//------------------------------// // Watchful Ruins // Story: Like Something's Missing // by Icecane //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash flapped her wings with all her might, speeding toward the dark crevice her friends had fallen into. “Please be ok, please be ok,” she begged, diving into the hole and seeing the different forms of her friends lying on the cavernous floor. “Oh no.” Hovering over Applejack, the pegasus lifted the earth pony's body and began to shake her. “Applejack, Applejack, please tell me you're alright!” After several moments of perpetual shaking, Rainbow Dash's pounding heart skipped a beat as a light groan emanated from her friend. “Ugh... Rainbow...?” the cowpony whispered, her head lolling to the side. Rainbow Dash gasped in elated surprise. “Oh my gosh, Applejack!” It took only moments orange coated mare to gain a fierce scowl and glare at her flying friend. “Consarnit, Rainbow, ah'm fine. Now quit shakin' me!” Realizing she was indeed near throttling her friend, the pegasus retracted her forelegs, allowing the earth pony to land on her hooves and stand upright. “Heh-heh, sorry.” Two more pained groans echoed within the large cavern, Rainbow Dash and Applejack both darted toward the sources, helping up Rarity and Twilight. “Wow,” the pegasus breathed, preforming a once over on the alabaster mare and seeing nothing wrong with her. “You guys are fine, how did that happen?” Her question was quickly answered as she noticed the horn on Twilight's head was glowing. Her gaze then followed that of Applejack's as the farm pony stared at the spot where they had all landed. Sitting there, right where the friends had crashed, was a large mattress. A white, springy rectangle of cushioned protection. As the spell ran its course, the conjured bed vanished from existence. “Good job on the quick thinkin' there, Twi,” said Applejack, clearly impressed. “You sure did save our tails back there.” “Ugh...” the scholar groaned, rubbing her aching head. “It was nothing, I'm just glad we're all okay.” Taking a quick look at their surroundings, Twilight was immediately clued in on one important detail. “Wait, where are Spike and Pinkie?” An answer was quick to come as a bubbling giggle echoed above them. “I'm here!” chimed a joyous voice. The four ponies looked up and were immediately taken aback as they saw Pinkie Pie slowly floating down toward them, a bouquet of balloons tied to her tail. “Pinkie...” Rarity questioned, tilting her head from side to side to make sense of the sight. “How did you...?” Pinkie Pie's beaming smile showed itself as she landed, the balloons on her tail popping soon after. “Well of course, I never go on big cross-Equestria adventures without my balloonachute!” She giggled once more as she pulled the strings and tattered balloon remains from her tail. “That would just be silly.” Twilight began to look around the cavern with worry. Though Pinkie Pie answered one part of her question, it didn't place a location on her scaled assistant. “Spike,” she called, her worrying voice echoing through the large cave. There was no answer. “Spike,” she called again, her tone slowly turning to panic as she trotted about, keeping her gaze locked onto the ground for any signs of the the little dragon. “There he is,” Rarity shouted, pointing her hoof off into the distance. Twilight looked into the very direction and saw him. Spike was a long distance away from them all. The young assistant simply stood idle, his attention clearly on something else as he gaze off toward the furthest side of the cavern, beyond the sights of the other ponies. Quickly rushing to his side, Twilight's surge of relief nearly caused her to trample the dragon as she nuzzled against him. “Oh, Spike,” she whispered, “you had me so worried.” Despite her actions however, Spike didn't respond to her, only standing idle as his mouth hung open. As Twilight followed the dragon's strange gaze, the other four ponies noticed the lavender librarian's demeanor quickly shift, mimicking Spike's exactly as her own thousand yard stare immobilized her. Their friends rushed to the sides of the unicorn and dragon, but they all too became transfixed at the sight that was laid before them. All the could do was gape as they looked at the furthest corner of the cave, seeing a massive gate of stone carved into the cavernous wall. “Is that...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, unable to ask the unneeded question. To make it more obvious, a glowing red trail could be seen snaking toward the entrance, disappearing inside the doorway shrouded in darkness. As the crippling suspension of shock wore off, Spike took a single step toward the entryway then bolted forward at an amazing speed. “Spike, wait up,” Twilight called, chasing after the dragon. Shaking off their own shock, the others trailed just behind the speeding dragon as he ran to the gargantuan doorway and disappeared beyond the threshold and into the unknown darkness beyond it. The six friends' eyes rolled about in their skulls as they tried looking at everything they possibly could at once, taking in the interior of the temple and all its glory. It was an impressive structure that none of them could have imagined. The entrance had led them all into a massive hallway, their hoofsteps echoing with every thud on the cold stone. Large pillars stood tall from floor to ceiling, while beautifully fashioned braziers clung to them, holding still burning flames that offered dim lighting for them to follow. Such sheer enormity to the room was what took them by surprise though. The distance between the two side walls spanned several dozen feet, making it difficult to see both of them at once. For the ceiling, the same could not be said, even with the minimal lighting they received. As the five friends looked up, they were almost certain they were gazing into a starless night sky. But the magnificence of the place was marred by one fact, how ruined it already was. Large piles of rubble littered the floor. Several pillars were nothing more than heaps of stone where they once stood. Many braziers were cratered on the floor, their light having gone out long ago. As they crossed the long stretch of room, Twilight's eyes were fixed onto the walls themselves. The pillars and braziers weren't the only means of décor. To her surprise, the unicorn noticed odd patterns in the stone surface. With a simple illumination spell, the unicorn lit up a portion of it to see there were old carvings made into the stone. Many of them appeared to be murals, holding etchings that lacked in true detail but were meant in large quantity. A saddened sigh escaped the scholar however, noticing how ruined the carvings were. Hardly any of the original pieces were legible. Many cracks broke apart the stone pictures, others simple crumbled away over the years while most of them appeared to have been scratched away by something. “Just look at this place,” Applejack breathed, still taken by how insignificant it made them look. “This place certainly ain't made for no pony.” “Maybe it really was meant for dragons,” Twilight murmured, her eyes focused on a single picture on the latest nearly destroyed mural. It was of a dragon, it's mouth wide and a torrent of flames spewing from the creature's maw. Ferocious was all she could conjure as an acceptable description. What bothered her was that she was unable to tell if it had wings or not, that portion of its picture being obscured. “I doubt it,” Rainbow Dash replied, flying up and down in a smooth transition. “If a dragon could make this, then I doubt they'd live in dank old caves like a bunch of animals.” “You don't know that!” Spike snapped suddenly, his cheeks reddening as his brow furrowed at the pegasus. “Dragons could have stayed here!” “Sorry, Spike,” apologized the multicolor maned mare, rubbing the back of her neck uneasily. “Maybe dragons did come here. If we look around some more, I bet we can find out.” Accepting the apology, Spike softened his glare and continued to look about the large chamber they were in. A feeling of belonging crept into his senses as he gazed about the ruined walls and still pillars. He wasn't sure why, but something about the place made him feel right at home, like he was meant to be there. The dragon soon found himself simply looking with a mixture of curiosity and confusion at Pinkie Pie. The pony of all things sweet and energetic had remained surprisingly silent as soon as they entered the temple. Now, the baker seemed stare off into space, her eyes unmoving. Even stranger, her entire body began to shake, starting off as a mild quiver and soon escalating into a vibrating mass of muscle spasms. As if reading the minds of her confused friends, Pinkie Pie's body shot off toward the nearest pillar and clung to it like a spider. “Oh my gosh everypony!” she cried out in excitement, her eyes darting about the room at her new vantage point in all possible directions. “Just look at this place!” Diving from her perch, Pinkie Pie landed on her hooves softly with a grace that would make any cat envious. “This is the perfect place for a party!” A collective breath of flattened expectations blew from Spike and the four ponies, realizing Pinkie Pie was simply being Pinkie Pie. “Just think about how many ponies we could get in here!” Pinkie Pie continued, unaware of her friend's dwindled interest in her imaginative views. “Decorations everywhere! No pillar un-ballooned, no wall un-streamered, and no inch of floor un-confettied! The music would have the best echo ever. And mmm,” Pinkie Pie licked her lips, “just think of all that food.” Hopping onto her back legs, the party planner began dancing as she followed her friends, moving to the music that was playing in her head. The imaginary pinkie-party was the greatest thing since sliced pinkie-bread. Every one of them marveled at the sights they were seeing, seeing such a strange sight that promised so much more further in. But it also withheld things. The six friends were too enamored to hear the faint sound of claws scratching across the stone floor. They were too entranced to feel the cold chill on their backs, brought on by the pair of eyes that watched them intently from within the shadows that the light could not touch. They were too captivated to sense that they weren't alone. Eventually, the extensive hallway that seemed to go on forever finally altered its linear path. Two new tunnels opened up at the sides, creating a crossroads that presented them with a choice. They each took a glance toward the possible routes, left, right or straight onward. Uncertainty settled in, none sure of what path would be the best. Each way looked the same from the other, showing no real reason to choose one over the other. Rarity stepped forward to the right path, her eyes attempting to see beyond the darkness that extended before her. As her vision became strained, the unicorn felt an odd feeling course through her body, sending a shiver into her very being. Even her friends noticed, light gasps of surprise and confusion escaping them as they took a step back. Rarity became aware of what they were seeing instantly, catching the bright light that was cast by her horn. “Why... this sensation,” she muttered, crossing her eyes as she looked up at her own forehead, “it's so familiar... Something I've felt before but... what was it...?” She didn't have long to think on it however as she felt a powerful pull yank her forward by the horn. Rarity screamed in fright, her legs flailed about but failed to gain any grip against the ground, her hooves dragged across the stone floor uselessly. “I'll save you, Rarity!” Spike shouted heroically. With catlike reflexes, the baby dragon jumped from Twilight's back and landed atop Rarity's own, wrapping his arms around her and doing his best to stop the coming madness. Sadly, the small dragon's limited size provided little in resistance to the undeterred horn, he failed to even serve as ballast to weigh the mare of his dreams down. Spike could only keep a tight grip around his love as the speed at which she was pulled increased. Applejack's own speed was just behind Spike's, already taking one of her trusty ropes from her saddlebag. Twirling it high into the air, she flung the tied rope forward to lasso Rarity's midsection just before she was pulled out of the mare's reach. “Gotcha,” she shouted triumphantly in a muffled tone. But her own actions where fruitless as well. The moment the slack in the rope was gone, Applejack's firmly planted hooves in the floor were uprooted from their spot, and the cowpony found herself being pulled along, just as helpless as Rarity. Rainbow Dash shot forward, her wings propelling her quickly to allow her to wrap her hooves around Applejack's body. Flapping in reverse, the pegasus put all of her wing power to fight against the magical pull. Twilight followed suit, doing her best to keep a hold onto Rainbow Dash. Even her magic was used to pull back on their target, encompassing them all in a magenta glow. It was all for naught. Rarity's horn proved admirable in its relentless determination. Even with their combined efforts, they were all pulled forward along with Rarity, their struggled grunts and cries echoing through the chamber as they were sent into the darkness. “Wait for me you guys,” Pinkie Pie chirped happily, bouncing forward after her friends, a smile plastered onto her face as she took part in this new game of 'chase' that was taking place. Rarity, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Twilight saw their surroundings blur. They flew through several different rooms, becoming lit up as Rarity's glowing horn rushed by. Their speed increased by the second, moving faster and faster, their goal unknown to them. Eventually, Rarity's frantic cries ceased, turning to a deadpanned gaze at the passing scenery. Finally, after several jarring moments of quick turns through more hallways, they came to a stop. It was anything but graceful. Their bodies were all tossed into the air as Rarity suddenly halted in place, stopping on a dime with amazing stiffness. A sigh of relief escaped them all, happy to have the forced trip come to an end. But a new sound echoed into the room they were tossed into. It wasn't a cry of fear, a scream of pain, not even a yell of shock. It was a gasp of awe inspiring surprise, brimming with both heart stopping excitement and uncontrollable joy. The gasp came from Rarity, having been the first to recuperate from their ordeal. Her eyes were wide, her jaw slacked. All the white unicorn could do was gaze upon what was in front of her, a chamber filled with gemstones. Spike stood beside her, body trembling with bursting excitment. His eyes shined brightly as he gazed upon the second most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Just a single pile of gems put the hoard of any dragon to shame. Gems of all shapes and sizes were accounted for. Spike could see hundreds of every kind of gem one could think of. There were fire-rubies, ocean-sapphires, moon-pearls, some Spike couldn't even pronounce. Torches circled the wall above the trove. The light cast by their flickering flames shined down on the gems. It caused the the walls and ceiling of the chamber to be painted in colored lights, matching the same shades that made up the gems before them. The muscles in Spike's mouth gave out, causing it to simply hang freely open. A waterfall of saliva flowed from his gaping maw, pooling at his feet as his mind had shut everything out except for the glittering masterpiece. Unable to simple stare any longer, Rarity and Spike both released squeals of delight as they dove into the nearest pile they could find, scattering gems in all directions with their splash. Spike was the first to resurface. His clawed hands reached out and dug into the pile he was in, grabbing handfuls of gems and throwing them into his mouth. The crunching of chewed gems soon accompanied Rarity's continued squeals. The young dragon's enthusiasm was showing as he shoveled the glittering stones into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out to their fullest extent before he began chewing them down in a mess of spit and gem fragments. Having a different taste for the gems, Rarity simply buried herself in the massive pile of jewels. The seamstress swam through them like one would a river. She even began making snow pegasi out of them, fanning her legs back and forth in her bliss. “Goodness,” said Twilight, “I've never seen so many gems in one place.” “What do ya think they're for?” Applejack asked, averting her gaze from the near blinding shine the gems gave off. Twilight paused as she thought on the question. “Perhaps this place was home to a dragon a long time ago, this could be their hoard. Maybe it even belonged to Serilex...” Twilight frowned, blind assumptions in the face of lacking knowledge bothered her. “We need to gather more data before we come to conclusions though.” “Oh, I know!” Pinkie Pie's cheerful voice chimed. Her fluffy pink mane and pinker head popped out of the nearest pile of gems. It sent gems flying, as well as throwing Spike and Rarity in a tumble of startled yelps. “Looky looky up there.” Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof upward. Following it, the others saw a familiar red trail coming through into the chamber before looping back out. “That's right,” Twilight breathed. She wanted to slap herself for forgetting about the tracking spell. “If we follow the same way Typhoon took, then we're certain to find something useful to point us the right way.” “What?!” Rarity exclaimed, rushing forward to meet Twilight face to face. “B-but the gems... We can't just abandon these beauties here.” She then ran back to the pile, embracing it like a mother would their foal. “They need me! I can hear them calling out to me! 'Please, Rarity, don't go. Stay with us, make us into fabulous gowns.'” Twilight held a flat look as she eyed her friend, Applejack and Rainbow Dash responding in their own way with a hoof covering their face. “Rarity,” the scholar replied, “as far as we know, these gems have been here for hundreds of years. I really don't think they're going anywhere.” “Bu-but...” Rarity whimpered, looking between the magnificent cluster of sparkling jewels and her friends. After what seemed like an eternity of painful indecision, Rarity lowered her head down in sadness. “Okay... But,” her head rose up quickly staring at Twilight determinedly, “we must return here. I will never be able to go on knowing we left these darlings here to rot in the dark, dank and dust.” Twilight nodded slowly, trying to keep a straight face. “Yes yes, fine, Rarity. We will see about the gems when this is all over.” Satisfied, Rarity took a hesitant step away from her jewels and joined her friends. Spike needed his own persuasion, but was easily pulled away from his buffet with the enticement of answers to his questions. It didn't stop the baby dragon from filling his bag to bursting though. With Typhoon's old trail in their sights, the ponies and dragon followed the glowing marker through the temple. They remained silent, the clop of their hooves echoing against the stone floor being the only sound they made. However, it was quickly accompanied by the crunch of hardened gemstones as Spike continued to devour the small pile of gems he cradled in his arms. There was one major detail that become noticeable as the ponies took thorough inspections through the tour they had. Though the temple itself was impressive, besides the structure itself, there wasn't really anything they could use to discern its true purpose. Every hall and chamber they entered was empty. All they ever found was rubble and shattered fragments of what could be anything. Many of the branching paths were completely inaccessible, blocked by collapsed walls and ceilings. It bothered Twilight. Though she knew that the temple must have hundreds of years old, much of its ruined state didn't strike her as being brought on by age. To her, it felt as though something had happened. Her suspicions where only increased as she noticed large grooves worn into the stone walls and floors, always in sets of four or five, perfectly lined up with one another. Following the old pegasus' trail did little to help in their investigation as well. The trail looped up and down in erratic movements, clearly showing where the flier had been and where he inspected. Rainbow Dash proved useful as she followed it perfectly, seeing what their ancient guide had seen long ago. Their pursuit became even more daunting as the trail seemed to reach a dead end. The hallway they had been following for quite some time ended with another pile of broken rock. Typhoon's own trail met the blockade without stop, then the trail ended. Rainbow Dash groaned audibly. She was becoming impatient, having thought they would have found something by now. “So, what now?” “Maybe we missed somethin'?” Applejack offered, grimacing as their guide had run its course. “There are a lot of places we haven't looked at yet,” Spike said. His tone was one of worry, the little dragon could notice their resolve waver ever so slightly. As her friends discussed their next course of action, Twilight remained silent. With her eyes glued to the dead end that now ended their centuries old game of follow the leader, the unicorn's mind began to work. Some details about what she could see became clear. Though it appeared the trail ended, Twilight wasn't so sure. To her, it seemed as though it simply went onward, going further on a path that was previously open many years ago. “Stand back everypony,” Twilight ordered, gaining curious looks from her friends. Their movements were stalled by their own wondering minds, but after Twilight turned to them with a serious look in her eyes, they complied. Taking several paces back herself, Twilight stared down the blockade of stone. After several deep breaths, the silence in the room was broken by a magical ring. The darkness hiding away in the corners of the hall was disrupted while the unicorn's horn sparked with power. Moments passed as the spell grew in strength, the sparking energy and musicale chime increasing throughout. Then, the spell was fired. Every piece of rock and stone gained its own magenta glow. Within the next moment, the rough sound of stone rubbing against stone sounded off as the rocks began to rise. Then, they began hovering away from their previous spot, floating back into the hallway. With a new path opened, the rocks neatly piled themselves at the sides, allowing the ponies to easily maneuver through. “Good job, Twilight!” Spike praised, clapping his hands like an audience at a show. “That is a most fortunate spell,” Rarity added, noticing how neatly the rocks made themselves. Modestly shaking away a slight blush, Twilight led the way through their new path, seeing the red trail continuing onward as well. But only several steps were taken before they stopped once again. Everyone took in a breath of shock as they finally found signs that they weren't the only visitors. It was a camp, or at least, the remains of one. It had been buried, completely covered by the tumbled rocks that were previously there. Tattered fragments of an old bedroll littered a small area. What could only be assumed was a bag had been split in half, whatever contents inside apparently being destroyed beyond recognition. There was even a small circle of stones placed neatly nearby, they could only assume a fire pit had been used. But Twilight's attention was quickly drawn to one item in particular. It was a small journal. The cover and size was near identical to the ones she saw back in the Cloudsdale archives, the ones that Typhoon used. Levitating it closer to her gaze, she noticed how newer it looked in comparison to the others. That reason was seen easily enough as well as she looked in it. Most of the pages were blank, save for the first few. They were crisp and clean, along with the cover that had only a few scratches dug into it from the stones it was covered in. “I think this was his,” Twilight murmured, mind preoccupied as she glanced over the few entries that were written inside. Even Spike's weight sitting atop her head to lean down to see the journal for himself went unnoticed by her. Much like the other journals, Typhoon's entries were mostly just simple recordings of his thoughts and experiences. The first pages were of observations on the mountain area, noting recognizable areas to pinpoint his location at all times. It eventually spoke of his excitement for having found the temple itself, hidden away inside a crevice. Then simple notes on the temple itself. Twilight only had to turn the page a few times to find the last entry, an actual journal log. The librarian mare turned to her friends, clearing her throat as she prepared to read it aloud. 15x17x823 Such a strange place. Since coming here, I've only found more piling questions rather than answers How annoying. I must have searched this temple at least a dozen times, yet nothing points me in a proper direction. So many oddities this place holds. Though a ruined structure, it appears empty, almost as though it were abandoned. The damage is something as well. Whoever constructed this place built it to last, carved from the very mountain itself, I'm almost certain this entire temple is just one piece. Yet despite that, the damage persists. Natural elements could not harm this place, so it must have been by act of force. But what? Pony feathers. I'm no archeologist. Perhaps I can procure assistance from Canterlot. Barter the gems I've found as payment, might shed light on this place. Will have to wait until I find my answers on Serilex however. Still though, resting in my camp, I'm unable to find peace within these stone walls. The warming fire I have taken from a hanging light only brings about more unease as I ponder its own source. It isn't a normal flame. They still burn as brightly as the day they were lit, and that's not all, but they appear to be smokeless. Of course, with the poor ventilation of this place, a typical fire would surely suffocate any creature foolish enough to stay for more than a few moments. But I must question how this has come about. Magic? Perhaps the creators of this temple held a great power. Certainly not the work of dragons. Despite the obvious lack of information however, I can't say my visit has been fruitless. I've managed to find something, an old tome lost within the darkness. It appears burnt, a few pages singed and blackened. But the old book is still a sight to behold. No written work I have ever seen can compare to it. Over twice the size of a normal tome, using materials I've never encountered. The writing inside is even more unusual. Only a few words I can make out. Yet I might have found something I can use. A mention of a wingless dragon, talking of an actual location somewhere. I'm certain I can decipher more detail from this, but not now. First I wish to head north to the Tempest Hold. There I can rest and figure this out in peace. Ah, to return to the ancestral lands will be a comforting visit. Haven't been there since I was a lad, nearly froze my tail off too. Good times. Though I've been excited to be here, this temple is beginning to unnerve me. Unable to shake this strange feeling, like the darkness that lurks around me is shifting in my very presence. Finishing, Twilight and here friends remained silent. Their thoughts were taken to what they had heard. Returning her gaze to the camp, the lavender mare could only assume what had happened to it. After a quick search, no signs of the mentioned tome could be seen. It was plausible that the old pegasus had managed to save it before the crushing incident. Out of all the ponies, Rainbow Dash appeared the most distant. Her eyes were lost in the nothingness around her, while her body lazily hovered in place. “Tempest... Hold...?” she whispered questioningly. “Have you heard of it?” Spike asked. Looking at the mare with expectation, hoping she would offer aide once more to get them out of their dead end. “Sorta,” she answered, pausing for a moment to think again. “I know that holds were once bases used by the pegasi a long time ago. They were used to distribute weather to the areas where they were built, as well as a guard outpost against incoming threats. But after more towns started popping up everywhere, they simply made their own weather teams and the holds were left behind.” She frowned noticeably. “Took a trip to one back in flight camp. Was pretty messed up, pretty boring too.” “So we just need to find this hold now then,” Spike said, already setting their course. Twilight thought on it before nodding in agreement. “I suppose so. We have nothing else to go on. Hopefully Typhoon left some clue that we can follow further. But... where would we find this hold in the first place?” Looking back to the camp, Twilight searched about the remains of the tattered bag. Near everything was ruined, time helping in its destructive power. But, the unicorn noticed the faded yellowing of old parchment, rolled up in the furthest corner of the bag. With a quick levitate, the scroll hovered in front of her. The paper did in fact look old, she half expected it to crumble in her simple spell as she unfurled it to examine what was inside. Twilight's breath shortened in shock as she gazed at a map. It was crude, holding only a few marks on it that seemed dated to any modern map, but one mark in particular caught her eye. A small picture of a building was colored in black with the word 'Tempest' written on top of it. The marking was placed in the lands north of Equestria, just a ways away from the border between them both. “This is it,” Twilight breathed, her scholarly instincts taking over as she realized she held history in her magical grasp. With cautious movements, the librarian carefully furled the map and gingerly placed it into her saddlebag, the journal following soon after. “So we're done here?” Applejack inquired, making sure they were all on the same page. Catching the waiting glances of her friends. Twilight faced them with a smile and nodded. Everyone greedily took in the fresh air as they flew northward in their balloon ride. Thanks to Rainbow Dash, they were able to escape the cavern they had trapped themselves in and safely make it back to the balloon without a hitch. Now, Equestria's border was in their sight as they continued to follow the directions given to them by a pony who long since turned to dust. Twilight continued to look at the ancient map in her possession, taking great care to not damage it as she guided the pegasus that pulled them forward. Rarity appeared sullen, gazing off longingly at the place they had came, a beckoning pile of jewels on her mind. Applejack laid still continued to enjoy the scenery around her, having just realized how much she missed the open sky being over her. Spike happily nibbled on another gem, gluttonously filling his stomach with his stash. Pinkie Pie was, for the most part, being Pinkie Pie, bouncing about joyously in her spot while humming a soft tune to a song that would undoubtedly be heard when the right time presented itself. But the peace did not last. Their blissful demeanors all turned to stiff expressions of a shuddering terror as they heard it. A terrible, screeching roar tearing through the sky like a knife. They looked out to see the black silhouette of a fearsome creature flying high into the sky, it's large, featherless wings and long, serpent tail showing clearly before it darted downward and flew straight toward them. A fiery gaze burning in it's slitted pupils.