//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Holding the Fort 
// Story: Celestial Origins 
// by Dark Vessel 
//------------------------------//

Luna sighed and grinned, moving the last of the felled logs into position in a funnel-shape at the mouth of the cave; while this wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, she enjoyed the satisfaction of a job well done. While they couldn't keep the creature out, Faust had stated that clever placement of the logs and some effort on their part would lure it into a central area they could fill with traps. Even now, the red-maned filly was laying runes which she said she had spied unicorns using in the future, while Celestia charged them with her own formidable magic reserves.

'Maybe this won't be so bad!' Luna thought happily as she approached, stating "How are the traps coming along?" - the red-maned filly glanced up from the latest rune, smiling "We're pretty much done!" she stated, just as a panting Celestia gave a nod in agreement, lighting up her horn as she stated "This should be the last rune."

Luna nodded happily, as Faust frowned "We still have about two hours..." the red-maned filly sighed "I'll see if I can't get the adventurers here a little sooner. Push around a few clouds, disrupt the formation of some migrating birds, and move on from there..." she stated, walking to the cave entrance before flying into the air and out of sight, Luna staring at her in shock for a moment, as Celestia smiled softly "Since getting those powers, she's almost like a grown-up... All of these new words, runes which even she doesn't understand, but she knows them... I'm starting to feel like the little sister"

Luna nodded and smiled, before stating "Still, she doesn't have our strength... We will need to remember that... So, how are we gonna lure in the bear-monster?" with a serious look, before frowning as Celestia sighed and glanced down "We let it follow us. Hit it a bit, get its attention and then just fly back into the rune-area. It'll be captured and knocked out immediately..." 

Luna nodded and stated "Right..", staring at the cave entrance for a second before stating "Well, i'm going to get a drink, and.. Maybe some food. Have to be berries around here somewhere..." - Celestia nodded with a frown, as she replied "I'll go with you. But we'll show the berries to Faust before eating any, just in case" - the darker Alicorn nodded, as the two headed out and foraged.

Almost 2 hours later, as the time approached 7PM, the group returned to the cave, Faust uttering a seemingly random string of sounds before she smiled to them and wished them luck, moving to the back of the cave as Celestia and Luna stood at the cave-mouth - ready to spring their trap. 

As the sun hung low in the sky behind them, shadows draped across the land. While Celestia grew increasingly unnerved by the shadows around them, Luna smiled as her eyes darted around - the younger filly soon enough tensing and whispering "Movement. Right there" as she pointed a hoof at the tree-line - Celestia frowned and nodded, as she glared at that spot cautiously -  a few moments passing before a large monster with the upper-body of a bear and the lower-body of a scorpion slowly prowled into view with a growl, glaring at the pair with bloodlust. 

Celestia inhaled, tensing as she paled slightly under her coat. Meanwhile, Luna frowned and glared at it, moving in front of her elder sister protectively, earning a shocked and protective look from Celestia, who quickly moved to her side as the beast snarled and slowly approached.

Both fillies stood their ground as it approached, closing in on their makeshift funnel as the beast soon snarled - its stinger quickly launched toward Luna, causing Celestia to flinch as the younger mare dodged to the side with a gasp before glaring and moving to buck the tail as it pulled back. Unfortunately, the filly was uncoordinated and inexperienced at her young age, striking only a glancing blow - though that was enough to crack the carapace of the stinger, as the beast snarled in pain before it moved to bite into her with powerful jaws.

Luna gasped and tensed, leaping back just in time as Celestia paled, and exclaimed in a booming voice "Stay away from her, you monster!", as she leapt to punch it right in the chest. The beast tried to dodge, though she got a glancing hit on it's ribs. Immediately, the beast gave a pained roar as she felt and heard something she punched crack and crunch, the creature still fighting through the pain however as it moved to bite her hard in the throat, aiming for a kill.

Celestia gasped as the previous strike had left her vulnerable on her landing, immediately trying to dodge - yet barely too slow, as its teeth met her shoulder and bit in with tremendous force, drawing a scream from her throat - tears came to her eyes as its teeth met bone and were blocked completely, as the beast snarled and pulled back hard in an attempt to dislocate her leg - but while it hurt, it could make no progress in that effort, as Luna shrieked out "SISTER!", before she moved to punch it hard in the cheek.

The creature, now wise to the immense strength of these fillies, immediately released Celestia to dodge the punch as the white filly dropped to the ground with a sob, moving a hoof over her wounded shoulder as Luna exclaimed "Back into the cave!" with a hateful glare at the creature. Celestia nodded, quickly backing away with a limp as she whimpered and sobbed with each step, Luna meanwhile slowly moving back into the cave as the beast growled, following them with confidence into what was sure to be a dead-end.

Luna smirked as it soon enough fell into their trap, her horn lighting up as she fired a beam into one of the runes scattered around the area - beams of light quickly firing from it into different runes as the beast snarled, before it blinked and looked up at a larger rune on the ceiling as all of the others fired a beam into it - the creature not having time to react, as soon a bubble of magical energy pulled the beast into the air, before it was struck repeatedly by yellow-colored magical bolts. The creature snarled and struggled, though quickly grew more drowsy, as after a few repeated blasts it fell limp.

Luna glared at its unconscious frame, hissing "That's what you get for hurting my sister!", before she tensed and her eyes widened, the younger filly turning to face her sister as she exclaimed "Celestia! How bad is it?", the elder filly already laying on the cave floor, hissing in pain as she sobbed "H-Hurts..." with flattened ears. Faust gave a sigh, stating "Better than some timelines... I messed it up at the last second" with a look of sympathy and guilt, glancing down to Celestia as the filly inhaled to console her with tear-filled eyes - but Faust beating her to the speech, stating "No need to worry about infection as we are now. And if we're lucky with what we do with this creature, we can avoid most future fights" - pointing to the bear-scorpion before she frowned and glanced to Luna "For now, let's get Celestia something for the pain. The cave is safe, and i'll keep us out of trouble.."

Luna tensed, before she frowned and gave a nod with a serious look, stating "Right! Don't worry Celestia, we'll be back soon!" - Celestia winced hard, but nodded to Luna with a relieved look as Faust stated "Let's get moving..." with a frown, quickly moving for the cave-entrance as Luna followed close behind.