//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Test // Story: Monster Hunter: Ponies United G! // by Hitori09 //------------------------------// Monster Hunter: Ponies United G! Story by: Hitori 09 Chapter 5: The Test In the Kitchen at Pokke Village, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Spike where taking their breakfast, Jasmine and Daigo where packing some food while Kayrin was looking out a window, still upset at something, making the atmosphere feel uneasy. *The provisions are ready mistress* Jasmine tells to Kayrin, who nodded back and walks toward the others. *Well ladies, this is the situation* Kayrin starts to talk to them in a serious tone * in order to go and search for your friends you must become official hunters of the guild, something that usually takes years of training and killing low rank beast* *But we don’t have “years”, we must go now! * Rainbow Dash replies angry about those news but Kayrin continues. *I know you don’t have time for that training, and even the Guild think that you must return from where you came as soon as possible* * Really? , and why is that? * Twilight ask *Apparently not only my friends disappeared on that event that brings you here, but also some wyverns and other monsters disappeared, and also some of your friends where seen recently* Kayrin answered * Our friends were seen? Where? , you must tell us! * Twilight and Rainbow dash ask desperate to know about their friends but Kayrin stare at them silent until the both pony-girls calms. *I will, for now the only thing you must know is that they are fine, at least that’s the information that Nyan Jirou brings to the Guild office this morning, but that’s not the what I was going to tell you* *Then what is it? * Rainbow ask Kayrin sat down and continue with her speech * as I said, I order to go to search your friends you must become Hunters, and the Guild decided to test your skills in a drill combat* *WHAT?! * Both girls yells but only twilight continue * b-but we barely know how to use the weapons, not to mention to fight with them* *the experience is the best teacher nya* suddenly Daigo interrupts them * remember that to fight is more instinct and reaction than thinking, so I guess this will test your natural skills to survive, that is the most important skill that any hunter has nya* *Exactly* Kayrin continue speaking after Daigo * and after you become hunters will be your mission to rescue your friends and bring them to safety to any village or city affiliated to the hunters guild* *Well t-those are good news… I guess* Twilight says nervous *But why you were so angry?* Rainbow Dash ask, noticing that Kayrin´s face change into a fury expression. *I don’t want to talk about it…* Kayrin answers and hits the table with her fist, making it to break around her fist and making Rainbow to fear for her life for a minute. *S-So... when this test will be perform?* Twilight ask nervously *Right now* Kayrin answers and get up *so hurry up, take your weapons and your supplies, we´re leaving to the arena, after you two pass the test the guild will tell you where your friends where spotted, so you can choose where to start looking* Both girls nodded and start to get ready to leave, taking their weapons and backpacks. Spike climb to Twilight´s backpack all the crew left the house to the arena. Meanwhile on the Felyne Village, Applejack were trying on herself an acorn armor, similar to the one that Steve wears but adapted to her body shape. *This… this is very uncomfortable, are ya sure this will protect meh from any arm?* Applejack replies stretching her body to get used to the armor, while other cats ties and put on her body other armor parts. *Is the best we can do with the materials we can get* the Chief answers * also we don’t have much time to do a master piece young girl* Steve approach with something like a big fang tied firmly to a stick. *here, this will be your weapon while we arrive to Yukumo* Applejack looks at it uneasy *really…* she looks at it and the one that Steve has at his back *well… its better than nothing´ ah guess* *Well Young lady, Steve will teach you how to use it properly the next days, and don’t worry, as feeble at it looks, that kind of weapon has taken down even the mighty Rathalos* the Chief walks to his house laughing *and what in the name of Celestia is a Rathalos?* Applejack was left there confused At the Forest near a river, Fluttershy and her bear were fishing, she wasn’t too happy doing that but she understands that the bears eat fishes so she was there helping it. At the other side of the river she saw a really big horned creature with a club like tail eating a tree, while some big and fat birds walks around eating some grass near of it. She was marveled looking at all the creatures on the forest, all kind of creatures she never meet before in Equestria, wondering if her pets are fine without her. Suddenly she hears the sound of a wooden kart near, she and the bear hides in a near tree while the sounds fades away. When she though it was safe to go out she climbs the tree to try to see where the kart go, from the top of the tree she sees a dirt road which goes into the forest and not so far from there she can see white smoke and some kind of a building, too far to know what it was. She gets down and rides the bear toward the building, walking on the side of the road but being careful to not be seen by any other hunter. At the Arena, near the Pokke village. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were being instructed by the arena chief. *Ok ladies, this will be your test to become hunters, you´ll only have 1 chance to pass this test. Your objective is to hunt a Bulldrome. Capture it, Kill it or survive all the 50 minutes in there with it, either way you´ll pass the test* The Instructor say *S-Survive?* both girls ask nervously *HA-HA… don’t worry, it’s just an expression we have, we will take you out of there at first sight of danger for you two* He laughs and continue with the drill * ´cause this is an special occasion for you two, you can keep the armor you choose from here until your mission is completed and you can use the weapons you already bring with you. If you´re lucky to still be conscious after this you´ll see a true death match with a dangerous wyvern that you might encounter outside on the wild* Both girls looks nervous each other at the “cheerful” words of the instructor. Spike was with Daigo also being instructed by him. *Remember Dragon boy, your work is to assist them, you might have experience with assisting but this time their lives are at your paws, blow into this green battle horn to heal them, and into this yellow one to distract the monster, don’t confuse them or else you might be in real danger ok. The armor I borrowed you might be enough to keep you safe but it’s not a guarantee, understand that nya?* Spike only nods putting the horns in the little backpack Daigo borrow him. A few moments later Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike where entering the Arena. A huge dusty place with no exit than being helped from the outside. Many thorns and wooden spikes where on the walls and some seats in the top of the walls where other hunters are looking at them, some of them were Inspectors from the Guild. *Ok this is it, we must survive the 50 minutes here, only 50 minutes* Twilight sais worried about their own safety, with her bow unsheathed and ready to fire at any moment. *we can also kill the beast to finish this quickly remember* Rainbow Dash say to Twilight. She has her double sword also unsheathed and ready. *yes we can. But are you ready to kill another living thing?* Twilight ask, but before Rainbow can answer her a door just in front of them starts to open, the sounds of a wild beast can be heard from it as its opens. *well, we are about to find it out* Rainbow Dash answers, looking at the door, Twilight charge an arrow and aims to whatever can be inside the door, Spike was ready too but almost hiding behind Twilight. From the door a huge wild boar with large tusk charges at them, Twilight release her arrow missing the wild boar by inches. Rainbow and Twilight were barely able to evade its charge while Spike run away from him screaming and paniced. *Spike!* Twilight screams as she gets ready another arrow while Rainbow starts to pursuit the beast. Spike was able to evade the charge and made the beast to impact on the wall, leaving it open to attacks. Rainbow tries to strikes the beast with the swords but at the last moment she wasn’t able to hurt it. Something makes her to stop, the beast recovered from the hit on the wall and immediately attack Rainbow, sending her flying. The beast was about to charge again but an arrow of Twilight impacts it on the side making him to trip. Rainbow Dash stands up again with just a scratch on her face. *Ouch... * Rainbow said to herself, noticing that the armor nullified almost all the damage *so this is why they can take on those monsters, these armors are really something* she thought to herself. *Rainbow!! Are you OK!* Twilight asks her while she runs around the beast evading its charges and firing arrows to distract it. *Yeah I’m fine!* the answered while she again runs towards the beast *even if we don’t attack it will kill us, we must attack and evade, its him or us* Rainbow thought to herself while finally slashing the beast with her swords while evades other charges of it *that’s a cruel truth we must face here* Twilight and Rainbow Dash fights the beast for almost all the given time. Both of them being hit by the beast sometimes but without surrender. Spike, looking at the braveness of her friends decides to go out and help too; looking inside its backpack he founds a trap that Daigo gives before the test. *Remember, your job is to assist them, even if you need to risk your life* Spike remember the words of Daigo and start to run toward the monster that was busy trying to hit Rainbow Dash. He puts the trap just behind the beast and taking out the yellow hunting horn he blows in it, making a trumpet noise that attracts the beast attention. The beast almost immediately charges towards him and stepped on the trap which paralyzed it. Rainbow and Twilight takes the chance to attack it and almost killing it, but again they stop before giving the final blow. The crowd of other hunters who were watching them start to yell at them to kill it, but both of them where there, just standing in front of the beast which was too weak to get free from the trap. Suddenly a trumpet sound was heard, which marks the end of the time. Both girls and Spike, exhausted, were taken out of the arena while the arena chief enters it and kills the wounded beast. Twilight and Rainbow Dash just look at that horrible scene trying to understand that cruel world to survive it. At a waiting room, outside the arena main office, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike were waiting for the verdict of the arena chief; Kayrin was outside with her Felyne comrades at the arena itself. After some time the arena Chief and other people came out of the office with the waited verdict. *Ok ladies* the Chief start to say *Even when you did not hunt or captured the beast, you were able to survive wisely the 50 minutes of the test, but before we say our verdict there’s some points on your “hunting stile” that you must take care of and improve, if you want to survive a real hunt* *First.- you must prioritize to evade rather than attack, you did well there but Twilight, sometimes you were to focus on reloading your bow that you were hit while doing it. Be more careful. Second.- you must watch the status of your weapon as you watch also your friend status, Rainbow your swords were dull at the middle of the fight even when you had plenty of whetstones to get it sharp again, and you must try to attract the beast while Twilight were reloading.* Both girls were looking down, almost predicting that they failed the test. *And finally* the Chief continues *You must kill your prey after that kind of punishment, it’s wise to know when to stop a fight, and noble of you too try to keep it alive, after all it didn’t do anything against you that weren’t out of its nature but… after all, it took to much damage that it barely was alive, you only managed to prolong its suffering. After saying that we, the Guild of the Pokke Village, have the honor to say that you Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Spike, are now officially hunters and Felyne comrade. Take this card as your ID. And as your first mission, go and find your friends, and bring them back safe*. The guild bows at them and then goes to the arena to watch the next battle. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were silent, unable to believe that they pass the test. *You must see this too, ´cause you might need to know how your guide fights* the Chief invites the girls to the walls of the arena to watch too the next battle. The 3 of them goes with the chief and sits where they can to watch the arena, there was Kayrin and her two Felynes about to fight a big Crab like creature known as Daimio Hermitaur. Meanwhile, at another part of the forest, Al was teaching Pinkie how to use the Switch axe. *Ok Pinkie, just like that, swings it up to the ground, then sidewise and then an uppercut* holding the Axe with her, Al moves her arms to make her to familiarize with the weight of the weapon. *I-Its heavy* Pinky says barely able to hold it. * I-I know I need to know how to use it but…* giving a slash right to the ground *are not supposed that you would defend me from monsters?* *And I will defend you, but if I can´t you at least you will be able to fight too, is better for us to be that way don’t you think?* Al answers *well… I guess you’re right… but this still heavy, as a ton of… something that is too heavy…* Pinky replies as she continues practicing.