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."