roared as its paw was caught by riders chains. "I may not be abel to use my flames until I'm completely healed but i can still fight." Rider said holding the manticore in place.

"YEE-HAW! Git along, little dogie." Applejack said as grabbed the manticores mane until it thew her and Rider back at the others.

"Wait." fluttershy said a little louder as they flew past her.

"All yours, partners." Applejack said as she and Rider flew past Rainbow Dash and Soarin

"Were on it." Soarin said as he and Rainbow flew towards the manticore only to be swat away by his tail.

"Rainbow Soarin!"

"Wait!" Fluttershy said loudly only getting swiftblade to notice. the manticore grunted as he clawed the ground Twilight snorted coping the movement and led the pony's in a charge.

"WAIT!" Fluttershy yelled getting them to stop as she walked towards the manticore Twilight tried to go after her but Swiftblade stopped her.

the manticore growled as Fluttershy got near and raised its paw but it stopped when she nuzzled it's other paw "Shhh... It's okay." She cooed as the manticore grimaced and showed her his paw reveling a thorn. "Oh, you poor, poor little baby." she said.

"Little?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Now this might hurt for just a second." Fluttershy said as she grabbed the thorn with her teeth and pulled the manticore roared and picked up Fluttershy with its paws.

"Fluttershy!" Everypony screamed but stopped when they realized that it was purring and licking her

"Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are." She giggled as everypony stared to walk past.

Twilight stopped to let Fluttershy catch up "How did you know about the thorn?" she asked.

"I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Fluttershy replied as the Pony's walked out of the canyon the thorn stated to spin and turned into dark mist and flew off into the forest