Read this story and all of its chapters in paragraph format with better editing, here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/129684/the-trials This version of the story is heavily unedited. ---------- >Echo pivoted her wings downward, causing her to lose some air just as the giant spider sailed overhead. >It landed on the ground, coming to a skidding halt with its eight legs. >Tirelessly, it crouched, ready to leap again. >She pivoted her wings to do a short dive towards it, breaking to the right just as the spider sailed past. >Her hooves hit the ground and she faced the creature now far away from her. >Loud breaths escaped her lips, fatigue taking its toll on her quickly. >It charged her, closing the distance between them quicker than she anticipated. "Hrk!" >Echo threw her body to the side in hopes of dodging, only for one of the spider's legs to clip her own. >She was sent in a spin to the ground, her mouth losing grip on the sword as it went skidding. >Weaponless, she desperately pawed at the ground in front of her to approach her sword, but the spider was quickly upon her. "Hah!" >One of the spider's legs held her down and she could feel its weight loosen a bit, the spider raising up to stab down with its claws. >She tried to shrug it off, knowing she wouldn't be able to, until the leg completely lifted off of her. >Surprised, Echo rolled to face it, only for her to see Speck having thrown herself into its side. >"Aaah!" Speck cried, shoving with all of her might. >The heavy, protective armour threw the spider off balance. >She reeled back, only to ram herself into the spider's side again, shield first. >Miraculously, the spider flipped over and Speck jumped on top of it, pummeling at the spider's face with her shield. >Over and over again, she smashed it downwards, the fangs failing to penetrate the thick plate. >Despite its protective, rocky skin, the tip of one of the spider's fangs chipped off. >It hissed, its legs flailing while it tried to regain the upper hand, only for Speck to keep it down. --- >Echo leaped in with her sword in her mouth, coming up in front of the spider's upside-down face. >"Now! Stick it now!" Speck screamed, smashing her shield down once more. >With that, she wedged it in between the fangs, exposing the spider's unprotected mouth. "Hraugh!" Echo growled through her hilt, shoving the sword down. >The blade sliced right through its maw, pushing itself halfway into the flesh. >It hissed loudly, nearly deafening the bat ponies before flailing its limbs madly. >Speck was thrown off and Echo was knocked back, the spider flipping itself over. >With its front legs, it desperately tried to pull the blade from its mouth, its large limbs unable to grasp it. >Echo slid across the ground, hitting her head. "Augh!" she groaned loudly, throwing her hooves up to clench her head. >Speck landed roughly, managing to roll once and set her hooves on the ground, firmly. >"Aaah!" she screamed, charging at the occupied beast. >While it still desperately tried to remove the blade, Speck collided with its front head on. >With her shield, she launched herself straight at the hilt of the blade with the shield. >Like a hammer, she drove the rest of the blade in, eliciting another painful hiss from the spider. >Before it could do anything, she rose her shield and slammed it down again, splitting the mouth open and spilling green blood everywhere. >"Die!" >With one, final smash of her shield on the blade's hilt, the blade sliced through the spider's face, cutting it effectively in half. >She reeled back from the splatter of blood, watching the spider go limp. >It slumped to the floor in a messy heap of limbs and green blood. --- >Mosina couldn't see anything as she tumbled through the air with the spider. >Not having a light crystal herself, it was difficult to see beyond the light from any of her companions. >The last thing she remembered was it leaping towards her with its fangs pointed out. >She felt the spear in her hooves embedded into some part of the spider, so she held onto it tightly. >It was in obvious pain, as every time she budged the spear, the spider spazzed and its limbs flailed. >Finally, the body of the spider slammed onto solid ground, absorbing the bulk of the hit. >Mosina still held onto the spear, feeling it drive even further upon the impact. >Holding her breath, she clung, until she realized that the body was no longer moving anymore. >With a few grunts, she unfurled herself and nudged a few spider limbs that were on top of her. >"Whoa..." she breathed, seeing the head of the spear driven deep into one of the spider's eye sockets. >It had penetrated through the underside of its head and out through one of the eye holes. >She tried to pull it out, but the golden hoof-claws got in the way. >Sighing, she pulled them off and tossed them aside, gripping the spear as tight as she could and heaving. >"Grrh!" >Her eyes held closed and she gritted her teeth as she pulled, but to no avail. >Taking a moment to breathe, she loosened her grip on the spear, only to feel another pair of hooves latch onto the end of the spear, behind her. >She opened her eyes, the world flooding her with light. >"C'mon, let's pull at the same time," Night Watch said from behind. >Mosina couldn't surpress a relieved sigh, turning around and smiling at Night Watch's smirking face. >"You wanna do something?" Night Watch asked, grinning and waggling her eyebrows. >"Okay, let's pull," Mosina muttered, sighing. >"No fun," Night responded, giggling as she helped her pull the spear. --- >With one heave, Mosina and Night Watch managed to dislodge the spear and tumbled backwards in a heap of hooves and leather. >Mosina yelped, feeling Night Watch's weight on top of her. >She opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of half-lidded magenta ones. >"No-mmph!" she squealed, Night Watch sealing her lips against hers. >"Echo! Echo, are you alright?!" Speck exclaimed worriedly, sprinting to her friend and coming to a skidding stop beside her. >Echo was belly-side up and breathing hard as though she had just run a mile. "Yeah... Thanks to you, Speck, I'm alive," she said, giving a friendly smile. >Speck blushed, returning the smile. >"We took that ugly spider on, easy! As a team!" >Echo giggled, moving up to her hooves. "Quick, let's go find the others." >"I think they're okay," Speck pointed out, pointing her hoof towards an orb of light at the other side of the room. >Nodding to each other, they took off in a brisk gallop. >As they neared, they could make out the form of the other giant spider, laying on its back in a pool of its own green blood. >Slowing to a stop, they found Night Watch standing with her spear in her hooves and Mosina laying down behind her, her face flushed red and mouth open in shock. >"Are you guys okay?" Speck asked, curious. >Night Watch gave a large grin. >"A bit roughed up but..." She glanced to Mosina behind her. "...Yeah."