//------------------------------// // Dramatis Personæ: Prelude, Part 1 // Story: Committed! // by Canvas_Shade //------------------------------// An hour and a half after departing Dodge City Junction: “I’ll definitely have to thank Absinthe for all this if we stop in Vanhoover! I’d be wrecked if I had to go this alone. But I have Cherry Jubilee with me!” Canvas whispered. He exhaled loudly after finishing the cherry juice. A smile of enjoyment lingered on the unicorn’s face as he slipped the empty container into one of the satchels at his side. For the first time in days his belly was pleasantly distended, which allowed him to forget about the congealing injury on his head. Fortunately, the drink’s sublime flavor helped free Canvas from the lightheaded state of mind in which he left the Junction. Moonlight washed over the open territory as the last of the sunlight was completely submerged into the west. The absence of the lethal noonday sunlight allowed Canvas to focus on other things. However, being alone with his thoughts with no radio and not more to do than trudge across open wasteland was not necessarily a good thing. The unicorn found it difficult to get the dream about Nyvena out of his head. Every moment, every strange detail from that dream was etched into his memory. He was not too sure about Absinthe either. In fact, ever since his talk with Ingot, a nascent fear of earth ponies plagued his mind. The art pony shook his head and reassured himself, “No… I can’t obsess over that! Earth ponies aren’t the enemy. The Triumvirate is!” But which ones ARE Triumvirate? If they’re so secretive, then I can’t be 100% sure, now can I? Not to mention, it really IS within Nyvena’s power to simply forget about me when she gets her children back. Whatever happens, I’m as good as stranded… or dead. Canvas paused to realize how dark and cynical his thoughts had become. The colt stamped his hoof with resolution and declared out loud this time, “No! Some other dragon would do that—not her! She wants to be better than that… for herself AND her children! That’s more noble then most ponies I’ve come across!” The loud whoosh of giant flapping wings followed by a cloud of dust rushed past him from behind. “I am glad you think so.” Canvas’ heart leapt into his throat, and for several seconds his body stood like a statue. He was flush with embarrassment, “So, you… heard that. Lovely.” Nyvena laid on her front and crossed her forelegs with arched eye ridges and a sardonic grin. “Do ponies usually speak with themselves?” “If they do, they’re usually not careless enough to let others hear it.” He sighed and turned toward the dragoness. To his surprise, Nyvena gasped in shock at the gaping wound and dried blood above the colt’s left eye, “Good heavens, what happened to you?!” she inquired with a maternal tone. Canvas’ looked down as he paused to recollect. He had forgotten about the injury since the pain went away, and the hardened blood under it lost its warmth an hour ago. “Took a fall onto some railroad tracks. But it’s no big deal. I can’t even…” his speech slowed as the dragoness slowly leaned toward him, “feel it…” Assuming that Nyvena had finally given into her carnivorous instincts, Canvas braced himself for anything. But what the colt felt on his forehead made his fur bristle. “Miss K., what’re you—ohh…!” The bemused unicorn slowly relaxed when something warm and moist touched his forehead. The dragoness’ tongue was pressed firmly upon his head wound. She gently licked upwards, the sensation of the velvety muscle making the unicorn shudder with half-closed eyes. Nyvena noticed one of his hind hooves tapping the ground, and then her head snapped back when sparks began to fly from Canvas’ horn. “What are you doing, Unicorn?!” Canvas gasped sharply and straightened his posture when he snapped out of the delighted haze. “I… um… well, what were you doing?” he retorted defensively. “Do you dragons really just put your tongue on others without—whoa…!” A faint tingle on the spot that Nyvena licked stopped Canvas rant in its tracks. The saliva permeated his skin, replacing the unsightly cut with an inconspicuous scar. In a matter of seconds, the dried blood flaked away as if it was never there. “The saliva of my kind has curative properties while others’ are venomous and corrosive. Go figure.” Nyvena sat on her haunches, looking to the side crossly. “You are welcome, by the way.” “Well, that’s great, as dragon spit goes… and, well, your tongue feels really good—” Canvas shook his head and hurriedly put on a façade of indifference at which Nyvena could not help but giggle. “A prior explanation would be nice, though!” “Sure it would,” Nyvena replied sardonically while she returned to her natural quadruped stance. Her wings unfurled once more, the feathers reflecting every shade of blue from the moonlight. “On to more important matters, we will discuss what you learned as we fly.” “Sure thing.” The HUD floated from Canvas’ saddlebag and nestled onto his head. The colt promptly climbed onto Nyvena’s back to avoid the short-tempered dragoness’ impatience. Beyond the glowing words projected inches from his eyes, The art pony stared at the dry, lonely vista. The literal night-and-day difference of the nighttime desert panorama made him long to stay for a little while longer. There were so many things to draw, so many colors that he never experienced in his city life. He let out an unhappy sigh while Nyvena below him flexed her wings in preparation for the long flight ahead. “I’m online and ready to go. let’s get the hay out of here before the sun catches up with us…” *** In the deep hours of the night all of Equestria was embraced by Luna’s splendor. The half moon shined boldly over the land, as if its radiance tried to compete with its sister the sun. Everything the light could reach was illuminated in the same blue highlights as Nyvena’s feathers and scales. Canvas felt as if Princess Luna herself watched and protected them. The warm air currents that had long since circulated upward from sea level kept the dragoness and pony warm in an otherwise freezing altitude. The two discussed Canvas’ findings at length, and he adjusted the navigation coordinates to Ponyville accordingly. When the time came to mention who was most likely responsible for raiding and stealing her beloved eggs, the unicorn knew that he had to tread lightly—but not before applying a magical adhesive to his hooves to secure him upon her back, just in case. But as expected, all bets were off when he told her of the Triumvirate’s dragon egg-stealing exploits (despite the very careful way in which he broke the news to her). A tremendous roar from the infuriated mother dragon created a shockwave that obliterated any clouds within a radius of several meters. Without warning, Nyvena then darted forward with a speed that gave Canvas a level of whiplash he did not think was possible. “I’LL KILL THEM! I’LL KILL ALL OF THEM!!” Canvas’ front hoof darted around the straps of his saddlebags and secured the satchels to his body. The colt then strengthened the magical adhesive so that any future sudden changes of acceleration would not cause him to slip off entirely. “I know you’re angry. I am too—they’re shamelessly imitating unicorn magic and using it for evil… but surely your anger can be a tad more quiet?” he pleaded with a loud whisper while waiting for the high-pitched ring in his ears to fade into silence. Nyvena’s heavy breaths left bursts of flame trailing behind her as she spoke with rage-filled snarls, “I swear by my ancestors, I will roast them on a spit! I will drain their blood into a chalice, and—” The dragoness’ grotesque oaths made the unicorn shut his eyes tight and shudder. He sifted through his mind for something that would get her to not wake all of Equestria. “But there is good news, though! The pony I spoke with suggested that we try to get the Elements of Harmony to help!” “You mean the ones who expelled my cousin from his home in the Smoky Mountains when he was only trying to hibernate?” “I wouldn’t put it that way… besides, they’re the most powerful ponies next to the Princesses when they work together, and they’re all right at home in Ponyville. That’s where Splash and Danger will be passing through. We’ll finally have the advantage!” Nyvena facepawed and groaned in despair. The survival of her children was on the line, and the very last thing she wanted was to depend on even more ponies. She almost asked aloud how things could be worse. But she changed her mind and decided to not tempt fate, as it would most likely win. “Very well. I will at least try.” Relieved that her temper simmered down within only a few minutes, Canvas turned over to recline between the dragoness’ wings. He noticed that Nyvena flew only a couple of feet underneath a wispy cloud, and the art pony had an interesting idea. His hoof tentatively skimmed along the underside of the delicate Cirrus cloud. The clouds’ refreshing coolness combined with the rising atmospheric heat thrilled him in a way that he never before experienced. The unicorn grinned as he recalled his longing to touch a cloud since his winged peers from grade school tried to make him think that he would never achieve such an aspiration. Canvas yearned to see the dumbfounded faces of the Pegasi responsible for helping make his younger years a social and emotional misery. But the dreamlike moment expelled negative thoughts, persuading his mind into a state of relaxation and marvel. Perhaps Nyvena was wrong—maybe their quest did not have to be entirely miserable. Not when there was so much to discover and experience. An unexplainable adventurous feeling rose to the fore, something that growing up forced the colt to banish to the recesses of his mind over the years. To his surprise, Canvas found that he somewhat anticipated whatever challenges were in store. But it was not long before concerns about the mission subtly crept in. “What’re your plans for when we get near Ponyville?” Although indirectly, the unicorn was eager to find out how close to their destination Nyvena was willing to carry him. “If memory serves me well, Everfree Forest is south of Ponyville. Under cover of the trees, I can help you get near the town itself. As for landing, there is a place where ponies had not been seen for years, so that will be an ideal place to land, if that is still true.” “Would that happen to be the Nightmare Moon statue? The one by the ruins?” The colt gulped. Of all the misfortunate places to be in Everfree Forest, that spot was one of the worst. Usually only the occasional foalish pony on Nightmare Night would venture there. And over the ages several had been found who met a gruesome fate years after they went missing. “I hope it’s daytime when we arrive…” “Do I sense trepidation in your voice?” Nyvena asked snidely, as if she was above expressing fear. “Well, yeah. Everypony has been afraid of that area, even more than the Everfree itself. But if we arrive in the daytime, it shouldn’t be as scary,” he replied self-assuredly. As the dragoness and pony spanned the skies in silence, Canvas mulled over ways that he could continue their conversation, at least until the art pony became drowsy. “So… uh, what do dragons do in their free time?” For a few seconds Nyvena let out a soft hum of contemplation. “I cannot speak for anydragon else. We all have our own endeavours and usually do not meddle in each others’ affairs,” she answered coldly. “Fair enough, I guess. What about you?” Nyvena definitely had to ponder that for a while. That manner of question had never been asked of her before. “Mostly trying to avoid other dragons… namely the larger ones. But I had a small circle of friends. Well, only two friends. Feoras and Balfour were the only ones that would spend any time with me. They were probably competing for mating rights behind my back, but the company was nice.” Certain thoughts filled the colt’s imagination, turning his cheeks to a subtle red. “Mating rights, huh? What’s that like?” Nyvena frowned and snorted obstinately, “I can feel your pulse quickening, Unicorn. I will not give you the satisfaction of such details.” So close! “Oh, I didn’t mean—” “I think it is time you go to sleep now.” Nyvena growled and looked forward once more. Canvas felt offended that she spoke to him like a yearling, but remembered that it would not be in his best interest to object. He silently scolded himself for making the moments even more uncomfortable. “Alright, I guess. Night, Miss K.” Canvas grudgingly placed his head upon the rough fabric of his saddlebags, turning on his front for a little more comfort. Thanks to his earlier respite in Absinthe’s hotel room, he was not particularly drowsy as of yet. But considering that Nyvena could feel his pulse, the colt decided that not prolonging the process was in his best interest, either. After shutting off and putting away the HUD device, the art pony closed his eyes and lay as still as possible. Before too long, mental images became increasingly vivid as his consciousness transferred from reality to the realm of dreams—dreams of exploration, undiscovered wonders, and overwhelming peril. *** The next morning: Massive Cumulus clouds in which Nyvena flew inside rolled in where the circulation of warm air could not reach, covering the lavender dawn sky with grays of all kinds. Canvas’ eyes snapped open as his mind registered the pain of frigid stinging all over his body. Furious whistles assaulted their ears and overpowered nearly all other sounds. His coat was covered in patches of ice, some of which bound his limbs to the scales he slept upon. Freeing his front hooves was a struggle, due to poor circulation and nearly being frozen solid. But although drowsy, Canvas moved his limbs as much as possible to shake off the ice and open up his circulation for warmth. Even Nyvena’s mighty wings had trouble moving through the oppressively cold atmosphere they found themselves in. Faint tilted icicles protruded from the dragoness’ horns, lower jaw, and tail. Her breathing was labored, sending out large puffs of steam with each exhalation. “Miss K.! What in Equestria have you gotten us into?!” The unicorn’s throat and lungs burned from shouting as loud as he could just to be heard. “I saw winged ponies trying to tame these clouds, so I had to fly into a cloud that could hide us. But I did not expect it to like this!” There was a distinct tremor in her voice. It seemed the cold penetrated even her armor-like scales. “Are we at least near Everfree?” “I do not know. I have been trying to descend, but these winds are not allowing me! It is a strain just to stay upright!” Canvas perked up when he suddenly happened upon an idea. However, it took a moment of preparation before uttering the hazardous proposal he had in mind. “Then don’t stay upright! Free-fall and continue flying when we’re closer to the ground, or these winds might take us all the way to the Frozen North!” Nyvena was surprised at this. She herself did not have the confidence to pull off such a risky maneuver. “Have you gone mad?! There is no sure way that I can get us both upright in time!” “I don’t like it either, but we’ll never get to Ponyville like this!” Canvas shouted as he once reinforced the magical adhesive to full strength. He pulled the straps of his saddlebags tight around his torso with his teeth and sealed the flaps on both satchels with his golden aura. “Everything’s secure. Let’s get this over with!!” His muscles were so tense that they would soon tire out if the dragoness waited too long to execute the free-fall dive. “GAAAH!! YOU CRAZY EQUINE!!” With a loud grunt of effort Nyvena arched her body sideways and ceased to flap her wings. The two began to descend steadily, but as seconds passed it felt as if gravity pulled upon them with an unnatural magnitude. The buffeting airstream was enough to gradually shear off the patches of ice covering the pony and dragoness. When they fell below cloud level, it was like a veil was removed from their eyes, revealing many miles of rolling hills with sparse patches of trees. Much of it was an indistinguishable miscellany of greens, grays, and browns from their height, except for the river stretching into the horizon. After plummeting for about thirty seconds, Canvas began to worry as Nyvena’s wings only flailed instead of straightened. The wind refused to let her wings straighten out, no matter how many times she tried. She bellowed with frustration and ire towards Canvas and his harebrained plans. The unicorn shut his eyes tightly and blocked out the cacophony of noises while improvising a solution. Fortunately, another opportune yet daring plan came to the unicorn, in which he would have to take action right away. Still using copious amounts of energy just to keep himself in place, Canvas released the force field around his saddlebags for the sake of conserving energy. It was instead used to keep Nyvena’s wings straight long enough to ensure a safe landing—or at least make their crash landing as smooth as possible. I’ve seen it done plenty of times with the sailboats in Horseshoe Bay, so why shouldn’t it work with wings? Better to die with an idea that works halfway than with none at all! “Miss K., this might hurt a bit, so please bear with me!” Canvas carefully placed his hoof upon her right wing covert for balance, hoping to Celestia that his belongings would not be lost. “What are you doing THIS time?!” Nyvena roared. The panicking dragoness craned her neck to see what reason the colt would possibly have for painfully gouging his hooves into her wing. Canvas focused on her wingtip as he encased the limb within a precision force field to shield each feather from the buffeting wind. “I’ll straighten out your wings so they can catch air. That’ll at least get us level again.” His teeth clenched while the energy was fastidiously channeled and applied. It engulfed the constantly moving limb like a blanket. Once finished, he turned to do the same with the other wing. He could feel slight deceleration. Canvas could not help but grin with relief that all his studying on the aerodynamics of dragon wings possibly paid off. “FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, HURRY UP UNICORN!!” Nyvena pleaded. The hills were dangerously close. Suddenly they jerked upward when her feathers aligned properly. They caught enough air to carry them along the currents blowing throughout the hills. A hind claw brushed along the grass tips at the trough of the ten thousand-foot dive, making both of them shudder at just how close they were to untimely deaths. While she regained her balance, Canvas’ magic dissipated. “Excellent planning and timing, Unicorn…!” Nyvena conceded. “Enough to get you to call me by name?” Although fatigued by the adrenaline rush, Canvas managed a prideful smirk. She sighed disdainfully. “Very well, I will address you as ‘Canvas.’ Are you satisfied?” “It’s progress, I suppose.” “I do not let smug ponies ride upon my back, Uni—Canvas.” “I still have adhesive magic. Getting me off will only tire you out further!” He retorted jokingly. The indignant dragoness arched her back upward and ascended until she and Canvas could spot the border of overwhelmingly thick timberland. Nyvena’s hind legs touched ground and skidded to a halt with the help of her front claws. She looked back at the pony trying to carefully climb down and bucked him off with a single bump. Even with the spell, it was enough to send Canvas landing on his back. The colt let out a single quiet cough when the impact expelled the air from his lungs. He grimaced and arched his back in agony from the small, jagged rocks he landed on. “That was nice of you.” he remarked sarcastically while rocking his body upright. Nyvena let out an arrogant laugh, “With magic like yours, you cannot afford to underestimate me!” “Hmph!” Canvas frowned and turned his head. *** The two moved around and stretched their limbs to restore proper blood flow. Canvas walked a quarter mile along the border of the forest, exploring the ancient trees that guarded the secrets and dangers of the Everfree Forest. Every noise from beyond the arboreal barriers made the reluctant unicorn crouch in fear that something would leap from the darkness at any moment. After the mounting trepidation killed the remainder of his curiosity, Canvas galloped at full speed until returning to Nyvena’s side. She smirked at his nervous countenance, but it did not matter. It was better to be with a rude creature that was also protective, than one whose predatory instincts superseded all else. “I guess I’ll just check where we are…” The colt once again donned the navigational visor to check their position and reestablish the waypoint to Ponyville. “Looks like our landing was way off. The Nightmare Moon statue is about ten miles east.” Nyvena blew smoke from her nostrils and grumbled in a draconic tongue, then took a deep breath to calm her temper. “I certainly did not anticipate such a deviation and landing. Nevertheless, we must continue,” she grudgingly conceded. Disregarding her reluctance, the impatient dragoness pounced into the darkness beyond the trees. A discordant orchestra of alarmed woodland creatures sounded when landing with a heavy thump. Canvas’ ears splayed backwards. “I d-don’t think I’m ready for that yet…” She poked her head out from the shadows angrily, “We have already lost too much time for you to give into your fears! Get going!” “What happened to letting me ride on your back?!” Canvas shouted with apparent distress. When they discussed it the night before, the art pony did not realize how afraid he would be when the time came to traverse the Everfree Forest. “That still stands, but I will not be stopping for you. So hurry up!” Canvas hoped that the experience would turn out to not be so frightening while upon a dragon’s back. The colt knew that his fear would only increase the longer he thought about it, so he immediately galloped after her before she changed her mind. *** By the afternoon, Canvas’ fears were replaced with sheer boredom. He almost wished to be approached by an angry manticore, just for monotony to end. Twigs and fallen leaves made his tousled mane look like the handiwork of a songbird. To make things worse, all manner of obnoxious flying insects made his skin itch unbearably, assaulting his ears with the hateful high-pitched buzzing. He shook his head to shoo the insects away, but the relief would last for only seconds at a time. Unlike the swamps, Nyvena did not enjoy the forest any more than Canvas did. The hanging vines and mosses made visibility nearly impossible, and stopping every few minutes to push or claw through foliage made her forelegs agonizingly sore. It was apparent that the nimble insects were not afraid of pestering a dragon, their shrill sounds chipping away at Nyvena’s patience. Her eye ridges remained furrowed, and after a while the growling became like a continuous purr of anger. Without warning, rustling leaves and snapping twigs broke the silence as the dragoness lifted her upper body to sniff the air. “Fresh water!” Nyvena cried exuberantly. Before she knew it, the colt jumped onto the ground and zoomed past her with newfound vigor. “Freakin’ A!” Canvas shouted as he slipped off the saddlebags without stopping. He galloped toward the refreshing sound of water crashing upon rocks. The dense flora became noticeably scarcer with plenty of moss-covered stone between the forest and ledge of the 50-foot ravine. Within the granite cliff walls a large pool glimmered like a sapphire amongst a sea of emeralds. When he collided with the surface, the force of displaced water purged most of the dirt, spider webs, and leaves from his coat and mane. The unicorn relaxed by floating on his back, beaming at the thought that he was likely the first pony in centuries to experience the beautiful scenery, if not the first. Nyvena decided it best to grant the colt privacy while he bathed, so she remained atop the cliff and tried to enjoy the scenery. Her tail swished through the air pleasantly as the aroma of airborne water droplets entered her nostrils, combined with the fresh air that circulated into the clearing. The dragoness’ head bowed slightly, and she slipped into a relaxed state for the first time in a longer time than she would like to admit. Since her mate’s desertion, the tension in Nyvena’s muscles remained without her noticing. However, basking in the spa-like environment melted away her worries like stone eroded by a gentle current of water. Canvas called up to the relaxing dragoness while backstroking, “This is amazing! You couldn’t ask for a better temperature!” “I will go in when you finish. There is no way I will wash myself in front of you.” She lazily replied without moving. “Your loss, ‘cause I’ll be in here for a while!” Canvas’s horn glowed and formed a spherical force field around his head for exploring the pool’s wondrous depths. Meanwhile, Nyvena decided that she had enough relaxation and sluggishly began her search for food. But a tingle running through the length of her spine stopped the dragoness mid-stride. Feeling the chilling sensation of scale-to-scale contact around her ankle, she turned to see a viper slowly crawling up her hind leg. She tossed the reptile away with one shake of the foot. And then something dreadful dawned on her. Nyvena turned around sharply with a panicked roar, “CANVAS!!” No response or signs of movement save for the ripples and foam obscuring everything below the surface. Unshakable apprehension continued to agitate her instincts. One paw clenched around a small stone outcropping near the cliff’s edge with so much force that it was on the verge of shattering. Through the stone she could sense movement causing subtle disturbances in the water. It was definitely not equine, as she could feel Canvas’ presence separately. “I am coming, Canvas! Make no sudden…” Just as she was preparing to pounce into the water after him, the unicorn resurfaced, struggling within coils a foot in diameter wrapped around his neck. “… Movements.” Although the grip was already tight, it continued to constrict, as if trying to extrude Canvas’ soul from his gasping mouth. Glistening magenta scales shone in the sunlight as more of its coils rose above the surface in menacing arches. A serpentine head of the same color emerged slowly, looking upon the unicorn with its deadly, fanged smile. Canvas’ head tilted upward as the coils tightened around his neck, the snake forcing him to look in fear at the menacing slit eyes and poisonous sabers inside its mouth. As more of its body became visible, Nyvena let out a sharp gasp at what she saw next. Two translucent golden rings encircled the snake’s body, one on either side of where Canvas was held, levitated the segments they held above the water. Both forelegs looked as if they were pulled taut by invisible tethers connected to the magical fetters. Tears of pain flowed down the colt’s cheeks; the strain of magical overexertion combined with restricted circulation at the neck tortured every muscle in his body. “He brought it… to the surface?!” Nyvena could not believe what she witnessed. It amazed her that Canvas put up such a fight for his life. She had never seen or heard of such an intense will to survive from any equine. But valiance would soon give way to fatigue. She knew that the art pony would not last long at all. “No, no… I’m—I can handle this…” he managed to say at a barely audible volume. “Nonsense, I am going in there!” Her shoulders hunched as she leaned further over the ledge. “NO! I’m… tired of always… being rescued…!” The colt’s teeth clenched with resolution, and his pupils contracted with fury. A roaring pillar of water followed a sudden flash on the other side of the pool, and then several more adrenaline-fueled bursts of magic lashed at the cliff side like small lightning strikes. Smoldering rock fragments fell from clouds of smoke and rained throughout the ravine. Nyvena did not want her travel partner to become snake food, but did not want to see a fellow reptile get blown to pieces either. She decided that it was best to let Canvas handle things himself and backed away from the ridge, just to be safe. Bolts of magical lightning continued to assault the cliff side and water, but control it soon became impossible. In all his years of learning different kinds of magic, Canvas never knew that his had such destructive potential. He was thankful for anything that would give him an advantage, but the magnitude of uncontrollable power was terrifying for him. Meanwhile, Nyvena paced back and forth. The scuffle would end in a matter of seconds, if only she could intervene! No… he wants to fend for himself, so I shall let him. Oh, Ancestors, PLEASE help him see past his pride! One of bolts finally struck the snake, causing the predator to writhe angrily. While letting out a spine-tingling hiss, its coils unwound from around Canvas’ neck. Fortunately, that meant he could release the arduous binding spell. When the golden bands shattered and dispersed, a trail of smoke rose from his horn during the short descent into the water. Refusing to let its food escape, the furious predator slithered below the surface. For the next minute its tail lashed through the air and splashed into the depths once more. Becoming more nervous with each passing second, Nyvena paced relentlessly along the edge without taking her eyes from the pool below. However, Canvas suddenly resurfaced near the center of the water. He took in a large breath of air and dog paddled to the sloped rocks at the edge of the ravine, coughing and sputtering most of the way. The magically and physically drained unicorn slumped onto the nearest rock that could hold him, hoping that the snake would simply give up the struggle and leave him be. But this was serpent’s domain; he was tired, and he was edible. Canvas knew it was naïve to hope that things would end so pleasantly. “CANVAS! BEHIND YOU!” He did not have time to turn his head within the millisecond in which the snake emerged and struck once more, violently grabbing Canvas’ left hind leg in its jaws. The wicked, curved fangs hooked underneath his skin, and its jaws clamped around the limb. “GAAH!! OKAY, I COULD USE YOUR HELP, N—” That time the snake meant for it to be the last time Canvas would ever see the surface. He was submerged quicker than he could even finish the sentence. The unicorn’s forced descent seemed endless. The closer to the floor he was, the more pressure expelled remnants of air from his lungs. But he defiantly thrashed around and determined to stay conscious no matter what. Just hang in there… she’ll be here. Just a few more seconds, Canvas… A white concave dome broke the surface above. Nyvena reached for her travel companion, swimming as expertly as any fish. The snake’s instincts told it that Nyvena would not be able to reach its prey because of the pressure and darkness. However, she defied the underestimation and kept swimming. There was determination in the dragoness’ luminescent blue eyes that unnerved the serpent. The snake’s jaws released their death grip on Canvas’ leg to strike Nyvena as a last-ditch effort. Her superior speed and strength allowed her slash its head hard enough to instantly render the snake comatose. Blood arose from the resulting four claw marks under the snake’s right eye as it sank into the pitch-black depths. Darkness was not an obstacle to Nyvena’s predatory night vision eyes. It was not long before she spotted the barely-conscious colt and grabbed him by the foreleg. Once the unicorn was secure in her forelegs, the paddling of her hind legs brought them toward air and safety.