Trials 14

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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>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.

 

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>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.

 

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>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.

 

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>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."