Chapter 14 – King of the Jungle
Chapter 14 – King of the Jungle
After several hours of restricted sleep, Hindel roars out a mighty yawn as he stretches his aching neck. He certainly misses all those long, hibernating hours he used to partake in his leisure, but it’s that kind of luxury he can’t afford right now. He has an important mission to complete, and he’ll see to it before he can retire peacefully.
“So, Mustang… how about that breakfast I promised you?” Hindel asks after he finishes his usual stretching. The old dragon waits for a reply, but nothing rings his sharp, frilled ears. So he calls out Ford’s name again.
“Mustang?”
Surprised to not hear anything again, Hindel lays a gentle claw on his back to feel around in case Ford Mustang is still sleeping, but he wasn’t there. Hindel is starting to get worried. He turns his head around rapidly as he tries to listen in if his student is nearby.
“Mustang?!” Hindel calls out to him once more. For better clarity, he quickly concentrates on his mind’s eye as he tries to pinpoint Ford’s energy signature in the camping grounds. The blind dragon’s unique form of radar can feel the energy waves of the colorful, underground crystals, the delicate steps of the crawling bugs, and the ripples of the watering hole nearby. But there is still no sign of the pony’s life-force anywhere within the valley.
After realizing this, there is only one dreadful thought that comes to mind on what could have happened to the missing Pegasus as Hindel murmurs to himself from fearing the worst for Ford.
“…Oh no.”
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Meanwhile, miles away from the dragon’s current location, Ford Mustang is in a very large clearing of the Everfree Forest where he is taking a refreshing drink from a large stream that is connected to a waterfall on his right side. As Ford continues to take his generous sips, the Basilisk on the other side of the river looks at the preoccupied pony with hunger eyes as it resumes its hunt by silently diving into the water. Being able to swim with ease without making a sound or a disturbance to the water’s surface, the snake is certain that this time it will finally catch its unsuspecting prey for good.
However, Ford isn’t as unwary as the snake has perceived, for the Pegasus has being waiting for this moment for quite some time under the dark, cloudy sky. In fact, he already knew about the Basilisk’s upcoming sneak attack thanks to the energy field perception Hindel has taught him. With his muzzle in the water and his eyes closed, he is able to visualize and detect the snake’s movements through the ripples of the water as well as the Basilisk’s massive life-force energy. Also, Ford laid himself out in the open because he figured that the wide-opened terrain might give him an advantage point for their next battle; this way, he’ll have more room to move and fly around in an opened clearing compared to the dense foliage of the forest. All he had to do was to make himself vulnerable, such as drinking some water from the edge of the canal, and he’ll be able draw that humongous snake into his chosen battleground. He knows that his attacks will mostly be limited since breathing fire doesn’t frighten nor greatly hurt the snake due to its resistant scales, but Ford Mustang is confident that he can still win this outcome.
After Ford is finished with his drink, he turns around while the submerged Basilisk is within striking distance for its surprise attack. With the pony’s back turned, the hungry predator makes its move and lunges out of the water to finish what was started yesterday!
However, once Mustang has already foreseen his ferocious opponent’s sneak attack, he quickly counters it by spinning to the snake’s left side before its gaping mouth can ensnare his prey! In the midst of that quick spin, he finishes off his counterattack by delivering a powerful double kick right into the Basilisk’s face, which forcefully bucks it right out the water!
Shaking off the surprisingly strong kick to its face, the hissing anaconda immediately takes its intimidating stance as it piercingly stares down at the stallion. Unfortunately for the snake, this effective tactic didn’t have any effect on his unfazed prey as Ford Mustang rushes up to it and swiftly punches the snake right in the jaw again. After receiving another blow to the face, the Basilisk resumes his towering stance while Ford also takes up his fighting stance as they glare at each other intensely.
“Don’t think you can pull off the same trick twice with me, snake!” the bold stallion growls at his reptilian adversary. “This time, we fight on my terms now! Now then… have at you, snake!”
The Basilisk starts to notice that this isn’t the same, trembling pony as of yesterday. The monstrous python knows not to underestimate him now, as it carefully studies his winged challenger while encircling him. Like a mongoose facing its mortal enemy, the cobra, Ford keeps his own piercing gaze locked on to the Basilisk’s as they engage in this slow dance of death. If he makes the slightest slip-up or even loses his focus for a split second, it could be all over for him.
Finally, their waltz comes to an end as the Basilisk slithers rapidly to the Pegasus in a zigzag formation! Seeing as this is a way to throw him off-guard, Ford prepares for an evasion maneuver as he waits for the right moment to dodge. Once the zigzagging snake is close enough to its target, it makes for another quick, gaping strike, but Ford’s shape eyes caught on to it as he leaps away from the attack while taking flight in mid-air! Airborne now, the swift Pegasus swoops in for the attack! However, his strike misses the snake after it retracts its head thanks to its elongated and very flexible body!
Their fight has been going on for a while. For each strike they make, the other one evades it responsively. Soon enough, the Basilisk change its tactics as it sharply fakes his latest strike before it quickly wraps its coils around the startled Pegasus! Grounded and now trapping Ford Mustang within its grasp, the Basilisk finally gains the upper hand as it begins to tightening its elongated body around the subdued pony!
Little did the snake know, Ford surprisingly has the situation under his control. Despite how tight the coils are, his well-trained body doesn’t break so easily as he calmly takes quiet breaths while his eyes are closed. Recalling from most of what he had watched and read about animals back on Earth, Ford assumes that hesitating within the giant anaconda’s grasp would only cause it to tightening the coils even further. So for now, he clears his mind of any fears and doubts as he concentrates on the one thing that can get him out of here alive. Through subtle respiration, he gathers the energy that is concentrated within the vocal areas of his throat. Performing a usual wide-ranged dragon's roar won’t help him loosen up the crushing coils. So for now, he builds up enough focus and energy so that he can blast a single voice missile right into the Basilisk’s face.
Curious as to why its prey hasn’t put so much as a fight within its thick coils, Basilisk ceases its constricting as it inches closely to the silent Ford Mustang. Upon further examination, the snake employs its infrared sensing thanks to its pit organs. Using these special sensory organs, the Basilisk can detect any form of heat signature from live organisms. From a closer inspection, the probing serpent senses normal heat signatures from most of the immobile Pegasus, but shockingly enough, the Basilisk detects an immeasurable amount of heat coming from Mustang’s throat. Just before the snake can make a decisive action on this puzzling discovery…
RAAAH!!
…a mighty blast of compressed air and sound knocks the wind right out of the Basilisk as it greatly arches its neck from enduring Ford’s precision air cannon! With the ginormous snake temporarily knocked out, its coils begin to loosen up, and the Pegasus immediately makes his escape from the reptile’s deadly clutches by flying straight up into the air.
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After an intense amount of concentration, Hindel has finally pinpointed the pony’s energy signature and is able to visualize the ongoing battle between Ford Mustang and the Basilisk from afar. Hindel couldn’t believe what he is witnessing! Not only has his student managed to shrug off the snake’s fatal stare, but he also made a narrow getaway from the seemingly inescapable constrictions of the enormous python! Admittedly, there was a moment where Hindel wanted to help his student right away just like before, but considering how well Ford is handling himself in this fight, the elder dragon decides that it is best to sit this one out for the time being.
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Once the Basilisk recovers from the blunt force of that small pony’s roaring blast, the unrelenting snake looks up and spots its equally persistent prey hovering in the air. Putting his own wings to good use, Ford considers the option to attack the Basilisk aerially since his maneuverability is now more freely compared to fighting from ground level.
Continuing where they left off, the towering snake quickly lunges first. Due to its 100-foot length, the Basilisk still has a chance to take down its opponent from the air. Of course, using the sky to his advantage, Ford easily dodges the snake’s extensive attack before he makes his move to strike back. Back and forth, the swift Pegasus and the deadly Basilisk keep counterattacking with one and another, until finally Ford makes the first hit since his escape from the snake’s ensnaring coils. Amazingly, the Basilisk’ head topples onto the ground from the fourth time it was hit in the face. Ford is puzzled by that. That most recent strike had the same amount of power as his first two strikes during their initial encounter today, yet it seems that the Basilisk is finally down for the count. Why? Why give up so soon? Ford puzzles to himself.
THWAK!
Out of nowhere, a thick, scaly tail firmly smacks the distracted Mustang from behind as he comes crashing down onto the ground! He should have seen this coming! The Basilisk was pretty much playing dead while its bludgeoning tail was getting ready in position before the clever snake could unleash its perfect strike!
Recovering from the blunt trauma to the back of his head, Ford steadily gets himself up after that harsh crash. His vision is a bit blurry and his equilibrium is slightly unstable as Ford rubs his sore head with a fore hoof. After finally recuperating from that sneak attack, the first thing Ford can clearly see is the Basilisk’s hungry jaws rushing right at him! He tries to fly away from the hasty snake’s gaping maw, but by the time Ford begins his takeoff…
CHOMP!
…it was all over for him.
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“NO!” Hindel screeches in absolute horror. Quickly, he takes flight and rockets to the location of the deeply satisfied Basilisk after it finally indulges on its hard-worked meal. With a hard, abrupt landing, the earth shakes severely and greatly startles the giant snake from taking a moment to rest. As the Basilisk stares at the blind, golden dragon, Hindel is fuming with irrepressible anger as he threatens the distressed serpent in a booming voice.
“YOU WILL COUGH HIM UP THIS INSTANT, OR I WILL TEAR YOUR GUTS OUT AND GET HIM MYSELF!”
Despite the promising threat that may come, Basilisk refuses to give up what it has worked on for so long as it hisses menacingly at the equally ferocious dragon. Hindel realizes that this isn’t going to be easy to defeat this gargantuan snake. Because of his large size, the dragon knows that if he isn’t too careful, he could easily be constricted by the Basilisk’s dangerous coils, which will make it a challenge for Hindel to break free from that. Nevertheless, Hindel will do whatever it takes to save his pony friend while he still can.
But before the battle between of the two ancient reptiles can even begin, something is holding the Basilisk back. For a creature that is known for its deadly stare, the snake’s eyes are much wider than usual before it starts to wince in pain. Without warning, the Basilisk wiggles uncontrollably as it greatly hisses from the unknown cause of its upset stomach.
Noticing the snake in immense agony all of a sudden, the perplexed dragon stands in place as he ponders on the Basilisk’s sudden distraught. Suddenly, Hindel begins to sense an unusual amount of heat coming from the distressed python. Only this strange heat signature wasn’t coming from the Basilisk itself; it was coming from another source inside the snake! Focusing on his own energy field perception, Hindel can mentally see the cause of the distressed snake’s affliction: Ford Mustang, who is still trapped inside the bowels of the wretched python, is radiating a lot of intense heat from his own body! This way, the struggling Pegasus can give the Basilisk a really bad case of heartburn!
Unable to bear it any longer, the Basilisk begins to cough up its recently caught meal. Hacking up immensely, the sickly snake finally vomits out Ford in a wad of disgusting, digestive fluids. Once the displeased stallion is finally out of that doom-impeding digestive tract, Ford gradually stands up as the heated steam continues to rise from his body while the snake’s slimy, pale green goo evaporates off of the pony’s messy coat. Despite from surviving such a dangerous predication, Ford is alive and well as he readies himself for another round, while the Basilisk on the other hand continues to suffer greatly from not learning on how to chew before swallowing its own food.
Hindel is completely shocked by the turn of events. He just couldn’t believe that Ford Mustang has managed to overcome nearly everything thing the frightening snake could have thrown at him, and more importantly, the pony has come back on top even stronger than ever. The dragon is about to lend a hand so that they can finish this together, but to Hindel’s surprise, the aggravated Pegasus steps in front of his master as he continues to eye menacingly on the weakened snake.
“Please stand back, Hindel… this one is still mine.” Ford growls insistently as he still has a score to settle with.
A bit startled by Ford’s sudden aggression, Hindel understands that this is something that Ford wants to finish by himself. With a soft, chuckling smile, Hindel permits to his student, “By all means… go right ahead.”
With a small smile to show his gratitude for his dragon friend, Ford immediately takes flight as he rushes head-on at the sickly serpent. The Basilisk sees this enraged pony coming at it, but the snake doesn’t have enough energy to react from this due to the recent regurgitation it had to go through. Upon contact, Ford delivers a ruthless barrage of punches and kicks to the sluggish Basilisk! But it wasn’t just the snake’s face that had to suffer Ford’s righteous retribution! With his incredible speed and agility, the unstoppable Pegasus flies around the monstrous snake as he continues his hard-hitting assault throughout the rest of its tough, scaly structure! After enduring so many consecutive hits to its body, the once-mighty python is unable to pull off any lightning-fast evasive moves.
Following from unleashing such as combo of numerous strikes, Ford Mustang takes a moment to finish this fight by charging up his fore hoof with his powerful Dragonian Magic. The amplified hoof is glowing with bright, gold energy. Noticing on how the stationary pony is standing in place, Basilisk takes its chances and makes one final, quick strike against its tiny adversary! To its disappointment, Ford steps forward and strongly uppercuts the charging snake right up into the gray, nightly sky!
High above the canopy of the Everfree Forest, the Basilisk experiences its first moment of flying hundreds of feet in the air. Unfortunately, that moment of flight literally comes crashing down as the completely terrified snake falls to its doom. During its freefalling, the helpless reptile dangles freely in the air while the only screams the Basilisk can make are in the forms of hissing sounds. Despite all of its cleverness, the once-mighty predator has no way to escape from this. Facing its own end at the hooves of its formidable prey, the Basilisk braces itself from the eventual impact on the cold, hard ground.
However, just when the Basilisk is about to hit the ground, the snake is roughly halted by a mighty tug on its tail. Inches away from facing its imminent demise, the petrified Basilisk lightly swings in mid-air as it composes itself before looking up to see who has stopped its descent. To the giant snake’s surprise and confusion, its savior happens to be the small, blue Pegasus who is mightily holding on the end of the snake firmly. The same prey that the Basilisk has been hunting since yesterday is now saving the life of his pursuer!
Gently, Ford Mustang lowers the Basilisk down to the ground before it slowly slides into a casual position. Once Ford makes his graceful landing, the serpent stares back at the calmly assertive Pegasus. With their stern eyes fixated on one and another, the towering snake tries to figure out on how this one pony can be so unexpectedly powerful and yet can still show mercy to its fiercest opponents. Without a single sound, the Basilisk lightly bows its head to Ford as a sign of respect to such a formidable quarry. And after accepting its defeat gracefully, the legendary snake turns around and slithers away into the dark forest, hoping to find much easier prey to partake in.
A bit surprised by the snake’s unexpected humility, Ford finally lets out an exhausted sigh before he displays a smile of pride and relief after his personal victory over the deadly Basilisk. As for Hindel, despite his immense shock over his apprentice’s latest triumph, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as the dragon mutters with a contented grin.
“Huh, looks like there’s going to be a new ‘King of the Jungle’ around here.”
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Somehow i imagine Hindel and Ford re-enacting the scene from the lion king. You know the one....
I think this deserves to be played, no?
Bring out the glowsticks and partay!!
I just LOVE this story
Cant wait for ford to beat aaragon
(and more shipping afterwards)dun got ownd.
I get way more excited than I should whenever I see a new chapter of this story in my feed.
3563508 I don't think Hindel would be killed by a stampede of herd animals. I don't quite remember if they were wildebeest, buffalo, gazelles, zebra or what.
Shoruken!
I have the distinct impression that basilisk is going to be useful later.
3565351 Me too
3569692 Or am I?
I HAVE AN IDEA !!!!!!!!! What if Arrogon sends some spells at ford to slow his training progress,and one spell turns him into a pony-sized dragon?! That would be AWESOME!!!!!!!
3563508 I get what ur saying
. sad
This is a great story but I get the feeling it's going to vary long. Which I have no problem with, by the way. I'm not complaining. Don't hurt me.
3571519>>3571519
How on Earth is turning Ford into a dragon a good thing for Arrogon? Plus, Arrogon thinks he's dead.
one reason it could be good for arrogon is because dragons have an inner sense of greed,remember the episode,"secret of my excess?It would sort of be like that,except Ford would have more control (maybe). Then zecora could help (again,maybe). Maybe arrogon would try to prove to R.D that he is dead,finds out hes not,send a spell at him to kill him or something,hindel would sense it and try to protect him using his own body as a shield,the spell would pass through him,but since hindel is a dragon the effects of the spell would change,turning ford into a dragon
.Plus,its not like arrogon would know that the spell would affect him in that way
.It would be so awesome
3572480 bro,this is an amazing story but its a sequel
which i am glad for
a must read. I am his longest supporter of these stories(i think) and i only signed up for fimfic a month ago!!!!!!!!!@!!
it would be sad if arrogon killed hindel.
How do you make the face's
Hey Royal, if you were (or weren't) planning on making a threequel to this, then I randomly came up with a great idea for it!
Imagine this: So in the Arrival, Twilight discovered Earth and researched all of it and how technologically advanced it is compared to Equestria. Discord somehow finds out about this information and decides to use his dimension-warping abilities to go to Earth and screw it up big-time (as an extreme joke, or because he turns evil with power or something, your choice on how you want to keep his personality), such as making machines turn against people, brainwash the human race, etc. and Twilight, noticing that something is odd about what she's seeing in her check-ups on Earth, looks into it and finds out that Discord has gotten there, and off goes Ford with either Rainbow, the whole Mane 6, (your choice for that, once again) etc. and Ford's peaceful happily ever after is yet again postponed because of Discord screwing around with Ford's home dimension. I'm not sure whether it would be better for the story to keep them in pony form, but hey, that's up to you.
Bam, whaddya think?
A Superb job so far! Keep up the great work!
DBZ power struggle with a basilisk!
14# lol
Liquid, when did you get here?
4653540
yah
King of the jungle.
I sense a George of the jungle reference.
Also, That is not a great achievement at all -_-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHDzsO6X6TA
3576557 Click/tap the little smiley icon at the top of the comment box.
I just hope Cadance is doing something. Arrogon doesn't know the Emprie has returned yet so both Shining and Cadance should be okay and hopefully massing an army.
Okay this chapter made me think of One-Piece and I'm kind of hooked again.