The instant they heard the literal earthquakes of footfalls, everyone that hadn't gone into the cave knew something was horribly wrong. Especially when Slade and Cap both came tearing out of the cave, almost tripping over one another in the most undignified scramble ever to get out.
When it poked it's head out, no one moved a muscle. A few jaws dropped, eyes widened, and although no one would admit it, it wouldn't have been surprising if someone had actually done the number one, though no one would ever admit to this for rather obvious reasons. What could be admitted to easily was that everyone was scared shitless. Everyone.
So... when the Ursa Major gave out it's loud roar, everyone stopped playing statues and ran like hell. Frankly, pissing off an 16 meter tall bear was probably one of the worst mistakes anyone could have made.
Birds scattered as the six people trampled practically anything that was too small or too slow to get out of their path, while a hulking monster of a bear chased after them, turning the trees into pudding with it's paws.
"He's... he's not changing back..." Rainbow Dash said pointing out the rather painfully obvious thing to just about anybody. After almost an hour of the same spell, Spike hadn't gotten any smaller.
"No... the spell... it's going to work! It's my fail safe spell!"
"Umm... I hate to break it to you Twilight... but you said that when Discord decided to turn Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world..."
"But this isn't Discord!"
"Of course it's not! It... it..."
It was worse. That's what it was.
"Now Twilight..." Applejack began. "I don't wanna say anything that may be... well.... bleak... but ya know... what if Spike doesn't wake up? Or what if he does? But like that? Big, mean and angry! There would be nothing we could do!"
"And that's why I have to do something!" Twilight retorted. "I can't leave him like this! Not like this!"
"Twi..." Applejack sighed but said nothing, only choosing to bury her face within her hat.
"Twilight... there may be nothing we can actually do..." Fluttershy began, not really wanting to say those words at all. "If there really is nothing we can do... then... maybe..."
"What?!" Twilight asked rather hostilely, her anger rising at the prospect of what Fluttershy of all ponies may actually be about to say.
"Well... you see..." Rarity continued, seeing that Twilight may be about to go... well...
"Perhaps we could just leave him here?" Pinkie Pie suggested rather slowly.
"ARE YOU ALL NUTS?! WE CAN'T LEAVE SPIKE!" Twilight said stamping her hoof like a foal who was just denied some candy. "HE'S MY FRIEND! HE'S LIKE A LITTLE BROTHER TO ME! WE CAN'T JUST... just..."
She relented as she took a look at her friends.
"We can't just leave him..." Twilight said lowering her head. "We can't do that... we just can't!"
"The gas isn't going to last for very long." Rarity said. "Whatever that Deathstroke put him in won't last. As much as I hate to abandon my spikey wikey... if we stay... I don't even want to..."
"She's right..."Applejack said sadly. "Like I said... I don't wanna say it... but... if he wakes up... there might be no telling what he may do..."
"He's very scary like that..." Fluttershy agreed.
"And he's such a meanie too! I hope it wears off! Maybe he's just sick! That's all!"
"Wait... Pinkie... say what you just said again..." Rainbow Dash said.
"What? Maybe he's just sick?"
"Twilight..." Rainbow Dash said, wondering if there was anything that would comfort her friend. "Maybe... maybe it will wear off... maybe he will come back to normal... spell or no spell... don't you think we would?"
She wanted to say "yes" but with the fact that the greatest foe Celestia had ever combated was alive and walking well... flying... around. It would be hard to say what would happen. Would it wear off? Could it wear off? She didn't know... and that's what scared her.
"But I can't just..."
"We know Twi... we know..." Applejack began. "But... I dun really wanna stick around to see what happens if he wakes up... we'll just have to hope for the best... and maybe Princess Celestia might have a clue..."
"THAT'S IT! WE GO TO CANTERLOT RIGHT NOW GIRLS." Twilight announced.
"Wait what...?"
"If anyone has a clue... it's got to be Princess Celestia!" Twilight said. "Come on girls... let's get him back to normal!"
[Meanwhile... in Canterlot...]
Maybe it was one hour... maybe it was two... maybe it was half of the night she didn't know. All she knew was that there was something heavy on her, and with a mighty heave, the rocks and rubble came tumbling off.
Painfully, Celestia got up, her mane covered in dust and blood, her face and body was lined with ugly cuts and bruises as she looked up at the ruins of Canterlot, the entire city having been one step from completely obliterated. There was not a single building that had been unmarked by the dragon raid, Canterlot castle itself fared slightly better than the rest of the city, a segment of the wall was missing entirely and the huge roaring blazes had yet to be put out by the local weather team. Whether or not said weather team was actually still alive... no pony knew.
"Celestia... are you hurt?" Luna asked as she landed right next to her elder sister. "I have been looking for you..."
"I am fine Luna... but Canterlot is not..."
"I can see that..." Luna said as she saw the sun rise. "I... I had to preform your duty... I was worried..."
"It's fine... thank you Luna. But... this city..."
"Destroyed by the forces of the dragon king." Luna replied as she recalled the meteors that came crashing down upon the city. "It finally stopped... after the many hours... I didn't know... you were knocked out and when the building fell on you, I had no choice but to help aid any of the civilians. It was fortunate for us that Feynaltdrog chose to leave then. For what reasons... I don't know."
"Was to demonstrate his strength? For he has the elements..." Celestia said. "And we have no way of stopping him... could Discord even?"
"Could Tierk? Could Chrysalis? The nightmare forces? I doubt it." Luna said. "Our only hope... well... rests on them..."
And right about now... "them" as in Sanya, Jim, Armin, Slade, Steve and Medic were busy hiding in a cave...
"She's asleep. Too damn tired." Raynor said as he gently placed Sanya down on the ground of the cave. "And now... we're trapped in here..."
"Zis is bad..." Medic said as he sat by a stream to fill up a canteen of water. "Zat Giant bear von't leave!"
"And that's why it is bad..." Slade said as he sat down and took off his mask. "So tired..."
"Look on the bright side people..." Cap said. "It can't get to us from in here."
"Yeah... so what? It only has to wait us out..." Slade said.
"Then that's why we got to get out." Steve said firmly. "Do you think..."
"I think... but you don't." Slade replied. "If I know what Captain Star Spangles is going to come up with, it probably ends gloriously and sounds great, until we all get eaten."
"Do you have a good idea?!" Steve asked. The lack of sleep was one thing that pissed him. Slade being Slade didn't exactly help.
"Yes I do... not getting eaten!" Slade said. "What the hell?! Why did you possibly think this cave was a good idea!"
"We wouldn't be in here right now if someone had the brains to check what the hell it was he was shooting!"
"And we wouldn't be in here if some idiot didn't lead us straight into a goddamn death trap!"
"You think it would have mattered? It's safe in here... for now. But look at those around you... you think we can keep on this forever? We get tired and we are all going to die! Look at Sanya... at Armin... at Medic... Do they LOOK like they can keep going?!"
"We can easily hide..."
"Hiding. How typical. We're not goddamn ninjas Slade!"
"No... YOU are just a deluded fool!"
"And you don't give a damn about anyone else except for yourself! We all die and you walk away without as much as caring to look back!"
"Who said that?! Plus... you made it quite clear to me that you and I won't have too many problems slitting each other's throats at a moments notice."
"What's that got to do? I am only telling you that the most DISPECIABLE person I know as of now should watch his ass if he decides he wants to pull a fast one!"
"Watch my ass Captain? Scary. You're not the first person to threaten to kill me and you bet you won't be the last!"
"The scary thing will be the next guy. It'll be quite hard to fight when you're missing both eyes!"
"You want to fight Captain? You want to?! I'll give you..."
"GUYS!" Armin said as he got in between the two. "BREAK IT UP. We're trapped in here and we are not going to get out by just fighting amongst ourselves!"
Time paused for a moment as the last sentence echoed throughout the cave. Slowly, the two men stopped only glaring daggers at one another before either sitting down or leaning against a wall.
"It's hopeless..." Medic muttered underneath his breath. His bleak attitude deserted him when he saw Armin fall straight into the stream. He chuckled a bit only to find it surprising that Armin had begun to laugh.
"Vat's so funny?"
"This stream... it's flow... it goes the other way!" Armin cried out. "There may be an exit... ON THE OTHER END!"