//------------------------------//
// I'm Responsible! Part 1 
// Story: Unexpected Adventure 
// by WhooshieWoosh 
//------------------------------//

"Well... I'm freaking lost."

I scratched my head as I looked at yet another empty valley. It had been three days since I had left the prison and I still had no idea where I was or where I was going. It would help if--

"ALL THESE FREAKING MOUNTAINS DIDN'T LOOK THE SAME!"

I growled as I stomped off towards yet another summit. As I continued up the mountain the heavens opened up and torrential rains came pouring down.

"Great. Just great. Of course it rains."

I sullenly slogged through the deluge until I spotted a small cave in the side of the mountain. It was just big enough for me to crouch down and slip inside. Once I was in I peered into the darkness and--

*Thwack!*

"HEY!"

I whirled to the left just in time to catch another hit on the top of my head. I sent a blast of fire breath straight ahead and something caught on fire. There was a yelp and then the burning branch dropped at the feet of....

"YOU! You're that pipsqueak that called Celestia!"

The purple dragon looked at me and gasped.

"YOU! What are you doing here!?"

"Getting out of the rain. What about you? Shouldn't you be prancing around with the ponies?"

He shivered and sat down, glaring at me.

"I would be if you hadn't escaped from prison! Yesterday Twilight heard you'd escaped and began working on some spell to help catch you. She tested it on me and now I'm wherever this place is."

I scoffed at the story.

"Too bad for you. We're in the middle of nowhere with nothing even close to being nearby and no map at all."

He grumbled before a loud gurgle came from his stomach. He sighed before rubbing his gut.

"And to top it all off I haven't eaten in hours."

I rolled my eyes.

"You're a dragon. Go hunt something."

He looked at me in horror.

"You mean... kill and eat some poor defenseless animal!?"

"If by that you mean go hunt an animal, cook it and eat it to avoid starving, then yes."

"That's disgusting! You're a murderer!"

Okay, I am sick and tired of these people shoving their opinions where they're not wanted. Time to do something about it.

I grabbed him and pulled him close to my face before showing my fangs.

"You see these teeth? What do you think they're for?"

He gulped, clearly afraid.

"E-eating gems?"

"If they were only for gems why would they be so sharp?"

"Uuuhh... that's just how it is?"

"Face it you little twit. We're predators. We eat meat. If you don't want to eat meat, fine, be my guest. But don't try to guilt trip me for surviving."

He shakily nodded and I let him go. I growled as I thought about the fine mess I was in. If only I had my backpack! But that was still in Ponyville. I heard Spike groan from behind me.

"If only I could fly. I could get high enough to see where we are. Then I could get back to Ponyville in no time."

Liiiiightbuuuuulb. I turned to the little dragon and grinned.

"What was that about flying?"

He looked at me and then rolled his eyes.

"If I could fly up high enough for me to see where I am, I could totally find my way back home."

I held out a claw and said,

"Here's the deal. I fly you up high enough and you guide us back to Ponyville."

He shook his head.

"No way! I'm not guiding you back to Equestria! You're nothing but an evil dragon!"

"But I'm your only hope. Not only can you not fly, basically anything in this forest could eat you alive. Face it, you need me for my wings and actually being a dragon, and I need your brain to guide us out of here."

He sniffed.

"Yeah right. I could just do what I've been doing and wait for Twilight to come find me."

"And starve in the process. Or die of dehydration, or exposure, or get eaten alive by animals. You either guide me, or you die."

He bit his lip and mulled it over before sighing and reluctantly shaking my hand.

"Fine. But I don't like you."

"The feeling is mutual you little sh... snot."

He glared at me as I moved to the other side of the cave. The rain was still coming down so it was just time to play the waiting game until it stopped. We sat in silence for what felt like hours until the rain lessened before stopping entirely.

"Alright, lets go."

I exited the cave with the diminutive dragon following behind me. We continued up the mountain (with me having to slow down a few times to accommodate his stubby legs and lack of endurance) and finally reached the top. Once Spike had recovered I grabbed him and flew straight up. He screamed like a little girl.

"AAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! DON'T DROP ME!"

"Look around, stupid! You're supposed to be guiding us!"

He cracked an eye open and looked all around us. He then pointed a claw at a mountain in the distance.

"There! I think I recognize that mountain! There's supposed to be a town there called Griffinstone. It's near the border of the Gryphon Empire and it's where a lot of griffins live in Equestria."

"Sweet! We can stop there for supplies before finding the road and following it back to Ponyville!"

"Yeah! NOW LAND! FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA LAAAAAND!"

I rolled my eyes before returning to the ground. Spike immediately flopped down and kissed the ground. What a drama queen. I adjusted my coat and said,

"Alright. Judging by the position of the sun we need to head Southeast. Unfortunately I can't carry you all the way so we'll have to walk for most of it."

Spike shuddered.

"Thank Celestia. I'd rather keep my feet on the ground."

"Tch, wuss."

Spike glared at me before walking off.

"C'mon. The sooner we get there the sooner I can get away from you."

I watched him begin to descend the mountain before pointing behind us.

"It's this way genius."

He froze and his face turned red in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. He huffed before stomping back over and continuing on the correct path. We walked in silence for hours before the sun began to set. I cleared my throat in order to get Spike's attention. He looked at me and I pointed up.

"Sun's setting. We should make camp."

He sighed and wistfully looked towards Griffinstone. 

"Fine. Where do you think we should stay."

"Probably the large hotel in the middle of nowhere."

He whirled on me and shouted,

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP! I AM SICK AND TIRED OF--"

"Shh!"

He paused before growling.

"Don't shush me you big--"

I clamped a hand over his mouth. He clawed at it and tried to bite me before I slapped him across the face. He was momentarily stunned which gave me more than enough time to secure my hold on him and listen. As he squirmed in my grasp I heard it again. To the right of us a low snarling growl could be heard. Spike instantly froze and all the blood drained from his face. I slowly turned and saw a hulking figure stomping towards us. 

You know the Ents from Lord of the Rings? Yeah. Imagine that except super fat, covered in fungus and slime, and with half a dead deer clasped in its hand. It groaned again before continuing towards us. I shoved Spike back before conjuring my weapon.

"Spike. You'd better stay outta my way."

He didn't reply but he did quickly scamper away from us. I slowly circled the monster as it continued trudging towards me. Once it was close enough it raised its arm and attempted to smash me into pulp. I sprang forward and swung my sword in an arc straight into its arm. It sliced into its thick skin but didn't cut all the way through. I jumped back as it clumsily swept its other arm before sending a gout of flame straight at it.

The creature creaked before swinging madly at me. I ducked below its first strike before it swung the deer at me like a club. I didn't have time to move so I braced myself as best as I could. The impact sent me flying into the side of tree and I rolled to the side as it threw a boulder at me. Once I was back on my feet I took to the sky and began dive bombing it with my firebreath. It continued throwing rocks and clods of dirt as portions of its body continued to burn. Out of nowhere, suddenly changed directions and began pounding its way towards Spike. 

He screamed and scrambled backwards as the beast bore down on him. I tucked my wings and held my sword out in front of me before slamming into its head. The blade of my sword stuck all the way through its head and out the top of its mouth, but it still kept running after the smaller dragon. I tugged on my weapon but it wouldn't pull out. With a groan I summoned it to my hand before the creature shook itself like a dog, trying to rid itself of me. I hopped off and turned to face it. Spike shouted at me,

"How is it still alive!?"

"Probably too stupid to realize it doesn't have part of its brain anymore."

As if to emphasize my point the creature screeched before attacking again. I shoved Spike back as its sharp claw like branches scraped against my chest. My scales stopped most of it but I still picked up a few scratches that began to bleed. My coat however got three huge gashes ripped into it. 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME! THAT'S IT! BURN YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"

I sprang forward and grabbed the top and bottom of its mouth. I forced it open before sending the hottest fire I could make straight down its throat. It screeched and flailed as I incinerated its insides. Eventually it stopped moving and smoke began to pour out if its open mouth. Panting, I stepped away and surveyed the carnage. Looking down I saw my coat fixing itself before my eyes. 

"Huh, neat."

Guess that's what Discord meant by adding protection to it.

I turned to Spike to see him staring slack jawed at me. I grinned a devilish grin before saying,

"See what I said before? Anything here could eat you alive."

He shakily nodded, never once taking his eyes off the burning monster. I rolled my shoulders before heading back to where we'd originally been.

"I suggest we sleep in the trees. That way we can avoid getting ambushed."

"S-sounds good to me."

I lifted him and set him in the branches of a large tree before moving to a branch a little further down. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a wrapped up piece of meat. Leftovers from my hunt yesterday. I quickly heated it with my breath before taking a bite. I heard Spike's stomach growl and I looked over at him.

"Hungry?"

He glumly nodded. I held out the meat and gestured for him to try some. He gulped before shaking his head.

"Dude, it's either this or starve. I won't tell anyone what you had to do to survive. Nobody can blame you."

He sighed as his stomach protested his fast even more loudly.

"F-fine. I'll have some. Happy?"

I shrugged and handed him half. He tentatively bite it and gagged before reluctantly eating the rest. With that done I got situated and prepared to sleep.

(Sometime around midnight)

Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled. With a thump (and wheeze from me) something landed on my stomach before scrabbling under my coat. I cracked an eye open to see Spike cowering on my chest.

"And here I thought you didn't like me."

He shivered as the wolf howled again before replying.

"I d-don't. B-but I prefer you o-over b-b-being eaten!"

I sniffed before adjusting to the added weight and getting back to sleep. Griffinstone here we come... eventually.