//------------------------------// // Alive and Not Well // Story: Fight the Fear: Angel Runes Story // by BL00DM00N //------------------------------// Angel Rune sat there going over what she had discovered as the ashes of the demon sank into the ground. Her green eyes were distant as she remembered the first time she had encountered Agramon. She was just a filly. Still in training at the Academy. A foolish unicorn had wanted to prove herself the most powerful of all by summoning a Greater Demon. Angel is the one that discovered the young unicorn but it was too late. Agramons presence was already through the Void, the blackness between worlds, and he was entering Equestria. The fear emanating from his form was paralyzing. Angel Rune was frozen where she stood. Unable to run away or even blink. Her brilliant green eyes were stretched wide. At the time Agramon was in the form of a fierce giant dragon. That was filly Angel Runes biggest fear. Agramon couldn't understand why the filly wasn't dead or at least unconscious. She confused him. He put more power into his form and the dragon image breathed fire and roared. A sound reached Angel through the cloud of fear and she recognized her own voice screaming. Her cries brought the Shadowhunters and other fillies and colts being trained. They took advantage of Agramon being focused on Angel and were able to quickly banish him back to Tartarus. When this happened, Agramon made sure to remember the young Earth Pony who stood her ground and survived an encounter with him. Angel Rune saw in his eyes that she puzzled him. She didn't understand why until one of her instructors came to her after he was gone. "Agramon takes the form of whatever terrifies you most. He feeds on your fear. When he is done feasting on it, he kills you. Provided you're still breathing at that point. Most stallions, and mares, die of fear before then. You're something special Angel Rune." The words echoed in her head as she stood and shook herself out of the reverie. Angel walked over and retrieved her seraph blade from where it lay beside the tree. She looked around. There was no evidence of the demons presence besides the dead foliage. Her charmed necklace wasn't giving off any heat or light. The demon was truly gone. Clairvoyant flew down from her perch and landed on Angels back. She nuzzled the mare comfortingly and ran her beak through Angels mane affectionately. "Thank you, Clair." Angel managed a weak smile. So many thoughts were flying through her head. "We need to check in on Princess Twilight. I don't know how we will explain Spikes disappearance." Angel Rune double checked that her seraph blade was clean and packed away. When she was satisfied that everything was in order she turned and headed back the way she had came. Clairvoyant glided at her side. The owl was worried about her companion. Angel Rune walked through the darkened forest at a steady pace. As a demon fighting Shadowhunter she was at ease here. The prospect of running into any creature that made its home here didn't frighten her in the least. Anything that lived here was a resident of Down World. Shadowhunters and Downworlders got along for the most part. Angel Rune was thinking of to tell Princess Twilight that Spike was gone when Clairvoyant screeched and sped away into the darkness. "Clair? Clair where are you going?!" Angel yelled after the owl to no avail. Her feathered friend vanished into the darkness leaving Angel Rune no choice but to follow. Angel sighed and galloped to catch up to Clair. She wondered what caused Clair to fly off like this. The owl never left her side. Not even in battle. Then she heard it. "Ughhh..." *cough cough* "help..." Angel Rune slowed down to listen. She heard the coughing again and followed the sound of it. She saw Clairvoyant perched on the twisted root of a tree. At the base of the trunk was a crumpled purple and green form. Angel paused in amazement. Clair must have heard the cries when she couldn't. She approached the being slowly. "Spike? Spike is that you?" He shifted and looked up at her. Angel let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Spike was alive!! She didn't have to explain his disappearance to Princess Twilight after all. Spike looked at her with bloodshot eyes. His gaze was that of a cornered wild animal. "Who...who are you", he asked. "My name is Angel Rune, and this is my companion. Her name is Clairvoyant. We're here to help you." "N-no! You have to go to Twilight! She left with a Changeling montser! She's in danger!" Angel walked up to Spike slowly and put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. "It's okay Spike. I took care of the imposter already. He was much worse than a Changeling, but he's gone now. Princess Twilight is safe." "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not like him?" Spike was shivering. Angel saw that he was in shock. "Here", she reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a bottle of water and gave it to him. "Drink this. You must be thirsty. I promise I'm here to help. I was sent here to get rid of the creature you saw. If I was like him I would have killed you already." She was pleased to see him relax a bit. He took the water and drank it greedily. "That's good", Spike said as he made an attempt to stand. He stumbled and almost fell into Clair. She huffed in annoyance and shuffled away from him along the twisted root. "Easy Spike." Angle reached out a hoof and steadied him before he toppled over. "What you came in contact with was a demon. We'll have to take you to be checked out. Make sure there isn't any demonic residue left on you." She smiled reassuringly. "That's fine. There's nurses and doctors in Ponyville. We can go there before we get to Twilights castle." Spike steadied himself and looked around to determine his position in the forest. "No Spike, the pony I need to take you to see isn't exactly a doctor. I know of a unique Unicorn stallion who has the knowledge we need. But..." she hesitated. "But what", Spike asked. "But he resides on the edge of the Everfree forest. In the opposite direction of Ponyville. The journey will take a few days, hoofing it through the forest to get to his cottage." Angel waited a few seconds to let this news sink in before she went on. "I need to take you to him before i take you back to Princess Twilight." "What?! No!! I need to see Twilight now! She'll ne worried about me!" "I will get word to the princess that you're alive and tell her when to expect us back. I need to speak with her as well. Wolfs Bane needs to evaluate you as soon as possible." Angel Rune knew that Spikes loyalty to the princess would over take any possible concern he would have for himself. But he didn't know that demonic residue was a danger to any one he came in contact with. "But, why can't we go see Twilight THEN go to this Wolfs Mane guy?", Spike asked. "Wolfs BANE", Angel corrected him. "And we have to go to him first. If the demon encounter left marks on you, you could be a danger to anypony you come in contact with. Most of all the princess." Spike paled. "A danger to Twilight? I don't want to endanger her. I want her to be safe." He made his decision. "Okay. If you're sure Twilight is safe right now, then I'll go with you to see your friend." "He's not my friend. More of an acquaintance. Or coworker. I don't have any friends besides Claire, here.", Angel patted the owls head affectionately before continuing in an undertone. "Not in this line of work. It's not good to get attached to other ponies with my job." "What do you mean?" Spike asked curiously. Angel looked at his innocent face and decided to tell only half the truth. The grim reality of constantly holding hooves with death wasn't something you told a baby dragon. "I mean, I always have to keep secrets to protect ponies from the truth. Of demons and darkness. If everypony knew then the world would be full of fear. Nopony would want to go out and be happy because they would be afraid of the demons lurking. A friendship full of secrets would never last." Spike looked at Angel Rune differently then. "Wow. It must be hard. Everypony needs at least one friend." Angel smiled. "I do have one. Clairvoyant is my best friend." The owl hopped up onto Angels back and nuzzled her, hooing softly. "I think we'll make camp here. It's late and you need to rest up for the first leg of the journey." At the mention of rest, the young dragon yawned. "Yeah that sounds good." He went to curl up in the roots of the tree and Angel layed her jacket over him. Clair flew up and circled above Angel. She was going to find some dinner then keeo watch while the pony and their new companion rested. Angel Rune layed down near Spike and used her saddle bags as a pillow. She stayed awake until Clair returned with a mouse-like creature dangling from her talons. As the owl gulped it down the shadowhunter drifted off to sleep. ★ ★ ★ Bloodmoon watched the green eyed pony and the purple dragon sleeping. She knew the pony was a Shadowhunter and was pleased to see the baby dragon alive and in good hooves. He would be safe now. She had done what she could. Just as she was about to leave the owl saw her and let out a shrill noise alerting the sleeping companions. The Shadowhunter jumped up, a seraph blade already blazing, illuminating the pale gray pegasus. Angel Rune took in the pony with a calculating green gaze. "What do you want, Vampire?"