//------------------------------// // Training // Story: Hunters In Equestria // by DarthRevan //------------------------------// Several ponies were gathered in an in-door stadium. These ponies were Princess Celestia and Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and A.K. Yearling. "What are we here for, Princess?" Twilight asked. "With the possibility of more Parasites existing, I have asked Ciede to train us in the correct way of battling them. If there are any more sightings, we train the soldiers." Celestia explained. "Why not just train the soldiers now?" Yearling asked. "The more ponies that know of this threat, the likelihood for panic increases." Luna explained. "We do not wish for our subjects to worry over nothing." She added. "In any case, we need to be ready if they do live." Celestia said. After she said this a large thud rang out. Ciede`s cloaked form was before them. "Did you get what you needed from the escape pod?" Luna asked. Ciede uncloaked. "The pod had the program I needed." He typed a few keys on his wrist computer and set it on the ground. A virtual, and red, simulation of a Canterlotian street appeared. Luna extended her Yautja spear. Celestia summoned a fiery blade. Yearling brought out her spiked whip. Twilight brought several offensive spells to the front of her mind. "Instructions?" Yearling asked. Ciede chuckled. "Survive." After he said this he jumped up to the bleachers. The group of ponies looked around warily. A number appeared high in the air. It said 15. Suddenly, several Serpents exploded from a sewer drain. Yearling was right next to it. She tried to roll away but a renegade tail stabbed into her back. The hologram didn't hurt but her muscles locked up and she couldn't move. "Yearling!" Luna shouted. "Calm down. She's alive, she just can't move. She's 'out'." Ciede explained. Twilight began firing blast after blast of fireballs. Most missed but one struck a Serpent head on. "Yes!" She called out. Then, the Serpent exploded. Simulated acidic blood rained from the sky. Luna and Celestia were fine, although Twilight and Yearling were directly in the crosshairs. Yearling managed to place herself under a building. Twilight, on the other hand, was drenched in the acidic blood. She went stiff. "The acidic blood does not combine well with fire. Given sufficient heat, a Serpent will explode." Ciede commented. Celestia and Luna swung and stabbed with their weapons. The number changed every time a Serpent fell. Eventually, three remained. These three were hesitant to approach the alicorns. "Cowards!" Luna roared, a smile on her face. Several thuds sounded off as something began to approach. Something big. Ciede laughed. "You kicked the nest." A huge Serpent, at least two times larger than Celestia, approached the duo. "You get the Praetorian." Ciede finished. The Praetorian shrieked and charged the alicorns. Luna dodged to the left and sliced at The Praeortian's legs. The blade cuts, but just barely. With a snarl that could be easily mistaken as a laugh, the creature kicked Luna into a wall. The paralysis settled into her legs. Luna supposed this was how it simulated a spine injury. "Worry not, sister!" She called out. "Defeat the beast!" She added. Celestia smirked as a torrent of flame overwhelmed The Praeortian. The creature began shrieking in both rage and pain. Celestia was openly smiling now, focusing entirely on the fire. As such, she did not notice the tail. With a gasp, the tail 'went' through her back. As she fell, the simulation ended. Ciede leapt down from the stands. "The Alicorns fought well." He noted. "You will redo this simulation until all four of you make it to the end." He explained. "And not critically injured." Ciede added, glancing at Luna. The ponies all nodded. "We will learn how to survive." Twilight said. Ciede jumped back up to the bleachers and the simulation began again. ------------------------- Twilight fell to Serpent blood being flung at her from an open wound. Celestia was paralyzed by several tails at once. Yearling lost to The Praeortian's hoof. Luna was felled by an inner mouth. "Again." ------------------------- Luna fell to a crumbling building. Yearling lost to a wayward blast from Twilight. Twilight was defeated by The Praeortian's blood. Celestia was killed by a lone facehugger. "Again!" ------------------------- The Serpents weren't a problem the fourth time around. All four made it to The Praeortian relatively unharmed. Yearling was impaled by a tail. Luna fell to acid again. Celestia was trampled. Twilight was 'eaten'. ------------------------- The four had made it to The Praeortian once again. Yearling had a small wound on her left hoof but she said it was fine. "Fifth's time a charm, right?" Twilight asked. Luna nodded. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take." She added. Heavy thuds signaled the beast's arrival. "Twilight, Yearling." Celestia began, gaining their attention. "Go for the legs while Luna and I distract it." She finished. Twilight and Yearling looked at one another. "Of course, Princess." The monstrous beast lumbered into view and immediately sprinted towards Celestia. Twilight threw magically summoned swords at the monster's front legs. Several swords stabbed into them, causing the monster to howl in pain. It turned to Twilight, murder in its 'eyes'. "Not so fast!" Yearling yelled. She wrapped her whip around a hind leg and pulled. The spiked whip tore at the flesh and muscle. The Praeortian looked between Twilight and Yearling, the two of them continuing their various attacks. Celestia and Luna flew into the air and gazed down on the monster. "I shall use lightning." Luna decided. "The Sun's fire will aid us." Celestia added. Blue lightning and orange flame flew down towards the alien. Twilight and Yearling leapt out of the way right before the two magical weapons smashed down. The Praeortian screamed in pain and suffering. The four ponies regrouped near each other. "We-we did it!" Twilight exclaimed. Yearling whooped and threw her hat into the air. Celestia was smiling at her ponies victory when something caught her eye. The heaping fire that used to be the Praeortian began to move. A burning skeletal corpse crawled out of the pile. Celestia approached the creature. "Your kind had attempted to end my world. I stopped them then and I will stop them now." She slammed a hoof into the weakened skull. The holographic city exploded into red light as the beast died. Ciede leapt down. "You have all proven yourselves capable hunters. If these serpents return, I will be honored to fight by your sides." He slammed a fist into his own chest and bowed. The ponies mimicked this salute. He turned towards Yearling. "You are a seasoned veteran of the jungle. I'd like to go hunting with you tomorrow, further train you as support for this pack." Yearling shrugged. "Alright. We'll head out then." She said. Ciede turned towards the rest of the group. "As for the rest of you, get some rest. You've earned it." ---------- Princess Celestia was sleeping soundly in her bed, oblivious to the outside world. The room was mostly silent, the only noise being the soft 'clicks' of claw-on-ceiling. Above Celestia, was the Abomination. The creature looked down upon Celestia's sleeping form with glee in it's heart. If it could break into even here, what place couldn't it get into?