Ch.9: Gryphon

A while later, the group was so deep in the forest that it became darker and scarier. Worried for their new friends, Pumpkinhead lets Spike ride on his shoulder while Chopper lets the girls ride on his back.

"You girls okay up there?" he then asked them.

"Yeah," answered the scared Scootaloo. "I just don't like this place." She whimpered when an owl hooted in a tree nearby.

"Me, neither," Apple Bloom whimpered. "It's darker and creepier than the Everfree Forest back home."

"Yeah," Spike agreed, "but if we don't hurry out of here, it'll get darker before it gets lighter."

"Do you think we'll see any wild animals, Chopper?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Maybe," he answered, "but hopefully not." Pumpkinhead turned to him with a gulp.

"Animals that…eat pumpkin?" he whimpered.

"If they do, they'll probably prefer pumpkins that don't walk," the motorcycle assured him. "But what I'm really worried about are lions, tigers, and bears." Spike and the girls turned to him with shock as did Pumpkinhead.

"Lions?" asked the girls.

"Tigers?" asked Spike and Pumpkinhead.

"And bears," Chopper answered with a nod. Now they re really scared.

"Lions," Spike gulped.

"Tigers," Apple Bloom fretted.

"And bears," Scootaloo finished fretfully.

"Oh, my," Sweetie Belle whimpered, clutching to Chopper for protection. The group then continued down the road, hoping to get out of the forest fast.

Group: Lions, tigers, and bears

Apple Bloom: Oh, my

Group: Lions, tigers, and bears

Spike: Oh, man

Group: Lions, tigers, and bears

Scootaloo: Oh, my

Group: Lions, tigers, and bears

Sweetie Belle: Oh, my

Suddenly, there was aloud noise that made them stop with shock. It sounded like a cross between a lion roar and an eagle screech.

"Look out!" Chopper cried, pointing up ahead of them. They then saw that it's a large Gryphon on a high rock before them. His lion body is brownish-gold, and his eagle head, front legs, and wings have black feathers, piercing yellow-green eyes, orange beak and talons with sharp claws, and a ten-foot wingspan.

"Kids, run!" Pumpkinhead cried. Spike and the girls ran and hid behind a tree with large ferns as the Gryphon leapt down from his rocks and onto the road. Pumpkinhead and Chopper fell back and shuddered as the large beast snarled at them, their small friends watching from behind the tree and ferns.

"Put 'em up. Put 'em up!" he growled to the scarecrow and motorcycle. "Which one of you first? I'll take on both of you at once if you want." He then folded his wings onto his back. "I'll fight you with both wings tied behind my back." He then stood on his left talon and right paw. "I'll fight you standing on two feet." He then closed his eyes. "I'll fight you with my eyes closed." He opened his eyes again to glare down at the shivering duo. "Oh, tryin' to run me over, huh? Pullin' a fast one on me, eh?" Chopper then tried to be brave.

"H-Hey, go away! L-Leave us alone." The Gryphon smirked at him.

"Oh, scared, huh? Afraid, huh? How fresh can ya stay in that can?" He laughed at his joke before becoming serious. "C'mon, ya shiverin' junkyard!" He then turned to the scared Pumpkinhead. "Put 'em up, ya overgrown squash-head!"

"N-Now that's getting personal, Gryphon," he replied nervously.

"Y-Yeah, Pumpkinhead," Chopper said, turning to him. "Get up and teach him a lesson."

"What's wrong with you teaching him?!" the scarecrow asked, turning to him with annoyance.

"Well, I-I hardly know this guy." Worried for his friends, Spike jumped out before the girls could stop him.

"Back off, ya overgrown feather duster!" he yelled, putting his fists up bravely. But his courage immediately left him when Gryphon turned to him angrily.

"I'll get you anyway, peewee." Spike immediately ran for it with a yell as Gryphon gave chase.

"Guys, help!" Pumpkinhead and Chopper got up quickly to save Spike. But suddenly Scootaloo jumped in between Spike and Gryphon and—

BAM!

"OW!" Gryphon staggered back and held his beak when she kicked it hard.

"Leave him alone, you big bully!" she yelled. But she became surprised when she saw that he's…crying?

"I'm a bully?" he whimpered in between sobs. "You kicked me! I didn't even hurt him!"

"Well, no, but you tried to," Scootaloo said to him firmly despite her confusion. "It's bad enough picking on a scarecrow and a motorcycle, but when you go around baby dragons!"

"Well, you didn't have to go and kick me that hard," he whimpered as he gently tapped his still sore beak. "Is my beak bleeding?" Sweetie Belle then looked at his talon when he showed it to them.

"Well, of course not," she answered him kindly. They all became surprised as the large beast continued crying like a baby.

"You sure are making a big fuss about it, aren't ya?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Yeah, well, naturally when you go around bullying others weaker than you," Spike stated with a scolding glare at Gryphon. "You're nothing but a big coward."

"Spike!" the others hissed at him.

"No, he's right," Gryphon whimpered, taking his tail and drying his tears with its black furry tip. "I am a coward. I'm supposed to be a great ruler around here since I'm part lion (king of beasts) and part eagle (king of birds), but I don't have any courage at all. I'm even scared of flying. You can even see the circles under my eyes through my black feathers; I haven't slept in days."

"Well, have you tried counting sheep?" Chopper asked, trying to help him out.

"I did," Gryphon answered with a sniff, "but I'm too scared of them."

"Gosh, that's too bad," Pumpkinhead replied, surprised as much as Chopper is that he's scared of something cute and gentle. He then looked down at Spike and the girls. "Do you think the Wizard can help him too?"

"I don't see why not," Scootaloo answered before turning to Gryphon. "Why don't you come with us? We're going to see the Wizard in the Prime Color City to get Pumpkinhead a brain and Chopper a heart."

"And get these little ones back home," Chopper added.

"Yeah," Spike finished. "I'm sure he'll give you some courage if you come along." Gryphon then looked up at them with teary eyes.

"Won't you feel embarrassed being in the company of a scaredy gryphon?" he asked. "I would."

"Oh, of course not," Apple Bloom answered as she and the others shook their heads assuringly. Gryphon then gave them a comforting smile.

"It's…It's awfully kind of you," he sniffled, plucking a nearby leaf and drying his eyes with it like a tissue. "My life has been so unbearable; I was too scared to show my face around anyone anymore."

"Well, it's alright now," Sweetie Belle replied, patting his eagle leg in comfort. "The Wizard will make it all better."

"I guess it would be nice to let others know how I feel," Gryphon replied, a little more confident with himself. "I've kept it inside of me for so long."

"Well, c'mon," Scootaloo replied, boosting up his confidence more.

Gryphon: Yeah, it's sad, believe me, Missy

When you're born to be a sissy

Without the vive and verve

But then, I'd change my prowess

Be a lion, not a mo-use

If I only have the nerve

Chopper and Gryphon then let Spike and the girls ride on their backs. Spike and Sweetie Belle rode on Chopper, and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom rode on Gryphon.

Gryphon: I'm afraid there's no denyin'

I'm just a dandelion

A fate I don't deserve

I'd be brave as a blizzard

Chopper: I'd be sweet as a lizard

Pumpkinhead: I'd be witty as a gizzard

Scootaloo: If the Wizard is a wizard

Who will serve

Pumpkinhead: Then I'm sure to get a brain

Chopper: A heart

Spike: A home

Gryphon: The nerve

Then the seven of them headed down the road together with faith in themselves. And their faith grew when Gryphon told them that they'll be out of the woods soon.

Group: We're off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

We hear that he's a whiz of a Wiz

If ever a Wiz there was

If ever, oh ever, a Wiz there was

The Wizard of Oz is one because

Because, because, because, because, because

Because of the wonderful things he does

We're off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

What they don't know is that they're being watched…