//------------------------------// // First Boss // Story: Steam The Unknown // by Cavedragon //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Boss fight By Cavedragon Edited by JTHENOOB I was screaming like an idiot, flailing my arms and legs trying to grab something. That is, until I heard Trixie yelling at me, “STEAM! YOU STUPID SCAILBRAIN, YOUR.ARE.ON.YOUR.BACK!” I finally opened my eyes to see that I was on my back, looking up at everyone, including Double Scoop, looking down at me through the hole I made. Sharp Edge wasn’t to be seen, but by the laughter I could tell were he was. I just grinned from my embarrassment, and slowly sat up to see that I was in the basement of the ice-cream shop. It seemed that I landed in the storage area for the ice-cream. Large tubs filled to the brim with creamy goodness, surrounded me. I was sitting in the pathway where you would move the tubs with a hand-cart. I looked up at everyone starring down at me. I looked at the stone floor and patted it,” Oh, he he, I’m in the basement. Its funny, cuz I thought I was a gon-”, the stone under neath me decided to pick that time to collapse cutting me off. This wasn’t good. I watched in slow-mo, as the faces of my companions started to fade away. My eyes closed and I enjoyed the fall before I bounced again after only a few feet. I was midair again for a few seconds before I bounced off the top of my head. I grabbed my head, and eyes clenching tight in mid-bounce. “ AH, my head”. I flew through the air like a rag-doll, and my eyes went wide as I landed in the way that make guys cringe. God, I hate the splits. I clutched at my wedding tackle as I sprang back up into the air. “ My nuts”, my voice was a bit higher then I liked it. It had to be a cruel joke after that, because the pattern repeated down what seemed like endless stairs. Now if anyone saw me and had a camera, it would go kinda like this. “My head” crunch, “ my nuts” squeaky “My head” crunch “my nuts” squeaky “My head” crunch “my nuts” squeaky “my head” crunch “my nuts” squeaky “my head” , that’s when I finally stopped at the bottom when my groin made final contact with a pole. I slowly slid down it tenderly to the floor. I lay there a bit to recover from all of it. Why god, why are you so mean to me. I slowly got up on to all fours trying to get balance from my traumatic adventure. I looked around a bit, only to find that the only thing in the underground room was some kind of red box more then a few feet away from me. The creepy thing was that it was giving off a dark red glow which was the only light source in the corridor. I gingerly crawled up to it to see what was so special about this lonely creepy box that I deserved an ode to the nut shot. The box was a chest that was a deep ruby red, with thick leather straps. It sat on a pedestal that was about three feet tall, and it was covered with carvings. I put my claws on the top of the box and pulled myself back to my normal standing position. I felt heat coming off the chest. Huh, weird, anyway. “hey guys” my voice was higher then normal when I spoke, “you got to come down here and see this”. It took a bit of time for them to lower a ladder so Edge and Ogre could come down to see it. Edge grinned when he saw the chest, “wow this is a great find.” he looked around the chest for a few moments. “ I don't see a key hole, how do you think it opens?” I shrugged,” I don't know, I just found it.” I still cringed thinking on how I got down here. Ogre eyed it a bit “this look like it made long ago by diamond dogs”, he said leaning over to get a better look. Me and Edge looked at him, “how do you know that?” Edge asked incredulously. Ogre pointed a furry finger to a circular crest that had a diamond shape in the middle with a bone going through it, “this mean it made by diamond dog elder.” . Edge whistled his astonishment, “that's hard to come by theses days.” . With both hoofs he felt over the box, trying to find a secret button or something of the like, “how do you get this thing open?” he asked in his frustration. “There only one way to open elder chest.” Ogre said, unsheathing his sword. He stepped back about fifty feet or so and held his great sword with both paws. The blade was parallel with the floor, and held out in front of his chest. He had said a few things that sounded like some kind of blessing from the elders or something. Anyway, with that said, he started running in a flat out sprint yelling like a mad man..er dog. With a loud clang of metal meeting metal, making most of the tip of the large blade wedge open the lid. Ogre rebounded from the impact sending him ass over teakettle to the right of the chest, with him ending in a thud when his head connected with the wall. Edge and I just stared, mouths agape in the madness of it all. I was the first to move. I walked over to Ogre and poked him. “ hey.. Ogre, are you dead?” I asked. “no, but head hurts” he said slowly getting up on all fours. “well whatever you did, it worked,” Edge said testing the sword with two hoofs pushing down, “you cracked open the chest”. A small beam of red light peeked out of the chest. I walked over to give Edge a han- claw with opening it. I griped the handle of the large sword and put my weight into it. The lid of the chest didn't budge but neither did the sword. Ogre sat up and rubbed his head and looked at us, “Quickfang told Ogre that it would work but Ogre didn't believe Quickfang.” he looked at us strangely as Edge proceeded to jump up and down on it with all four hoofs on the sword. “what is tan pony doing?”. Edge on the third hop, slipped and fell flat on his ass, “ouch, isn't it obvious, we are trying to open this chest.” Edge said rubbing his rump. Ogre gave a amusing smile, “is that it? Opening little box”. Ogre placed one paw on the handle and the other on the chest with a loud grunt followed by metal grinding, the red chest snapped open. Ogre was the first to look over into it, “this it?”. We all looked in to find a paper that seemed to be ripped out of a ancient book, the creepy thing was, it was glowing a hellish red. Ogre reached in and pulled it out pinched in his claws. “ Ogre, bonked Ogres head for bum wipe?” he growled glaring at the now dimming parchment. In a huff, he threw it to the floor. Before anyone could say anything to calm Ogre down, Trixie yelled down to us, “GET YOUR RUMPS UP HERE! WE HAVE TROUBLE!”. Ogre, and Sharp Edge ran back to the ladder to see what Trixie was talking about. I stopped enough to grab the paper that had dimmed down to a glimmer of the blazing glow it was. My head popped above the main floor of the shop above the ladder, to see that everything was covered on a thick frost. “what happened up here” I asked, I was completely confused of how it could get so cold so fast. Ya I know it was balls cold before but this might make them fall off. The windows were covered in a thick coating of ice that I could barley see through. Double Scoop was the first to speak, “It must be Ice hoof” she said looking out of the window. “Ice who?” Edge asked looking a bit confused. “Ice Hoof helps the ice cream grow on the mountain by bringing the snow fall. My family wouldn’t have any business if anything happened to it.” she shrugged at the last part. There was a monstrous Growl or roar or... I don't know what it was but it didn't sound happy. “It seems that something has upset it and its now freezing our town solid. Somepony has to do something” she was breaking down in tears when Edge looked at the door with delight in his eyes. “Well, let's go out there and say hi” Edge said getting up and unsheathing his sword. Ogre grinned, “I agree with tan pony” he said gripping his sword. I stood up with them, “wait a minute, you don't even know whats out there.” I quickly placed the page in Trixie's saddle bags so I wouldn't loose it. Edge stood in front of the door grinning, “then, let get some fresh air and say hi”, he said before putting one of his hooves to the iced over door. The sound of smashing ice and splintering wood shook the shop. Edge and Ogre were already out the door, I chased after them before the door behind me iced over again. . . . The town looked even worse than before. The whole town was frozen solid from the buildings to the ponies that where in the street. It was a ice covered nightmare. It was a bit scary and a lot creepy to see all of the inhabitants to be made into ice sculptures. Edge pulled me to the ground behind a cart and put a hoof to his lips. He motioned his hoof up to show me something. When I looked up, I swore I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head at how big this thing was. It shadowed over the town with blazing ice blue eyes in its skull. It had a body of a horse but its coat was completely white and mane a light blue. Its hole shape shifted with wind as it moved through the air. With a sudden cry, it turned the inn we where going to stay at into a wooden Popsicle. I slowly looked back down at Edge, “w-what is that?” I asked my voice catching in my throat. Edge looked up at it then back at me, “that my scaly friend is a Wendigo. It feeds on hate and freezes everything in its path.” I looked up at it once more to see if I was imagining it or not. Nope, it was still there. “s-so how do you kill a w-Wendigo?” I was still focused on the living tundra of a creature. Edge was hesitant when he answered, “umm let me know if you figure it out”. We looked at each other and put our backs on the cart. “OK, let me get this straight, you can tell me what it is but you don't know how to kill it? That puts my mind at ease since we are in the open”. He looked at me, “hey, the only pony I know that fought against one of them and lived to tell about it, died hundreds of years ago, so if you feel like digging her up to ask, go right a head” he snarked at me. I sighed thinking, “well, I don't feel like doing that but if you can some how get a huge amount of fire maybe we could try and melt it or slow it -” . Edge gave me a shot to my arm, “Steam you glorious BA@#$%D, that's it” he said getting up looking around the corner. “H-Hey where are you going?!” I said rubbing my shoulder feeling worried. “ You gave me an idea,” he said bolting away yelling, “keep him busy, I have to go get something!” “Ya....keep him busy, well this is going to be as fun as a live grenade on dance floor.” I said to myself sarcastically before getting up. I ran around the cart in the middle of the street. I was going to yell but a shout came from one of the roof tops. Oger sprang from a roof from the house on my left yelling at the Wendigo. He had his sword in a double over hand swing heading straight for its face. The Wendigo didn't look impressed......at all. It just blew a small cloud about his size and when Oger passed through the cloud, he was frozen solid in mid strike. He fell like an ice cube to the floor, but he hit a little harder then one. Oger was stuck holding his sword upside down, with his sword stuck in the ground. I felt bad for him with his lips were frozen in a weird grin. This would be funny if was watching this on my flat screen right now. I hid behind a an old barber shop to give me some time to think what to do. I couldn't charge it, that’s kind of obvious. I could throw things at it, but it would be frozen solid before it would reach my target. Maybe if I could heat it up then throw it... worth a try. . . . I thought it would be a better idea to sneak around town so I wouldn’t get detected by the snowy, icy, horsey thing. However, a loud screech from the living blizzard, gave my feet the will to move on their own. I was sprinting down the middle of the street away from what was going to be my frost covered death. From the loud shriek from above, and the large icicles falling from above, it was safe to say that it saw me.... what am I saying!? “ OH GOD ! OH GOD! OH DEAR GOD IM GOING TO DIIIE!!” I yelled as I was doing my best impression of a chicken with its head cut off trying to doge the icicles that were as big as me. I had some close calls, as I could feel the snow explode around me. My mind was racing, heart bounding, but I couldn't figure out what to do. A rather large chunk of ice landed behind me, sending a ton of snow, and me, into the air. I held my claws out in front of me for the impact awaiting me. I smashed through ice and wood finally slamming into something hard. The wind was knocked out of me as I laid there on the floor. I didn't know if I broke something or just bruised. It's kinda hard to tell when the world was swirling. I slowly stood resting my claw on something hard and metallic. When my head stopped spinning and I could breath again, I found myself in an old blacksmith shop. It seemed like it was closed for years but the tools and small anvil were still there. Lucky me. I tested the anvil that my claw was on by lifting it. It was small, about a fifty-five pound of solid metal I figured. I could easily lift it and maybe even toss it, but that would be a very long toss. Might have to draw it in close. I picked it up again before throwing the anvil through one of the ice covered walls to see if I can throw it at all and to make a crud exit, but none the less a way out. I picked up a drawstring bag of ball-bearings on the blacksmiths workbench, never know when small metal balls could come in handy. I pulled the draw string and rapped it around my wrist before heading out of the shop. The Wendigo was still above in the sky. Its ice blue eyes scanned the town looking of its next victim to freeze where they stood. I dragged the anvil up a hill that was nearby. I really hoped this idea would work. I held the anvil in both of my claws, took a deep breath, and let out a controlled stream of blue flame on to it. I was almost out of breath when it became about white hot. The heat from the almost melted metal, steamed up the area where I was standing. It was so hot it began to slip through my fingers like wet putty. If I was human I would have turned into a over cooked turkey within seconds, but since I have a dragon body, I was fireproof. “gotta do this quick before it hardens.” I said looking back up at the frost demon in the sky. I gave a loud whistle to make sure I got its attention. When I think it was looking at me I yelled,” HEY, SNOWCONE! YOUR MAMA WAS AN ICETRAY!”. Yep I had its attention now. The living snow storm let out a enraged... well if a cloud could roar, that's what it would sound like. Anyway, it was hurdling towards me with fury flickering in its eyes. Come at me bro, I felt the metal starting to cool down quickly. Now or never, I gave it the hardest granny shot I could from the weight. It made a nice arc through the air heading for the Wendigo's head, leaving a trail of steam after it. It dodged the left of the red anvil. The slagged looking anvil was within feet of its face. The metal chunk almost become frozen solid when it vanished into its mist. However, the right eye of the Wendigo was faded to a dim glow. It must have been damaged when the hot metal thou passed by its face. The Wendigo yowled in anger as it kept its course heading dead set towards me. This wasn’t good. I began to sprint back down the side of the hill making sure I was going under neath the arctic monster. The Wendigo flipped a U turn, slamming into the hill side creating a large wave of snow to follow after me as well as the creatures face. I was in deep shit right then. I picked up my pace pushing myself faster down the hill. Like they say, “with the proper motivation, anything is possible”, and being chased by a avalanche, and a living one chase after me as well, I could practically do anything at this point. When the snow caught up with me at the bottom of the hill, it suddenly hit me with enough force that it flung me into the air. I bounced off the ground and pin-balled a bit in the streets. I stood up slowly and shook off the snow that was on me. When I registered where I was, I was being picked up by an invisible hand that was cold as death. I saw the mist around me then I saw the remaining eye of the Wendigo. The large sphere of neon blue light, was half my size and seemed to be looking into my very soul. So I did what any smart person would do, I took a deep breath, and screamed like a little girl. When I let out a...umm my manly yelp, a jet of blue flame struck it in the face. With a loud scream from the Wendigo, I was tossed once again like a rag doll through the air into a wall of a building. I slowly slid down the building as the Wendigo was screeching. Ice and snow the size of mini vans fell around me. I was hurting all over. I slowly stood up shaking. I have been a bouncy ball all day today, and I think I broke a bone or two. I had enough of this stupid soft serve. I looked up at it, did my best to hold up my arm, and gave it the finger wile blowing it a raspberry. The Wendigo charged at me with a silver wound on its face. I held the position as I felt the ice start to creep up my body. The ice was nearing my face when I heard a familiar voice,” HEY STEAM! I'M BACK.....WITH A VENGEANCE! ”. I looked over to see Sharp Edge holding with his front hooves a very large black cartoon bomb over his head that oddly enough had a open mouth grin, with two eyes with the pupils going in two different directions. The fuse was lit and he had a wide grin on his face. “ YOU WILL NOT BELEVE HOW I GOT THIS! NOW STAND BACK! ” he said, leaning back ready to throw. In its blind rage, the Wendigo charged Edge. It was two slow, as he hurled the huge bomb and struck the the Wendigo square in the face. I blacked out at that part, I asked Edge later how big was the explosion he described it as, “There comes a time in a stallions life when he has done something so awesome that he can't top it and will find no more love for adventuring so he will have to hang up his sword settle down in a quiet town with a nice mare and have a few foals then grow old and die of boredom. Thankfully this is not one of those times for even though the awesomeness of that bomb and that Wendigo meeting leveled a part of the town I'm pretty sure I've got more in store. Also now I can say that I've taken on a MOTHER B#$KING WENDIGO AND CAME OUT ON TOP!! Oh that is right HAIL TO THE KING BABY WOO YEAH! ” Then he started rambling about fortune and mares and doing a small dance around the room it was pretty funny. . . . I awoke to a warm feeling around me. I slowly opened my eyes to see Double Scoop with her big anime eyes looking down at me. Trixie was moving her lit horn over top of me. I could feel her magic warming me. “Was I dead?”, I asked confused. “You where close, but the Great And Powerful Trixie has saved your life.” she said putting a hoof to her chest looking very proud of herself. Scoop looked at her crossly,” No you didn't, he was breathing way before you started heating him.” she said sounding a bit upset. Trixie just patted her on Scoops head, “silly filly, she is still traumatized from the attack from the Wendigo.” She backed away from from Trixe's hoof, “you were the one curled up in the fettle position sucking on a fudge pop and whispering to yourself, just ignore the scary monster and it will go away.” she said pointing a hoof at her. Trixie just chuckled and patted her head again, “ ah such a silly filly.” she said before walking off. Scoop just blow her a raspberry when Trixie was out of ear shot. I slowly sat up rubbing my head and my sore joints. I think I got five pops out of stretching my back. Scoop giggled at that. I looked at her, “so what happened when I was out.”. She sat and smiled at me,” well, after Sharp Edge, exploded Ice hoof, and half the town, Snow mane showed up and cleaned up the mess her son made.” I froze for a moment, “ wait, that thing has a mother?”. Scoop nodded,” yep, she was the first to help us out here.” she looked over at a near by hill and pointed with her hoof,” You can see her now, look.”. I looked at the hill, it just seemed like a soft snow covered hill with the sun peaking over it... but it was strange though with the cloud so thick in the sky, “I can't see anything.” I said squinting. She giggled, “look again at the top of it.” . I then realized that the sun on top of the hill wasn't the sun. It was two very large glowing orbs of like that where close together. I fallowed the eyes to the face to the figure....damn, Snow Mane was the hole hill itself. I sat there with my mouth agape for a few moment's till Scoop started laughing to pull me back out of my stunned phase. “yeah,” Scoop started to say, “shes the landscape, we retired her years ago, and had her son do that job, but ever since he came here , its been miserable.” she looked at me and smiled, “but you came along and help us.”. She hugged my side, “thank you.”. It almost brought a tear to my eye. I gave her a small hug back, “No problem Scoop, its the least I can do for you.” , I gave her a smile. “ I better find the others. “ I said letting her go. “ ya, I have to get back to my shop. We have a new flavor I have to name. Oh, your friends are in the inn, your tan friend is very ecstatic about him blowing up ice hoof.” she walked off to her shop and I headed to the inn. It wasn't too far away and it was still intact from the fight. I headed in to find Sharp Edge standing on the table telling everyone in the room about how he took out the Wendigo with his bomb. He did have a somewhat interested crowed around him Oger was in the crowed, sulking but still listening. “After the mist cleared , there was nothing left of the bugger but chunks and pieces!” he noticed me when he just finished. “Hey! Steam come on over and pull up a seat, I'll buy you a drink. This dragon right here is one of the most awesome dragon's you will ever know. He went toe to toe with that Wendigo and bucked it silly!” he said nearly vibrating with energy. I shook my head and waved a claw, “Na, I'm good. I had enough excitement for one day Edge, I'm going to bed.” I was about to turn to the stairs when something hit me hard in the chest. I caught it before it hit the floor, it was a neon blue crystal about the size of my claw. Edge laughed a bit at my facial expression, “In that case take that, I found it in the remains of the Wendigo. Well, what was left of it.” he said with a chuckle at his own joke. I nodded to him and headed for the stairs. I hobbled to our room, and let myself in. It was a small room with three beds in a row with three feet separating them. I took the farthest one to the right and sat down. I was feeling very hungry at the moment so I shoved as much of the crystal into my mouth and chomped down on it. It had a blueberry taste to it, but it also had that cool crisp taste of mint. Then as I crunched more, the feeling of pop rocks filled my mouth when I swallowed. The room glowed blue for a few moments, I guess I was glowing again. I think I'm getting use to it. A small gurgle later, then I burped up the jet black scroll from Luna. I picked it up and peeled it open to see what she said. CRYO BREATH “What kind of hint is that?” I ask the paper she sent me. Its been then a little more the twenty-four hours since the last time I talked to Luna. Its the only one I can give on short notice. I can't talk for long, Tia has been making me busy lately. I want to know if you are all right Steam. “I'm fine Luna, beside being a rag-doll all day, I'm just peachy. I hope your sister isn’t running you too ragged.” I said, feeling a bit creeped out yet a little happy that someone cared about me in this place. Ya,its been a struggle. Doing paper work and secretly playing Dishonored at the same time is a bit difficult. I got a little upset when she said that, “oh, come on, Dishonored came out already? Aah man, I was looking forward to that.” I was, It looked like an awesome game to play. Well, knowing that, you may actually go a little faster to get over here so you can play the game in my room. ;) The scroll vanished into a puff of black smoke, leaving me sitting there blushing. I couldn't really figure out what she meant by that. I shook my head of the cobwebs and laid down. I was about to close my eyes when the door banged open. Edge came in with a gallon of ice cream and a spoon in his magic. “ hey Steam are you awake?” he said between mouth fulls. “ if he wasn't he is now. “ I heard Trixie say entering the room and closing the door. “ I just wanted to know if he wanted to try the new flavor Scoop has in her shop.” he said with a half mouth full of ice cream. I rolled over to the other side facing away from them. “I don't feel like ice cream right now. Maybe later, OK?” I said starting to drift of. “ok more for me then.” he said. I don't know the flavor of the ice cream it was. The last thing I remember before I pasted out was Edge saying,” you know, it kinda tastes like..”. He was cut off with me drifting off to slumber land. Foot note: Power Up: Cryo breath, breath weapon: ice. Gives your breath and enemies a cooling sensation. Achievement: Scalely slinky: bonce/roll down 200 steps. Achievement Perk: Crash test dummy: you have been thrown into buildings, off stone, and flung like a rag doll enough your body is use to it by now. You now have 5% resistant to physical damage. (Anthers note: hey everyone, sorry it took forever to finish this one. I have been moving around a lot so please forgive me. Please like, fav, and leave a comment. It really helps me keep going. There is an open invitation for another OC for my story. If anyone is interested, send me a message please. Thank you:)