//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Chaos Falls // by Black Hailstorm //------------------------------// Friend Vs Foe Adrenaline. Probably the greatest hormone in existence ever secreted into the bloodstream of humans and animals alike. If it weren’t for this hormone that had been secreted from my adrenal glands ever since the timberwolf slashed at my shoulder there was not a doubt in my mind that I would have long been dead. My senses had all heightened greatly, now that the real chase had begun. I could see a bit farther than usual. I could hear things much clearer and almost tell where the exact location of somethings were despite the fog. Every time my feet slammed into the ground as I ran I could feel the vibrations of the earth, and almost sensed some things ahead. It was quite amazing. That is till the howling of my two followers soon drew my attention back to those beasts. I glanced back, the timberwolves were still a good couple of inches away but I was seriously starting to get tired of running. Now that I thought about it actually I changed forms a few seconds before I found Pinkie. It was just like the temple and again when I met Luna. I guess these transformations could be called spontaneous considering the fact that every time I changed back into my human or equine form I’d emit a yellow glow before changing and they could occur at any random time. That and whenever I changed back into a human I would feel extreme pain throughout my body. This must have something to do with one of the points Stanford made in his studies here on this world. How humans didn’t seem to follow the laws of this world or rather this particular universe, hence the reason why I didn’t transfigure into one of the dominant species of this world when I tackled Bill through that portal. Because my body was immune to such laws. Maybe that was why I felt pain every time I transformed, and maybe because some of the laws of this world didn’t affect me maybe that would also explain why I was still running for my life despite the fact that I was dead tired and didn’t really feel like running anymore. Or maybe that was just my “fight or flight” instinct kicking in. Either way, enough running. It’s time to face these things and fight. Skidding to a stop, the sound of my heart pounded in my ears as I turned to face my only two foes. Mr. Timby and Mr. Twig. I grinned silently to myself. Naming things never felt so right. My two adversaries confronted me, both circling me. Both eyeing the muscle on my body and the blood that trickled down my shoulder and onto the ground. My eyes narrowed as one of them licked their lips when the drop of blood hit the ground. I can’t give them a chance to call for more or else it’s game over. At this point both had surrounded me on either side, my eyes now glanced around the area for anything I could use as a weapon, because using my bare fists as my still sore hand reminded me was not an option that I could use. Then I spotted it. A thick tree branch that had fallen to the ground a few feet behind me. I needed to time this right if I wanted to stand a chance. Taking in a deep breath as the two predators watched my movement and prepared to pounce together I exhaled, before focusing my attention on surviving. “It’s life and death now you two” I said as the two growled at me. “Show me what you’ve got.” 3...2...1...NOW! The twin nature wolf brothers launched at me from either side, I ducked rolled out of the way ignoring the coldness of the earth on my bare back and sprinted towards the branch, as I heard both wolves collide into each other then break apart into twigs. Yes! I’m gonna make it! What I didn't realize was how wrong I was. As I neared the only weapon I had I suddenly felt myself stop dead in my tracks. Now inches away from the blunt object that seemed sturdy enough to deliver a few deathly beatings before it would snap. “What’s happening?” I muttered quietly. My form frozen as the object just lay merely inches away from my grasp. Why can’t I reach?! I thought straining my body to move forward, but it would not move. “What the hell is happening?!” I shouted, my voice taunting me as it played back the question I’d just shouted in my rage. Then I heard it. His voice. “Oh Hailstorm” Bill said with gentle mockery. “Will you never learn? You can’t escape a Parolysis Arachnid’s web!” Bill said in my head with laughter. “The only way you’ll be able to escape is if you strain every single muscle in your body! And even then it’ll take a good 6 minutes for you to get free hahaha! And judging from the sound of that clanking” Bill’s voice whispered in my ear. “You’ve only got two minutes till that spider comes back and those mutts make a meal out of you” Bill said silently with glee. “Have fun!” “BILLL!!!!” I yelled as his voice faded. Damn it! I mentally shouted. What web I don’t see a web! There’s nothing here but fog! suddenly it dawned on me. My eyes twitching in an attempt to widen, but couldn’t due to the venom freezing most of the muscles in my face save for my mouth. “The fog” I whispered as fear gently embraced me. “The fog had provided a cover or smokescreen that blinded me to the silver lining of the web” I said, my eyes now seeing strands upon strands of silver lines now falling to the ground around my feet. I tried moving again, my foot twitched in response but I didn’t move an inch and the clanking of the two twin nature wolves as they repaired themselves behind me was getting louder and louder by the second. “That son of a MMM!” my outstretched hand that was six inches away from the blunt object twitched, but it was a very weak one. Okay I told myself, as the fog thickened around me. Calm down, think, don’t panic. Panic causes stress, stress increases the heart rate which increases blood pressure, which in turn jumbles up the rationality of the human mind. Remain calm and I can find a way out of this. A final clank told me that the two timberwolves had finished repairing, and would soon be heading in my direction if they were able to see through the thick wall of smoke that separated us. Alright maybe think a bit faster! my conscience yelled. “Ok! So the Parolysis Arachnid, judging from its webbing, the moment prey comes in contact with the web they are frozen instantly. The webbing then proceeds to disassemble from it’s structure, though what that means exactly I’ not sure.” Okay that’s good I know what the webbing does. But that doesn’t help me figure out a way out of this mess. The sound of the wolves were getting farther away. Good, they hadn’t seen me. Yet. C’mon Hailstorm, think! Think! There has to be a way out of this! I tried moving my body again but the poison was still in effect. The only thing I managed to get was a small shudder, and the slight twitch of my outstretched right index finger. Not an inch was made in progress. I tried again. This time my foot slid a few inches across the ground, pushing me forward just a bit, but not by much. Success! I thought, but then my foot tapped a pebble. Curses! the two timberwolves that had been growing farther away from me in distance had now heard my fourth major blunder since coming here and were moving towards me once again. I could smell their putrid breath, that was now feet from me and closing in. “Come on!” I muttered harshly perspiration beginning to form around my body. “Come ON!!!!” my body shook this time, then stopped. I tried again. My left hand’s twitched and then clenched for a second before losing feeling. For crying out loud cut me some slack here! The universe had heard my cries and gladly slapped me in the face before shutting the door in front of me. The next thing I heard was the clicking of pincers. Having been able to regain some feeling in my face and neck I looked up, before being frozen in place once more. My eyes actually widened this time. Above me, hanging from the tallest branch under the tree I was under, still trying to reach for that blunt object was the Parolycik spider. A giant bug that looked to be generally the same height as a metal fold up chair, yet big enough to ride on like a horse. If I could have swallowed now was the time, I now had the timberwolves closing in on me, as I could sense their glowing eyes getting closer. And this six eyed beast that hung from above, ectoplasm or whatever was seeping from its pincer like mouth fangs, as it closed in on me dropping down from it’s web. In all honesty I had to admit. I was toast. And not the kind of toast you slap a pound of butter on, oh no. I was royally burnt to utter cinders toast. A sigh managed to escape my throat, as I quickly forced my now numb body which had begun to regain some feeling back towards the object I had been so desperately trying to reach. A twig snapped. My eyes snapped in the direction of the sound ahead of me, and with some force I was able to see who it was that was. Screwball. It was Screwball. All sense of fear, concern for my own well being and rationality left me as my eyes locked with the mare who now stared at me in return. What are you doing?! I mouthed, not bothering to make a sound as I could tell the twins had turned their attention to the her. She mouthed back Looking for you! Facepalming was not an option. The Parolycik spider was now getting closer to me and Screwball had turned her attention away from me, her eyes gaining that focus in them once more before turning her attention to the two timberwolf’s that had begun to blindly approach her direction. At this point my body was now numb and I was starting to regain some feeling in my arms, but not my legs. Flailing my numb left arm in a manner for her to get out of here and save herself the mare completely ignored me as she pulled a whistle out of her mane. My eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing?!” I yelled in a high pitched voice. The two timberwolves snapped their attention to me and came rushing over at full speed. Screwball ignored everything and blew into the whistle, allowing the piercing sound to echo throughout the foggy domain, then through the entire forest. “I found him!” she yelled once she’d finished blowing. By this time the twin wolves had stopped caring for distractions and now seeing me in their sights, and their approaching rival, the Parolycik spider nearing me the two quickened their pace towards me while I just struggled to reach for that blasted blunt object so at the very least I could clobber one of these things before I died. Everything happened so fast after that. Instantly the sky along with the fog, tore open as two pegasi came crashing down upon the timberwolves, both planting their hind hooves firmly into the creatures backs the moment the two had pounced towards me. I heard wood shatter when the hooves connected before a whimper then just like that the two wolves shattered into pieces. My legs suddenly deciding to regain feeling in them and lose their frozen state, gave out under me so I fell to the ground with a thud, now within reach of my blunt object. Parolycik spidy now noticing the danger, dropped down on top of me the moment it saw the two nature twins die, then quickly leaning in to inject me with whatever mess was dribbling from it’s gross mouth the six ruby eyed creature moved in for the kill. However it didn’t count on me grabbing the branch and thoroughly swatting it upside the head like a fly and dazing it. It was then I felt a force wrap around my back and drag me out from underneath the spider into familiar embrace. The next thing I saw was flash of light; one orchid paralyzing, the other one turquoise hit the spider, lifted it into the air then cleanly tossed it clear out of the vicinity. Instantly trying to wrench myself free of the hooves that had gently wrapped themselves around my shoulder I felt the legs around me tighten before Rarity’s voice said soothingly: “Everything’s alright there’s no more danger calm down!” It took a couple seconds, but my brain hadn’t fully registered that I was out of danger and I still had adrenaline coursing through me. My eyes frantically looking around as I watched Daring Doo and Rainbow Dash land beside me with kind reassuring smiles, before I saw Twilight and Starlight trot up to me once they’d made sure they had dealt with the spider. I looked up to see the mare that had me tightly in her embrace was Pinkie and Fluttershy in between them was Applejack, all whom had a warm smiles on their face and Fluttershy having a small wetness to her eyes when she saw the mark on my shoulder. Screwball was the last to trot back to me after I watched her crush every single piece of the timberwolves collapsed form for good measure. “How you feeling?” she asked with concern her eyes still focused and now looking at me. I smiled as best I could, all the extra energy, all the bruises, the cuts, and the slams my body had taken during the run now make their presence known as the adrenaline faded out of my system. With a shrug and chuckle I said “I’ve been better.” Turning my head in Twilight’s direction I opened my mouth to ask her a question, but couldn’t get a word out when my body suddenly started to feel warm. I noticed how Screwball’s eyes reverted back to their cross-eyed state before she quickly made Pinkie and Fluttershy release me, much to their confusion. I don’t know how she knew, but my body suddenly began to burn like it was on fire. The branch I had been using as a weapon even started to singe with my grip on it. “Is he supposed to be doing that?” Starlight asked Twilight. The young alicorn simply looked in confusion shaking her head slowly. With my body growing hotter and hotter by the second the branch had now begun to release even more smoke, making me release it. No sooner had I dropped it did it turn to ash. If that wasn’t bad enough the pain in my shoulder and the rest of my body began to double. “Hailstorm what’s wrong?” AJ asked with worry, but the pain being too much for me to respond I merely grunted, before crawling away from the others. They tried to approach to help, but I yelled at them to stay away. A faint yellow glow soon started emitting from my body as Screwball became the only one who dared to trot towards me, stopping a few inches ahead of the others. While everyone else looked at me with confusion and concern, Screwball was the only one who seemed to have some look of understanding in her eyes at what was happening to me. The yellow light grew brighter and brighter till it had completely surrounded my body, once it had done that a burst of light exploded from my body. Dispersing into the air and leaving small particles of yellow light after I had reverted back into my pony form, I slumped onto my haunches feeling even more tired than after I had been able to relax. My vision became somewhat foggy as the pain and seering heat my body had been emitting returned to a normal more natural body temperature. The pain throughout my body and shoulder though not ceasing in the least. “Let’s get him to Zecora” I heard Twilight say. Screwball took a step towards me in an attempt to secure me, but I mistook it as some form of hostile attempt. Most likely from the pain in my body I reflexively stood up on my hind legs and tried to kick, forgetting I was no longer in human form, I fell to the ground with a thud and heavy breathing. Daring Doo and Dash soon floated over to me, both lifting me up from under the pits as they hovered me off the ground. The last thing I recall being said was Screwball saying: “Let’s get out of here. I don’t want us to stay here any longer than we have to. Especially with not how Hailstorm is currently. “Twilight, please lead the way.”