Continuity Disrupted

by Doug Graves

88 Chaotic Disposition, Part Three

Fluttershy’s mane folds against her face as she stares up at the twisting trees of the Everfree Forest. The trees grow much taller and closer together here than in Ponyville, or even the wind breaks in Sweet Apple Acres. The pathway carved several years ago is already starting to get a little overgrown, something no caretaker would allow. But, with the Everfree growing… all on its own? Well, Fluttershy is more than a little concerned about setting hoof in there. Maybe even past worried to downright terrified.

Whenever Fluttershy looks out of her window towards the Everfree Forest, especially at night, there is almost always the faint shimmer of somecreature staring back at her. Sometimes a bird, sometimes Barry the Bear, but rarely - and far too frequently for her comfort - yellow with a wisp of green that slowly blinks as it realizes it is being watched, slinking away with a rustle of brown. A yellow hoof rubs against her own flank; the scars from the timber wolf never fully healed, leaving bumps and ridges of rough tissue.

But hiding the sight of the woods from her eyes merely draws Fluttershy’s attention to the horseshoe imprints in the path. And there, following close behind, the small claw marks of a certain baby dragon. Fluttershy gulps, her anxious gaze tracking each hoofprint and claw mark. She fervently hopes that the next one will belong to a long purple leg. But, instead, they merely continue further on into the forest.

“Spike…” Fluttershy softly whimpers, one hoof digging a trench into the ground from her constant pawing.

“So, do you think there are a lot of scary monsters out in the Everfree forest?” Scootaloo excitedly asks, her head craning to look as deep into the dark depths as she can.

“Ah bet there’s tons of terrifying terrors in there!” Apple Bloom in a low voice with a wide smile, far too much enthusiasm for Fluttershy’s taste.

Fluttershy quietly says, “Girls, we should-”

“We can be Cutie Mark Crusader Creature Catchers too!” Sweetie Belle exclaims.

“Girls!” Fluttershy implores.

Scootaloo darts forward into the forest, Fluttershy gasping, and returns with a few severed branches. She holds the bushy leaves above her head, casting her face into shadows, and jumps onto Apple Bloom’s back. The filly wraps her cloak across her face, madly cackling. “We are a monster from the Everfree Forest! Rwaar!”

Sweetie Belle takes a hesitant step back as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo advance on her. She rumbles deep in her throat, “Well, I am a Creature Catcher, and I will catch you! Grrr!” Sweetie Belle charges forward, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom giggling as they turn tail and run down the path.

“Girls!” Fluttershy yells, which mostly comes out as a harsh whisper. “Awww,” she moans to herself, glancing back to the Carousel Boutique. Why her? Maybe she can go back, get Doug and Rarity and everypony else to come search?

“Cutie Mark Crusader Trailblazing Trail Finders!”

A bellowing roar in response from deep in the forest shatters any thought of that. “That’s a manticore!” Fluttershy takes wing, flying as fast as the darkness of the heavy canopy allows. She groans as the trail of the three fillies intermingles with the claw and hoofprints. The light of the stars gets dimmer and dimmer, the moon fading from view completely as Fluttershy rushes headlong into the forest.

“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy mutters to herself as the wide path becomes more of a game trail. Or, from the splintered trunks and slashed foliage, an impromptu route a hungry predator took to reach their latest prey. Some of the branches seem to dip low, grasping twigs like claws trying to snag any wayward creature that strays too close.

At least the hoofprints are fresh, and Fluttershy flies low to the ground, barely able to track the fillies’ path. The roar comes again; closer this time but more panicked, if her short time with Manny taught her anything. Fluttershy grits her teeth, forcing herself onwards even as the crack of stone shattering and snapping of tree branches continues.

“Girls!” Fluttershy shouts again, every stray branch swaying in the cool night drawing her attention away from her search, as if each one could conceal a trembling filly, scared out of her wits. The roar gets louder, as if the manticore turned towards her.

Fluttershy drops low, peeking around one tree at the latest shout. She gasps as she spots a familiar outline in a small clearing along the path. That’s Twilight! The moon barely shines as it peeks out from the thick clouds above, casting the whole area in shifting shadows, especially the large one right by Twilight’s hooves. Fluttershy zips forward another tree, stepping on an odd stone as she hurriedly glances around for any sign of the fillies or any Everfree monsters, spotting nothing.

“Brawk brawk!” comes a low whisper from a cluster of bushes a few trees ahead, a brown face and purple eyes briefly appearing, a low whistle before it disappears into the foliage.

Fluttershy goes still, sinking into the ground as she stares at the bush, hoping that the darkness will let her glaringly bright pink and yellow coloring fade into her dark green and brown surroundings. A low rumble comes from the clearing and echoes among the trees, the sound of stone being broken off and then slowly crushed. Fluttershy discreetly turns her attention to the clearing, the only motion that of Twilight’s tail slowly shifting around.

“Brawk brawk!” rings from the bush again, a little more insistent this time. A mud stained hoof briefly pokes out from the shrubs, a short wave before it is tugged back down. The movement in the clearing ceases, a glint of two red eyes from the end of Twilight’s tail. Fluttershy pulls her head back, cringing at the sight. Or was it her mind playing tricks on her?

She chances a peek again, no longer seeing the red eyes. But Twilight is still standing far too still. The clearing slowly grows brighter, a few of the wandering clouds above the Everfree Forest moving and no longer concealing the moon.

Fluttershy gasps as she looks down; the stone she has been standing on? It's Spike!

And Twilight has been petrified!

She will need to find a way to get both stone statues home somehow, and quick! The Betrayal magic would fade on its own, faster if they had a specialist. But a more pressing matter is that her own hiding spot is about to be that no longer, and she needs to find some new concealment, fast!

Fluttershy regretfully leaves Spike behind, whispering, “Don’t move!” as she cautiously approaches the bush, staying as low as she can to the ground. She grimaces at the feeling of dirt pressing into her coat, ruining the shiny luster she so carefully cultivates. As she gets right next to the bush she can hear the faint whisper of a filly.

“Come quick!”

Fluttershy dives into the bushes, muddy water splashing onto her face, sputtering as she wipes the grit from her eyes.

“What was that call supposed to be?”

“It’s a chicken,” comes the low response. “Why?”

“Doesn’t sound much like a chicken to me.”

“Well, it worked. Besides, I’d like to hear your chicken call, if you think you’re so much better.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

Fluttershy whispers, “Girls?” as she recovers, a mud smeared yellow filly pokes her head out of the bush.

“Scootaloo! Scoot! Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom calls out loudly.

“Girls!” Fluttershy dives forward, wrapping her forelegs around Apple Bloom’s mouth and silencing her. She pulls back, disappearing into the bush and dragging the filly into the mud.

The manticore’s roar returns from just on the other side of the clearing, a bellowing blast that shakes the trees, a flurry of leaves falling. Fluttershy pokes her head out, watching in horror as the manticore breaks through the trees.

The ten foot tall orange beast shakes his red mane, baring large white fangs. He takes one look at Twilight, his bulbous red tail swishing back and forth, scorpion stinger scratching the surface of the nearby trees and effortlessly leaving large divots in the trunks. His ears perk around, trying to find the source of the loud chattering.

Fluttershy cowers back down, barely able to see out from the bush. She realizes; the loud chattering around her isn’t her own, but the three fillies next to her! Soon, the manticore will figure out what the noise is, too, and then it will come for them! She turns, her most calming, reassuring face.

“Girls? Do you want to play a game?” Fluttershy asks in a low whisper, smiling broadly as she tries to conceal the sight of the manticore from the three. The trio strain to hear her, hesitantly nodding as Fluttershy continues. “It’s called ‘Shhh’. It’s about who can be quiet the longest. And I’m world champion! I bet you can’t beat me!” The three fillies cower down, each nodding and going so far to hold their breath.

Moments pass, the crunch of twigs and leaves coming from the clearing. The low huff of the manticore pacing around. The snap of stone breaking off, then the grinding sound before a wet gulp and a harsh tap of beak on claw.

Fluttershy slowly, silently lets her breath out, a long, quiet inhale. She frowns at Apple Bloom’s cheeks puffing out, the filly grimacing. Fluttershy forces a grin, a short puff of air at the filly’s face. Apple Bloom flinches, clenching her eyes shut even tighter. Fluttershy tries again, blowing harder. Apple Bloom’s eyes snap open, glaring at Fluttershy. The pegasus merely smiles, breathing in, and then out, keeping her breath low and steady. Apple Bloom finally gives out, her gasping exhale stifled as best she can. Fluttershy grins; hopefully the manticore doesn’t notice them!

The heavy steps around the clearing don’t change, merely continuing to circle around.

Until Sweetie Belle sneezes.

“Oh, no,” Fluttershy moans, turning up to see the large orange beast looming above them, red mane practically filling her view. Her wings spread out, “Um, hello, Mister Manticore. Nice… night?”

A low rumble comes from the manticore.

“Um, yes, I do have three fillies with me.” Fluttershy glances down, the trio visible as they peek out from behind her wings. They are too terrified to even burst into tears, quivering as they clench onto Fluttershy’s legs.

The manticore grins, his long, pink tongue licking his fangs.

“Um, no. I don’t think I can do that. I like each of them. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy shakes her head resolutely. “If you can wait patiently, then I-”

The manticore sneers, lips pulling back against his teeth, a hot exhale of breath directly into Fluttershy’s face that blows her mane back.

“Brawk bawk bawkk brawk!”

“Scootaloo!” Fluttershy harshly whispers, “This is not the time for that kind of insinuation!”

“It wasn’t me!” Scootaloo hastily replies.

“Then who?” Fluttershy asks as the manticore rears up, his barbed tail swaying ominously above them.

Twilight’s tail seems to come alive, moonlight glinting off the green scales that wind and coil around. From behind the statue comes a red plume, then a feathery white head, then two green scaled bat wings around a long, slithering body. Bits of stone fall away from the cockatrice’s beak as it challenges the manticore, a low, “Babrakaw!”

Fluttershy shakes her head, an adamant, “No, you can’t have one either.”

The manticore puffs his mane larger, his eyes barely opened and focusing on a spot several feet to the side of the cockatrice. His paws unsheathe their claws, a loud *schink* that draws twinges of phantom pain from Fluttershy’s flank. He takes a few steps to one side, then the other, always staying between Fluttershy and the cockatrice.

Fluttershy continues keeping her wings outspread, a harsh whisper commanding the fillies, “Don’t look! Not at the eyes!” She follows her own advice, her gaze transfixed on Twilight’s statue and the remaining tail, now shortly cropped. Rarity will want to patch it up, but at least that style is in this season!

The manticore bellows again, though he seems less confident than before. The cockatrice notices this, advancing and slithering to the side. The manticore swiftly turns his head, blindly lashing out with a claw. The cockatrice dives down, slithering to the side.

“Ba-ba-ba-brawk!”

The manticore bellows again, swiping left, then left again. His breath huffs out as he catches nothing but air, an infuriated roar at the cockatrice’s taunting cry.

The cockatrice dodges the next blow by shifting to the side, directly into the manticore’s line of sight. Fluttershy gasps, turning to the side and a hoof coming up to shield her eyes as a second statue joins Twilight in the clearing.

Fluttershy whimpers as the sounds of slithering grow louder, the gnashing of teeth capable of crushing stone directly above her.

Comments

[badninja]

I think tomorrow night Doug needs to done on Cocktrease soup. It is to late for tonight.

[chibilink]

Sometimes a bird, sometimes Barry the Bear, but rarely - and far too frequently for her comfort

Barry? :P