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Slowly, taking timid, gentle steps, Thorax began to lead Spitfire with Rainbow at her right side down a narrow path. On their left, patches of the black ooze lay in pools of varying sizes. Some small enough only to stand in, others large enough for groups to wallow in. How deep they were, none of them knew, nor did they care to find out.
On the other side, a steep drop-off opened up to a pit where a collection of the glow crystals gave off a pleasant blue glow that reflected off more of the ooze.
Clip clop. Tip tap. Crunch crack.
Each step they took, as carefully as they were, brought about the faintest sounds of their meticulous maneuvers. The good fortune of being pegasus meant Rainbow and Spitfire were naturally lighter, yet Thorax was surprisingly light on his hooves as well. Even for his smaller frame, he should have been heavier.
As they slowly tracked forward, a grinding of crystals stretched and echoed up to them. All three stopped dead in their tracks.
“Nopony move,” Thorax whispered so low it nearly wasn’t heard over the crackling and grinding below.
Loud sniffs were heard down by the glowing crystals. Something large and beastly managed its way below to the dangerous depths where the ooze had pooled together.
Out of instinct, Spitfire’s eyes shifted towards the noises.
Dancing on the walls were only the reflections of shadows of a large pony’s head and mane cast by the light from the crystals. The shape was familiar, yet it was distinctly wrong in its form. The snout was too long, longer than an Arabian’s, and the mane seemed to shift and flow like an alicorn’s. Then the noises… they were not pony-like at all.
Grunts and groans that were too deep and bellowing as if they were warnings from forest dwelling predator and squeals that stabbed into the air like cries of a nightmare escaping into the waking world.
Bum bump. Bum bump.
Rainbow was shivering, her coat quaking over her skin as the excited noises grew louder while her heart pounded louder and louder in her chest.
“Move… slow,” Thorax whispered again.
“Move… slow,” Thorax whispered again.
Bum bump. Bum bump.
Had it not been for Spitfire’s tattered wings still held over Rainbow’s back, gently pulling her forward, she likely wouldn’t have had the fortitude or enough sense about her to take the first step. Truth be told, she was worse off in this venture than in any before. She had lost her sight, couldn’t run, fight, or hide. She was utterly defenseless and had to rely on Spitfire and this new changeling they hadn’t figured out yet.
Now, these new noises were sprouting up around here, echoing their haunting growls and sickly grunts.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to protect herself if anything were to come at her. The new guy could bolt at the hint of danger, and Spitfire was injured and not as battle-tested as Thunder Glide or half of her other friends. She needed Cerb or Cadance or… Actually, there wasn’t a long list of candidates that were available or capable to choose from at this point.
Bum bump. Bum bump. Bum bump.
“Ah,” Rainbow quietly huffed inward. “Uh-uh”
Rushing in just in time, Spitfire threw what remained of her left wing up to cover Rainbow’s muzzle.
“Achoo…”
They all stood still. The sneeze was covered but still loud enough that all three knew by the sounds reverberating throughout the caverns that Spitfire’s efforts had not been enough.
“Rrrrrrrrr!”
“Move faster,” Thorax whispered. “Don’t run, and don’t look up. We’re almost out of here.”
Clip clop. Tip tap. Crunch crack.
Their hoof steps moved faster and louder as they continued their approach to the end of the land bridge that would take them closer to their exit. It was then that pebbles and tiny chunks of ice began to trickle down from high above the ceiling, and Spitfire reflexively looked up.
Flickers of blue lights blinked and swayed from the giant stalactites that stabbed out from the cave’s ceiling. At first, the lights appeared like sparkles or glints from the ice or perhaps more of those glowing crystals that dotted the caves. But the longer she stared, the more she realized they were staring back at her.
There were no crystals to emit any glow. The area was too dark, save for the soft glow of those tiny orbs of blue narrowing their focus of light.
“I said eyes down,” Thorax grumbled, forcing his hoof down on Spitfire’s muzzle to direct her eyes to the path below her.
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