//------------------------------//
// 19. Wraith 
// Story: SweetieMash Minecraft Adventures : Return of the Nightmare. 
// by CristalGalaxy 
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Rumble took deep breaths as he did his very best not to move. Sweetie's unmoving form was tickling his wings and he could feel a sneeze coming up because of all the dust. He tried to dig himself deeper in the small hole, but only grunted as a sharp pebble got stuck in his fur. 
Great.
So, there was good news and there was bad news. Good news was, they had found a place to hide. Bad news was, it wasn't a very good hiding place and the monster chasing them would probably find them soon enough. First of all, it was a small hole two blocks deep and two blocks wide, that was hanging over a ravin. That contained burning lava of course. 
"Of course it has lava... Why did I ever think we'd get lucky and end up with a water filled ravin...?" Rumble muttered to himself. 

"Did you say something?" asked Sweetie Belle, her voice slightly muffled by Rumble's wing. 

"I was saying that I absolutely love this little vacation we're taking in Minecraft. Really a good idea there Starswirl..." groaned the foal. 

"No one likes sarcasm Rumble..." sighed Sweetie, desperatly trying to shift her position. "Ugh these backpacks really are taking all the space we've got!" 

"Then take them off dummy!" chuckled Rumble before gasping and wiggling about as Sweetie blew some air on his wing. His feathers shook as the ticklish sentation ran through them. 

"Don't 'dummy' me! Helper's in there!" she grinned.

"Oh... Yeah I hadn't seen the little guy for a while! Kept wondering where you had placed him." Rumble tried to move his wing away, but he hit Sweetie's rump with his hind hooves. 

"Ow!" she cried out. "What's wrong with you?" 

"Sorry! Ugh... This is really annoying. Remind me why we couldn't go outside or continue running at least?" 

"Because," Sweetie replied, "in the outside, a Wraith would be able to fly and we'd be really easy targets. And if we continued, we would either be lost, or die of exhaustion. May I remind you that we haven't slept for at least four days? The fatigue is gonna catch up with us when we least expect it, no worries..." 

"Oh... This is still as annoying." 

"What am I supposed to do, entertain you?" 

"Hey! I'm just implying that this is boring!" 

"Yeah, I'll be sure to help you out again when our lives depend on it again!"

Rumble was about to reply when a giggle was heard from above. His heartbeat immediatly increased and he did his very best to contain his fear. 
Sweetie wasn't moving an inch either, and she seemed terrified. 
"You've got to be kidding me..." she grumbled, her fur almost doubling in volume like a cat. "I didn't think it'd catch up with us this fast!" 

"And what should have happened while we patiently waited in this ditch for death to come to us?" Rumble furiously whispered. 

"I was pretty sure the others would come to our rescue or something..." 

Sweetie's voice died down as another giggle, closer this time, echoed through the cave. 
"Guuuuuuuys!" a feminine voice chuckled. "Where are you? Don't try and hide, I hate it when ponies hide..." Her voice suddenly became dark and grave, terrifying. "But you know, I only want to gobble you cute things up!" the voice was clear and happy again. 
The sudden changes in the Wraith only scared Rumble more. 

"We're gonna have to face her..." Sweetie Belle suddenly murmured. 

"What? Are you crazy?" 

"No but we should probably make it until the others come to our rescue. I don't want to wait here for her to pick us like a couple of ripe apples..."

Rumble shook his head. "Right. First of all, I don't like that 'probably' you snuck in the sentence. Second of all, how are we even sure our friends know where to look? And last, Applebloom's been influencing you too much with her apple related sentences."

"Does that really matter right now?" the unicorn filly rolled her eyes. 

"Hey, stop hating the fun guy for trying to get a smile out of you..." 

"That's not the-" 

A head popped into their hole, red eyes shone and shiny teeth appeared as a laughing voice whispered : "Found. You." 
Both foals screamed and tried to scramble out, only managing to hit each other. Soon their screams died down into a few whines. 

"I can't move!" 

"How about you get your hoof out of my face first, and then we try and escape?" 

"Only if you get your wing away!"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" 

They stopped moving, frustrated at the situation they were in. The Wraith started to laugh loudly, grabbing onto her ears as her amusement only grew. She would have probably grabbed her sides if she had some. 
"You two are the easiest prey I've ever fed on!" 

That sentence froze both foals. The realisation of what was actually happening lingered in their minds. 

"Okay, I'm done!" she finished chuckling, wiping an invisible tear from her eye. "Now come here you!" she suddenly screamed, her face distorted and her hoof latching onto Sweetie's backpack and starting to pull. Helper's panicked clucks could be heard from there. 
Rumble yelled and Sweetie Belle cried courageously as she twisted around to punch the Wraith with her hind hooves. It let go of her, howling in pain. 
"Dum kids! Stupid kids! I hate ponies that are alive!" 

Sweetie had the time to flash her a smile before finally reaching her pickaxe and slamming it hard against the smooth stone in the area. It broke in a single swing and all of a sudden, there was nothing next or under them. 
Rumble didn't fully comprehend the situation at first. He started to fall, his hooves uselessly waving around. His mind was too shocked to order his wings to flap. 
In the corner of his eye, he saw Sweetie Belle quickly pull out a water bucket from her inventory. The lava was getting closer, and Rumble could feel his fur boil at the heat around them. His friend let the content of the bucket flow out, and they plumetted to the lava. 

For a second, he thought it wouldn't work... 
But thankfully, the water sank into the lava and it all became obsidian. Both foals 'safely' collided with the ground and lost only about half a heart. 
A small silence reigned in the cave. 
Rumble was the first to laugh. It was a nervous laugh and he felt terrible and hurt and bruised. But it was still a laugh. 
And that giggle contaminated Sweetie Belle who joined in, tears flowing from her eyes. Soon, they were both sticking their toungues out at the Wraith, watching her shudder in anger. 

"I'll find another way around! This has just evolved into war..." She then turned tail and galloped back into the depths of the cave. 

But they didn't care. 
Their shouts of joy and relief made them jump around, glad to be alive. 

That's when Rumble thought that he should probably thank Sweetie Belle for her quick response to danger. And in the midst of all the craziness, her grabbed her and lifted her up, pulling her in a tight embrace. 
They locked gazes and smiled warmly, tears running down their cheeks. 
That's when Rumble didn't really think and kissed her. 

Right under Button's nose.