//------------------------------// // Chapter 6- A Fitting Title // Story: The Lone Plum Blossom // by Leoheartxx2 //------------------------------// The very next morning Applejack went to Ponyville and gather everypony she could and form several search party to look for Jino. He didn't return after he storm our during the night. Master Kira had requested from Twlight to bring him to see the current ruler of Equestria, Priencess Celestia. Reluntantly, she agree as he had an urgent message to bring to her. Worried, Applejack could'nt ease herself, she fear that Jino might have or could have done something he might regret. Needless the case, he must be found. As morning turns to noon, Applejack grew more weary. " Why did you let him ran out into the storm!! We have been seaching nearly everywhere and he's still nowhere to be found." Rainbow Dash complain. " HA like to see ya try stoping him when he's pissing off!! Ha tell ya, ha rather be bucking at a manticore than Jino!! That look in his eye's .....it ain't normal ha tell ya." Applejack stomp the ground, angry at Rainbow Dash. "....Girls.....how about we use a little help." Fluttershy interupt. She brought forth a small wolf cub and gently lay it on the ground. It's the cub that Jino saved a few weeks ago. " Since we haven't search the everfree forest, he might really help a lot....this rare shadow cub has a scent for smell ten times stronger than a normal dog.....it might aid us to find Jino." The cub sniffs around on the ground. Moments later it points it's nose towards Everfree Forest. "...good boy...lead the way...." Fluttershy smiles as she pats the head of the cub. The small cubs takes lead. Fluttershy kept close to the cub, follow suits by Applejack and Rainbow Dash into the dence forest. As they travel farther into the forest, Applejack kept wishing that Jino would be found soon. Everfree forest is home to many deadly and mysterious creature. Keeping her focus, she brush aside what she might come to face. Jino must be found! As day turns to dawn, the cub finnaly lead the group into a small clearing, but something was out of place. Countless fallen tress lays across the clearing. " Wow...what happen here?" Rainbow Dash comment. " Ha recko'n it aint't the storm. Look at this..." Applejack points at one of the fallen trees. The base of the trunk is smmoth rather than a messy splintter. It's been cut. " Ha noe in my life if ther'e one stallion could buck down a tree, heck it ain't impossible if it's Big Mac......" " But isn't Big Mac in Applelossa?" " Yup....I recko'n it only be......" ".......Jino? " Fluttershy interupt with an worried expression, holding her hoves close " I fear the worst......he's close...let's git moving....." The girls start looking everywhere for any possible sign of Jino. The cub even had hard time trying to sniff Jino's scent. The undergrowth and rotting vegetation is just too much for the cub to pick his scent. Few moment later, the cub sent a few bark. His nose points at an large brown mysterious figure. It's not Jino, but it appears injured. Soft cry reaches Fluttershy's ear as she hovers near to examine it. As she close in, her face was filled with a terrifled expression as she stares at a couple sets of eyes. It's a Hydra. Keeping her best not to scream, she place her hoves at her mouth, desperatly trying not to let out a single noise. " Girls....*slowly backs away*.....we might have a little problem here....." Fluttershy lands of her hoves and slowly back away. The Hydra's body a full of scares. Seems recent. It's eye roams around aimlessly but one set seem to lock on to Fluttershy. It stares motionless, not blinking or moving at all. Slowly but carefully, she takes her steps pace by pace, trying to avoid stepping on anything. * tree branch snap* " RUN!!!!!" Rainbow Dash Scream aloud as the lumbering Hydra got up and roar. Each steps rock the ground beneath the giant, scaring any small criter that might be hiding nearby. The loud roar echos across the forest. Terrified, Fluttershy quickly took off. Her wings unable to take flight, too frighten to even fly. Rainbow Dash and Applejack has already set some distance between themselves and the Hydra but not Fluttershy. She darts around the trees and undergrowth, desperatly trying to lose the chasing Hydra. Her pace quicken as each steps was a run for her life. Unfortunatly, one of her hoof got trap between a roots. Unable to dodge, Fluttershy took on the full force of the vicious claws of the Hydra. Her fraglie body slams against the tree, blood spilts from her mouth the moment she land particially concious from the blow. " FLUTTERSHY!!!" Rainbow Dash scream as she watch in horror. The Hydra raise its claws again, ready to end the hopeless pink pegasus. Rainbow Dash dash to Fluttershy' aid but only to take on the claws of the Hydra's claw. She flew a couple of feet across the undergrowth and crash into the puddle. Injured, Fluttershy tries to crawl her way out, but watchs in dismare as the Hydra closes in on her. It's claw already raise, ready to end her life. Fluttershy close her eyes, tears flow down her side , knowing her impending doom is at hand. " LEAVE HER ALONE!!! " A mysterious voices echoes from nowhere. A mysterious grey stallion dart out from nowhere, a flashing metal blade in it's mouth. A few quick step he leaps towards one of the Hydra's head. * Sound of metal humming in the air * A loud scream of pain echos through the forest, as one of the Hydra's head is cut clean from it's neck. The mysterious stallion land infront of Fluttershy, the blade in his mouth covered in Hydra's blood. His eye glows white and the body seem to be shrouded in a soft purple aura. The blade, still humming, like a cry for blood. Fluttershy partically open her eye, only to see a familiar pony, a Plum Blossom cutie mark on his flank. " ...Jino..*cough*....you came..." Fluttershy speaks with a weak broken voices. Blood still covers her mouth, her injuries severe. Applejack rush towards the injured pegasus, holding her in her hoofs. Rainbow Dash seems to be fine despite her injuries. Terrified, the Hydra retreat with haste, leaving it's severed head behind. Rainbow Dash slowly skips her way to Applejack, her wings broken after she was swpied by the Hydra. " Hang in the're sugarcube....ya gonna be fine...just rest easy....." Applejack desperatly tries to keep Fluttershy awake. " We...need...to get to ..get.....help....." Rainbow Dash voices out, despite her pain. She approaches Jino. Waving her hoofs she tries to shack Jino from a trance-like state. His eyes still glows white and body envelop in a purple aura. The blade in his mouth still drips blood from the Hydra. " Hey Jino...snap out of it.....wake up dammit...." "..............................." No answers. But moments later Jino's body levitate a few feet into the air. A small burst of aura surrounds him, then disappear, Jino drops to the ground , unconcious. His body and mane are a mess, cuts and bruises scater across his body. He must have faught the Hydra sometime earlier, that explains the countless battle-scare that was on the Hydra. " Com'e on Rainbow Dash...can you manage mor'e weight? " Applejack place the injured pink pegasus on her back, obiously too injured to walk by her own. She signal to Rainbow Dash at Jino. " Ha can't carry two weight by ma self,...we need to find help soon....." " I'll try......" Rainbow Dash tries to pull Jino by his messy mane, but her injuries proves too much. She let out a scream of pain. " Sorry Applejack.....guess i was too careless....." " Ha don't worry....all we need now is get help.....can ya still fly? " " Let me try...." Rainbow Dash flaps her wings. Despite her injuries, she can manage to fly, even it pain her. ".....seem like I can manage....You wait here with them.....i'll go find help...." " Be quick...ha don't know how long sh'y here will go...." Applejack waves as Rainbow Dash flew towards Ponyville, hoping she could find help on the way. Looking down at Fluttershy, she tries to wipe the blood from her mouth, keeping her awake as long as she could. Then she set her eyes on Jino. His body lays on the dry ground nearby. " Damn Jino....ya save us all again....guess ha' really a hero under those shy personality of ya's....*small laugh*....ya gonna go far partne'r.....gonna go far......." Applejack lets a small laugh escape her mouth. Hero. A funny word. Only fitting now to Jino. Come on Rainbow Dash.....hurry up..............