//------------------------------// // Final Chapter: The Rushed Finale // Story: The Best Team Up Since Forever // by R_E_D_A_C_T_E_D //------------------------------// Sweetiebelle groaned in anger as she awoke. Her hooves hurt, her head ached, and the ground beneath her felt cold and damp. She inhaled the musky air sharply, opening her eyes and rolling over to get on her belly and plant her hooves to the ground with a soft plomp. She nearly jumped when the silence she had been hearing was finally broken by a scratchy voice. "I'd stay put if I were you." It said, coming from Sweeties left. She turned and squinted her eyes, looking to the silhouette, which seemed to be a slumped over body resting on the possibly stone floor. "Why? Where are we? Who are you?" Sweetiebelle asked. Moving her body to properly face the silhouette, which slowly stood up and took a step towards her. A soft, purple glow illuminating the small room and everything inside. Outside, the forest seemed to awaken. The trees swaying and bushes rustling with life as Gilda shot across the sky, searching for the pony who had screamed. Hoping to find Sweetiebelle. Instead she found nothing but lizards, bark, and rocks. "Great, I get asked to do ONE THING and I can't even do that." She muttered, slowing down and scanning an opening in the trees, looking frantically along the dirt below. Groaning when she confirmed that only more lizards and rocks were all she would find, she began to once again rocket through the sky, watching the ground below carefully. That's when she saw him. He stood one foot tall, had grayish-green skin, and long, pointy ears. He looked up at Gilda and the monstrous amounts of teeth he flashed while smiling only confirmed it. He was a Gremlin. "Twilight?" Sweetie squeaked, exasperated as she fell over. Before her stood the small, slender, purple alicorn. Her mane a mess, her eyes locked on the little unicorn with worry. "Sweetiebelle, it's so good to know you're alright, but, what are you doing here?" She looked Sweetie over and sighed. "Did Gilda even find you?" Sweetiebelle glanced up at Twilight and took in a long breath. She nodded her head and but her bottom lip. "She did. Did... Did Rarity really send her to get me home?" Sweetiebelle asked, shivering as she hugged the princesss. Twilight looked down at her with surprise and smiled. "Of course it's true Sweetiebelle. Your sister loves you. Between you and me," she began, smirking as she leaned closer, "Rarity would probably shave her mane and become a hermit pony if you weren't her sister." Sweetiebelle looked at Twilight with confusion. "A hermit pony? Really?" Twilight just nodded and smiled softly. "Really though Sweetiebelle. What are you doing here?" Sweetie looked scared as she began to remember what had happened. "I was making my way back when this thing grabbed me. I tried to scream for Gilda when it..." Sweetie paused, horror on her face as Twilight gave her the darkest look she had ever seen. Pure hate was in her yellow eyes. "You're not Twilight." She shook her head, grinning as the purple light faded and all Sweetie could see was the silhouette once more. The Gremlin spotted Gilda and screeched, running off deeper into the forest with Gilda closing in on him. As she chased the foul little beast, he dived under a log. When Gilda turned the log over, instead if finding a Gremlin, she found a large hole just big enough for a small pony to fit through. "Sweetiebelle?" She called out, listening closely as she waited. Quietly she heard her say something in shock. "Twilight?" Gilda nearly choked on her own breath. There was no way that alicorn fit down that tiny hole. It wasn't even big enough for a changeling should one wish to venture down it. Whatever was down there with Sweetiebelle, had been waiting for her. She took a better look at her surroundings. The log she rolled over seemed to dip into the ground some. She walked over and pushed it. The log tipped forward and fell straight through the ground. A large hole now opened up. Leaves and sticks flying up into the air from the log hitting them before going down. 1 2 3 4 5 With a crash the log finally hit the bottom, making Gilda smile and spread her wings. This was her way in. Sweetiebelle closed her eyes and tried to use magic. And magic she could to fight off the silhouette. Sparks shot fron her horn. Lighting the small room up briefly. The Twilight imposter stood ten feet from Sweetiebelle, grinning horribly. With a gasp she tried again. Shutting her eyes and shooting more Sparks from her horn. The imposter was gone. In it's place stood a fat, angry gremlin. It's teeth like a sharks as it flashed it's smile, revealing row after row if razor sharp teeth. It's pale skin shining from the Sparks light. Then the sparks were gone. And the sound of feet scurrying about filled the room. There was a loud hiss behind Sweetiebelle and she screamed. Shutting her eyes and blasting a powerful shot of magic at nothing. The room lighting up just in time for Gilda to come crashing into the large bellied Gremlin. Without thinking Gilda scooped up Sweetiebelle and flew off. Bolting out of the room and up the large hole. Once they both were out, Gilda set Sweetiebelle down and began pushing a boulder over the large hole. Covering it. She then returned to Sweetiebelle and lowered herself for the filly to climb atop her. "Come on. Hurry." She growled. Sweetiebelle jumped onto the Gryphon's back without hesitating and Gilda took flight. Rarity stood outside her boutique, shivering as she waited in the cold once more for her baby sister and Gilda. The thought of losing Sweetiebelle devastated her. She looked down and flopped onto the cold ground. "Hey." Rarity perked her ears up and looked up from her own forelegs. A gryphon stood before her. Rarity jumped to her hooves and locked eyes with her sister, who sat on Gilda's back. A big dumb smile in her face. "I missed you Sweetie. I'm so glad you're home. And safe." Gilda sat the filly down and turned away. "Thank you Gilda." "Yeah whatever."