//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: There are totally rats down here. // by Lorikeet Shmorikeet //------------------------------// "Well then...looks like you've found yourself a snack. I guess I'll have to fill that water dish again later." Gummy gasped. A cruel, hissing voice seemed to be coming from the shadows. "Who...who are you?" asked Gummy, his voice shaking in terror. The voice laughed, a cold, sinister laugh. "Answer me!" demanded Gummy, "Who are you? Where am I? Why are you keeping me here? ANSWER ME!" "Oh, you poor thing," answered the voice, "are you cold? Scared? Thirsty? Confused? I'm terribly sorry, whatever the inconvenience may be." A feeling of dread sunk in as Gummy realized that, like most other beings, whoever his kidnapper was could not understand him and probably just heard a series of squeaks and squeals. Now not only was he trapped with a terrifying stranger, but he couldn't even talk or reason with it, whatever it was. There was moment of quiet. "Hmmm...well yes, I suppose you must be scared. I really don't blame you. I know the conditions down here are not the best, but it's the best I can do for now. You'll just have to bear with me. In the meantime, perhaps a proper introduction will make you feel more comfortable." There was a loud swishing noise as the owner of the voice moved closer to the cage. Gummy gasped in terror as a large pair of reptilian, yellow eyes gleamed at him through the iron bars. "My name," hissed the voice, "is Dave." Gummy did not know whether to laugh or cry. This was all too bizarre. From what he could see through the bars in the dim light, Dave was a very small, very scrawny dragon. He wasn't much bigger than Gummy himself. His front teeth stuck out slightly over his bottom lip, and his eyelashes were long and dark, almost girlish. The fact that his scales were the color of cotton candy was certainly not helping him maintain his threatening image. Gummy laughed out loud. He laughed and laughed, relieved that his kidnapper wasn't so scary after all. "ENOUGH!" the voice boomed, "I may not seem like much, my little friend, but remember who's in charge. Remember who brought you here. I may not be strong, but I am certainly stronger than you." Gummy stopped laughing. "You understand...very good. Now let me guess...you still would like to know why you're here, correct?" Gummy nodded gravely. "Well...I'll start by informing you that I am no ruthless monster. If you comply with my orders and do not try to escape, you will be released unharmed. You have not done anything wrong, and I have been given no reason to hurt you. However, before you give me a reason, please keep in mind that I am capable of doing so. Now, as to the reason you are here...one of your caretaker's friends has something that I would to possess for myself. Its flavor has been described as heavenly, and it is of great value. There are only a limited amount in existence, and she is the first person I have ever heard of who actually happens to own one. It is called a fire ruby." Gummy's eyes narrowed with rage. That's what this was about?! He had seen Rarity casually wear the brilliant gemstone all over town. He had no idea how valuable it was. "You see, my friend, word gets around in the dragon community, and living in a cave just outside of Ponyville lets me catch wind of all the gossip. Pinkie Pie and her friends have a knack for getting into mischief, and all the gossip I've heard has given me a fair idea of what they are, where they live, and of course, who their pets are. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you grazing in the field outside my cave!" Gummy flashed back to the afternoon before. Yes, he had been grazing in a field, just outside Ponyville. The last thing he remembered was being hit in the tail by a dart... "A simple dose of tranquilizer was all I needed. I mailed out the ransom note to Rarity last night. She is to meet in this sewer with the fire ruby within the next twenty four hours or I will simply have to take it by force." Gummy's head spun. He thought of all the things that could go wrong, that could result in his friends getting hurt. What if Derpy Hooves lost the note in the mail, and the girls didn't even know about the ransom? Surely, Dave would resort to stealing the ruby, and possibly hurt Rarity in the process. What if Rarity got the note and came to the sewer, but something went wrong? What if she got lost, or tripped and fell over garbage, or got attacked by rats? Gummy decided that he was not going to let this dragon hurt his friends. He might have been small. He might have been toothless. But he had bravery and wit, and he was going to save the day. Gummy walked calmly towards Dave, who was leaning on the bars of the cage. He spied the key to the cage hanging loosely on a belt around the dragon's waist. Gummy took a deep breath and began to urinate on Dave's foot. "AGGGHH!" shrieked the dragon. He immediately began hopping up and down, shaking the urine off his scales. He stumbled into the metal bars, the key falling of his belt onto the inside. Gummy quickly grabbed the keys off the floor, running towards the other side of the cage. "THAT WAS MY ONLY KEY!" roared Dave, shaking the bars. It was no use. He couldn't get past the first door without the key. Gummy clumsily shinnied up one of the bars on the other side of the cage. He began unlocking the cage with his toothless snout, while holding on to the bar with his claws. He felt a flash of burning heat on his back. Dave was breathing fire, using it to soften the bars. He's gaining on me, thought Gummy, I have to hurry up before he can bend the bars. The lock fell open and Gummy slid down from the pole. He darted forward down the hallway, before Dave was able to get through the cage. "I'LL CATCH YOU - AGHHHH!" Gummy heard Dave screaming, but didn't turn back. He must have burned a claw on the hot metal bars. Gummy kept running straight ahead before hitting his head on a wall. The hallway had split into two divisions. He studied each fork, looking for any sign of a way to escape. He heard Dave's thundering footsteps, not too far behind him. He chose to go left, and hoped that Dave wouldn't pick the same direction. After running through a series of twists and turns, Gummy had lost all hope. He stopped in a secluded corner to rest a little while. Suddenly, he heard a voice. A voice with a heavy British accent. "Oh, this is truly disgusting! And I just got my hooves done yesterday." Could it be? Rarity?! "Rarity, we have more important things to do than hear about your last hooficure." "Well I'm sure YOU don't mind walking through all this dirt, but I say..." "Girls, there's no time for fighting either." Was that Rainbow Dash? And Twilight Sparkle? The whole gang was here! They had come to save him! Gummy squeaked and squealed as loudly as he could. "Shhh... do you guys hear that?" Pinkie Pie's shaky voice echoed. "It's Gummy!" Gummy heard six sets of eager hooves thundering towards him. He was face to face with his owner and her friends. "GUMMY! I sure am happy to see you!" Pinkie Pie scooped up her pet and gave him a hug. "Umm... guys," interrupted Rainbow Dash, pointing behind them. Dave's shadow was cast on the wall of the next hallway. "Run."