Were going to milk a manticore
Apple Bloom was running around the room searching for ingredients, she read the labels of the labeled bottles or jars, she looked at the color of those who were not but whose containers were transparent enough to see inside, if she could not tell by sight she would smell them, if sight or smell did not tell her what was in the container she would taste it, most of the time with various results. Spike for his part stood covered in manticore repellent, shivering.
With supplies in hand and hoof the two left Zecora hut, traveling towards the manticore caves. After spending a good deal of time tracking through the Everfree they reached one of the entrances to the labyrinth of tunnels that once ran underneath the entire forest and some as far away as Canterlot.
Most of the tunnels had collapsed after centuries of neglect and from the tree roots that made their way through cracks in the stone walls. Year after year the roots grew forcing the once small crack to widen and eventually for the whole tunnel to collapse.
“Spike.”
“Shush.”
“Spike!”
“Shush, Apple Bloom.”
“But Spike we have been walking for hours in these tunnels, I think we are lost.”
“We are not lost... and the voice said it had been less than an hour since we entered.”
“Right. You know this may be a good thing,” the voice told Spike.
“How could this be a good thing?” Spike asked, once again forgetting to use his inner voice.
“Do you know what ‘Last Wish’ actually does?”
“No.”
“The ‘Last wish’ spell – if you can call it that – was an early attempt at immortality.”
“Immortality?” He asked before turning towards Apple Bloom. “Hey, the voice in my head tells me that the potion you made was some sort of ancient immortality elixir. ”
“Really?” She asked with a smile. “Ouch! Stop screaming! I can’t make out a word you are saying!”
“Zecora?” Spike asked.
“Yeah, now Zecora, tell me again what I should ask Spike?”
Apple Bloom walked silently for a while before continuing talking.
“Spike, Zecora told me to tell you to ask your voice to tell you to tell me what exactly the potion does.”
“Well?” Spike asked the voice in his head.
“It usually was used on the dying to transfer their memories into a new body; merging, or most of the time overwriting, the memories of the new host.”
“Oh...”
“What?” Apple Bloom asked. “What did he say? What will happen to Zecora?”
“Mmm, she will be more or less fine, just a little younger... What?” Spike paused and let out a giggle.
“The voice said a lot younger.”
“So she if is going to be fine... then why are we in... such a hurry...”
“I think she figured it out.”
“You don’t say.”
“Spike, what is going to happen to me.”
“Well, there is a chance you will inherit all of Zecora’s memories...”
“But?” She asked noticing the tone of his voice.
“But most likely you will turn into Zecora.”
“Oh.” She said her ears hanging down. “And I guess you don’t mean I will become a zebra, do you?”
“I am sorry Apple Bloom.”
“Will I forget everypony?”
“Most likely.”
“There is a chance... but, I will not let that happen, now lets hurry; time is running out!”
Spike began running through the tunnels, Apple Bloom close behind him.
“Thanks Spike.” She thought. “And when have you become so fast?”
Together they ran through the maze of tunnels that ran beneath the Everfree. To Apple Bloom’s surprise Spike knew these tunnels very well. A couple of times he had to stop to show her how to move, in order to avoid setting off a trap, but most of the time they did nothing but run.
When Spike finally stopped they were standing in front of what seemed to be a ladder of some sorts. However, unlike a traditional ladder, it had no rails, it only had ‘U’ shaped steps embedded into the stone wall. These steps seemed to be made out of evenly spaced iron bars bent at ninety degrees angles, these were covered by a thick coat of rust, the result of the passage of time and water dripping from the ceiling. The duo looked up, and despite being dark, saw that the ladder went up for several feet before leading to a metallic lid.
Apple Bloom tried to climb but the metal steps were too far from each other, and she had trouble holding onto the metal as well. The ladder hadn't been meant to be used by ponies, let alone a small filly like her.
“May I?” The voice asked.
“May you what?”
“Take control.”
“What?”
“Do what I did in the kitchen when you got the salt.”
“That was you?”
“Who did you think it was, you?”
“Well yeah...” He said rubbing the back of his head, in embarrassment.
“Well no.” The voice replied. “So can I?”
“I guess.”
All this time Apple Bloom was looking at Spike, hearing half of the conversation. She noticed that Spike froze for a minute, his eyes going blank. But before she could say anything, he had snapped out of it, grabbed the pony, the saddlebags, and everything else, and placed her on his back. Apple Bloom wrapped her forelegs around his neck, and used her hind legs to grab onto his abdomen, which was odd seeing how the filly was larger than the baby dragon.
Spike wasted no time. As soon as Apple Bloom was hanging on tight, he bent his knees and jumped. Clearing a good bit of distance he reached the fifth step, grabbing it with his claws. He pulled himself up grabbing the sixth step with his feet. Another five steps in one jump, then another one in one pull, until he’d almost reached the top.
Apple Bloom looked up, they were still two steps away and Spike had landed on his legs. She could see that there was a lever attached to the lid. Three small jumps and Spike grabbed onto the lever.
Apple Bloom looked down, and instantly regretted the decision. Spike coughed as the little filly's grip around his neck suddenly became stronger.
Using their combined weight to pull on the lever caused the mechanism that held the hatch close to shriek before ending with a brief clicking noise. They immediately found themselves flying through the air, being catapulted by the opening hatch.
Despite being thrown out of a real catapult some time ago, while attempting to get her cutie mark in... something, Apple Bloom was screaming with all her might. Spike for his part just ignored the panicking filly.
They landed in a large yellowish pool of liquid.
“That... was... awesome!” Spike yelled after he got out. Apple Bloom was only a short way behind him.
“Are you insane?!”
“Apple Bloom...” Spike whispered as he turned and slowly walked towards the filly.
“That was horrible!”
“Apple Bloom...” He said again as he got closer.
“I am cold, and now I am covered in manticore... mmmph...”
She could not finish her sentence since Spike put one arm in front of her mouth and the other at the back of her head, as to not let the pony escape from his grasp and make another sound.
Apple Bloom looked at Spike with rage in her eyes. The rage quickly disappeared and was replaced with fear as she looked behind Spike and then around as much as she could, considering her head was held in place by Spike.
As far as she could see, several dozens manticores, off all shapes and sizes, stood around them.
All of them looked alike, the head and body of a lion, and a wildly thrashing scorpions tail. Most of their faces looked alike, but a few were missing their muzzle and had flatter faces, with a square jaw. Some had the ears on top of their head, like a pony, while others had their ears on the sided of their head, a pair of horns standing where their ears should have been. Half of them seemed to be missing their wings, while others were incredible small compared to the rest of their body. Some were covered in fur, while others only had fur in their mane, some were fat, while other were well build, but all of them had one thing in common.
All of them were staring and growling at the duo.