The Natural Elements

by Dark_Night

Chapter Four: Looking for the Hatchlings and Getting A New Companion!

Author's Note:

Due to the content of this chapter, I have added the 'Gore' Tag. does it need the "dark" tag as well?

submit more OC characters. please!

I hope you enjoy the content! I spent a lot of time on this chapter. :D

there are a lot of references in this chapter. can you name them all?

I woke up to the chittering of mandibles. The soft clicking of their jaws. I opened my eyes and remembered where I was. In the darkness I could make out a shivering form of a hatchling. I lifted the heavy silk blanket away from myself and I slowly make my way over to the hatchling.

"Are you okay?" I ask. The spider stops shivering momentarily before shaking even harder.

"No, the ants came. They make it past the king. They steal other hatchlings."

"What? They came? I missed it?" I softly hit the ground in frustration. "I wanted to help."

"No! They kill you!" The hatchling insisted. "Tear limb from limb. No mercy.'"

"I must go speak with the king immediately." I stated, standing up and leaving the burrowing room that my friends were still sleeping in.

I walk past a broken archway and through another. I stop when i hear the soft clink of ant mandibles clinching together. I slowly turn around to see a single ant easily half my size in height. but length beats my by at least a few inches.

This must be a worker ant. I quickly run up the spiral staircase and I enter the room with his highness. "Lord, There is an ant in the burrowing halls."

The giant spider tensed up and spoke a command, alerting several spiders to the threat. The alerted spiders quickly jump down and dash past me. Thankfully the ant was still there. The largest of the summoned spiders latched onto the ant's neck and I assume the ant was injected by the spider venom.

With the ant detained, The largest spider turns to me. "Thank you."

I bow in return. "I awoke to find a hatchling cowering in my quarters, when I asked what happened, it informed me that the ants had attacked."

"I'll inform the nurses immediately." It said before chittering off. I turn back around and I reenter the main room.

"Sir Joshua. I ask of you something I believe you can accomplish. The ants stole one hundred unhatched brood. I would like for you to get as many back as possible. Your cooperation will earn you two favors."

"I'm willing to accept the offer, although I do have many questions about the ants and my job." The king says nothing but shows he is listening. "What should I need to know about them? Should I kill them or try a diplomatic approach? I also have the problem of how i'll get inside of the ant nest to see the queen."

"Ah yes, Their mandibles will cut your limbs right off. If I was in your position, i'd try a diplomatic approach. We've been friends with the ants for a long time, to simply have them turn on us leaves us with no option but to make our move."

"Which that 'move' would be me, I assume?" The king nods slowly. "Do the ants wield any sort of venom that I should know about?"

"one. But only the queen wields it. It is a deadly venom that melts your insides before liquefying your skin. It really isn't pleasant." The king openly shudders.

"Okay, I will go wake my friends up and we'll be on our way." With that, I bow and exit the room to wake my friends.

[-----]

Minutes later I was escorting three drowsy humans out of their bed.

"But it was so comfy!" Andrew protested. "Why must you do this to me? I thought we were friends!"

"UGH! Just get moving! We have some mandibles to go kick... well, maybe."

I escort the three into the big room where Ian inhales loudly and tries desperately not to scream. "Your highness, may I ask for a drone to lead and to play the part of a diplomat?"

"usually I am not for risking my brood to such a dangerous quest, but I cannot stand by while they take our young. For that reason, I will offer you two escorts, and a Diplomat to their colony. May the Goddess Arachne bless you with safe travels." The four of us bow and turn towards the exit. Ian was still shaking. In front of us, stood three giant spiders, ready to escort and defend.

"We are ready to depart. Lets just hope this goes well... because if not... we're screwed." I walk past the spiders and eventually exit the burrow. The spiders eventually led us to a mountain. The closer we got to it, the more nervous they got. I watched the top of the mountain as an ant crawled out of the top and down the side.

The ant approached us. The ant's heights came up to my shin. Which, for my height, wasn't very tall. The ant stopped and let us approach. It chittered a bit before walking back towards the mound. The ant disappeared inside. Moments later, ants began to pour out of the mound.

"I have a really bad feeling about all of this." I said nervously.

"As do all of us Josh." The other three agreed. Jordan seemed to break his normally stoic composure and got a little cocky. "I can take them! I know Taekwondo! Given, i'm only a green belt, but none the less!" While we were talking, the ants had us completely surrounded. Our two escorts were shaking and our diplomat was standing tall.

"So, the spider with less training than the highly trained escorts can stand up without fear while the battle hardened soldiers shake in their carapace... This is pathetic." I said, shaking my head in disappointment. I turn to the largest ant. "We will drop our weapons and come peacefully if we may speak with the queen. We do ask to bring out diplomat here. The two guards here have no guts."

The ant nodded in understanding and sent an ant to deliver the message. It scurried up the mound only to return several minutes later. It delivered the response from the queen to the largest ant and the ant beckoned for me and my companions to follow, but told the guards to stay. The four humans and the diplomat followed the ant to the top of the mountain. I looked down at a hole that looked too small for me to fit through. I just jumped right in, holding my nose with one hand and my legs with the other. My impact made a bit of a mess but I eventually passed through to the other side and into the ant's lair.

We were led through a series of tunnels that I had no hope for remembering. After a while, the tunnels opened up into a large cavern. In the middle, sat a throne. It was a gigantic throne. On the seat, sat a crown. A small circular crown.

The throne sat on top of a podium. and there were hundreds of ants, all varying in size, around the podium. Right then, a short fanfare played as the being I assumed to be their queen, walked out.

She was not anything like I was expecting an ant queen to look like. She stood about as tall as Jordan which was like six feet tall. She stood bipedal and she even wore clothes. Her 'skin' was covered in the same carapace as the ants in her colony. on her head was two red antennae. As she walked, all present ants bowed as she approached the podium.

"Humans!" She called with an authoritative voice. "I understand you are here for a reason. Yes?"

"Dude," Andrew whispered. "She is speaking perfect English."

"Yes?" The queen repeats.

I step forward and bow, keeping my head low as I begin to talk. "Your highness, We are indeed here for a reason. Two reasons actually. The first being peace with the spider burrow. It was reported that the ants were stealing the hatchlings from the burrow. And the second reason, is they want whatever survivors you have back. And I, personally hope that we can figure this conflict out."

"YOU DARE ACCUSE US OF TAKING HATCHLINGS?!" The queen roared. "WE WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!"

"My apologies, I was not accusing, I was merely stating what the spiders were reporting. I personally saw no sign of there being any ants ever in the burrow, but we still needed to come out and ask for your side of the story." I stated.

The queen thankfully seemed to quiet down. "Then proceed."

"I'm starting to think that maybe there is something else that is taking the hatchlings. I'm assuming the spiders were seeing things. HOWEVER, earlier in the burrow, there was a lone ant. it looked woozy and disoriented. Unfortunately, said ant is dead. But I'm assuming that something else still took the hatchlings, and I plan on finding out what. Whatever it is must look similar to an ant since I met a hatchling, barely old enough to talk, it told me the ants had come. but since you deny this, I've come up with three possibilities. The first being that something had dug its way under the burrow to snatch the hatchlings, these beings may have planted the ant in there. The second would be-" I was cut off by Jordan who gasped in realization.

"Wait a minute. What creature can burrow through solid stone, is an expert at avoiding capture, master of deception, and very devious? And it's not a changeling." Jordan said with a slight smile. The rest of us looked at him in curiosity, and then realization hit us like a train.

"The Diamond Dogs!" All four of us said at the same time. We looked back at the queen who was wearing a big smile.

"There's a clan of Diamond Dogs not far from here, It is very possible that they are what took the hatchlings. For what purpose, I wouldn't have an idea." The queen said. "I've been looking for an excuse to run those vermin out of the EverFree for far too long, and I've finally found my reason." The queen rubbed her hands together with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Your highness, May we go inform the spiders of this new development? They might be willing to help." Andrew says, stepping forward and bowing.

The queen thinks for a moment. "Yes, that would be acceptable. It would tighten our bond with the spider. After all, they are quite useful as allies. I'd hate for a misunderstanding like this to spark a war. You may leave at once, I'll send some escorts with you, they will have more guts than your sorry excuse for guards outside." She points at a small group of ants and hisses in a language I can't understand. The group nod and begin to escort us out.

"Beware of the Diamond dogs! They may know we are onto them and may attempt to capture you!" The four of us wave goodbye and we leave, following out diplomat and three ant escorts.

[-----]

We exit the mound and look down upon an impressive sight. The implied meaning behind what was going on was bad, but the sight was impressive nonetheless.

Surrounding the anthill, was an army of spiders. We quickly dashed down to them. "STOP! DO NOT ATTACK!"

I see a familiar spider wade through the crowd. "Ye who holds the power of the earth, where are the hatchlings? We thought the ants had taken you prisoner." Spinner says, looking around for the hatchlings.

"It's nothing like that. We met the queen and told her about it. She was furious that we accused her of taking the hatchlings. She really didn't take them. BUT, we think we know who did and since your here, that pretty much hits two birds with one stone. you're already here, and the queen is willing to help drive out the thieves." I conclude.

"And who are the thieves?" Spinner questions.

"The Diamond Dogs, The queen said she knew where they were hiding out. She has been looking for an excuse to drive them out of the EverFree and she has finally found one."

"Ah, the Diamond Dogs. Devious creatures. Lets get over there and get our hatchlings back!" A roar of chittering from the army of spiders erupted in response. I turn back to one of the ants that escorted us.

"Go get the queen, Inform her that the spiders are willing to help." The ant nods. It runs up the anthill and disappears into the colony. A minute later, the anthill was swarming with ants.

"WOOHOO!" I shouted. "My very first battle! Lets do this!"

The ant queen rises from the colony and walks over to me. "Follow, we will show you where they are." A roar of chittering erupted from the ants.

My three friends and I stand together, ready to charge into battle. "FOR NARNIA!!!!" Andrew yells. We all look at him with amused smiles. "What?!" We all shake off our amused smiles and charge forward.

When we got there the Diamond dogs were in the middle of evacuating. "DIAMOND DOGS! SURRENDER THE PRISONERS AND YOU CAN LEAVE PEACEFULLY!" Jordan yells, using his wind to amplify his voice to sound intimidating, Instantly, most of the diamond dogs dropped to the ground, holding their ears. The others growled at us.

"NEVER!" It shouted back.

"Awesome! I was hoping this wouldn't be anti-climactic. Now we have a battle to wage!" We all charged forward. Most of the evacuating Diamond dogs seemed to come back to help keep the prisoners safe, the others hid in fear.

The Diamond dogs were outnumbered by at least 1 to ten. I mean, they didn't stand a chance. Everyone was in their own little battle. I met a diamond dog one on one.

"You'll never take our gems! filth!" It spat. I lept to the right as the Diamond Dog took a step forward. I ran up behind it and I put it in a headlock.

"Where are the prisoners?! That's all we want."

"LIES! you want prisoners for gems! yes." The level of this creature's insanity was on par with Gollum from Lord of the rings. It spoke to itself in a raspy manner and wouldn't shut up.

A mutt in armor runs up and throws a punch at me. The surprise from the dog makes me drop the diamond dog. "Master, are you alright?" The mutt asked.

"Yes, but he hurt us! Keel him!!" The mutt started rushing at me. I quickly dodged to the side. Distracted with the mutt, I fail to notice the diamond dog come up from behind me. It's claws unsheathed and it's teeth bared. It leaps at me, tackling me to the ground. It starts ripping at my back, tearing away muscle with it's teeth. The mutt recovers and leaps on top of me, starting to rip off my clothes and skin.

"JOSHUA!" I hear from afar. I hear the sound of running feet. A blunt object smacks the diamond dog off my back and smashes the skull of the mutt who grasps it's head in pain. "Joshua! Speak to me. The wounds aren't too bad!" I lay still, unresponsive. My eyes wide open. My breaths feel shaky. I feel my heartbeat get gradually faster as my life force slips away.

"Don't leave Joshua! Who else is going to be a smart ass?" I hear sniffling. My vision becomes blurry as I feel my soul being ripped from my body.

I hear a ringing sound, and a bright glow emits from my ring. I hear a gasp. "So the ancient omens were true. The power of such rings truly do exist."

I hear three more ringing noises, all at a slightly higher pitch. I feel my soul resettle back into my body. The four rings all emit a beam which begin to shoot out and encase my unresponsive form. My eyesight returns to me and I weakly look around. Spiders and ants alike were standing by, staring at the peculiar sight.

The beams created by the natural elements surrounds me and lifts me into the air, where I could feel each of the elements do something. The water rushes into my body and revitalizes the organs. The Fire cauterizes the bleeding wounds and the earth encases them in a protective shell until the muscles grow back. The wind goes into my lungs and starts to help with producing oxygen-rich blood which slowly helps my motor functions restart. The protective shell the natural elements encased me in to help heal me vanishes and I fall to the ground like a rag doll. Jordan, Andrew, and Ian all rush to me and pick me up. An ant provides a leaf and I am placed on the leaf, and carried down into the Diamond dog mines.

[-----]

I feel my strength slowly returning to me. I weakly lift my hand, the one with the ring on it. We came upon an open area, in which there were many exits. I saw my ring flash as it was pointed toward a particular tunnel. "May where could those hatchlings be?" The ring instantly shuts off and I wave it around toward each tunnel. There were seven pathways. I pointed the ring at the one furthest to my left and the ring lit up.

"Hey, I think my ring is acting like a compass in a way." The other three look at my ring as it is facing a particular tunnel and glowing.

"That is so cool. you could use that to navigate out of anywhere." Jordan lifts up the leaf that I was resting on and dumps me to the floor. "Come on. Get up."

I slowly rise to my knees but fall down under the strain. "Not working, can you help please?"

"Sure!" Jordan offers me a hand and I take it. Summoning my strength, I stand up, balancing on shaky legs.

"Was that really a good idea Jordan?" Andrew asks. "He looked really weak from whatever that was."

"Whatever, lets just just find the hatchlings and get out of here." I put my arms around Andrew and Jordan and they help my towards the designated tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel, we see cages filled with various animals. Ian rushes forward to go free them but steps on a pressure plate. The ground opens up below him, making him scream.

"AH! A little help guys? The spikes below me don't look very nice!" We look over the edge to see wooden spiked protruding from the floor. Andrew quickly throws fireballs at the wooden spikes causing them to burn.

Ian looses his grip and falls towards the flaming spikes. His ring seemed to have a mind of it's own, and a bubble of water encases him. The water starts to steam as it got closer to the fires. With a thud, Ian hits the ground perfectly fine, the water doused the fires, but the fires are quickly spreading back to the spikes.

"Joshua! use your ring to help Ian! Wind wont do anything besides slow down the fires."

I felt a tug in my stomach. An urge to save my friend. My well being isn't important right now, Ian's life is on the line. I have to save him. My ring erupted in a blinding amount of light as it starts REALLY hurting.

In an earth-shattering crack, the ground beneath Ian lifted upward, filling in the gap in the floor. A massive crack in the roof of the tunnel formed. Ian, Jordan, and Andrew taxied my weakened form to the other side of the tunnel, right as the entrance collapsed. We were stuck in the room with the prisoners... and all wasn't terribly bad... i mean from the number of creatures in this room, we are going to suffocate.

"Hooray!" Andrew shouts. "Instead of dying by falling rocks, now we are going to suffocate to death. Perfect. Well, i'll be over in this corner crying until we run out of air, Peace." He walks off.

"Wait... 'air' that's it!" Jordan smiles in triumph. He lights up his ring and an air current is flown around the room.

"Congrats." A voice from inside one of the cages said. "Now we have even less air. Did you really think your fancy magic can create real breathable air? you're a fool for even considering it."

from my weakened state I glance around the room. I notice that some cages are hanging in the middle of the room. "Jordan." I weakly say. "free the prisoners. Use the chain in the ceiling to bring it down."

"That's brilliant! but how?"

"Figure it out." I exhale and I slip into unconsciousness.

Jordan runs around, freeing the prisoners one at a time with the help from Ian. There are five griffons, six ponies, two zebras, a Minotaur, a baby dragon, a family of changelings, and there was even a Diamond Dog still down here. "Okay listen up, we need to work together to bring the roof down. when it does, the griffons will help everyone escape. Minotaur, grab the chain and pull. the rest of us will help be any means necessary. I have power over wind and Ian has power over water. And we need to hurry, air is running thin."

Everyone takes their positions. the Minotaur grabs onto the back end of the chain, the baby dragon helps the Minotaur. the three unicorns and the 3 pegasi help too. The changelings change into drakes and help the Minotaur with the chain.

The sheer force being applied to the chain makes the roof tilt slightly and a cloud of dust rain upon us all. "One, two, three, PULL!" The roof tilts again, another dust cloud drops. "ONE... TWO... THREE... PUUUUUULLLL!!!!" the chain gives way, snapping near the ceiling. the roof tilts again, starting to shake from displacement. A Pegasus flies up to the chain and inspects it.

"It bro-"

CRACK! That was the sound of the ceiling giving way. during the few seconds it takes for the roof to fall, everyone runs away from the falling ceiling. The Pegasus that went to inspect the chain wasn't very lucky. But at least his death was quick.

Once the dust settles. Everyone glances at the middle of the room. A beam of light is shining down but disappears a few seconds later due to the constant change of day to night.

"We did it!" Everyone screams.

"Now hold on!, i'll use my wind powers to cycle some fresh air down here." His ring lights up and moments later everyone feels a nice refreshing breeze that has a hint of a peppermint scent.

"Now that we have fresh air, lets get out of here! My friend, Joshua here has power over the earth, but he is very weak. He could use his powers to widen a tunnel for us."

"so now we get to starve down here? fantastic." Someone yelled.

"Wait! the unicorns can give him an energy boost right?" all three of the unicorns nod and approach My unresponsive form. their horns light up and I snap to attention as their energy seeps into my body.

"Huh? Where are we? Am I dead?" I see all of the creatures in the room with me and I remember what happened up until I passed out. "Good job Jordan, Now lets get out of here." I light my ring and point it to the ceiling. The ground rumbles as the hole opens up wider. The sun passes over the hole, leaving it lit for a moment. I collapse to the ground again.

"Griffons, and Pegasi, help lift us from this hole. I am starting to feel fatigue, I won't be able to use my wind powers until I get my strength up."

The Griffons and pegasi nod and start lifting us all out.

[-----]

Finally we were all out of the hole and onto the surface. We alternated shifts. the Minotaur and griffons took first watch while we all slept. Alternating when we woke up.

When the time came That we were all rested up the spiders had found us.

"Joshua! Good to see you're alive and well. Where are the hatchlings?" I shake my head and look at the floor.

"We couldn't find them." The Minotaur approaches me.

"You can communicate to these creatures?" He asks.

"Yes I can, its just one sided though, I can understand, but not speak." the Minotaur nods in understanding. Next I am approached by the changeling family.

"You saved our lives. Whatever can we do to repay you?" I smile, knowing exactly what they can do in return.

"You can repay me by going home and living out the rest of your lives."

"B-But there must be something we can do! We owe you our lives." The changelings bow to me.

"Do not bow, I am no royalty. You can repay me by doing what I said, Live out the rest of your lives." The two adults look at each other and nod.

"Sir, we insist. We would like to give you our child. She craves adventure, and after being trapped in that cave for several years, getting beaten by whips until we yield... We wish for you to take care of our daughter." I stand there, eyes wide. "Please sir."

A little changeling filly runs between her parents, smiling widely. "I've never felt so alive!" She yelled. "Thank you mister for saving me and my family." The little filly then rubs up against my leg like a cat would.

I kneel and look the filly in the eyes. "Your parents have offered for you to come with me on an adventure. Do you want to come along? It will be dangerous and I cannot guarantee your safety." The little filly suddenly looks depressed. She looks at her parents who watch her with a slight smile. She runs up to them and hugs them, before running back over to me.

"Yes. Yes, I'll go with you on your journey."

Comments

[Zero of Nine]

Veeeery nice story ! have a fav and like for your work and i expext to see more good work

[Dark_Night]

4168998
why thank you. I enjoy the encouragement

it makes me hungry to write more... that didn't sound weird did it?

[Zero of Nine]

4169018 it sounds more like you use a lot of energy writing this story
weirdly enough reading makes me hungry and stay up past 1 o'clock most of the times
Also i am thinking of making a character of my own but i can't write to save my life ...
but if you want him i could put a discription of him in the comments
dunno if he will be to op for this story thou

[Dark_Night]

4169079
i'm looking for any type of OC character, be he cockatrice, or be he manticore. If i like the Idea, I'll find a way to implement him/her into the story

[Zero of Nine]

4169102 Well then... Commence the typing

Name : Hollow Soul

Race : Human / Undead Alicorn if not accepting humans

Speciality : Necromany,Hollowing and Souls (including soul stones)

Personality : Even thou he is a necromancer and has a very grim job he is very up-beat in most situation. He has a few awkward tendencies like looking at souls of fellow persons through his special ability. When the time rises he turns very serious and full of rage. He has the tendencies to steal power from dying people who are willing to give them and for that gives them a last gift... (look under powers).Hollow is very sophisticated for his being and rank and often likes to clarify things (but not in the "im smarter then you" way)

Story : Hollow is a novice Necromancer taken up by a lich.He is often tasked to do small jobs or train his magic from his teacher but from time to time he researches dark curses and Hollowing. He is an expert on Hollowing and can partly lift it.The imortality stays but he can reduce the cost of the soul by about 10 percent.he has no knowledge of his past and often ignores question about it or tries to avoid them. if unavoidable he clarifies them in a very offensive manner. He has been living for 200 years which is yound in his teachers eyes and is rather weak compared to normal necromancers. He has lost many friends to so called "Heros" and doesnt like people with negative views of his orientation. Hollow often needs to clarify that Necromany itself isnt an evil type of magic and that magic doesnt have an orientation, but mostly that people associate it with evil persons who misuse their power.

How he came to Equestria: He came to Equestria when he was interlocked in a battle with a White mage.When he died he didnt respawn at an bonfire but in the Everfree. There he build up a small home using 2 unboud dead manticores and a bound Skeleton using a soulstone of an old friend of his. The Skeleton is called Dawn (he is quiet, praises the sun, can use small light speels like heal and is Hollows best friend). The people dont talk much about him but they think that he is some ooold evil out to take over the world... even thou he is a nice guy and just does his research on souls and necromancy ( most probably feared in Equestria )

Powers : Hollow Soul has 3 Special Abilitiesand a Special Artefact and a Curse. Hollow has a pair of special eyes calles Soul Seeker. These Eyes allow him to see the souls of people around him and allow him to estimate their strenght.He then has the Life Stringers Hands Giving him the ability to create bound creatures using the souls of passed away people in soul stones and giving them their concious back if wanted. The Last is the Rare Ablitiy given to him by his ancestors Blood that ,When he is about to die he can turn into a lich for a short time, and giving him the ability to summon spirits of legendary knigths and even dragons to his aid and give them ghost like bodies for a short duration.His Artifact is the Ring of Souls allowing him to communicate with souls in soul stones and hauting ghosts. The Curse named Hollowing is the one form Dark Souls which eats at your soul when you die ..slowly making you insane (soul can be restored with an item called human effigy( i think) ). his normal powers are Medium Necromancy, Summoning, basic elemental school (fireball and such), and not much else ...

also english isn't my first language ~cough~
(fix) god dam now i want to edit these litttle bits and bobs

[Dark_Night]

4169245 well i like the concept. perhaps i'll implement something like this after the main plot is done

[Zero of Nine]

4169349 Well Thank you
i shall read and wait until then as i am not confident enough to write about him myself ,,,
and for that i would need to plan a lot ....
and not just imagine it on the spot

[Dark_Night]

4177280 would you have preferred that the four show up in equestria by some magical portal? because that is TOTALLY realistic...

and TOTALLY not cliche