//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Initi-RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! // Story: I want one too. // by tony3xx4 //------------------------------// The crusaders were still playing in the park, awaiting Spike's return from foul sitting. They were bouncing a large red ball back and forth between each other. Apple Bloom to Sweetie Belle, Sweetie Belle to Scootaloo, Scootaloo to Appl- "OW!" Scootaloo accidentally bounced the ball further from the intended spot and hit her eye. "Apple Bloom?! are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Apple Bloom got back on her hooves, holding her injured eye in her hoof. "Y-Yeah. I'll just run by the farm and get ma big sis to patch me up." Apple looked around for a moment. "Hey, where'd the ball go?" "You mean this?" The crusaders recognized the voice all to well. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came out from behind the trees holding their ball. "We just found this ball carelessly thrown away and thought we'd keep it." Scootaloo walked up to them, her wings flared. "Give it back!" She reached for the ball, which Diamond tiara was now holding up out of Scootaloo's reach. Sweetie Belle start to run towards them, but before she ran into her friend, or Diamond tiara, she jumped over the two and grabbed the ball. "I got it, I got it!" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon frowned. "Well it's not like we already have a billion more that are way better." They both stuck they noses up in the air. "Can y'all just leave us be for once?" Apple Bloom stood in front of her tormentors, her eye slightly swollen. "No need to be rude. We just needed to tell you something, but since your so busy, I guess we'll leave." Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started to head towards the exit, but were stopped by Apple Bloom. "Wait! What do y'all need ta tell us?" They hid their devilish smirks away from the crusaders. "Oh, nothing much. We just saw your little dragon friend run into the Everfree Forest." All three of the crusader's eyes widened. "The Everfree Forest?!" Diamond tiara nodded. "Yeah, I just hope blank flank doesn't get eaten by a snake. Ooh, or a bear!" The crusaders jumped up, and started to head towards the Everfree Forest. ~~~ Spike was trekking through the forest, wondering where his friends had ventured. He could try Zecora's hut, but that's pretty far out. They probably wouldn't be out there. He could pray that rustling in the bushes was just his imagination, but he knew that it wasn't, and that whatever it was, it wanted to eat him. "Dang it! I already passed this tree." Spike mumbled to himself as he passed a tree with a bit of blood on it. "SPIKE?!" Wait a minute. That voice. Could it be? "GIRLS?!" Spike didn't even care that the rustling behind him was still continuing. He could escape the forest with his friends. "SPIKE!" All three of the crusaders ran into him covered in leaves in tree sap. Apple Bloom was about to speak, but she looked behind Spike, a deep frown appearing on her face. "R-R-R-" "What's wrong?" Spike, oblivious of the giant bear right behind him was confused by how all the crusaders looked like they wet themselves. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Spike looked behind him to see that the bear was looking down at the crusaders, a hungry look in its eyes. The fillies and Spike started to run down a path away from the beast that was looking for it's next meal. Spike, who was a few feet behind the crusaders, noticed a net not to far away on the path. 'Who would put a net there unless...' Spike realized that a hunter must've put the net there for hunting purposes. "Girls, jump in the bushes!" Spike jumped into a bush, thinking the crusaders did too, but it was too late. The fillies were hanging a couple feet off the ground in the net while the bear approached them. Although bears tend to be dumb, this one investigated the trap for a moment and realized he just caught his three course meal. He cut the upper part of the rope, so the crusaders would still be caught in the net, bit down on part of the rope, and started to drag the fillies back to his home. Spike, who was watching the scene unfold right before his eyes, wished to help the crusaders, but c'mon. That is a fully grown bear! At his age, he'd be lucky if he could fight a cub and live. He felt like crying right there, knowing that the crusaders were probably about to be eaten if it wasn't for the sound of twigs breaking. Spike held his breath, frightful another predator was about to attack, until he saw Zecora was walking down the path. "I though I set my trap right here? It should've caught a bear, or a deer." Zecora said, inspecting the area where a trap once used to be. "Zecora!" Spike jumped out of the bush and ran towards Zecora. "Zecora! A b-bear was chasing us, and I hid in the bush, b-but they were caught in the net, a-and the bear t-took them back to his cave, and their gone!" Spike was in tears by the time he was done with his rant. Zecora looked confusingly at Spike. "Spike, I must ask you to calm down. I will take to to safe grounds." Zecora led Spike to her hut. ~~~ "Th-Then after the bear left, you showed up." Spike had calmed down before he arrived at Zecora's hut. "I think these fillies might still be okay. There might be a chance for you to get them back, some way." "But how can we save them?" "No Spike. It is you who must fight the bear. It is unwise to fight in a pair." Spike's jaw dropped. "B-But how can i fight a bear alone?! I'm way to weak!" Zecora grinned. "Well Spike, to promise you won't suffer pain, the only thing you can do is train." "Training? By the time I'm strong enough, that bear will have eaten them, and the rest of Ponyville!" Spike, do not worry. You will be strong enough when I am through." Zecora looked up at her cooking pot. "And I believe that I'll still have time to cook stew." Zecora took Spike into a deeper part of the forest, much to Spike's dismay. Though the rustling of leaves wasn't apparent, it was much darker to see. "S-So where are we going?" Zecora ignored him at first, but when a dim light appeared, she smiled. "There." She adjusted the saddlebag she put on prior to leaving her hut and quickened her pace towards the light. The light got brighter and brighter until they arrived into a clearing. "Woah. So we're gonna train here?" "Yes Spike, but before we can begin," She threw the saddlebag in front of him. "Training cloths are what you need to win." Spike reached around in the bag and found a gray sweater, and sweat pants. He put them on and noticed something else in the bag. "Hey, what's this?" "My people called it a record, it plays music. I feel it will be better if we play this song i picked." Zecora pulled out the record and it's recorder. "Now that we have everything we need, it is time for the training to proceed." Zecora started the record which instantly started playing music. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPJPFnesV4) ~~~ "497, 498, 499 500!" Spike got up off the ground after doing 750 jumping jacks, 450 sit ups, 200 pull ups, and 500 push ups, all within 3 hours of training. he looked up to Zecora who was watching from the sidelines. "D-Do you think I'm ready?" "Yes young one, you are ready to go. Go and defeat this mighty foe." Spike took of the sweats he was wearing, and started his search for the bear. He started his search where he first encountered the bear near the net. as he searched, he found a pair of foot prints that were leading down a path. It was time. He followed the foot prints to a cave. Spike could hear whimpering on the inside. "HEY BEAR!" Spike screamed to the inside of the cave. The bear came out of the cave not long after. He smiled wide when he saw the prey that eluded him before. "Spike?! Is that you?" Apple Bloom shouted from deep with in the cave. "Don't worry girls, I'll save you!" Spike and the bear stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make it's move. Spike was first, jumping up into the bear's face and clawing at it causing the bear to shriek in pain. He jumped off and landed on the ground. He then started to run head first into the bear, gaining speed as he got closer until he hit the direct center of the bear with his the long scale on his head. the bear rocketed into a tree unconscious leaving Spike victorious. "I..I won?" Spike smiled wide at the realization. "I...I WON! I just beat a bear at wrestling!" "That's great, now can you help us?" Scootaloo shouted from inside the cave. "Oh, right." Although Spike wanted to bask in the glory of defeating a bear, he could always enjoy it when he got back home. ~~~ After Spike and the fillies left, the bear stood up and gave a loud growl. Fluttershy, who was hiding behind a tree during the whole event, walked up to the bear. "Oh thank you so much Harry. I heard Spike was going to fight a bear, and couldn't stand to see him get mauled." Fluttershy patted the bear on the head, much to Harry's enjoyment.