The Rainbow and The Tiger

by PantheraMan

Chapter 11: Pranks and Blood

Author's Note:

Thanks to Norm De Plume for editing!

The sky grew darker, still covered by a blanket of gray. In a patch of woodland a river rushed through the area, cutting the woodland in half. On one side a herd of wildebeest drank from the river. One of the wildebeest lifted its head up and sniffed the air. It bolted off into the trees and the rest of the herd followed, kicking up dirt and mud. Sulu had entered the riverbank, followed by the rest of the group. “Alright everyone, We can rest here for now.”

“Finally!” Talamba exclaimed, plopping on his side. “My paws are killing me!”

Wildfire stretched out her back and yawned. “I could use a nap.” Partak and Konda had lain down on their bellies and yawned and Partak placed his head on his paws. Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat down in the dirt, both stretching their arms. Rainbow Dash looked over at Baagh Raaja who looked around him, and then turned back into the trees.

Night Sky noticed Baagh Raaja leaving. “Where are you going?” she asked.

Baagh Raaja stopped and turned his head. “I’m gonna see if I can find some impala,” he answered before entering the woodland. Rainbow Dash grabbed her geode, forcing her wings to appear, and launched into the air. Flying above, she mostly just saw trees, but managed to glimpse Baagh Raaja on the ground. Baagh Raaja stopped, twitched his ears, and looked around. He took one step forward and stopped again.

“Are you following me Rainbow?” he asked, not even turning his head.

Rainbow Dash blushed and Baagh Raaja turned around and saw her. “Hehehe...sorry,” she said, scratching the back of her head.

Baagh Raaja smirked. “I don’t mind you hanging around me after last night, just as long as you don’t give me away,” he said

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked

“Yeah, so you might want to get out of the sky so you’re not as visible,” Baagh Raaja said before walking again. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and followed. She watched as Baagh Raaja sniffed the ground and then made a face that made him look like he was snarling, yet his tongue was sticking out. Rainbow Dash lifted an eyebrow, then a scent entered her nose. She sniffed, and got on her hands on the ground and sniffed the earth. Baagh Raaja watched with bigger eyes.

Rainbow Dash sprung up “OOOH dead meat up ahead!” she cheered. She paused and shook her head and then blinked.

“Did I just say that?” she asked, looking at Baagh Raaja.

Baagh Raaja chuckled, making Rainbow Dash raise her brow even higher. “Relax, when you’re a predator it’s perfectly normal to be attracted to carrion,” he said

Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around herself. “But that’s the thing! I’m a human! I’m not supposed to be like that!” she said, looking him in his eyes.

Baagh Raaja just stared. “Well your new instincts disagree,” he replied, walking ahead of her. Rainbow Dash turned and followed, but still kept her arms around her.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “At least I have control over them.” Baagh Raaja slightly turned his head to her, but turned it back. A smile came across his face and his eyes widened a little and chuckled a little.

“Until you go into a rogue state,” he said, turning around to face Rainbow Dash.

“Excuse me?” she asked, unwrapping her arms and putting a hand on her hip.

“There will be a time when your instincts will go crazy, to the point where you won’t be able to control them, and you’ll go on a killing spree, leaving a trail of flesh and blood,” Baagh Raaja explained in a deep haunting tone.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes got big. “W-What?”

“And then someone would have to kill you,” he said, very casually

Rainbow Dash felt her heart race, and she breathed rapidly. “Oh no no no no no this can’t be happening this can’t be happening!” She plopped on the ground in front of a tree, holding herself tightly.

“And you know what else will happen?” Baagh Raaja asked, approaching her.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking as if she were to have a heart attack.

“Gotcha!” Baagh Raaja yelled, and laughed so hard he found himself rolling around on his back, hitting the ground with a paw.

Rainbow Dash growled and spring up and punched Baagh Raaja’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s not funny!” she yelled as her face turned as red as a tomato.

Baagh Raaja looked at her. “Says you, you should’ve seen the look on your face!” He continued laughing

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. “Let’s just keep going, ” she growled., Baagh Raaja managed to get up and his laughs became softer as they went on.

Suddenly Rainbow Dash came to a stop. Baagh Raaja stopped and saw the corpse of a rock python laying in their path. “A python?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Baagh Raaja got closer, and put his head down to it. Then he smiled again. “You know what we can do with this right?” he asked.

Rainbow Dash raised her brow again. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

---

Back at the riverbank, Wildfire yawned as she stretched her front legs and back. “That was a good nap,” she said before going to the river’s edge for a drink.

Baagh Raaja had just come out of the woodland. “Hey Wildfire!” Wildfire lifted her head from the water and turned around to him.

“I killed a wild pig, want some of it?” he asked.

Wildlife's eyes expanded like a blooming flower and her mouth drooled a little. “OOH yes!” she exclaimed before rushing into the trees right past Baagh Raaja who simply walked into the trees. Wildfire slowed down and looked back at him, blushing a little and giggled. Once Baagh Raaja had caught up she walked again, but at a quick pace.

“So what type of’-” Wildfire stopped to see the dead python coiled up. She screamed, her back hairs stuck up and her tail stood straight up. Baagh Raaja laughed so hard he once again fell on his back and Rainbow Dash, who had been hiding in a tree fell out of it and rolled on the ground laughing with her arms around her stomach. The both of them began to calm down when they saw Wildfire laying on her back with her eyes closed.

Baagh Raaja tapped her with his paw “Uh, Wildfire? Hello.”

“...I...think it worked a little too well.” Rainbow Dash said before Baagh Raaja grabbed her tail in his mouth and began dragging her out of the woodland. Night Sky was laying on a rock, taking in her surroundings. She took a deep breath and exhaled, but she twitched her ear at the sound of someone emerging from the trees. Baagh Raaja and Rainbow Dash had returned with Wildfire in tow. Night Sky immediately leapt off the rock and ran towards them.

She got in front of Baagh Raaja and stared him in the eyes. “What happened?” she sternly asked.

Baagh Raaja released his grip. “She’s fine, she’s passed out,” he said before grabbing her tail again and dragging her to the water.

“WHAT!?” Night Sky screamed, waking up everyone.

Baagh Raaja placed Wildfire so she was sideways to the river. He entered the water and with one swipe splashed water on her face. She woke up immediately. “Are you alright sister?” Night Sky asked.

Wildfire shot up from the ground and growled. “YOU JERKS! THAT WASN’T FUNNY! I COULD’VE HAD A HEART ATTACK!!” she screamed.

Rainbow Dash moved both her arms up and down. “Calm down, we're sorry.”

“We’re sorry,.” Baagh Raaja said after exiting the water

Wildfire’s snarling disappeared, replaced with a small smile. “Oh you’ll be sorry alright Baagh Raaja, WHEN I RIP OFF YOUR NUTSACK!” she exploded, nearly lunging at Baagh Raaja. Night Sky stepped on her tail.

“Sister, calm down. There’s no need for violence,.” she said in a calm tone.

Amber Eye watched and walked up to her sisters. “Night Sky, perhaps I should take her on a hunt to calm her down. For wild pigs?” she suggested.

Baagh Raaja froze, his eyes blinked, and he backed away slightly at Wildfire’s death glare. “...Fine. Let’s go,” she said before the two walked off into the woodland. Baagh Raaja remained motionless for a moment. Rainbow Dash and Night Sky started at him.

“I uh...I’ll get something to eat as well,” he finally said before crossing the river and entering the woodland with his tail between his legs. Rainbow Dash watched on and heard giggling behind her. Turning around it was from a few cat-girls, including the one who walked with Baagh Raaja.

---

The sky was getting darker. The group had moved under the trees. Baagh Raaja exited the woodland and crossed the river and joined them. He was carrying an impala buck by the neck in his jaws. The blue aura covered his body and his human form returned. He raised one of his fingers, the nail extended, turning into a claw. He pierced into the impala’s neck and cut the skin around it. He then grabbed a bit of the skin and pulled the hide off the flesh. “What are you doing?” Talamba asked.

“I’m cooking,” Baagh Raaja said before ripping the head off with his bare hands. “Step one is to remove the hide.”

Rainbow Dash watched. “You cook?” she asked.

Baagh Raaja ripped out the internal organs with his claws and hands. “Yeah. I sometimes get in the mood for cooked meat.” he answered.

Talamba rolled his eyes. “For the record dude, you’re weird,” he said.

Konda walked next to Talamba. “Hey, the guy had his manhood threatened, give him a break,.” he said, making Talamba step back and fold his ears. Applejack placed her hands on her hips and watched.

“Huh, ya know, I never thought you were the type who’d cook,” she said, peering at the skinned animal. Pinkie Pie rushed in and bounced in the air.

“I did!” she said. Baagh Raaja looked at her with a raised brow.

“Wait, how did you-” before he could finish Applejack and Rainbow Dash crossed their arms .

“It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it. I know better.” they both said in unison.

Baagh Raaja only stared for a moment, then shook his head and looked back at the carcass. “Alright. If you say so,” he said. He turned to the rest of the woodland, but before he could take another step, roars echoed in the distance. Growls and roars went back and forth. Night Sky looked around, her eyes got larger and her breathing became more rapid.

“My sisters!” she yelled before sprinting in the direction of the roars. Baagh Raaja was the next to charge, Konda and Partak followed suit. The girls ran after them and then Talamba joined in and ran past Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Before they knew it they exited the woodland and found themselves on open savanna again, running past a herd of gemsbok antelope and a matriarchal herd of Deinotherium elephants. The roars and growls got louder, the snarls of pain echoed across the savanna. Night Sky’s heart was racing, not paying attention to the puff adder in the tall grass while the others went around it. Suddenly the growls and roars stopped. Night Sky stopped for a moment, then sprinted off again, not giving the others a chance to catch their breath. Night Sky stopped once again, this time the other stopped. They walked next to her, and what they saw made them gasp. Amber Eye and Wildfire both lay on the group. Amber Eye was covered in claw marks and was breathing, yet she couldn’t keep her eyes open at all times. Partak was the first to walk to her.

“W-what happened?” he asked

Amber Eye snarled. “What does look like sabertooth? We were attacked!” she yelled before collapsing her head on the ground. Konda and Partak both got beside her and helped her on her feet. Baagh Raaja, the girls, and Talamba then looked at Night Sky. She was looking at Wildfire, standing still. They got closer, and saw why. Wildfire was also covered in claw marks, and a bite mark on one of her front legs. However, her throat was slit. Blood oozed from the wound, and created a small puddle of it in the dirt. The light in her eyes was gone, and her mouth was slightly open. Tears formed in the girls’ eyes, and Pinkie Pie hugged Applejack who held her tighter than a python squeezing it’s victim. Talamba allowed Rainbow Dash to lean on him. Partak, Konda, and Amber Eye lowered their heads. Baagh Raaja sniffed the ground, and growled.

“Bladed Claw,” he hissed. “His stench reeks here. Along with two of his cronies.”

He looked at Night Sky again, who kept her gaze on Wildfire, but now the first tear rolled down her face. Finally she plopped herself on top of her and began sobbing. A great pain took hold of Baagh Raaja’s chest as he watched Night Sky crying. He walked over to her and nuzzled her head with his nose. She placed her head under his neck and cried.

Partak walked over to Night Sky “She’s with a great spirit now. We must bury her now,.” he said.

“I’ll help with the digging,” Baagh Raaja offered

Applejack released her grip on Pinkie Pie. “I’ll help too.”

---

At the campsite, the tents stood high, and the men were mostly lying around or napping. Bloody Knife walked through the camp and noticed a trio coming into the camp. Two Danger Beasts, paws and fangs covered in blood had arrived. Between them was Bladed Claw. His lips were covered in blood, claw marks were on his back and shoulders. “So, how’d it go boss?” Bloody Knife asked.

Bladed Claw smiled. “Successful. We’ve made some progress in this battle. One less pest to deal with.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Is this story related to Tiger Bloom?

[PantheraMan]

11038319
No, it isn't. I haven't even heard of Tiger Bloom.