//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: Where's the bug spray when ya need it? // Story: Era of Harmony // by Gambling_Sam //------------------------------// *Ronin Pov* I took a step back as Volt emerged from the shadows laughing that same wicked laugh he always does. Pinkie looked on in a mix of shock and fear and Chrysalis just looked mad as hell. "Volt? But I killed you in the courtyard!" I exclaimed as he leered at me menacingly, his teeth glowed with green blood. "Hehehehe, that wassssss but a puppet created by Dadiolus to distract the princess. I was tasssssked with the destruction of this hive and ALL of its inhabitants!" He screeched as Chrysalis took a step forward. "You mean that all of my children, all of my kin and our only home were destroyed by you?!" She yelled as she fired off a spell at Volt. The Antiarachnid laughed and jumped over the spell and landed nearby Pinkie and looked her in the eyes. "Well well well well, who is this?" He asked as he sniffed her fur, causing her to jump back in shock and face him with a frown. "I smell your presence on her, Ronin. Is she one of your mates?" He asked as he suddenly went serious. "No matter, I'm not here to play with you, Thanatos. No, I am here to hunt down the spellweaver and end his existence." He said as he jumped through the ruins and fled the scene, leaving me to wonder who he meant. "Umm...that guy was kinda scary, but who's the spellweaver?" Pinkie said as I thought for a second. Spellweaver? isn't that what Nicholas said Dadiolus called him? Crap, that means... "We need to go, he's after my brother!" I yelled as we gave chase after him, not noticing a blue alicorn flying off towards ponyville after viewing the events. ********** Nicholas POV ********** Turns out, making a rabbit burrow is really difficult to do from scratch. The first couple of ones I helped make looked like glorified holes in the ground. After a few hours of help from Fluttershy, I was finally starting to get the hang of it. "There you go, little ones." Fluttershy said in a motherly tone to a group of rabbits settling into one of the newest burrows she had created. She turned to me and smiled. "That should be the last one, Nicholas. We should head back before it gets dark." She said as she looked to the setting sun. I nodded as we started walking back to the cottage. As we were walking, I turned to Fluttershy. "You know, something has been bothering me." I said as she turned her head to me with a confused look. "Your super nice, have a great job as an animal caretaker, and are pretty cute as well. How do you not have a boyfriend or husband?" I asked her as she blushed slightly. "I-I could never see myself getting the courage to ask somepony out." She said with a touch of sadness in her tone. I frowned at the before asnwering. "Well, that's not right. Your an incredible pony and you totally deserve one." I said as Fluttershy stopped cold. I stopped and raised an eyebrow at the look of fear on her face. "Umm....did I say something wrong?" I asked as she shook her head and raised her hoof to my mouth. "Shhh, listen." She quietly told me. I obeyed and stood there, listening to the silence of the trail. "There's nothing around here but us." I whispered as she started to tremble slightly before looking at me in the eyes. "Nicholas, this trail is always full of the sounds of my bird friends. But now its absolutely quiet." She whispered back as a branch broke in the brush to the right. We both turned to the sound and saw the bushes start to shake as whatever was in them got closer. Fluttershy pulled me behind her while she took a step forward, still shaking, and called out. "W-Whose out there?" She said shakily as the shaking neared the bush closest to the trail and Pinkie Pies head popped out. Fluttershy and I relaxed quickly. "Oh, its just you, Pinkie. We thought you were something scary." Fluttershy said as she started walking towards her. "Scary? Don't be silly! I was looking for Nicholas anyway! There's this big spider thingy after him and we need to get him to safety now!" She said as she motioned behind her with her head. "Follow me, Ronin has a safe spot up ahead with Chrysalis." Fluttershy started to enter the brush with her before I pulled her back. Something about all of this seemed...off. I looked to Fluttershy, who was staring at me with confusion, and shook my head before turning to Pinkie. "Ronin sent you to find me instead of Chrysalis or himself?" I asked her as she nodded quickly with that big smile she always had, yet unlike most times where that smile dang near drove me mad with irritation, this time it kinda scared me for some reason. "Yep!" She said, but impatiance laced her words. "Now come on, we dont want to leave him waiting, do we?" She asked me as an idea popped into my head. I took a step forward and smiled. "A question first, then we'll go." I said as she rolled her eyes but nodded. "What's the first thing you wanted to do when you realized I was new in town?" I asked as Fluttershy and Pinkie both raised eyebrows at the question before the latter snorted a bit with laughter. "That's easy, silly! I wanted to show you around town to see everypony." She said as I smirked. Checkmate "So, you wouldn't throw any...parties for me?" I asked as Pinkie shook her head. "Of course not! that would scare any newcomer off! what silly eilly throws a party for somepony they never have met before?" She said as Fluttershy immediately jumped back in a miz of suprise and fear as she realized the now obvious situation. "Your not Pinkie Pie!" She said as I took another step forward. "Nope, she's a fake. And you almost had us fooled, but you obviously have no clue who your impersonating." I said as the fake Pinkie Pie started laughing wickedly, tilting her head backwards. Things took a rather twisted turn from there. The Pinkies head started turning in a three-sixty degree angle around her head several times before stopping facing me suddenly. Her eyes then rolled to the back of her head as the sockets turned black and her whole body started convulsing violently before completely ripping apart, leaving what looked like a big leg in her place. Said leg contracted into a bush as a huge, and I mean HUGE, spider appeared from the bush laughing in the same laugh the pinkie was using. "Soooo, spellweaver. How did you like my little party trick?" He asked me as Fluttershy and I took a step back in suprise/fear. "H-How do you know that title?" I asked shakily as the spider leaned down towards us and grinned wickedly. "Well, ain't that just the question, huh." He said as he looked to Fluttershy. "Hehehe, how about weeee make a deal? Let me eat her and I shall let you go and tell you anything you wish. I haven't had pony in a looooong time!" He said as Fluttershy literally balled up behind me. I clenched my fist, suddenly was less scared, and took a step forward. "Leave her alone, you freak of nature!" I yelled at him, preparing for a fight. He blinked for a second before smirking. "Ohohohoho, tough little maggot are you? Well, we shall see if you deserve the title of herald soon enough!" He roared as he shot a leg out at me. I put up a barrier just fast enough to block the blow, yet it sent me and the bubble back several feet. The spider recoiled slightly. "There's that infamous magic Dadiolus went on and on about! Stop hiding behind that bubble and show me some real firepower!" He beckoned as I dropped the bubble and focused into my hand before releasing it towards the big thing... With absolutely no results. The spider looked blankly at me before cracking up again. "Your telling me the little shrimp that Dadiolus is afraid of can't even use offensive spells? What are the odds!" He growled as he swung another leg at me far faster than before. SHLING! I blinked as Ronin cut the leg off and kicked it away. He turned to me and smiled as the spider roared in pain. Chrysalis and the real Pinkie Pie came up behind him, the former panting from the apparant run they had. "When this is done, I am personally holding that stupid sun-flanked monarch responsible for not making sure that thing was dead!" Chrysalis growled as Pinkie gasped and ran over to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, are you alright? Did that meanie Volt try and hurt you?" She asked her friend as Fluttershy stood up from her position of fear on the ground and shook her head. "I'm ok, Pinkie, but that Spider wants to hurt Nicholas." Fluttershy said as a look of anger appeared on her face. I looked at the two in suprise before turning to Ronin. "Bro, That thing...what is he?" I asked as Volt started to recover. Ronin took a breath and responded. "His name is Volt, and he's a big ugly as hell spider that can't stay squashed." He said before Volt started giggling as his leg came back fully healed. "What the... you couldn't do that before!" Ronin yelled. "Weeeell, that puppet of mine was rather weak anyway. So I doubt it could posssssibly use the full extent of my power." He said before his back glowed yellow and sent bolts of lightning at us. Ronin dodged left out of the way of one and deflected another back at Volt, just for it to get absorbed by the back end of Volts abdomen. Pinkie and Fluttershy dived out of the way of the bolts sent towards them, and Chrysalis simply put up a barrier around her, absorbing said bolt herself. The sound of thunder crashed through the path as clouds surrounded the area. Chrysalis put her barrier done and teleported near Ronin. "This thing is controlling the weather, we need to take it out. NOW!" She yelled/screeched as Ronin nodded and turned towards the two girls to our left. "Pinkie, Fluttershy. Take Nicholas and go to town. We can handle this freak of nature ourselves." He said as the girls and I ran towards town, hoping those two knew what they were doing. ************ Raiden POV ************ Celestia and Luna had set up a battalion of soldiers on the borders of ponyville. Since we had no idea where Volt would appear, so we weren't taking any chances. Me, the girls(minus Fluttershy and Pinkie), and the two princesses were standing at the main road to ponyville. "Where could Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie be?" Twilight asked as Luna summoned a mace with her magic while Celestia created a spear. Rainbow dash flew up and looked over the town. "I don't know, but they are missing out on a potentially awesome butt kicking!" She said as her eyes landed on said ponies. "Their coming up the trail!" She called down to us. Sure enough, Pinkie and Fluttershy, along with Nicholas had just came running out of the brush nearby the trail and were full sprinting(fluttershy flying) to town. Almost a couple of seconds later, a giant spider came out of the same area and was pursuing them. "Coooome back, you delightful appetizers!" It yelled after them. Celestia took a look of pure anger on her face. "Leave those three alone, Volt!" She yelled as she sent a beam of light at him. The spider recoiled as the three made it into town. "Raiden!" Nicholas yelled as I embraced him in a big hug. The girls were hugging themselves as Pinkie rattled off about what had happened. I let go of my brother and walked up to Celestia. "Alright, Time we squashed this bug once and for all!" I roared as Celestia, Luna, and I charged Volt, with him doing the same all the while the air crackled with electricity.