//------------------------------// // Chapter: Six // Story: BookHoppers: Exiled from Home // by Ace of Blackjack //------------------------------// It hadn't taken much to push away Elizabeth, but it did take effort to recover quickly from hitting her head. Fear had pulled her wings to her side as she fell down in between the bookshelves. She pulled her wings out quickly, gliding upside down as she looked at the bat pone. A wisp of mist was fighting them, shaped like an angry buffalo as it assaulted the bat pone, it's black fur fighting the dark grey. The mist obviously had some bite to it as it left visible black wounds that leaked black on the ground, staining Elizabeth's fur. She shook her hoof to knock off the sticky goo, it came off somehow burning her fur, wrecking the dye. She looked at the light red but barely had the time to think about it as the Bat pony smacked into the bookshelf beside her. She flapped her wings flipping around the right way as she looked at the mist as it hesitated. It stopped its quick chase after her to turn back around to the Bat pony as they slowly got to their hoofs, right-wing bent in two with one part facing up. She looked at herself, then at the Bat Pony. She didn't have to think twice. She flared her wings killing her speed as she tilted upwards, flipping around doubling back towards the mist.  The bat pony closed its eyes letting its breath out. Luna will take him. Protect him from this thing in the next life. Then the wind rushed by him. He opened his eyes and looked at the pegasus carrying them. Their fur stained with Light red spots on their dark blue fur.  Elizabeth knew the mist thing was chasing after her but she didn't care, the cuts on her burned and wrecked her fur but she didn't care. She cared about this pony underneath her, their body shivering in her grasp. For all the armour this bat pone had worn, it was cut directly open like tin foil. He was surprisingly light, with hollow bones and all that. She took a corner, passing the spot where her glasses said Frazzle was. This close to the grounds she saw the smashed remnants of their helmet.  “I got You! Don't you die on me!” Elizabeth shouted flapping faster and faster trying to outpace this mist, what even is that thing! Around a corner, sharp movements made the Bat pony groan. Then a blur of brown and white feathers passed by her vision.  She looked at it then looked forward in time to see herself smack into the bookshelf in front of her. The bat pony ending up going into the books, splaying them by the cover, cracking the crystal inside the books. They went limp as they hit the ground. She landed beside him, her tech glasses showing their faint heartbeat as she turned to face the mist. It attacked out smacking her, in flurry leaving gash marks on her, dripping the black ichor. Throwing her hoofs at it seemed to do little, but each attack from her hit something.  The Mist reared it's entire buffalo shaped mass back, ready to deliver a final strike. She looked at the bat pony, then at herself. Her one regret? Not figuring herself out quick enough. “Hey bat I'm sorry.”  She stood still. Then she saw it. Then couldn't help but smile. Igor let out a screech as it dived at the mist with it's claws out. Striking it as it cried out. Turning to face the bird which was, Facing directly towards a waiting Ralph. “Back Blast Clear! Eat Death Angry Cloud!” Elizabeth looked at the tan metal tube on a Tri-Pod next to him. Then she went deaf. And watched the rocket at the end fall out spitting flame out the back of it as it sputtered in a circle on the floor. “Oh no, that ain't taffy.” The mist cloud left Elizabeth and attacked Ralph, smacking at him. Leaving gashes in him, he struck out with his hoofs, sorta staggering the mist. Elizabeth felt undignified dragging the bat pony by their tail.  “I'm getting you out of here, I'm not letting you go, not on my watch.” The Bat Pony was still alive, Elizabeth's glasses flashed warnings for herself and even more so for the Bat pony. It felt bad, it burned all over but she dragged him. Ralph held his own as Elizabeth disappeared down the end of the book row.  “Please stay with me!” The Bat pony slowed their breathing down, it didn't feel right. They looked at Elizabeth as she dragged him, they clinched their one good wing to their side tightly as they closed their eyes. They felt the warm embrace of the world beyond, to be free of the goop on their fur, the pain. Then they felt the hoof of Elizabeth coming down won't their muzzle. She didn't care about herself, she really honestly didn't. She cares about him right here and now.  Elizabeth looked back at Ralph throwing books and then down at the Bat pony. Their breathing was faint but was better than it was a second ago. But that was all she cared about.  “BDI!” She shouted out looking at her feet expecting the hologram, but nothing happened. She didn't stop as she dragged the bat pone. Blood didn't stain the floor, but the black goop did.  Then she heard hoof steps, and she turned on them. She started face to face with an open door. A zebra stood there, a glowing metal greatsword in their hold. “Our Name is Grima’Daarken, sorry about earlier but come on in.” Elizabeth was about to object before her tail was grabbed. She shook herself free and grabbed the tail of the bat pony and started dragging them. Grima’Daarken helped by dragging the bat pony by their short mane.  Grima’Daarken flipped out a plastic card and slid it down the oddly not fitting keyboard scanner, the door closed with an oddly out of place pneumatic hiss. And leaned a chair against the door, achieving absolutely nothing besides the panicked aesthetic. Their glowing sword made noises before they hit it on the ground, dimming the only light source.