//------------------------------// // chapter 7: from stone, to fire // Story: the curse of stone and sight // by dragenfire68 //------------------------------// all it takes is time and pressure the group smelled the gasses as it filled the caves, producing a rotten egg smell, like sulfur but stronger and more volatile, so the group retreated through the caves deeper and deeper as the gasses moves quickly into the caves, until the group came upon a river deep in the twisting labyrinth of caves. "we can't keep running forever, there has to be a way to get out and drive those asshats back to the mountains." twilight said as she stopped short of the bank of the river, and looked at her friends, mentor, and vatry, who whispered something to fang. POV change, fang she's right if we keep running we'll reach a dead end and suffocate from these gasses fang pondered as vatry expression expressed deep thought until something dawned on him and he walked over to fang "yo, i have an idea on how to survive, and buy us time to ambush the dragons," vatry said as fang used his tail to motion to the others for them to also hear out this plan, "so here it is, fang can use his strength to cave in the ceiling a little ways up, then i can use my sword to ignite the gasses after they fill up the caves." Pov twilight THIS IS INSANE she thought as she heard the plan, but the more she thought about her options, the more she realized there wasn't much choice, it's either wander through the caves until, they die or reach get stranded miles away from home and neither sounded appealing to her. "twilight, you and rarity will help fang pull down the ceiling, i need you two to make sure the rocks leave an opening for me to put my sword through." vatry said, and the others nodded. they got into positions as fang crept a little bit up the caves, finding a weak point in the ceiling, and with a mighty crash he bashed his armored head into the ceiling causing the walls to shake and crack as twilight and rarity maneuvered the biggest rocks to the side, setting up the platform for the smaller rocks to land on, eventually after what felt like an eternity, the rumbling stopped, and vatry step up and put his sword blade out, and waited for the gasses, but they didn't have long to wait as vatry was the first to smell the gasses. "ignis." vatry uttered in his mind as the magma ruby glowed in response to the magic word, and the blade blazed into a blinding white glow, igniting the gases as planned. meanwhile outside the cave the dragons continued their controlled breathing, not hearing the whoosh as the gas ignited, they did not see the flames rushing towards their open mouths nor did they close it fast enough as the fire entered their stomachs, igniting reserves, forcing them to breath the flames into the air, because their choices were either hold in the flame and burn from the inside out, or let it out and suffer only heart aches and stomach aches. "ENOUGH, this fighting is ridiculous , we can live in peace and ill leave the dragons alone, if you leave us and our friends alone, alright?" Vatry called out this got the dragons talking, the youngest wringing their fists and pointing at the group far from the meeting, while the older dragons shushed the younger dragons and talked, they talked for a long time, whispering occasionally flicking their gaze at the group and back to the one talking, eventually, the group far away, decided to sit down, and wait, but never taking their eyes off the group of dragons. for what seemed like hours, but was only like ten minutes the dragons dispersed, some flying off, but the three eldest walking towards them trying to look as nonthreatening as possible, in hopes of not provoking the group. "we're calling this off, it was a foolish gambit that we sorely lost, do you promise not to pursue us should we take flight back to our mountains?" the oldest elder asked celestia mused at the possibilities of the dragons attacking as soon as their backs are turned, but as her eyes scanned over the destroyed landscape, many bodies littered the landscape, and she figured they would honor the deal not out of respect for their power, but out of fear of death, but since this was vatry and fangs fight, she left judgment up too them. "you are allowed to leave, but know that if any of your younger kin attack us, we will put them down." fang warned as he turned away to face his friend vatry who knelt on one knee, his wounds aching from the constant movement, and no rest "im fine, but i think we should take rest tonight, we can move in the morning." vatry said, fang nodded in agreement as they started studying a map that vatry pulled a map outta a pack hanging off his belt, but twilight had another idea. "i know a cave nearby ponyville thats far enough away that you dont have to worry about anypony stumbling in on you, so you won't have to worry about using that deadly gaze on any innocents who may wander." twilight said as she walked over too them. "that'll be nice, not having to worry about killing anything with my gaze, alright just show us this cave and we'll meet tomorrow, to discuss why we came looking for luna and celestia." twilight took out a map, showing vatry where this cave was, she gave him specific directions taking them around the entire town of ponyville, but thats fine, because it was noon, and the path would surely take them all afternoon, so they separated, the ponies and princesses heading toward ponyville, fang and his companion heading towards the cave in the mountains. pov change "are you sure that no one will go that way?" luna asked twilight. "yes im sure, besides since we got the dragon to leave he hasnt came back to that cave." twilight answered cheerfully "it was a very good job you did, but we cannot stay in ponyville like this." celestia stated, as she motion for the group to stop. "why are we stopping tia?" luna asked "because we cannot stay for an extended time in ponyville, looking like our normal selves, we would never be able to get anything done." "why stay in ponyville?" twilight asked "because of the fact that most of the books regarding gargoyles or basilisks reside in our old castle, not canterlot." "oh, and since the canterlot elite find such knowledge meaningless, they wouldn't accept books regarding 'myths' as valuable material" they walked for a while after luna and celestia changed their coats, manes, and body sizes, making sure to also hide their voices too, and so they walked into town, separating at the center, twilight housing luna and celestia, the rest going to their respective homes, hoping to catch some rest after the events of today, they all ate and soon were fast asleep letting the weariness and exhaustion finally take them into a realm of sleep.