Wonder-Colt 3: The Dragon's Trap.

by Will of Haphinea

Aquatic exploration, and the path of the Sea-Dragon

The beach didn't change much at all since the last time Wonder had been there, save a few trees being bucked of their coconuts and a stray rope tied to another. It was a bit reassuring that Applejack had taken the task of clearing this area of enemies to heart and also using it for food and materials for her friends. I'll have to complement her on that later, he thought to himself, before he jumped below the second island and began to explore the water, running into a few more ditsy crab monsters, as well as new, very goofy looking fish that didn't seem smart but wanted to harm him, They were rather easy to take care of at this point.

The goal to explore here was an area he noticed before: A series of blocks that seemed to hide more than what they lead on. With the block-busting ability on his sword unlocked and ready to use, he struck the offending material and was soon in a new area that lead deeper underwater still. Despite his body being able to handle the swimming part of the task well, one thing he wasn't used to was a new found amount of pressure as her swam further on deeper. He used his accessory gills to absorb some breathe, and focused his mind on his friends, his loyalty to his Princesses, and especially to the Elements. He had to do this for whoever was here.

Swimming past another tunnel, he found a few new type of fireball-throwing octopi, of the blue variety. He mentally recalled that the colors represented how tough the enemies were, red being the weaker variety the blues being the toughest, and green, somewhere in the middle. Two swipes of his newest sword ended the lives of the first few that attacked, but as he swam further, it was more prudent to just swim past the monsters, as the more he killed, the more and faster they came out of the caves to attack. An interesting thing he found as he exited the area was a couple of floating block that seemed to block his path by slowly moving in his way. It was interesting to observed, but without any training in magic (besides what monster land magics he used), he couldn't tell how these were moving by themselves.

After they opened up the path, he quickly swam past and swam up the exit of the passage, and as soon as he exited two blue Octopi sat at the entrance and spat their fire at him, one missing, and one hitting his scaly flesh. The fire hurt much more than he remembered it usually did, perhaps due to his current body form, Regardless of the reason to the increased pain, he took out the two creature with little pity and with a slight bit of wrath in his eyes. He snapped out of it, and saw what was ahead of him: a ship, much like that ship he saw above on the far end of the beach. This was the deck area of the ship, while the part he saw was the bottom of the large ship, which suggested this vessel was stuck upside down. A door loomed ahead invitingly, with some sort of text above that he did not understand. He however, recognized the style of the script...it was like how the Great Kellie wrote! This is where the Sea dragon would be!

---

Meanwhile, back at the village, there were loud cries coming from the tower, where Noir was being kept, Fluttershy went with Applejack to try and calm down the unpleasant Night Guard, and Pinkie was giggling to herself watch Silhouette guard over Zed at the hearing of Noir's voice.

"Let's move him inside Pinkie, I don't want him to hear anything else from that....never mind, if I could have your help..." the female Night Guard said, but Pinkie had already zipped off with Zed and came back before her request was even finished. "Hmm, thanks then!"

"So, why do you like him? Is it because he's tough, or is it because he's different or OH! do you have a thing for Earth Ponies, unlike Mr Meanie pants in the.." Pinkie was stopped during her rant, by a rather upset Silhouette.

"I cannot explain it...but, I suppose it won't matter. I am a Night Guard, and I cannot exactly abandon my new duties now. That said, both Zed and Wes know something about the different pockets of non-ponies in Equestria. Call it a curiosity for me...but don't you find it odd that you have never heard of them?" she asked the party pony.

"Hmm, maybe, but I guess it doesn't matter. I think the Princesses would know..."

"They didn't know about the Changelings, nor about the threats that were made until that wedding. Heck, neither did you girls until your leader had her suspicions. I am not saying that our Princesses are hiding anything, but maybe they don't know what is out there." She said the last part with some reluctance, as the other Elements came, and from their body language, she could tell they heard some of what was said.

"What are you sayin' there, Shil? Are you sayin' that there are more things we should be afraid of? Or that the Princesses aren't..." Applejack was cutoff not by the Night Guard but by her friend Fluttershy.

"I think we just heard wrong, what did you mean to say, Miss Shield?" the shy Pegasus said with surprising conviction behind her voice.

"Well, I am pointing out, that both Wes and Zed knew each other before this incident with these new monsters came up. I had never knew Zebras and Ponies could...make lil colts and fillies" She paused a brief bit as Pinkie was giggling and Fluttershy and Applejack sort of blushed at the implications. "That said, I have overheard what Wes has said before, and there seems to be even more creatures out there that live in Equestria he found. I want to know more, that's all...and I know a very special pony who is going to help me!" She started towards the Inn, leaving the Elements alone to talk to themselves.

"Do you really think there are other creatures out there like Zed or like *gulp* DRAGONS!?!" I don't know if I want to know about that!" Fluttershy said, with a bit of nervousness in her voice. She was ok with creature that were pony-like, but dragons were a different story.

"I don't know, sugarcube. I think it would be best if we asked Mr. Wes about this, and get all our secrets out in the open. It ain't right hidin' things from each other, I do agree with Miss Shield there" Applejack said, and the other girls agreed with her. They would confront him when he came back with their next friend, who Pinkie was convinced would be Dash.

"I sure hope that stubborn sea-pony finds the secret armor set before fighting that meanie sea dragon. He's a tough boss to even get to!" Pinkie said, to no one in particular, and then bounced back with Fluttershy to help with the hospital, unaware that Wes was indeed nearly at the underwater dungeon.

---

Wonder was certainly ready to go through the door, but a voice in his head, who strangely sound like Pinkie Pie, was urging him to continue looking in the water and finding some sort of secret armor. He figured it wouldn't harm him any to do so, and proceeded past the ship's door, and followed a path, that he could have swore was constructed, as it was not a natural cave, but lined with bricks instead of rocks like the rest of the cave systems underwater.

There wasn't much down the path, until no less than a half a dozen blue fish cam out and swarm around him in the cave, and tried to overwhelm the lone solider underwater. There wasn't much to do, except just swim past these annoyingly tough things and continue on. One does have to know when to fight,m and when to flee.

After finding a door, he entered it and found a treasure chest, but instead of some armor, he was given an extra power heart, and while useful, it wasn't what he expected at all. Regardless, he was glad that he chose to listen to the Pinkie-in-his-head, and continued back to that ship, and face that dragon once and for all!

=====

Inside, he was greeted to a sight of new, and very annoying monsters: ground hiding ghost! These would have been less annoying, if they didn't both fire fireballs, as well as pop up behind you while fighting other, and more tougher enemies.With his sword handy, most of these were dealt with quickly, while most were ignored, and rushed past. Each floor of the upside-down ship revealed more and more challenging colors of all enemies he met outside, but something was very odd in here as well.

As he fought most of the enemies, be they ghost, cyclops, or whatever monster, they all cried out for scales. This was very disturbing, and reminded him of the Zombie ponies he fought sometime earlier, but, oddly. he never heard them cry for anything, except when they fell dead. There was also evidence of some sort of shines to the Sea Dragon, who trut be told, looked like some sort of pirate.

Despite this information, Wonder focused on his task at hand, and went forward until the third floor, where two tough cyclops stood guard. Using some fireball magic, as well as his trusty boomerang, he managed to dwindle their health down, and pass their bodies into the entrance of this, the next boss.

---

Usually, when he fought these dragons, the three times before anyway, they would start off attacking him. But this pirate Sea Dragon just stood there, with his patched eye and hooked claw, and laughed at the sight of Wonder as he entered.

"To be honest, I thought that Kellie would have had the guts to come herself, not send another tasty Sea-Pony to my den directly! This world is just getting better and better!" The Dragon spoke!

"How did you, wait, NO! I am no Sea-Pony, I am a Royal Guard of both the Sun and Lunar Princess, and on behalf of them, and the Great Kellie, I shall defeat you, and remove your curse from this land, and my body!" Wonder declared, hiding his fear of a talking dragon pass him by.

"I must say, I never heard of these Princesses, but that Kelpie? Did she ever tell you what and how she trapped her Ponies? I was very upfront with my appetite, chased my meals, and ate the pathetic Sea-Ponies til they were all consumed...She on the other hand would woo unsuspecting males and females as an image of their perfect someponies, and then, as they embracedm she ate them! You call me evil, and that one you represent was FAR more deceptive than I EVER was!"

Wonder was shocked, he knew much of Kellie's good works, but, he knew that she had a dark side too. It was just so hard to here she was like a carnivorous Changeling, and the thought made him sick to his stomach. He gripped his sword tighter and posed threateningly towards the Sea Dragon anyway, choosing to take his new found anger at it rather than himself for now.

"You still don't get it...whatever then, I'll give you this one chance. Join my servants out there! You'll survive as a servant of the Sea Dragon, and in return you'll have a long life and my protection, so long as you bring me a worthy sacrifice. I already consumed the Rainbow-maned Pegasus, she fought me so bravely, but in the end, she was, and still is DELICIOUS! So, what are you going to do? I want the buttery Pegasus next, or perhaps that candy Pony.."

While the Dragon ranted, despite everything that was said about the Kelpie he knew and even befriended, this dragon was by far worse. He made others do his dirty work, in exchange form some imagined protection, and longer life! This was, even more sickening than anything, but it was something he could take advantage of. he only hoped that Rainbow Dash was not fully digested yet, otherwise....

"I'll join your Path of the Sea-Dragon, and I'll deliver them all to you, just....bless me with stronger resolve, and strength, and I shall get them for you, Master." He tried hard to hide to hide his devious smile, and so far, the dragon bought it.

"Bow before me, and be blessed with the Dragon's Fury!" the pirate theme dragon declared and before the ceremony could complete,the small sea-pony was quick to use the extra strength to strike his smaller sword he had as a bunny solider into his other good eye, and blinded the Sea-Dragon permanently! It cried in anger and in anguish, and used it's own fury to release a flurry of hooks towards the last location of the traitorous Pony, but he completely missed, and the stronger pony kept at him, striking his face and trapped him against the back of his huge personal quarters.

"To all those you deceived and to all those innocent Sea-ponies you selfishly ATE to extinction, I kill you for them!" He slashed his stomach area one more time, to rescue Dash, before the Dragon collapsed, and succumbed to his wounds. The Great Sea Terror was defeated, and with a heavy heart, Wonder rushed to the brave and muck covered Pegasus, and began to resuscitate her as quickly as he could.

There was just one thing that completely slipped his mind as he was doing that: that cursed blue flame! The bits dropping everywhere should have reminded him, but he was so concerned with her rescue, the blue flame snuck behind him and zapped him into a new, albeit more fearsome form: a Manticore! He was upset at letting his guard down, but this was a good thing, the extra strength would prove useful to getting this dying Pegasus to Fluttershy and the others!

He picked her up on his back carefully, and made his way out of a new hole that was put in the bottom of the ship and he walked out of the hull, and was back on the beach. The poor crabs and other monsters on the beach, that were just trying to attack him, suffered great destruction, as both his anger and the Manticore strength tore the little monsters to little pieces, and soon, he found his "Return" door back into town.

---

He roared loudly to get the girls attention, and resumed giving Dash his undivided attention, clearing the nasty fluid from her face, and breathing for her. Of course, it would be very brave of him, had he remembered that the others did not know he was a Manticore, and soon enough, both Applejack and Silhouette attacked him, while Pinkie and Fluttershy checked on Rainbow. Fluttershy had Pinkie take her to the hospital, and with a look of both anger and authority he had only seen from the Princess she stared into his new beastly eyes.

"How DARE YOU ATTACK MY FRIEND! Why would you...wait...Mr. Wes? Is that you?" Fluttershy transitioned from anger, to calm, and reassuring, to regretful, int a matter of a few moments, but, to Wonder, this was one of the scariest things he had ever seen.

It is said, that when someone faces Death, or something equally as scary, they can confess things that nothing else in the world could make them do, this is what was said from Wonder, as he faced the direct effects of the Stare full-force:

"I confess! I thought you and Applejack had nice flanks! I think Silhouette is crazy, but she has those sexy wings that drive me wild, I secretly stole a few bits during the first mission outside of Whitetail Woods. I once checked out this Griffon in the canyon town, and even made-out with her. I kissed Pinkie in her sleep! I...am a horrible rescuer! I should have asked for help. I so wanted to be a Unicorn for years in school, but now I wanted to be a Pegasus...I" Wonder was cut off by a smack by Silhouette.

"Snap out of it, she knows it's you....and I freaking KNEW you were checking me out! But you are sooo not my type, sorry!" The other girls around the freaking out Manticore were either sharing some embarrassment about what was heard, mainly Fluttershy, and some anger, from Applejack.

"Ah can't believe you Wonder, no, I won't keep up with your lie anymore! You don't have the right to look at me like that you ya, lil varmit!" she said, before marching off, and proceeding to fall into the river while not paying attention. She looked around embarrassed of what she did, but ran into the hospital to check on Dash. (probably)

"Hehe, I knew I got kisses from someone, but I thought Dashie or Fluttershy was being nice to me! You kiss like a mare, Wonder!" Pinkie added, adding to the awkwardness that was rising.

He looked at all their faces, and trotted as quickly as he could to the Inn, and dropped a bag of dead Octopi to Smokey. "These are yours, as long as you keep everypony else out of the Inn for a while except Zed and I; is that understood???"

"You don't have to tell me twice! *Oink-Snort CHOMP!* "Mmm, seafood!" Smokey was content with eating, and locked all the door, and sealed the windows with magic he had prepared, in cases such as this.

---

"Today was not a good day, Zed! I confessed all those things, what is going to happen to me? I can't rescue the others without the other Elements support, and what if Ms Dash doesn't survive? I'll be doomed! Everyone was so mad, and don't even get me started on Sillie...she is probably laughing her head off now!" Wonder explained to Zed, who just listened to him recall the story.

"But, you beat the Dragon right? That's the important thing, besides rescuing us here. That's all the Princess asked you to do, that's what you must do." Zed said, still wiping some lipstick off of his face from his previous encounter that he felt he would tell his friend about later.

"I suppose so, you lazy rhymer! That said, I need to sleep on this. I hope this will cool down before tomorrow. Good night, Zed." Wonder walked off, and went to his room. He laid down, and as he settle in with his larger Manticore-frame, he felt something else in the bed. He lifted the blanket, and Pinkie popped out, and kissed him in the mouth, and bounced away, but turned back, and added "Now, we are even! Good night!"

"These ponies will drive me crazy, I know it..." he said before sleeping.

Comments

[Will of Haphinea]

Yay! Back on schedule! For now on, Tuesday is the best day to update! I am planning very soon to write my first follow-up story to this. It won't be involving the Mane-six, but the CMCs, and a certain, former pony-eating creature I have been mentioning. So, was I foreshadowing this entire time? No, I couldn't be doing that =p

That said, it'll be posted probably once Rarity is rescued, as the final form of Wonder will be revealed, and then, his last mission will be the last dragon, that hold our favorite student of the Magic of Friendship! I shan't spoil beyond that basic set-up. There will be a few addendums and an Epilogue as well.

Like I said in my last update, I plan on posting the next chapter this Thrusday, so two days from...now-ish..=p This will be a bit of a 'smooth-over' chapter, calming some emotional drama-bombs, and starting the rescue of Rarity. But no worries, I plan on making the actual fighting of the next dragon a focus. This Dragon, in game wasn't too bad, but getting to him...UGH! I hate it!

That said, I also plan on having the other girls helping now too, Pinkie with her "game knowledge" and Rainbow competing with AJ on who can beat the most enemies. Any suggestions please feel free to write below, PM me, or whatever!

D

[MeadowRosePony]

One does have to know when to fight,m and when to flee.

This was very disturbing, and reminded him of the Zombie ponies he fought sometime earlier, but, oddly. he never heard them cry for anything, except when they fell dead.

( , )

and then, as they embracedm she ate them!

It was just so hard to here she was like a carnivorous Changeling,

(hear)

he only hoped that Rainbow Dash was not fully digested yet, otherwise....

( He)
Just a couple of grammer mistakes but over all well written.
I hope you don't mind.