//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 Frozen // Story: Spike the Knight // by vadram //------------------------------// Frozen Spike and Apple Bloom, now covered in urine, as well as a mix of sulfur and hydra dung, were standing among dozens of hungry manticores. “Spike...” Apple Bloom said, trembling and cowering behind Spike. “Do. Not. Move!” the voice told Spike. “Do not move!” he repeated. “Do not do anything. And under no circumstances run away. No matter what. Don’t! Run! Away!” “Stay calm Apple Bloom!” Spike said, slowly placing his shaking arm around the pony’s neck. This did little to calm her down. “It will all be alright...” he said, gently stroking her mane in an attempt to calm her down. “Just keep your eyes closed and it will all be all right. Trust me!” “Okay...” she said in a voice that would have made Fluttershy seem like Rainbow Dash. He closed his own eyes and tried to calm himself down. First he slowed down his breathing, then his heart slowly followed, until finally his hand stopped shaking. Apple Bloom also calmed down a little. They were still scared, but at least they were not showing it. For whatever reason, she trusted Spike to get them out of here alive, and Spike in his turn placed the same kind of trust in the voice in his head. One of the manticores leapt forward and landed near them. It let out a violent roar, sending bits of spittle flying from its mouth. Spike and Apple Bloom shivered as the cold droplets hit their faces. Spike pulled Apple Bloom as close as he could and squeezed her tight. The beast began walking towards them. From time to time it would, intentionally or not, step on a bone and break it, and every time it did this the filly was startled and it took all of her strength not to leap up and start galloping as fast as her little legs would take her. It helped that Spike held her tight and would not let go of her. “Kid, listen to me. Do not talk back. Do not say anything. Just listen.” The voice paused. “You are doing well kid. Just keep focusing on your breathing, and don’t let go of Apple Bloom. It will be fine. Everything will be just fine...” The manticore was now next to them; they could feel the warmth of it’s breath against their bodies. “It is waiting for you to do something stupid. As you are right now you look like a large, and particularly smelly, piece of hydra excrements. No matter how hungry it is, it will not eat that.” The manticore roared. Apple Bloom was trying so hard to keep her mouth shut that she started bleeding from her gums. All her muscles were tense, and her body was overflowing with adrenaline. Spike squished her even harder against his cold scaly body. He was careful not to sink his claws into her soft flesh; screaming like she did in front of Zecora’s hut was the last thing they needed right now. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump, thump* She had her head so close to Spike’s chest that she could hear his heartbeat echoing through her body. Her own was at least twice as fast. Spike slowly loosened his grip and gave her a little space to move, but not too much. Apple Bloom noticed that Spike seemed a lot calmer and more relaxed. She did not know why. Had he given up? Or did he know something she didn't? The thought was both frightening and reassuring. The manticore roared again and Apple Bloom pushed herself against Spike, expecting him to grab her tightly. He didn't. She slowly opened her eyes to look at Spike. He was standing beside her, one of his arms placed around her. His eyes were closed but he was not forcing them to stay like that. A barely visible smile could be seen on his face. Spike was relieved that the manticore did not attack them yet. She closed her eyes again, and waited. The manticore was still circling them and roaring ever so often, but the two did not react anymore. “It will eventually give up,” the voice reassured Spike. And it did. After roaring several times and getting close enough that its whiskers could touch them, it eventually left the two of them alone. The two of them stood motionless a little longer. “It’s over, you can move now.” Spike let out a deep sigh of relief before tapping Apple Bloom on the shoulder to let her know that is was all over. The two of the opened their eyes almost at the same time and looked around. The manticores were, for the most part, gone. Some of them remained but their attention focused on something other than them. Some were busy chewing the bone of something that once served as their dinner, some were fighting among themselves, but most had either left or gone back to sleep. "Did that really just work?" Apple Bloom asked turning her head to look at Spike. "Eyup," he replied, looking back at her. They stared at each other for a while longer before simultaneously breaking down on the floor laughing like they had never laughed before. “I can’t believe we are alive.” Spike said, holding onto Apple Bloom. “Me neither.” “STOP WASTING TIME!” At the sound of the voice Spike instantly let go of Apple Bloom and jumped to his legs. “We... we should get going,” he told her.