- 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.
- ----------
- >"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.