Royalty

So that's what a leader is like...

Our little walk through 'my kingdom' wasn't very eventful, besides the little chat we had along the way, nothing much.

"Just a question, how did you turn into that monster and come back as a manticore?" Twilight asked.

"To be honest, I don't really know, but I know that my organic structure shapeshift whenever I will it too." I replied, hoping that it was enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"But... doesn't it hurt?" Fluttershy asked seemingly worried for my well being, I must say that her Element suit her well.

"No, not really, as I said, I can shapeshift my organic structure, so that means that I can stop my nerves from sending information that might make my brain feel pain." I replied, she doesn't seem to understand completely but she does seem pleased that I don't feel pain.

"Oh look! It's the Princess!" Twilight exclaimed while pointing outside of the Forest, I saw the tall figure of a white anthropomorphic pony, with many many ornaments on her expensive robe, her mane and tail were flowing with the wind endlessly, her amethyst eyes looking more like rubies than amethysts, a smile that could pierce through the most heartless being in existence. I must admit that I was intimidated, even thought I knew I was dangerous from the information I gather from the ponies with me, they don't have the ability to manipulate organic matter, only magic.

"Hello my little ponies." She said while hugging Twilight, she then looked at me with the same motherly smile.

"And am I right to assume that you are the Master of the Everfree Forest." She said, I was struck, I can't feel a thing for females but the hormones of my body were overwhelming, I then shut down some of the cells that this body needs to make hormones, it would be troublesome to have my brain disturbed by them.

"Yes, yes I am." I said while bowing, it is true that I didn't need to bow, but showing respect to an important figure is always better than having them as an enemy.

"Raise your head, you didn't need to bow as a fellow leader." She said with the same motherly smile, I looked at her and sensed hormones coming from her, it seemed like she was struck by me, what was it called again? Un coup de foudre? Or is it love at first sight? Maybe, because my body and hers were sending hormones, so maybe.

"I was told by my sister that you were wise and powerful, I see now that she didn't lie." She said normally, at least to the ears and eyes of the ponies, because I am no pony, and I knew that these words were driven by hormones as I sensed lust in it.

"No need to flatter me, I did only what was necessary to help a depressed mare." I said with a smile, I managed to not show my fangs because I knew that ponies were prey, and that their instincts would instantly drive them to fear me. This seems to please her, because she blushed, it wasn't visible but I noticed the blood pressure on her cheeks.

"Princess Celestia! You won't believe this! A pack of Timberwolves were attacking him and his manticores and he started to transform into a monster and went to fight the leader of the Timberwolves! It was so cool but scary too!" Spike exclaimed, he quickly covered his mouth with his claws, because of him, the Princess is now looking at me curiously.

"Is that true? That can you show us your 'Monster'?" She asked, I knew it was coming to this.

"As you wish, but it won't be pretty." I said while backing away, I looked at her and she had a look of provocation, the ponies on the other hoof were hiding behind the Princess.

Celestia's POV

"As you wish, but it won't be pretty." He said, 'oh please, do show me, I've seen many things that can be called a monster.' I thought while making a provoking stare at him. I must admit that my sister was right, he looked wise and powerful and I swear that he can see through me, because I noticed how he stared in my eyes, I noticed that he had a look of acknowledgement when he did so. I was confused as to why my little ponies were hiding behind me, was he really that terrifying?

He stopped and looked at us, I saw pity in his eyes, why? Why would he pity us?

Then, he started to shake, tremble, I wanted to go and see if he was ok, but I stopped when I saw his head twist, turn, break, and burst open, showing coutless fangs inside his monstrous mouth that used to be his head, I then saw an eye forming inside it, a bloody eyeball full of bloodlust, I was terrified, I wanted to hide like my little ponies were, my instincts screamed to run away as far as possible.

His wings now started to shift, I could see their muscles moving inside them, it was gruesome and horrible, now his wings looked like it could cut the air itself, I don't know how it was possible but they looked like they were made of pure steel.

His body was shaking, the sides of his body had a bulge to them, they looked like they would explode and burst open, which they did literally, it sent an unimaginable amount of blood around him, and four pairs of what looked like spider legs came out of his body, it was made of a material I didn't know and I knew just by looking at them, that it was a material near indestructible.

His body was now covered in blood, and eyes started to open all over it, they were like the one in the monstrous mouth but smaller.

He truly looked like a monster now, if somepony told me that THIS was a manticore before, I would laugh at them, there was no possible way that this used to be a manticore, and yet here he was, once a perfectly normal manticore -besides the height and the color of his fur- now looking like a monster coming straight out of Tartarus, no, not even Tartarus would have this kind of monster, this wasn't supposed to exist in the first place, I can't even wonder if it was a nightmare, because no nightmare can make this monster, nothing in this world can.

"Here you go, you wanted a monster? You have one in front of you." He somehow said, it was a demonic voice, an ungodly and unreal voice, I saw many things that claimed to be a monster, but this was a true monster.

"Y-You can turn b-back." I said, how shameful, I intended to stay calm but my voice wouldn't allow me to do so, I can't show fear in front of my little ponies, I am their ruler and as ruler I can't show weakness.

"Even a fellow ruler fears me, a shame really, very well." He said while doing what he did but in reverse, how did he know that I feared him? Can he read minds?

"Well, what do you think?" He asked now looking like a normal manticore.

"I-It was interesting." I replied, I can't say that it was terrifying! It's disrespectful and I might make him an enemy!

"Don't bother hiding your fears, I know that I'm a monster in the eyes of sentient beings." He said wisely, it's ridiculous, he stated my fears without even trying! I didn't expected him to be this observant!

"Now, I need to ask, was it really only because you wanted to see me personally that you came? Or is it for another reason." He said, I was now full of fear, because I sensed anger behind his words, maybe he didn't like that he was bothered? And why did I come here again?

"Yes and no, I wanted to see what my sister said was true or not, and I wanted to know if you were a threat or not to my little ponies, and it seems like you are not." I said fully composed, he was of course terrifying but he didn't attack us or any of my little ponies even thought he could have.

"I see, and I suppose you want to form a treaty with my domain?" He said, I must admit that it can be beneficial to have the Everfree Forest of all places as an 'ally'.

"Yes, although I don't ask much from the Forest besides the protections of my little ponies, is there an army under your command?" I asked, Twilight and her friends looked shocked by my statement, I am not surprised, even I am disgusted by my demand but it must be done to assure the safety of my little ponies if they ever step in the Forest?

"And why would you want to know if I have an army under my command?" He said very harshly and suspiciously, I don't blame him, nopony, or being in his case, wouldn't be suspicious if you were casually ask if you had a force by another ruler.

"It is to assur the safety of my little ponies, in case war would break, because you see, the griffins became very hostile lately and I fear that war might break against them." I said, this shocked surprisingly not him, but my little ponies.

"War! B-but Princess! War hasn't happened since, since a millenia ago!" Twilight exclaimed but before I could reply, the manticore stepped in.

"Little Twilight Sparkle, you must know that it isn't surprising that war would break, because when there's sentient beings walking on the world, sooner or later, they would begin to battle and start a war, not just sentient being, every living being in general, all fight for territory, nothing is free of the sin of greed." He said wisely, it was true, in my long life, I knew that it was true, he added every living being because it was true too.

"B-but, it doesn't have too!" Twilight replied.

"No it doesn't, but it doesn't mean it won't, you see, I added every living being because even plants are fighting other plants for territory, animals fight for others territory." He said, it was all so true and it now made me wonder, Where did he gained this knowledge?'.

"Now to answer your question, no I do not have an army, at least not one by definition, I can call upon a part of the population of the Everfree Forest to assist me in battles." He said casually, I was stunned, 'He can call the power of the Everfree Forest?' I thought. But I was then cut from my thoughts when I sensed a very familiar magic energy coming in our direction.

"Sister! Excuse me for being late!" Luna said from behind me, I turned to greet her but she wasn't even there, I looked back and I saw her hugging the manticore, who seems unfazed by the action.

"It's you!" She exclaimed, I must admit that I was jealous that she get to hug him, 'Wait what?'.

"Please Princess, you musn't taint yourself of my unclean fur." He said in a noble way, a gentlecolt, he even managed to make Luna blush!

"*gasp* What happened to you?!!" She exclaimed, now that I looked at him, he had blood all over him, poor Luna, she now has blood on her, you deserve it, 'Wait why?'. I was confused by my train of thoughts, so confused that I didn't noticed that the blood on Luna began to slither on him and then were absorbed in him.

"It seems that our meeting must end." He said while looking at a clock in a very far away house, I couldn't see it because it was too far, but I could see the outline of a clock, then I realised.

"Oh that's right, sister we need to hurry back to the Castle, we need to make the night!" Luna exclaimed while flying towards the chariot that was in Ponyville.

"I'm sorry to end this meeting but she is right, goodbye my little ponies, and goodbye to you." I said to him, I didn't really got his name, but I guess it's alright for a manticore.

"Please call me Matis." He said, 'Matis? What a weird name'.

"Very well then goodbye Matis." I said with a smile while going to the chariot, where Luna was shouting at me to hurry up.

Matis's POV

"I will be on my way myself, goodbye." I said, it was very entertaining, even though the Princess became a little annoying, it was bearable.

After saying our goodbyes and goodnights, I returned to the cave where the manticores waited for me patiently, and I noticed that the injured one from the battle were already healed.

'How was it master?' One of them asked.

'It was, interesting, but it seems like we must prepare ourselves for a war.' I warned, but none of them felt fear and looked at me with determined gaze.

'We're all ready at your command!' they thought in unisson.

'Interesting, very very interesting.'