//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Redemption, Damnation and FIM // by ShadowWalking18 //------------------------------// Another chapter :D! Are you not happy!?! Sorry for the long wait, classes came up since its almost the end of the semster and I have a 6-8 page english paper to work on. Plus a whole bunch of other stuff that makes it hard to keep up with things. But I've gotten a good head start on things and removed my bit of writers block so now ON WITH THE SHOW!!*Fires the party cannon* Rainbow Dash landed at the door of the library, in her arm she held a book. She pushed open the door and walked in. "Hey Twilight. You here?" Dash called, "I'm just returning the Daring Do book you let me borrow, and here to pick up the next." Dash looked around as she flew to the shelf and put the book away and quickly took the next one in the series, an excited look in her eyes as she read the title. "Daring Do and the Temple of the Crystal Skull. Awsome." Dash smiled as she hugged the book to her. "Shhh. Twilight is still sleeping." Dash turned and gasped, "Tez. You're awake?" Tez smirked as he walked down the stairs, "Of course, been up since yesterday." Dash flew over, "Dude, that was soooo awsome what you did with the sun! Really cool!" Tez chuckled, "Thanks Dashie, but mind keeping the excitement down a bit. Twilight is sleeping, and I don't think she would like to be awoken right now." Dash blinked, "What'da mean? And how come you didn't tell any of us that you were awake yesterday?" Dash poked Tez in the chest with a hoof. She was surprised by the tightness of the muscles there, Tez really took care of his body. "I meant to but...well with the princesses coming and everything else that followed, I guess I lost track of it on other things." Tez said as he scratched the back of his head with a grin. Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise as she landed, "The princesses were here!?! Oh man you're not in trouble are you?" "Nah, nothing like that. Though I hope you got a good look at my moving the sun because I will NOT be doing that ever again." "How come? It was really cool." Dash said as she tilted her head to the side. "Yes and also very exhausting. I'd rather not do it again, besides it's Celestia's job. Not mine, and she can have it." Tez said as he rubbed his head, he could still remember the headache his stunt gave him. Not pleasant. "Well, I guess that makes sense," Dash said with a slight frown, "So what was so important that you didn't bother to come tell us that you were awake? Everypony was really worried, though I knew you would be okay." Tez smirked, "I have no doubt that you did. It makes me happy to know that you have such confidence in my ability to stay alive." "Yeah yeah, anyway it's great that you're okay. So why is Twilight still asleep? Usually she is up around this time." Dash asked. "Well the princesses came, we had lunch as we discussed the sun issue and sorted all of that up. Then I asked for Twilight to be made my apprentice in the usage of magic. Then after all of the commotion that caused we finally settled on an agreement. After that the princesses left and I took Twilight away to a location to train. We spent the rest of the day and all the night in training." "Wait a minute, you mean that princess Celestia is actually making you Twilight's teacher!" Dash said surprised. "You seem surprised. It makes the most sense, Celestia and Luna are powerful...but I am just more so. At least when it comes to using magic." Tez said with a shrug. 'But...how is it that they suffer no ill affects when moving the celestial bodies?' Tez thought, he knew that he had an answer...somewhere in his memories....yet somehow he could not bring them to the surface. Just like so many other memories. Dash chuckled, "Tez, now you might be strong in magic, I mean I'm no egg head on the subject but I can tell from the other day that you have to be do what you did. But come on, nopony is as strong as the princesses." "Strength comes in all shapes and forms my dear Dashie," Tez said, "But with strengths come weaknesses, and that applies even to Celestia and Luna." Dash rolled her eyes, "Oh, and I take it you know what the princesses weaknesses are. Come on Tez, you are just boasting." "I make no boasts Dashie. Always do I speak the truth." Tez said simply. "Prove it." Dash said with a smirk. Tez snatched the book from Rainbow Dash, and quickly began to skim through the pages. "Hey! Give that back!" Dash said as she tried to snatch the book back, each time Tez moving out of reach as he looked through the book. Finally Tez closed the book and gave it back to Dash, who took it with a glare. "What was that for?" Dash asked. "You like this Daring Do do you?" Tez asked. Dash blushed slightly, "Well yeah, but that doesn't make me an egg head." "I never said you were. I simply asked if you were fond of Daring Do." Tez said. "Well duh, she is super cool. Treasure hunting, trap dodging and living life to the extreme." Dash said with glee, fantasizing about such a life. Tez smirked, "Well then.....have fun." Tez lifted a hand and began to chant, his hand beginning to glow. "Wait! What do you-" Dash began to say, before her vision was engulfed in a bright light. "Today is the day Cutie Mark Crusaders! Today we get our cutie marks!" Scootaloo said with enthusiasm as she placed a book onto the table. The CMC sat in their club house, as usual going over plans to earn their cutie marks. Of course such plans normally lead to one disaster after another and if fate was predictable....this next plan would be no different. Applebloom and Scootaloo looked down at the book on the table curiously. It was a Daring Do book. "Umm...didn't we try to get our cutie marks as librarians already?" Sweetie Belle asked a bit confused. "Yeah, and I know that journalism and writing are the same thing...and we arn't really good at making stories." Applebloom said, remembering the Gabby Gums fiasco. Scootaloo sighed and facehoofed, "No, we are going to get our cutie marks as treasure hunters. Like Daring Do." "Ohh." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison. "But, where are we going to find treasure to hunt? I don't think Ponyville has any dungeons or treasure." Applebloom said. "Not Ponyville, but the Everfree Forest is bound to have some sort of cave or ruin with treasure in it for us to find." Scootaloo said as she pointed to the forest in the distance. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both gulped. Applebloom said, "Umm Scoots, are ya sure about that?" "Yeah, the Everfree forest is full of monsters and who knows what else. Besides we might get in trouble." Sweetie Belle said. "Come on girls, this could be our chance to get our marks, and besides we won't go too far in. I know where there is a cave we can look inside, thats not that far." Scootaloo said. Applebloom blinked and said, "How did you find a cave?" Scootaloo smirked, "I went inside just a bit after breakfast, I found it only a few minutes in. Come on I'll show you the way." Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked at each other a minute, a bit unsure of this plan. But...if it would get them their marks. "Well alright, let's go" Sweetie Belle said. "Yeah!" Applebloom cheered. "YEAH CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TREASURE HUNTERS!" The three shouted in unison and ran off, Scootaloo leading the way. Dash's eyes opened and she looked around. She felt her heart beating fast, as she stood up. She was...back in the library? "But...how....when....what?" Dash tried to say, but unable to find the proper words. She looked to Tez who sat in a chair next to her. He had a slight smile on his face. "Did you have fun?" Tez asked. "How did you do that?" Dash asked, "One minute you were doing something, and then the next I was running away from jungle cats with Daring Do." "Did you have fun?" Tez asked again. "Yes I had fun. That was completly awsome." Dash could still feel the adrenaline from the dodging of traps and the awsome escape from the temple, with the Crystal Skull in hoof. "Good, now to answer your question of what I did it is really simple," Tez stood up with a stretch, "I simply placed you under a combination of a sleeping spell and mass illusion spell." Dash blinked, "Wait...so all of that was an illusion." Dash frowned a bit disappointed. "Some what," Tez said, "All that you saw was an illusion, but the choices you made aided in creating each event that transpired." "Huh?" Dash said confused. Tez rubbed his head, "How do I explain this....I guess you can say....it's magic." Tez grinned as he said the last part. Dash rolled her eyes, "Well whatever you did it was awesome. I don't know if even Twilight could have done that." "Oh she has potential....if it is properly trained. That is why I am teaching her how to use magic properly." Tez said as he looked up the stairs. Still had a long way to go. "Well whatever, so are you teaching her now?" Dash asked. Tez chuckled, "No...I'll let her sleep for today. She needs it. So do you have any plans today Dashie?" Dash rubbed her chin, "Hmm...nah not really. I was just returning a book and picking up another. Didn't expect to actually live the next book." Tez smirked, "Yes, life can hit you with surprises. If you are not busy then you want to hang out?" "Sure, that's cool with me. So where to?" Dash asked. Tez thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, "Well how about a race?" Dash's eyes lit up, "Aaaaawwww yeah! Where to?" "How about to the edge of the Everfree Forest." Tez said. "You're on." Dash said and flew outside and waited by the door, "Starting line is here." Tez chuckled and joined Dash outside and closed the door, "Alright. On your mark." Dash spread her wings and leaned forward, ready to take off. Tez bent his legs a bit, as he got into a runners posistion, "Get set...." A tumbleweed blew past them, and the two of them said at the same time, "GO!" And the took off running/flying. The CMC walked through the foggy woods of the Everfree. Scootaloo took the lead, guiding her friends to their destination without showing any signs of fear as they moved further along. "Are we almost there?" Sweetie Belle asked. She would look side to side every now and then, being watchful of any chicken heads in the brush. "Almost, just a bit more. Don't be so nervous, we arn't that far in to run into anything we can't handle." Scootaloo said with confidence. "I hope so." Applebloom said a bit nervous. "Aww come on Applebloom, you've been in the forest tons of times to see Zecora." Scootaloo said. "I know, but that's different. This is alot farther from the path to Zecora's. I've never been in this part before." Applebloom said in her defense. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway, look we're there now. See nothing happened." The three fillies stood at the entrance of a cave. The fog clocked the entrance and the shadows within made it difficult to see anything inside. In total, the scene was erie and creepy. Sweetie Belle gulped, "W..well lets get going then." "Yeah. This is going to be awsome." Scootaloo said as she ran in, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle following behind. The three delved deep into the cave. A long cavern of tunnels going this way and that greeted them and it took all their skill, plus the help of some chalk and arrow markings, to find their way through. After much work they finally managed to enter the main chamber, where they were greeted to an amazing sight. "Wwwwwoooooow." The three said in aww, as their eyes sparkled slightly. Before them were giant piles of gem stones. Gems of various colors, shapes and sizes, glittered in the illuminated room of the cave. But what truely caught their eyes the most, were what sat in a pile in the middle, surrounded by the gems. It was lumpy and silver in color,it glittered and shone in the light. A large pile of these silver rocks sat next to another pile of similar lumpy rocks, only these were dark green with a glossy coat, just as the silver rocks it shone in the light of the cave room as well. "Ohhh preety." Sweetie Belle said as she walked over to the piles of lumpy rocks. "Wow. What do ya think it is?" Applebloom asked. "Looks like silver, though I don't know what the green stuff is. And look at all these gems."Scootaloo said. "I guess we are treasure hunters." Sweetie Belle said excitedly. The three fillies quickly checked their flanks to see if they got their cutie marks. But frowned when they saw that they were still blank flanks. "Maybe we need to take the treasure home. That's what Daring Do does." Scootaloo said. "Maybe. But...how do we take all of this back to Ponyville?" Applebloom asked. "Well...I guess we will just have to make several trips. Quick lets fill up our bags." Scootaloo said as she flipped open her saddle bag and began to place gems and the lumpy rocks inside. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle did the same. As the three fillies packed, they did not see from the shadows....two gold slitted eyes peering at them from the darkness, filled with malice and greed. As the three fillies packed their bags with gems and rocks, they started to feel a bit hot. Steam slowly surrounding them. "Man, is it hot in here all of a sudden?" Scootaloo asked as she wiped her head. "Yeah...it's getting kinda hot...and...steamy." Sweetie Belle said. Applebloom stopped packing her saddlebag and gulped, "Hey...do ya ever have that feeling that....something isn't right?" A low growl sounded from above them. The three fillies gulped and slowly looked up. And there above them they started into the gold slitted eyes of a big....huge.....angry...green scaled dragon. The dragon growled, "What are you doing in MY cave? Taking MY treasures!?!" "Oh....are these yours...uh...we didn't know.." Scootaloo said, her ears flattening as she slowly backed away from the huge from of the dragon. "Uh...yeah...we'll just uh...put them back and leave ya'll alone...." Applebloom said as she emptied her saddlbe bag. "Uh...yeah...we weren't going to steal from you at all...." Sweetie Belle said nervously. The dragon growled, and glared at the three fillies. Scootaloo gulped, she was afraid...but ...Rainbow Dash wouldn't be afraid of some dumb dragon. She puffed out her chest. "Hey...don't think you're all that scarey," Scootaloo said, "I mean....so what if you're big." The orange pegasus gulped, "Really big." The dragons claws extended, sharp and as long as spears. "Your claws....super sharp." Applebloom said. Spikes erupted from the dragon's tail. "Spikey.....tail..." Sweetie Belle said. The three fillies backed away more and more, and with each step back the dragon took one step forward. "Um....Scootaloo....I think we should..." Applebloom began. Scootaloo didn't bother to wait, fear overcoming bravado, she turned and ran while screaming, "RUN!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle listened turning to run as they screamed. The dragon roared and breathed fire, missing the three fillies by a few inches, but burning the tips of their tails. And then....it began the chase, roaring loudly as it did. Tez ran as fast as he could, jumping over passing ponies and obstacles that got in his way. Rainbow Dash was right above him, having the advantage of the open air. However the two of them remained neck and neck. Dash was impressed, not many could keep up with her, but this race was going to end in one way, with her winning. She flapped her wings even harder, the wind starting to bend about her as she approached the sound barrier. Of course she did not strive for a sonic rainboom, not this close to town. Tez saw the rainbow maned pegasus pull ahead of him, 'Damn....she is fast.....though I must wonder if it's just in flying,' Tez thought as he worked his legs even harder, gaining more speed to catch up to Rainbow Dash. The world seemed to slow down around Tez as he ran, ponies and obstacles that got in his way he simply dodged, leaving wide eyed ponies in his dust. In the distance the forest grew closer and closer. "I win!" Dash and Tez said at the same time as they came to a halt at the edge of the forest. They looked at each other with smirks and said in unison again, "No I won." "Come on Dashie, I won." Tez said. "In your dreams, I won." Dash said. The two looked at each other for a moment before falling over laughing. "Okay, how about we say it's a tie?" Tez asked, chuckling. Dash smirked, "Sure. I got to say you're fast on those legs of yours. But I'm still the fastest flyer in Equestria." "And there is no better pegasus to hold that title." Tez said. The two laughed for a bit more before Tez stopped and sniffed the air. He looked around, his eyes closed for a moment. "Hey, what's up Tez?" Dash asked. Tez's eyes opened, "I smell the scent of blood on the air," Tez sniffed again and felt his heart stop, "I recognize this blood." And then, from the shadows of the forest, they heard screams, followed by a blood thirsty roar. Applebloom ran as fast as she could, only to stop just in time to avoid being crushed by the spiked tail of the dragon. "AHHH!" She screamed and ran the other way, her heart pounding and adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her body entering into fight or flight, choosing flight without hesitation. The dragon roared as he swiped its claws at scootaloo, the little pegasus managed to avoid being sliced in half, but screamed in pain as she felt the razor sharp tips slash her shoulder. She quickly ran the other way, tears in her eyes. "AHHHH!" Sweetie Belle screamed as she was grabbed by the dragons claw and lifted up its head, its eyes filled with killing intent. "Help!" Sweetie Belle screamed as she tried to escape the dragons grip, the sharp claws and scales causing small cuts to appear as she twisted. "Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom and Scootaloo shouted, their eyes were focused on their endangered friend they did not see the tail swinging for them from behind. It was by mere luck that the spiked end missed them, but the force was still enough to send them flying into a rock. The two fillies screamed in pain, bones cracking from the force of the blow. Applebloom laid on the ground, holding her right front leg and crying. Scootaloo coughed, and held her chest, she moaned as she laid on the ground, blood flowing from a wound to the side of her head. The dragon roared and looked to the unicorn in its grip. It was crying and shaking in fear, blood dripping from the many cuts on its body. The dragon opened its mouth and brought the unicorn towards its open maw, ready to devour the little pony. Or it would have, had not something ran into the side of its head, kicking its eye. The dragon roared and let the unicorn go, sending it falling to the ground screaming. A rainbow colored blur though the filly before it hit the ground. "Rainbow Dash!" Sweetie Belle gasped in surprise, as she saw who it was that had caught her. Dash glared down at the unicorn filly and said, "Not now. Hang on!" With that Dash flew fast to Applebloom and Scootaloo, scooping them up and turning to fly away from the forest. The dragon roared and swiped its claws to strike the pegasus that had kicked it, Dash dodged the wild swings with ease as she dived down to dodge a blast of fire...only to be hit by a spike from the dragon's swinging tail, cutting into her side and sending her crashing to the ground. "AHHH!" The fillies screamed. Dash hissed in pain and twisted her body to put herself between the approaching ground and the three injured fillies. Dash hit the ground hard, she heard something snap and felt searing pain in her side and wing. She looked to the CMC, the three fillies were bleeding, scared and crying. But the fall did not seem to have caused them further harm. "Can either of you," Dash coughed, "run?" "Sweetie Belle might." Scootaloo cughed, "It hurts Rainbow Dash." She held her chest more, her breathing coming in shallow bursts. Dash frowned, "I know kid. Don't worry, I'll get you three out of here." Dash struggled to her feet, placing the fillies on her back, and hissed in pain as she did. She felt her wing was broken as it hurt to try and bend it down, but her legs were okay and that was good. She took off running, but stopped as the dragon's tail slammed down to block their path. The dragon growled and approached the four ponies, surrounding them and cutting off any escape attempt with its massive bulk. It raised it's head, jaw opening to show sharp teeth. Dash started to shake, 'Is this how it ends? Please...not like this. Tez....' She closed her eyes as the dragon's maw descended. The dragon roared as it neared the kill, the fillies screamed. Things went silent, before the sound of growling broke it. Dash opened her eyes slowly and saw the dragon's jaws open before her, but they did not bite down upon her, in fact they could not due to being held open by a large bipedal cat like creature. "What the..." Dash said. The cat creature turned its head and looked at her with gold slitted eyes. Eyes that...seemed familiar....Dash gasped. "T-Tez?" The cat smirked and nodded before turning back to glare at the dragon. Tez growled, the muscles in his arms tightening as he twisted and slammed the dragon's head into the ground, hard. The earth rumbled with the force of the blow. The dragon roared and brought its head back up as it took a step back and glared at the new enemy. "Get the girls out of here. I'll take care of zilla here." Tez growled. Dash blinked in surprise and shock, before nodding and running off. The three fillies on her back now silent, eyes wide with awe at what they had seen. "Hey, is Tez gonna be alright?" Scootaloo asked. "Yeah, we can't leave him with that dragon he will-" Applebloom was cut off by a loud roar of pain and the sound of tearing trees and something heavy hitting the ground. "I think he is gonna be okay kids." Dash said, she felt dizzy and light headed, but she kept running. She had to get the kids to a doctor and fast. 'I hope he will be okay.' Dash thought as she looked back once to where Tez and the dragon would be. Sounds of battle echoed in the woods, only giving the barest hints of the fight that took place within. Fluttershy cowered under the couch. She had heard the roar of a dragon from the Everfree forest, and it had scared her. She gulped as she slowly pulled herself out from under the piece of furniture and slowly lifted herself up next to the window to look outside. 'Oh, I hope it doesn't come this way.' She thought, shaking at the mere thought of a full grown dragon near her house. Fluttershy scanned the outside once again and gasped when she saw something in the distance. There in the disance, she saw Rainbow Dash running from the Everfree, on her back she carried Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. The three fillies seemed to be injured, and Dash was no worse for wear as she stumbled and fell to the ground. Fluttershy gasped and ran to and out the door. Seeing her friend hurt was enough motivation for her to forget her own terror. As she neared her friend Fluttershy gasped in horror at what she saw. Dash's wing lay at an odd angle, obviously broken. She had a long cut down her right side. The fillies were also in bad shape, Appleblooms front leg was no doubt broken, and Sweetie Belle was covered in cuts. But Scootaloo had her really worried, she was holding her chest and breathing uneasily. "It hurts." The little orange pegasus said weakly. "Oh no. Hang on, just stay still all of you." Fluttershy said worried. Dash groaned, "Hey Fluttershy. Hey, can you take care of the kids, they're pretty banged up." Fluttershy nodded, "Right, just stay still Dashie, I'll...I'll be right back." she turned and ran back to her house to get all her medical stuff. This was an emergecy and she had to move fast. Another roar came from the woods, Fluttershy eeped, but ignored it as she ran out carrying every piece of medical item she could find. She saw that Dash had removed the fillies from her back, hopefully gently, since Scootaloo might have broken ribs. 'Okay Fluttershy...you can do this.' she thought as she set to work in doing what she could to ease the pain. She would rather they were at the hospital, but they were here and needed treatment now. The dragon stumbled back, blood pouring of its mouth, it roared and breathed fire upon its opponent. Tez stood there, his body covered in blood, the dragons tongue hanging from his mouth. He smirked as he chewed the muscle between his fangs, he swiftly jumped into the air dodging the flames. The dragon anticpated this and breathed fire again at Tez as he hovered in the air for a moment. Tez growled and tossed the tongue aside as he dived down through the flames. He ignored the searing pain of the fire burning his fur and soon burst from the column of flame and landed onto the dragon's head. He looked into the dragon's eye for a moment. "I don't like that look in your eye," Tez said as he lifted a claw and brought it down across the opical organ. Fluttershy sighed in relief, though she still felt sick inside. She had managed to do what she could for the injuries. Dash had a bandaged wrapped around her body to keep the wound on her side covered, and her wing was wrapped in a splint to keep the wing straight. Applebloom also wore a splint, Sweetie Belle was covered in various bandages of differing size from small to two large ones. Scootaloo was the worse though, she was still breathing shallowly, but she had not pierced a lung yet from what Fluttershy could tell. She would need a doctor to properly reset the broken ribs, so until then Fluttershy did her best to keep the little pegasus calm. "This is all my fault." Scootaloo sniffed, tears welling in her eyes. "Shhh, breath slowly....it's all going to be okay." Fluttershy said, she did not know what had happened but that was not important right now. She hoped angel brought that letter to Twilight and fast. "But," Scootaloo sniffed, "If I hadn't dragged us into the forest none of this would have happened." "Hey, don't feel bad Scootaloo. You didn't know." Applebloom said, gently hugging her friend. "Yeah...it was just an accident." Sweetie Belle said, also offering her friend comfort. "Though it was really stupid to enter a dragon's cave." Dash said. Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom glared at the cyan pegasus. "What?" Dash asked. Everypony was silent for a moment, Dash looked out the window and said, "Hope Tez is okay. I mean....can he really fight a dragon?" Fluttershy gasped, "Tez is fighting the dragon that did this!?!" "Yeah, at least I think it was Tez, cause it sure didn't look like him. It was this big cat like thing, with spots and a tail." Dash said. Fluttershy nodded, "Yeah....thats Tez." Dash blinked, "Wait...you knew about that?" Fluttershy hid in her mane giving a small nod, "I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me." Dash blinked, "Hey don't worry about it Fluttershy. I'm sure you had a reason you didn't tell us....why didn't you tell us?" "Umm...well...I guess....Tez asked me not to....that he would tell you all eventually." Fluttershy said meekly. Dash crossed her hooves, "Geez, he tells you that he can change into a big cat thing that can stop a dragon's jaw and not me." Dash muttered something under her breath. "I'm sorry..." Fluttershy said. "Eh don't worry about it. I guess I shouldn't be mad at him, I mean if he hadn't been there well...I guess we wouldn't be here now would we." Dash said with a shiver, remembering how close death had been. "Let's not think about that..." Fluttershy looked out the window to the path to her house, in the distance she saw Twilight, Spike, Angel, Rarity, Applejack, and Big Mac, along with several doctors from the hospital. She quickly got up and opened the door to let them in. "Is she here? Is she okay!?!" Applejack said as she ran in. She saw Applebloom and ran immediatly to her sister. Big Mac followed, pulling Applebloom into a gentle hug. "Oh thank goodness. You're okay." Rarity said as she ran to her sister. The doctors entered and immediatly made their way to the injuried ponies. "Is everything okay Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she yawned. "It should be now. Did Angel wake you up?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight rubbed her eyes, "Yeah, but don't worry about it." Fluttershy frowned, "I'm sorry." Twilight chuckled, "It's okay Fluttershy. So what happened?" "I don't really know, I didn't want to strain the girls with questions. Dash says that she rescued them from a dragon." Fluttershy said. "Really!?" Rarity said in surprise, "Rainbow Dash, I don't think I or Applejack can possibly thank you for saving our sisters." Dash blushed, "Um well...I did get them away from the dragon, but if Tez hadn't shown up I don't think we would have escaped." "Well we'll have to thank Tez as well. You two are heros." Applejack said. "Eeyup." Big Mac said. Everypony looked around. "Hey....where is Tez?" Spike asked. A loud crash from nearby gave them their answer. Everypony, and baby dragon, looked out the window and gasped. There on the ground was the battered body of a green dragon. It's wings were torn and shredded and it's scales were dented in several places. One of it's eyes appeared to have been torn out from the socket. Something fell from the sky, landing hard on the ground causing it to shake violently for a moment. It was a large spotted cat that stood on two legs. Its body was covered in blood, the fur black and burnt slightly. It smirked showing sharp bloody fangs. "Tez. He's okay." Scootaloo said relieved. "Wait...that's Tez!?!" Twilight said shocked. "My goodness, he looks simply horried. That blood ruins that amazing fur on him." Rarity said, everypony looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Rarity looked around noticing the stares, "What...oh and yes it is surprising he can turn into a cat." "Well what in tarnation is he doing?" Applejack asked. The dragon got to its feet and roared, everypony noticed that its tongue was missing. They could only imagine why. "Hey...he isn't....fighting that guy is he?" Spike asked, remembering the dragon to be the same one Owilcious saved him from. "I think so. Looks like its been a rough fight." Twilight said. "Should we do something?" Rarity asked. Another loud crash occured and everypony saw Tez slamming the dragon's head into the ground over....and over...and over again. "Umm....I think he has it covered." Dash said. "Oh dear...I hope he isn't being to rough on it." Fluttershy said, worried about what Tez might do to the dragon. "He wouldn't do anything over the top." Spike said. The dragon roared again as Tez leaped into the air, landing upon the dragons head. His claws gripped into the upper and lower jaws and slowly began to push the mouth open. The dragon thrashed and clawed at Tez, he merely evaded each strike as he forced its mouth open more and more, eventually placing his feet on the lower jaw to keep it open, one hand placed under the upper jaw portion. "What's he doing?" Dash asked. Tez's form suddenly shifted to that of his normal one, and his legs and arm bent under the force of the dragons jaws as they tried to close down on him. But Tez simply smirked and pointed a finger towards the dragons throat. Magic began to crackle about his extended finger. "Whats...going on?" Twilight asked, worried of what the answer would be. "So long!!!" Tez shouted and the energy at his finger tip fired. The energy tore into the dragons exposed throat, its eyes widening in agony as its body convulsed. Finally the energy blast faded and the dragon's body fell over, Tez rolling away as the head hit the ground. Everything went silent, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity, had covered the fillies eyes and still kept the covered. All their eyes were wide with shock, and horror. "He..." Applejack started. "Just killed....." Dash said. "A...dragon." Rarity finished. Fluttershy and Spike fainted there and then. Tez looked towards the cottage and waved, before walking over. Twilight could only watch as he approached, when Tez finally reached the window he tapped the glass and said, "Can I get a towl?" He licked some of the blood on his arm away. Twilight only stared at him, as did everypony else. Tez blinked, "What?" It had taken a bit of time for the next few minutes for Tez to both wash himself clean of the blood, and manage to keep Fluttershy and Spike from fainting whenever they looked at him. His slaying of the dragon had really shocked them, in fact it had shocked everypony. "Look, I don't see what the big deal is. That dragon was wild and almost killed Dash and the girls, at least now it is unlikely to harm any other pony." Tez said. "Maybe it did try to hurt Dash and the fillies, but I don't see how that gives you the right to take its life like that." Twilight said, her voice was full of anger. Though perhaps more for the fact of seeing magic, an energy she once thought to be peaceful in nature, to be used for such a deadly purpose as taking life. "That is the way of battle Twilight, things die. If not the dragon then it would have been me or Dashie." "But..." Twilight began. "No buts!" Tez growled, causing Twilight to cringe from the harshness of his tone, "I'm sorry if my actions do not agree with your ethics, but I did what I felt was best in the long run." Tez looked outside to the body of the dragon and said, "Besides....it went and pissed me off." "What do ya mean by that?" Applejack asked. Tez looked at them all, "Anything...that threatens my friends and loved ones....has a nice one way ticket to hell." Everypony gulped, feeling the malice in those words. Tez meant what he said, and woe unto any who would dare test those words. "Now I think we should focus on more important matters," Tez walked into the living room and tapped one of the doctors on the shoulder, "Are they all going to be okay doc?" The doctor, a stallion wearing glasses and a white coat, "They should all be fine. Luckily Fluttershy managed to patch them up early, otherwise it would have been alot worse. Scootaloo will need lots of rest, as will Rainbow Dash. In fact those two I would like to stay in the hospital for at least a few days, just to be sure they rest." Tez nodded, "Thanks doc." "Yes thank you ever so much." Rarity said. "Yeah, Ponyville is lucky to have ya." The doctor chuckled, "You flatter me, it is my duty to help all ponies that need it. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom can go home if you girls want to take them now, we will take Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to the hospital here soon." "Think you can get those two to share a room?" Tez asked. The doctor thought for a moment, "I suppose. Why?" Tez shrugged, "It might make Scootaloo a bit happy to be able to share a room with her idol. Besides it will be easier to find the two of them when we visit." The doctor nodded, "Very well. I'll see what I can do." Applejack, Big Mac, and Rarity took their sisters home, thanking Dash and Tez as they left. Rarity even kissed Tez on the cheeck, causing both him and Spike to go red in the face. Tez from blushing, Spike out of jealousy. The doctors took Scootaloo and Dash away later, both grumbling about not being able to move for days or months or years. Tez had to chuckle at how alike the two were. "Well, I guess since everything is taken care of we should head home." Twilight said as she put Spike on her back. "Yeah, you head home ahead of me Twilight. I got something to take care of." Tez said. "What's that?" Twilight asked. Tez pointed to the body of the dragon. His face holding a "What do you think?" expression. Twilight paled a bit and looked from the body, "Oh...yeah....I guess Flutterrshy would...want that moved somewhere else." Tez nodded, "Hey Spike...you're not still afraid of me now right?" Spike blinked, "Nah...it's all cool bro." Spike looked to the dragons dead body and he gulped, "Yeah....all cool." Tez frowned, but nodded, "I'll see you two later then. Don't worry about lessons Twilight, get rest...we can continue tomorrow.... We WILL continue tomorrow." Twilight nodded, feeling a sudden sense of dread, "R...right." She slowly walked back home, praying that the next lessons would be....less painful. Tez watched them go before turning to Fluttershy, "Well, I'll go clean your yard. Sorry you had to see that." Fluttershy looked to the grown and said quietly, "It...its alright....you...you didn't have much of a choice...umm." Tez smiled softly and walked over to the timid pegasus. Fluttershy gasped as she felt Tez's finger slid gently up her neck to her chin, moving her head so she looked into his eyes. She gulped, feeling her heart beat quicken. "T...Tez..." Fluttershy soon stopped talking as she felt Tez's lips against hers. Tez kissed her for a time, pressing his body against hers as it was pressed against the wall. Fluttershy felt ready to faint, but at the same time could not help but enjoy the moment. Tez soon stopped and licked his lips as he pulled away from Fluttershy, he winked and said, "Your very cute when you're shy." Fluttershy blushed immensly, "Umm...ahh....I...uh." Tez chuckled and turned to walk out the door. Fluttershy watched him go before following a bit. She watched him move towards the dragons body, his own shifting into his cat form. With a great feat of strength Tez gripped the dragon's tail and flung it towards the forest, sending it flying. It flew for a distance before crashing somewhere deep in the Everfree. "Godbye to worthless trash." Tez said as he shifted back to his regular form. He turned to look at Fluttershy, who watched him from the door, her hair hiding most of her face. "A good day Fluttershy. Do take care." With that he turned and began to walk back to Ponyville. "Umm...bye Tez." Fluttershy whispered, before closing the door. She placed a hoof to her lips and shivered as she remembered the kiss. It felt so strange, she had never been kissed like that before, and yet...it had felt so good. She would remember the feeling for the rest of the day and well into the night. When she dreamed, her dreams replayed the event for her untill she awoke the next day, blushing. Alright. A nice BIG chapter. I felt bad leaving you guys with nothing for two weeks, so I made it a real big one. Hope you enjoyed the bloodlust...cause more is going to follow. Do enjoy, and fear not....chapters should return to a decent updating schedule now.