//------------------------------// // Chapter 35 // Story: Six wishes for six elements // by Malcolm Merlyn //------------------------------// Hungry... so hungry... Underground caves, as on might expect... aren't exactly the most plentiful in edible materials. And so, that's exactly the type of predicament a certain type of pack creature found in Equestria was having when it got lost and separated. Having spent days without eating, the beast was rather famished as you could imagine but nevertheless, retained it's capable abilities to track prey... scratch that last sentence. Got even better at it. Why? Because it was STARVING TO DEATH AND NEEDED SOMETHING TO EAT. Naturally... when other living beings entered it's domain you can imagine how hunting instincts kick in. The only problem was... the other beings entered and were rather quick on getting out. So... our lost hunter here needed to be very fast, or it's prey might escape. As time passed... the hunter found out that his prey may... be... a bit on the dangerous side. For instance... four out of the six potential meals he could have were larger than he was. Two of them were in irons that would break his teeth if he tried, whilst the other two carried an air of danger, one always carried a shield while the one in white with glasses had a... chilling aura of fear that made the hunter less sure of taking it on. So... he had two options. A somewhat cat-like creature that had done nothing but rest, while a shorter member of these strange species which seemed to be... what our hunter here would call easy meat. The only problem would be attempting to get it. In addition, this prey... something told it, that it won't be easy. Perhaps the swords at it's side? It waited. Making mistakes once in a while and attracting the attention of several members of the pack he kept stalking. Fearfully... yet hungrily he waited. The hunger would be what drove him into taking the risk... the beast surely wasn't stupid. It knew that it was the hunter... but it was also the prey. And that... that... was a problem. "Oh no... oh no... oh no..." Twilight said as she looked at the area of the forest. Gone. Just completely gone. Bulldozed by the two great titans that now fought tooth and nail for... Um... why are they fighting again? It didn't matter. What happened had to be stopped lest they destroy the entire forest... which they kinda already did already but still... best calm the two rampaging monsters down or bad things are going to happen. By bad things, I mean not as in the fact AN ENTIRE FOREST WAS PRACTICALLY LEVELED... by bad things I mean... hey... we gotta stop them from leveling the already leveled forest! That aside... however, Twilight looked to take a look at the action better. As of now, the Ursa and the dragon were both on the ground, roaring at one another like two cats fighting over territory. Perhaps that was what all of this was about? No. Spike is smarter than that. Something told her that though he had been reduced (or rather, enlarged) into a savage dragon, he had to have had a reason to fight the Ursa... or maybe he didn't... whatever the case, she needed Spike back. And she wanted him back now. Whether or not it was a good idea... yeah it was a terrible idea, but regardless Twilight got all the air her lungs could muster and called out. "SPIKE" For a instant the two creatures stopped fighting to acknoledge her existence the Ursa just looked at her, and then looked back, continuing to snarl and roar at it's foe, but Spike... Spike just stared at Twilight for a moment. Just stared. And then... without warning, he stretched his great wings and flew off. Just like that. "Spike?!" Twilight called out. "Spike?! SPIKE?!" He was gone. Into the wind he went, away from here as though there was something in Twilight he wanted to get away from. Nevertheless... whatever the reason, Twilight couldn't help but feel the pains of sorrow as she saw the dragon that had been her number on assisstant fly off into the distance, perhaps... never to be seen again by her. "Spike..." Twilight whimpered through the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Why? Don't leave..." He was already out of earshot. But to Twilight... he would always be listening. Luna placed a hoof on the weeping pony's shoulders as they watch the Ursa make it's exit. "He's gone now." Luna said, stating the obvious. "To parts unknown." "Why?" Twilight asked. "Why does he want to leave?!" "I don't know." Luna replied. "But please... how did he become fully grown?" It took a while to explain. How a spell had overcome Spike, and in an instant, he had grown to a beserking dragon that rampaged through a local town. Only did some mysterious gas that Slade have ended up calming him down. When he never woke up nor returned to normal size, the decision was inevitably made to abandon him. A decision that was now regretted. "Don't be too hard on yourself Twilight. Had you stayed... you would have been caught in the middle of a dragon and an Ursa." Luna said as Spike faded into a little dot in the distance. "If Spike really is fully grown... then he'll seek out his own fortunes. But if... but if Feynaltdrog had TRULY corrupted him... then I doubt he would have just walked away from all of this." "So... where do you think he's going?" "He's a dragon Twilight. He'll go anywhere that has riches and a place for him to sleep. That's what the ordinary dragons do." Luna said. Her voice contained a grim undertone that silently spoke about the OTHER type of dragon. The ones who burned down cities and devoured their residents. Or worse yet... the ones that were vicious warlords and conquerers. "Eila..." She woke up rather rudely. Really rudely to the slap of cold water as Slade poured an entire canteen of it straight on to her head. Gasping for a moment, she took a look around, fully awake, her sharp hearing detected... something. "Oh... what happened here?" Sanya asked as she gasped again. "Are you..." "I've been carrying you for the last hour. You're welcome." Slade replied as he refilled the canteen in the stream. "Alright... so..." "There's something in here with us!" Sanya said. "Yeah... we've realized." Slade replied. "We just can't find the damn thing." "Maybe I can..." Sanya said as the magical antennas formed themselves, she grabbed TT-33 at he side. Like a cat finding signs of prey, she began to have a look around. Finding some place that migh... "Where the hell are you going?" Steve asked. "Get back here." "I think I can find whatever's in the cave with us." Sanya replied. "Don't worry... I can handle myself." Thank god. Slade thought as he tossed her his knife. "Hey kid... it'll come in handy." "Alright. Thanks Slade... and for carrying me all that time... did I really sleep all that time?" "Longer actually." Steve chuckled. "Right Eila?" "I swear..." In the cave. The lone hunter found it's potential meal yet it's potential predator. The lone creature was of small build, small being comparing to it's own kind. In truth, it stood over this specimen. The dog bared it's fangs in signs of frustration, wondering when was the best time to tackle it. It could hear him in utter darkness, and that caused the lone Diamond Dog to lose whatever advantage he had. Yet... could he take it on? Fight it? Wrestle it to the ground and snap it's neck before the others notice? It was worth a try. The dog readied it's fangs and claws and found a potential ambush site. It sat still... afraid to move a muscle as the Orussian approached. Knife in one hand, gun in the other. The magical antennas listening for anything... anything that may give anything about what was in the cave with her.