//------------------------------// // Ch. 4 Seltas Pt. 2 // Story: My Little Monster Hunters: Hunting is Survival // by Unbound Bass //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Seltas Pt. 2 The large insect-like creature hovered in place for a few moments. Its large eyes carefully examining its newfound prey. It let out a loud, high-pitched cry before flying swiftly forward. The entire group took a step back. ”No doubt it's predatory...” ”How 'bout we give it a nice greeting? Heheheh....” Rainbow had drawn her large sword. ”Let's do it.” Bass drew her dual blades while she took up a combat stance. Starlight had silently unfolded her bow from its compact form and used her magic to nock an arrow. An arrow that had a sticky, purple substance on the end. ”I think we should be cautious...we have no idea what this creature is capable of.” ”It's a bug...how tough could it be.” Rainbow slowly advanced her sword was obviously weighing her down quite a bit. The Seltas hovered and watched her move closer. Rainbow came within striking distance and her target still hadn't moved. ”Take some of th-!!!” As she swung her weapon the Seltas had swung its front two legs that doubled as claws and caught Rainbow in her side. She felt a large amount of blood come up her throat and felt it come out of her mouth. She heard it splatter on the ground as she rolled away. To her surprise the pain didn't near match what she was seeing. The pain she felt was much more minor. It was more like a sting than anything else. Her health bar however disagreed. It was significantly lower than it was before. One part was completely dark while the rest that was lost was once again red. Rainbow hadn't noticed Bass at her side trying to get her to move while Starlight and the Doctor were trying to fight off the large foe. Her hearing was slowly returning. She hadn't realized how out of it she was after that. ”-me on Rainbow! Get up! We need you to get up and we need you to do it now!” Bass frantically yelled as she was locked in combat with two small reptilian creatures. Rainbow slowly lifted herself up. She felt weak, but as she regained her senses she noticed her companions were all in combat. Each one of them battling either the smaller reptilian creatures or the Seltas. The scene before her gave her new vigor. She realized if she died here she'd be letting her companions down. She was the Element of Loyalty for Celestia's sake! She wouldn't allow a wound from her own ignorance get the best of her. She was Rainbow Dash! She began to glow a bright cyan. As this was happening Starlight and Whooves had taken out the few reptiles that were pestering them, but the larger foe remained practically unscathed. Whooves then noticed that it was stationary in mid-air, but its wings were speeding up. ”It's going to charge!!!” Whooves had just enough time to dodge the swift attack, but Starlight wasn't quick enough. She knew it wouldn't miss...all she could do was brace for impact and her possible demise. Her life flashed before her eyes...she muttered... ”...I'm sorry...” As the Seltas got with in ten feet of her she saw a cyan blue flash. It was followed by a blur and a loud ringing. When she opened her eyes a beat-up, but glowing Rainbow Dash stood in front of her. Her sword was raised up in front of her blocking her entire body. The Seltas hovered dazed in front of them as it had seemingly flown straight into Dash's sword. ”Hey bub...I got a promise...” Dash raised her sword behind her and it began to glow the same cyan color as she was. ”And I know...I'M GONNA KEEP IT!!!!” The sword flashed at a blindingly bright cyan and Rainbow brought it down full force on Seltas' horn. The horn busted into small fragments scattering everywhere around it, but as soon as Rainbow's sword hit the ground her glow disappeared instantly. Soon after her knees buckled and she hit the ground with a "thud". ”RAINBOW!!!” Dash's health bar signified she was alive, but it was very low. Her sword had also suffered visible damage. ”Get Rainbow Dash somewhere safe!” Starlight nocked another arrow, but this time it had a different substance on the end. Bass and the Doctor had moved to carry Rainbow Dash to a different area, Little did they know Starlight wouldn't be right behind them. The Seltas had just recovered from the blow it had taken and was now standing on the ground. It lifted off and shortly after flew somewhere else. The only indication of where it went was its shadow on the ground below it. ”We'll get you soon...be ready...” ”You're right we'll get it, but right now we have bigger problems!” Starlight then remembered the state Rainbow had been in. She turned around and rushed to the next area back towards camp. When she got there Rainbow was on her back her sword next to her. Bass was sitting on the opposite side of her. The Doctor was standing with his back turned to her with his weapon out watching for any threats. As Starlight approached she could hear two things. Rainbow repeating her name softly and Bass cooing gently into her ear. ”Starlight...Starlight...Starlight...” Rainbow droned. ”It's all okay now...she's right here...” Bass cooed gently. If you didn't know her you would think she was a mother. ”Hey Rainbow...” Starlight sat above Rainbow's head and looked down at her with a comforting smile. ”Oh thank Celestia...” Her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness once more, but she was still breathing. That meant she was at least alive. ”Maybe we should let her rest. There was that large bad back at base camp.” They made the short trek back to the base camp with Starlight levitating Rainbow while Doc and Bass killed a few smaller insect foes on the way there. Before too long they had returned to the camp they had started a mere fifteen minutes ago. ”Let's just set her on the bed. She needs to rest.” Starlight gingerly put her on the bed before using her magic to manipulate the blankets to cover her, but even with the blankets that the bed provided Rainbow still visibly shivered. The three left standing looked at each other. ”Why is she cold? It's not chilly in this area...add in the fact that she has blankets over her...” Starlight asked. Her face showing genuine worry. ”I don't think she's cold...” Bass said plainly. She had an epiphany. She trotted over to the bed and joined Rainbow under the blankets. ”She mentioned something about Applejack when we first arrived. I don't think the temperature is the issue. I think she feels alone...” ”Isn't that a bit weird to be sleeping with her?” ”I won't be sleeping. I'll be awake the whole time. I'm only here so that she feels somepony next to her...” She said shooting him a death glare. ”AND...are you questioning my sexuality and possibly our friend's as well?” ”No...of course not...that's your business...” He was turning red. At that same moment Rainbow rolled over and nuzzled into Bass' chest causing her to turn red as well. ”Speaking of business...shouldn't we get back to hunting our target?” Starlight had a determined expression on her face. ”What...you mean...just us?!?!?” He was obviously against fighting that thing again. They could barely stay alive before. With two hunters now? It seemed impossible. Not that it was anymore possible when Rainbow was out cold and Bass was screaming for her to get up. ”Yes...I do mean just us. Bass needs to stay here to watch over Rainbow and we need to settle the score with that piece of shit.” Starlight's expression stayed the same, but the Doctor was taken aback by the bluntness and the profane language she used. ”Are you sure we even have a chance? I mean Rainbow broke its horn, but that was pure luck paired with whatever she did to herself.” Though as much as he hated to say it...luck had a large part in the survival of the entire team. If Rainbow hadn't been able to do what she did they would most likely all be six feet under. ”I have a plan...” 15 minutes later... Starlight and Doc had found their target...it was sleeping half way up a cliff. They stood quietly below it. ”You know what to do?” She received a nod from the stallion next to her. She took a few steps away from the cliff and nocked an arrow. The arrow had a coating on the arrowhead. It was yellow in color and was freezing to the touch. Doc took his position, his back to the cliff, he then pointed up and to his right. Starlight got his signal and pulled back on the string. She held it for a moment and it flashed purple...then again brighter...and again at its brightest...she released it straight at the sleeping Seltas. As soon as it made contact the Seltas awoke, but as it did its nerves seized up and caused it to fall to the ground. It had bright streaks of yellow flashing around it...signifying that their luck held true and the paralysis coating had kicked in on contact with its body. ”Now!” The Doctor took his cue and slammed one end of his staff into the ground and pressed his button. He was thrown into the air and as he came down he brought his staff down with his full earth pony strength. There was a bright golden flash where the cut hit and was followed by the Seltas rolling over. Doc then lost control of all of his muscles for a short time. Before he knew it he was leaping onto the monster's back and a new bar had appeared on his HUD. He felt the need to pull out the standard issue carving knife given to all new hunters. He pulled it out and started stabbing rapidly. The paralysis had worn off as soon as he had mounted the creature. He wasn't ready for it to start thrashing around like a Pinkie Pie on a pure sugar high at a dance party. He held on for his life and waited for it to calm down. He started stabbing once it slowed its movements and when the lighter color in the bar reached the far right edge of it he was thrown off and the Seltas rolled onto its back once more. ”Good Work! I didn't see that coming. Neither did he!” ”I wonder if that did any good.” He said as he flipped the knife edge out of his staff and proceeded back towards the wounded creature. He started letting out a flurry of attacks with his staff. Starlight was also hitting it with multiple arrows. The Seltas rolled back over quickly as it recovered from its previous confusion, but instead of flying it walked...or more limped...over to the exit to Area 4. It got there and lifted off. It soon after flew to another area. ”Well...that went better than expected. I think we did some considerable damage.” ”I lost control of my muscles...I felt like I had a voice in my head screaming for me to stab that beast...again...and again...and again...” ”Are you okay? You did great. I dare say...better than I could have.” He was still shaking...even after Starlight's praise for his...actions. He felt like he wasn't in control of his own body...as if he was being controlled like a puppet. ”What happened? Did you get it?” Bass asked softly. They assumed she was being careful not to wake Rainbow. ”No. but I think we're close. How's Rainbow doing?” ”She's still out cold, but she's been mumbling the entire time you've been gone.” ”We're going to go finish this thing off so we can get her out of here. You ready Doctor?” Starlight looked back at the stallion behind her. ”I'm ready to finish this when you are...I'm also ready to write down the notes I've been mentally cataloguing this whole time.” Starlight and the Doctor followed the path that the Seltas had taken when it flew away. It was back in Area 4 where they first faced the deadly foe. Starlight nocked an arrow and estimated the distance between her and her target. She guessed at the angle she should raise her bow and released. It flew quickly and landed just a bit short of the intended target, but it still had the desired effect. The Seltas spun around quickly and faced the returning threats. It made a sluggish charge in Starlight's direction, but she had more than enough time to lunge to her right and have it miss by a country mile. She fired a few rapid, weak shots at the Seltas before dodging to her left once more. A few hit the target, but that wasn't the purpose. The true purpose was to distract it. Starlight was now under a natural rock bridge that spanned over the dip in the geography of the area. ”Not so smart are you?” The sound of fast hoofsteps drummed above Starlight before Doc leaped off the bridge's edge and brought his staff down in a similar way to before. The blow knocked it down, but this time he didn't feel the loss of his muscle control to leap onto the creature. He began to slash and club the Seltas with his staff. Starlight meanwhile had been charging up a shot at near point-blank range in front of the Seltas' head. She released. MAIN OBJECTIVE COMPLETED!!!