"I don't like this." Raynor said as he listened closely at the eerie dripping noise within the cave. "It feels... I feel like I am being watched."
"Who would anyways? It's too dark to see much." Slade said as he activated his tactical vision. "Better."
"You... see anything?"
"Nothing actually. Just caves, water and more cave." Slade said. "I honestly don't hope this leads deeper down or I am going to pick getting eaten alive by a giant bear."
"I actually hope you do." Cap said muttering underneath his breath. "Alright Doctor, you know anything about caves?"
"Damn it Captain! I am a doctor, not un cave expert!"
"Alright... alright." Steve mumbled to himself as he held Sanya in his hands. "Damn... I wish you were awake. You could probably see just fine. Or rather... hear just fine."
"I do have night vision Cap... and I can see just fine in this." Slade said as he took a look down. "Follow the stream... right son?"
"Right." Armin replied as they continued on. "There has to be a way out, after all... where does this stream lead to?"
"A fair point nevertheless." Slade said. Good to see you can make yourself useful kid.
"Vell zen... let's keep going."
The group moved on, unaware of that they were being watched by prying claws and greedy eyes. Had Sanya been awake... she could have heard it easily.
"My... preciousness...."
"Wha...who...wha...wh...ho...bubub..bub...ha...what?" Twilight stammered out as she looked out at Canterlot which had been like this way when she left, ended up looking a bit like this today.
"Feynaltdrog. That's who. He attacked last night." Celestia said as she watched over at the citizens of Canterlot within their misfortune. Perhaps not a single household was spared that night as many crowded around Canterlot castle, lost and afraid. "Just last night... he used a spell... a long forbidden magic eons old. With that one spell, he was able to destroy this city effortlessly!"
"He wields the power of the heavens themselves." Luna lamented as she dug a hoof into the earth. "Is there nothing that can oppose him?"
"Princess... please... the whole thing."
"Right..." Luna said as she recounted the battle the night before. How hundreds of dragons descended up Canterlot at night, how every pony was helpless against their might, how the two sisters themselves had attempted to battle with the dragon king and how in the end... they were utterly and completely helpless against his power. The king of dragons was truly a king of sorcery amongst him kind. With nothing that could stop him, Canterlot burned underneath him.
"And that's not just the worst of it." Celestia said. "We are getting similar reports from every major city not just in Equestria... but from everywhere. And yet... there's even more to that. The Changelings are now under the control of the dragons, and we fear that the minotaur lands have fallen underneath the heel of the tyrant."
"So... what can we do?" Twilight asked as she looked around at the destruction. At the dead and the dying and at the groans of the wounded. "What can we do?"
"If only... if only there would be a way to tell when Feynaltdrog would strike..."
"And where in the name of the moon he was coming from!" Luna said. "How does he... what?"
"Princess... I think we're already on it..." Twilight grinned slightly. "You see... I met up with the humans when... well... we went looking for them... and..."
She felt like she was forgetting something... but that train of thought would probably find it's way back sooner or later... now then... where was she?
"Right. Sorry about that. They were off to the Crystal Empire! They are trying to look for a way for them to decipher the dragon language!"
The two regal sisters looked at each other for a moment, before both smiling hopefully.
"Then it's good... then we might just have a chance." Luna grinned. "Now then... perhaps we should make our way there too? The crystal empire has both the most powerful conjurer of defensive magic in all of Equestria and the Princess of love herself. With those two... we should be able to find sanctuary there."
"But what of Canterlot?"
"I'll stay back then." Celestia said. "Lest Feynaltdrog decides to rear his head again, I will be prepared to defend every pony to my last breath."
"We can only hope that won't be necessary." Luna commented as the seven ponies went off.
Twilight had forgotten something....
"Okay... this looks like a good place to stop..." Slade said. "She's STILL asleep?"
"Yeah..." Cap said. "Nocturnal here? You of all people..."
"Not in the mood." Slade cut off. Truth be told, he received little sleep last night either, because... well... kinda hard to rest when you have a giant purple bear outside wanting to eat you.
"Now zen... how deep are ve in?" Medic asked as he took a look around.
"I'd say... perhaps... I...um... okay.... maybe... damn it... I have no clue." Armin said as he took a look around and back to the stream within the cave. "I just hope this leads us out."
"I swear..." Slade began. Even without things like lack of sleep and nearly getting killed, he was fairly easy to agitate. You can imagine how pissed off he would be when hearing rather... unfortunate news and having both of the two things happening to him. Though, a stern look from the star spangled man, and he would say nothing. Though he wanted nothing more than to hit something, or in this case someone... not here. Just anywhere but here.
"Maybe you should carry Sanya." Cap said as he handed the small girl over to the assassin, inwardly making jokes to himself about how Slade would probably bludgeon someone to death with the sleeping girl. Then again... it wouldn't be a joke if that actually happened.
Funny. Now that he began to think about it... the two seemed to have spent an awful lot of time together... Ironic even. The first day they met ended with Slade getting a shattered chestplate and Sanya with probably shattered bones... which turned out to not have happened but still... not the best of first impressions when all things considered but...
Why did those two spend so much time together? What the hell did they even have in common? Why would one of the kindest, shyest and quietest people he had met want to be with that bastard? Why would that assassin want to be with anyone actually?
Maybe it was the military background? Steve had started when he was in his early twenties, while Slade had begun his career as a soldier when he was 16. Sanya began at 13. Maybe it was this single...
Nah. Slade? Really? Cap was in the army too and those two probably would murder each other if given the chance. Perhaps it was just mere sympathy at the fact... really... Slade showing anyone sympathy? That'd be the day.
Probably just mere randomness then. Those two seemed like an odd grouping of all sorts. An old soldier past his prime who's still worth an army, while a soldier that should be too young to serve, also worth an army of lesser men.
His train of thought crashed over a bridge when he heard what sounded like footfalls.
