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.

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>"Behind you!" Mosina called.
>Echo spun and instinctively swung her sword.
>A spider turned into two halves after a spray of blue sparks.
"Rraah!" Echo growled through the hilt of her sword, swinging it again.
>More legs and decapitated halves of spiders flew in different directions.
>Ahead of the two battling bat ponies was Night Watch, keeping another group of rock spiders at bay in the narrow, stone halls.
>She thrust, piercing a spider between its multiple eyes.
>She slashed, severing off the bottom half of all eight legs of another.
>Slowly, the group advanced through the horde down the web-covered tunnel.
>A long trail of clean-cut arachnid body parts followed them in their wake.
>"Echo!" Mosina cried from in between the other two.
>Wrestling with her spear was a fairly small spider, refusing to let go.
>Echo twisted and hacked at the spider twice.
>Blue sparks exploded upwards.
>Every strike that Echo and Night Watch made lit up the vicinity with blue flashes, like a lightning storm.
>Echo's silver sword flawlessly sliced through the hard-shelled bodies like paper.
>"The numbers are thinning!" Mosina called out while the other two continued to fight.
>She batted away any spiders that got through them with her crude spear.
>It couldn't do much, but it was enough to keep them at bay or distract them long enough to meet Echo or Night Watch's weapons.
>A spider jumped onto Echo's back, causing her to lurch backwards.
>She struggled a bit, but it didn't hesitate to thrust its fangs into her neck.
>However, the fangs couldn't penetrate the tough, black leather.
>Echo bucked her hind legs, sending the spider upwards into the air.
>With a timed backflip she leaped after it, her sword cleaving the spider in two.

---

>After several more minutes of fighting, the spider horde began to relent.
>From both directions of the tunnel, they retreated and abandoned the warriors they were no match to.
>"Pfft," Night Watch gawked. "I could've gone all day."
>Mosina gave an exasperated sigh.
>"Phew. I hate spiders."
>The trio stayed still for several moments, waiting to see if any threat would return.
>After they deemed it clear, they sheathed their weapons.
"Quick, let's move. Our presence is known--we wouldn't want to linger," Echo said, urging the others forward.
>"Agreed. Let's just see what we can find at the end of this tunnel, and then head back," Mosina said.
>"Sure thing, boss," Night Watch joked. "Hey, how about we run, then? It'll covere more ground."
>Echo nodded.
"Good thinking. Just watch out for any obstacles--our light can only stretch so far."
>"Sure thing, mom," Night Watch said, smiling. Mosina giggled.
>After gathering their bearings, the trio took off in a gallop with Night Watch in the lead.
>The webs began to recede after several minutes of running, until it was back to a web-less, rocky tunnel.
>The path seemed to on forever, however, with no significant encounter happening after almost half an hour of running.
>Eventually, Echo found herself slowing down and out of breath.
"Guys... I have to stop. Give me a moment," she breathed out, Mosina and Night Watch slowing into a stop in front of her.
>"Yeah... we can do that," Mosina said, slightly out of breath herself.
>Night Watch came up from behind her.
"Haah... I think the venom's effects are still in me, a little," Echo said, sheepishly.
>"No worries. Just take it easy, for now," Night Watch said.

---

>The hallway around them was bare, the stones coloured a yellow-ish beige.
>Outside of their frantic breathing, there seemed to be no noise whatsover.
>Or so they thought.
>Echo's ears perked up.
>Wearily shaking her head from exhaustion, she looked up and down the hallway behind them.
>Mosina stared curiously.
>"Is something wrong, Echo?" she asked.
"I... I hear..." Echo trailed off.
>Night Watch walked up beside her, perking her ears up as well.
>"I don't hear anything," she said.
>"Neither do I," Mosina said."
"Shh! Listen..." Echo said
>She stared into the darkness, unsure of what to expect.
>But she could hear something in the distance, gradually getting louder.
>The sound of whistling wind.
>She lowered her head before turning to the others, her eyes wide with panic.
>It took a moment, but Night Watch returned a gaze just as ladened with fear when she began to hear the sound, too.
>That's when Mosina's ears perked up as well, giving the other two a curious glance.
"We have to move! Now!" Echo ordered.
>Night Watch wasted no time in taking the front of the pack, Mosina trailing after her with Echo in tow.
>"Wh-what's going on? I hear something, but what is it?" Mosina asked while they began to pick up their pace.
"We have to get to an open space. I doubt we'll be able to take it on, here," Echo breathed, still out of breath.

---

>"Take what on? What are you guys talking about?" Mosina asked again.
>"The shadow pony," Night Watch answered.
>Mosina's eyes widened.
>"Personally, I want to impale that ugly shit."
"Just be ready to use your crystal, Night Watch!" Echo yelled from behind.
"I'll try to use mine first."
>She gave a brief glance to the crystal strapped to her shoulder, hoping it would work.
>Their gallop seemed fruitless, however, as the whistling noise from behind strengthened quickly.
>It was gaining on them, fast.
>"Only after we try to fight it, Echo," Night Watch responded after a few moments of running.
>"We have new gear and a third in our party--maybe we can take it on, this time."
>Echo gave a hardened gaze, but she reluctantly nodded her head, slowly.
"We'll try. We can't rely on these forever."
>As if it were the answer to their prayers, the hallway walls fanned out into a wide opening.
>Immediately, the trio stopped their gallop to observe the room they had entered.
>It was plain and empty with only one other tunnel exit, but it looked like they had enough room to maneuver efficiently.
>The only obstruction was a lone statue against the wall to the right, from when they had entered.
>"Quick! Formation!" Night Watch ordered, pulling out her spear and pointing it towards the tunnel they had come from.
>Mosina did the same, standing to her left.
>Echo unsheathed her sword with a loud, metal ring, flashing her sword in the white light of their light crystals.
>"It's so loud!" Mosina muttered, squirming in her spot.
>The whistling soon became a very familliar wailing, piercing their sensitive ears.
>"Be prepared, Mosina. It moves very fast and hits like a hammer," Night Watch said, not keeping her eyes off the tunnel entrance.
>Echo shrugged in her spot, trying to bear with the intensifying noise.

---

>The three of them stood tense for several minutes, preparing for the worst.
>But just as their ears felt like they were about to pop, the noise suddenly halted.
>The ponies were caught off guard, letting out breaths they didn't know they were holding.
>"What... what happened?" Mosina whispered.
>The other two didn't respond, staying in the ready stance with their weapons forward.
>Echo wasn't sure what was happening, but she didn't want to let her guard down.
>"Is it go--"
>Out of the shadows of the dark tunnel ahead of them reached a black, elongated arm with a large, curved blade.
>"Grrah!" Night Watch screamed, twirling the spear in her hooves and slashed at the appendage.
>It clashed, swatting the shadow blade away.
>However, more "shadow" leaped out of the dark tunnel, coalescing into a shadow pony with two sword arms protruding from its back.
>It screamed, the wailing overtaking the bat ponys' ears once again.
>Stumbling a bit, Night Watch nearly lost grip on her spear.
>The shadow pony continued its wailing as it wildly leaped towards her, its blades slashing out in front of it.
"Aaah!" Echo screamed through her sword's hilt as she charged towards it.
>The silver of her blade gleamed, causing the shadow pony to wince in mid flight.
>However, it reached Night Watch with its blades ready to sever her into three pieces.
>Quickly, she regained grip on her spear and parried the shadow blades away from her.
>The momentum from the shadow pony's leap continued to force it forwards, tackling Night Watch and forcing her to the ground.
>Her spear fell out of her grasp, and the shadow pony screamed in her face, ready to bring its blades down on her.

---

"Get off her!" Echo screamed, reaching Night Watch in time to tackle the shadow pony.
>Madly, she hacked her blade at it, blue sparks exploding from each contact it made.
>Its wailing relented, only to be replaced with what sounded like wails of pain.
>The "skin" of the shadow pony flickered like a hologram, its corporeal form registering the damage.
>After another three strikes to the shadow pony's side, it pushed Echo off, launching her across the room.
>That's when Mosina came in and thrust her spear at it, impaling one of the arms on its back.
>It flailed wildly, forcing the spear out of Mosina's grasp and knocking her away with one of its hooves.
>Night Watch jumped up to it, jabbing her spear only for it to be parried by the one good arm-blade of the shadow pony.
>She swung her spear downwards, meeting the blade just above its head.
>The two wrestled, trying to overpower the other, but neither relented.
"Haah!" a scream came from behind the creature.
>Echo jumped up and drove her sword deep into the shadow pony's back.
>It wailed louder, before it suddenly pushed away Night Watch's spear with a burst of strength.
>It spun, causing Echo to fling off with the sword still in her mouth.
>Shadows seemed to flow from its wounds, losing its corporeal flesh slowly.
>With its good arm, it sliced the spear that stuck through its other in half.
>Weaponless, Mosina trotted backwards slowly, pulling out her small dagger.
>Night Watch and Echo circled the shadow pony, waiting for an opening.
>It continued to wail, madly swinging its blades to force them to keep their distance.

---

>With each swing, a faint whistle could be heard as it cut through the air.
>It made one more passing swing at Night Watch, who dodged out of the way and strafed towards it for a counter attack.
>She swung her spear and it connected with the shadow pony's side.
>Quicker than she could react, however, it swing its blades back.
>She tried to block it with her spear, but one blade sailed past the pole and sliced into her chest, deep.
"Augh!" she screamed, stumbling backwards and into the hooves of Mosina.
>She squirmed, clutching the fresh wound on her chest as Mosina desperately fished for a healing flask in her saddlebags.
>Meanwhile, Echo had moved in and was locked in a losing fight with the shadow pony.
>Its two blades overpowered her one, easily, nearly decapitating her head several times.
>She was too occupied to reach for the glowing crystal on her shoulder.
>Her heart raced, knowing that she wouldn't last much longer.
>That's when the wailing increased significantly in volume, causing all of the bat ponies to glance around in confusion.
>A second shadow pony erupted from the dark tunnels.
>Echo stumbled and blocked an oncoming blow from the shadow pony in front of her, knocking her to the floor.
>The second shadow pony waved its blades madly in the air before setting its gaze to the wounded Night Watch and Mosina.
>It leaped towards them, ready to make for easy pickings.
>Except its blades met Night Watch's spear, which was held in Mosina's hooves.
>It sliced at her, but she blocked the blades and tried to retaliate with some thrusts.
>The shadow pony effortlessly swatted them away, rearing up on its hind hooves and sent its blades and front hooves in her direction.
>She dodged the blades, but one of its hooves connected with her face, sending her backwards.
>Underneath, Night Watch could barely keep her eyes open.
>The shadow pony brought back its blades, readying to pierce into her flesh.

---

>However, a bat pony leaped onto its back, causing it to stumble in surprise.
>With two, glowing hoof-blades, the bat pony shredded into the back of the shadow pony's neck.
>Golden sparks flew out from each strike.
"Rragh!" the bat pony screamed, fiercly swinging her blades into its flesh.
>After a few more hacks, the head of the shadow pony fell off.
>The body froze, before it began to slowly dissolve into the air.
>Its shadows retreated back to the dark tunnels, leaving no trace of the shadow pony's existence.
>The bat pony with the hoof-blades nodded to Night Watch, her orange eyes giving her a reassuring glance. 
>She took off to Echo's location.

>Echo weakly parried another blow, the shadow blade knocking her sword out of her mouth.
>She stumbled again, giving out a sigh of defeat.
>She was too exhausted.
>Her head down, Echo waited for the final blow, but was rewarded with a loud shriek, instead.
>The shadow pony reared backwards, a bat pony on its back, hacking away at its neck with a pair of hoof-blades.
>Bright, golden sparks exploded outwards from the blades.
>It wailed, helpless to do anything as its arm-blades were too large to attack the bat pony.
>With a burst of adrenaline, Echo lunged for her sword on the ground and stabbed forwards.
>Her blade pierced the chest of the shadow pony, up to the hilt.
>She twisted the blade with all of her remaining strength, slicing through the flesh downwards.

---

>The shadow pony froze in place, its neck split in half down the middle and half of its chest, missing.
>The wailing finally ceased, bathing the room in silence.
>Its form melted, strands of shadow leaking from the body and flowing into the tunnels.
>Echo sighed and fell on her haunches, looking up to see her saviour.
>A pair of orange eyes met hers, full of friendliness.
"S... Speck..." Echo managed to say before passing out.