If anypony had walked into the room 314 in the Ponyville hospital, they would have seen a strange sight. They would have seen a heavily bandaged teenage drake being lectured to death by a purple alicorn. The drake, of course being Spike, was bored out of his mind,and would have actually preferred the manticore to this torture. The purple alicorn, known as Twilight on the other hoof was extremely mad at the young drake; yes she was worried about him when she found out he was injured, but when it was confirmed he would live, all hell broke lose.

"...And furthermore you will not be leaving the house after you're healed," Twilight said finishing her tirade.

Spike looked at her passively. "You finished?"

"Yes I am."

"OK I'd like to start out by saying this is in no way my fault. I don't know if they told you what happened or not, but if not I will. First off, they came to me and asked me to go into the forest with them to get something from Zecora, which I at first disagreed to, but they tempted me with gem cupcakes so I went with them."

Twilight rolled her eyes. This was a typical Spike excuse.


"Where are we? I thought Zecora's was closer than this," Spike asked as he and the CMC walked through the Everfree, supposedly to Zecora's.

The girls exchanged some knowing looks.

"Don't worry we should be nearly there," Sweetie belle answered.

Spike was getting nervous. He was pretty sure Zecora didn't live this far into the Everfree, and was thinking of turning back soon. Just as he was about to speak up though, the group found themselves in a clearing and Spike nearly had a heart attack from what he saw inside. There, taking a nap in the middle of the clearing was a manticore. Spike took a step back quietly and gestured for the crusaders to do the same. Sadly it turned out they weren't even next to him any longer. Spikes eyes widen as he noticed the three crusaders slowly approaching the manticore.

Spike wanted to yell for them to come back, but didn't want to risk waking up the manticore. He decided to watch the trio hoping they wouldn't do anything life threatening and of course he was wrong. There, in Scootaloo's hoof was a net just big enough to cover the whole manticore.

"Please oh please don't do what I think you're going to do," Spike pleaded mentally.

Of course fate decided to pimp slap him and the crusaders did exactly what he hoping they wouldn't do. They threw the net on the manticore immediately waking it up. It got up quicker than its size would make you think it could, and it let out deafening roar, effectively petrifying the three fillies.

ROOOOOOAR!

It tore the net off with a swipe of its paw. It stepped towards the frozen crusaders and raised its paw with the intent to kill. Luckily Spike chose then it interven. With a hard thrust from his wings Spike shot forward and tackled the manticore into a tree. This only succeeded in pissing the manticore off even more. It jumped and up and lunged at Spike swiping at his chest with its paw, knocking the air right out of him. Before Spike had even a small chance to recover the manticore slapped him in the back digging into his wings, scratching them up and sending him flying into a tree. Miraculously, Spike didn't pass out but was in no condition to move.

The manticore, satisfied with defeating the young drake went back to the the crusaders, who were now more terrified than ever; Sweetie Belle even passed out. Spike eyes widened as the manticore got ready to pounce on its prey. With great pain he quickly got himself to his feet and once again shot forward this time going for the crusaders, nearly passing out from the pain emanating from his wings.

Just as the manticore jumped at the seemingly doomed crusaders, Spike grabbed them all and flew away as fast as he could while the manticore gave chase.


"After I got them out of the forest I blacked out so I don't know what happened after that," Spike said, finishing his story.

Twilight looked at him in amazement."Can't say I expected that but you know what? I'm proud of you Spike, but you're still grounded."

Spike groaned, "How come? it wasn't my fault." Spike looked at her with irritation.

"That doesn't matter, you know better than to go fighting manticores."

"What? you can't do that! I saved them, didn't I?"

"Yes you did, but this," She gestured at his body. "Could have been avoided if you didn't go and attack the manticore. What possessed you to do that anyways?"

Spike shrugged. "I wasn't really thinking about it. I was more concerned about the Cutie Mark Crusaders lives than I was about my own when I was flying them out *sigh* I'm too nice for my own good, you know that."

"I think that's a good thing and you'll be happy to know you won't have to worry about the crusaders; they have been grounded."

"Serves them right. Want to know what's weird though?"

"What?"

"I'm not mad at them anymore. actually I've already forgiven them. Is that weird?"

Twilight laughed, "No, it just means you probably are too nice for your own good.

They both laughed.

"Oh yeah, what happened after I passed out?"

"Well from what I'm told Big Mac found you passed out just outside the forest banged up, with crusaders crusaders on your back and a manticore coming towards you. Let me tell you this right now Spike. Under no circumstance are you to ever get Big Mac mad. That manticore is being mended by Fluttershy right now.

Spike's jaw fell. "Big Mac beat up a manticore."

Twilight nodded.

"I don't know what to say."

Unbeknownst to them just outside the door stood the three crusaders themselves. They each had tears in their eyes. They just couldn't understand how someone could forgive them so easily after getting them injured so badly and nearly getting them all killed.

They each looked at each other and made a silent agreement. They set down their package in front of the door and left to begin their plan.