Manonymous Part 9: Anon & Spike VS The Diamond Dogs(???)

>Spike really is an impressive digger
>He seems to be gauging which way to go through nothing but finding the loosest dirt with touch
>His path takes the two of you left, right, sometimes a little bit up before dipping back down as well
>You've completely lost any sense of direction except for which way gravity's pulling the two of you
>Figuring out the way back to P0nyville might be a bit tricky after this is all over...
>But you have bigger concerns right now
>Finding Rarity and beating the shit out of her kidnappers sounds good
>How bloodied should you leave them?
>Guess that depends on how badly she's been treated.
>If she's been hurt for any reason by these bastards...
>You feel yourself gritting your teeth unconsciously as your anger builds
>You'll be sending them surfing straight to the deepest pits of hell on a tidal wave of blood and bone
>You're snapped out of your introspection with a yelp from Spike as he breaks through something and tumbles into a lit cavern of some sort
>Relinquishing your grip on the sides of his tunnel, you drop down next to him and pull him back up onto his feet
>"Thanks big bro," he says wiping dirt and sweat from his brow
"Not a problem, little bro."
>You take a look around the cavern. It appears to be a mining tunnel...
>The air is stuffy, and it feels like each breath is half air and half dust
>Multicoloured laterns hang all around, leading off for god only knows how long
>Minecart tracks lead down both ways, with no indication of what might be the correct way to your goal
>Leaning down and examining the dirt reveals no hoof tracks, so if they didn't transport her by cart, they must have carried her...
>It looks like the ground is littered with paw prints...
>Wolves or dogs of some sort?
>Tracking isn't exactly a skill you've invested time into
>You can't pick out what tracks are new and what are old
"Spike, how's your nose for tracking?"
>"Sorry bro, but the only thing I can sniff out is gems..."
>You grunt in response. Not surprising, but not what you'd hoped. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Then we're doing this the hard way it looks."
>"The hard way?"
>You straighten up and look down both ends of the tunnel.
"Left or right? We gotta guess, little bro."
>Spike glances around nervously. "S-so, there's no way to know for sure? But, what if we pick wrong? What if we end up getting lost in these tunnels forever, just wandering around in never-ending dark, dangerous caves until we start to starve and the other one of us starts to look tasty, or if we try to...!"
>Ho, boy. He's starting to panic. Better shut this down quick.
>A swift flick to the forehead oughta do it
>You swat him right between the eyes while he's still rambling scared, and he stops his grisly descriptions long enough to rub the spot you hit and give out a low "Owww..."
"Relax, Spike. If we pick the wrong direction, we'll just turn around and try another way. And if we get lost, you can just dig us a path to the surface. We'll be fine, got it?"
>He nods, still blinking back a few small tears and rubbing where he got flicked. Maybe you hit him a little too hard. "Y-yeah, just fine... Okay big bro, if you say so."
>You smile approvingly at him. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "That's the way, little bro. Come on."
>You turn and look down one of the ends of the tunnel. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Let's try this way first. Hey, did I ever tell you how I beat Shining Armor?"
>He walks over to your side, still holding his head with one claw. "Uhhh... I don't think so."
"Well, it all started when Twilight brought me before Princess Celestia..."
>As you start to step down the dimly lit passage, you regale Spike with how you took on Shining Armor. The first rush, being sent flying from one hit, fighting back after removing your limiters and finally defeating him, before revealing exactly how much damage he really did to you.
>As your own enthusiasm grows throughout the story, embellishing it with wide exagerrated movements and manly shouting, Spike's eyes widen more and more and his fear is replaced with joy and wonder.
>"You really had two broken bones the whole time you were sending him flying with just punches!?"
"Yep! Adrenaline is a wondrous thing, little bro. It can help a man shrug off the most greivous wounds! A few busted ribs are nothing to a man like me!"
>You puff out your chest with pride and pat the side that had taken the damage from that fight, grinning at Spike. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "There are even men in history that have fought and won battles after losing entire limbs, and gone on to tell their story! So nothing short of disintegration will ever stop me from reaching my goals!"
>Spike blanks out for a moment, thinking about that. A few seconds of him picturing such a situation, and he blanches and shudders in revulsion.
>You chuckle and ruffle his head spikes. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Relax. I don't plan on becoming an amputee or dust in the wind any time soon, or letting anybody close to me go that way either."
>He looks up and beams at you. "Because you're strong, right big bro?"
>Your expression grows darker and more serious.
"That's right, little bro. I'm strong. I have to be. There's no other way for me but this. And someday, if you work hard, you'll be as strong as I am."
>The serious mask on your face cracks, revealing your usual wide grin.
"Maybe even stronger! Hahaha!"
>Spike's face only falls and turns glum at your words. "I hope that's true, big bro... Because right now, I just feel weak and helpless. I couldn't do a thing for Rarity..."
>His eyes drop to the ground. "Even though she looked so scared... I hope she's alright."
>There's moment of silence in the tunnels, with nothing but the sounds of footsteps before you decide to break it
"Y'know Spike, my teacher once told me something that he tells everyone that becomes his student, something that he says to give motivation and spirit to those without confidence in themselves."
>You pause for a second. No response. So you continue.
"He said, "There is no such thing as a strong man in this world. There are only those that are weak, and those that are trying to become stronger." What do you think of that?"
>He looks up at you, frowning. "But... That doesn't make any sense, bro... There's gotta be some strong things out there. Otherwise, what's the point of trying to get stronger?"
>You think for a second.
"It took me a long time to figure out what he meant too, little bro. But here's what I think about it:"
>Spike's staring at you intently now, hanging on to your every word
"The instant you stop trying to become stronger, the instant you stop trying to be better than what you were yesterday, there's only one way to go: down. You'll grow weaker and weaker until you're nothing but a shadow of who you used to be. And if you're weaker than who you were, even if it's by a little... How can you ever call yourself strong again?"
"You must always strive to be better than the man you used to be before you can attain strength, Spike. That's what I think he meant."
>Spike looks awestruck. "Be better than the man you used to be..." His energy resurfaces, and he pumps his fist with his eyes scrunched tight and a smile plastered on his face. "I get it, I get it! That's so cool, big bro!"
>Looks like you've managed to teach him something else today. Man, you are a kickass big brother!
>But your self-satisfaction doesn't last long
>A sudden draft on your skin shifts your attention. Coming from straight ahead...
>You drop into a crouch and cover Spike's mouth with one hand, making a 'shush' motion with the other
>He gets your drift and nods, dropping into his own crouch, mimicking you
>Looks like you found the end of this tunnel
>Before you the tracks end, and everything opens up into a dark and silent cavern without light
>This feels wrong. The entire thing is too quiet, too dark compared to the mining tunnels
>The two of you look forward and you start to sneak forward as quietly as possible
>Nothing but the cool breeze
>Funny, even though it's not that cold, you're still feeling shivers down your spine...
>Your gut is telling you this place is bad
>But you have to make sure Rarity isn't being kept here somewhere...
>You put your mouth close to Spike's ear and whisper, [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Spike, I need a light. Can you give me a little fire here?"
>He doesn't speak, merely nods and takes a deep breath before exhaling a large fireball from his mouth
>It hits something, something which catches quickly and spreads the fire lights up the whole cavern
>It appears as if this place is an abandoned underground village of some sort; holes in walls where doors and windows would normally be, made for creatures slightly shorter than you it looks like
>Empty latern holders, abandoned mine carts and mining tools litter the ground
>But that's not the thing that stands out the most
>It's the webs
>Giant webs, filling every corner of the room, cocoons of the stuff hanging everywhere from the ceiling
>From the sheer amount of them, it's either a metric fuckton of little spiders...
>Or one very fucking huge one
>And with the fire spreading onto them and starting to consume everything, a terrible hissing starts to come from somewhere in the cave
>It's woken up
>You picked the wrong path to go down
"Spike, run."
>"Wha--"
"RUN!"
>You scoop up your little bro and turn, sprinting as fast back down the tunnel as your legs will propel you
>You're pretty goddamn fast when you try
>But you still hear that shrieking hiss and now joined with a clicking and rattling of some kind
>You REALLY don't want to see the thing making that noise
>But then you feel Spike sieze up under your arm and hear him give a whimper
>You can't resist turning your head for a moment, even though every rational thought in your head says to keep running and never stop
>Mother of Mary, Joseph and Jesus H. Tapdancing Santa Christ that is a HUGE motherfucking spider!
>It's at least twice to three times your size, and constantly scuttling forward on its 8 gargantuan legs
>Covered with hairs that look like a thousand black needles
>Each leg has a dangerously shiny black pointed tip to it with what looks like barbs sticking out of it
>Armed with a massive thorax that comes with a equally massive stinger on its end, glistening with some kind of... ooze, dripping from it
>And the fangs... They're the size of your forearms
>With eight black orbs for eyes focused solely on the creatures that torched its webs, it charges down the mine, determined to kill the things responsible for the hateful flames
>Namely, you and Spike
>And to make things worse...
>It's faster than you are
>Slowly but surely, it's gaining on you
>In these cramped tunnels, and with nothing to use to your advantage to slow the thing down, no way to zig-zag or try to lose it, it WILL catch you
>Looks like eight legs are a pretty good advantage for it down here in the caves
>Your mind races, going over possible scenarios
>There's nothing around here to improvise into weapons except for the lanterns, but they look extremely well secured... You don't have time to try and figure out how to knock them loose
>If you just keep running, you'll have less stamina for fighting it for when it gets close enough to attack
>So the sooner you turn to fight, the better, and you'll be fighting with bare hands
>But Spike...
>His fire could come in handy for fighting it off, but you'd be just as likely to get burned in a closed-in area like this as the spider would be
>Plus, if it managed to get by you...
>An image of those horrible pincers piercing Spike through his middle as you can't reach him flashes into your mind...
>You dismiss it as quickly as you can, a shudder of revulsion running through you
>No, it's better if Spike gets away from this thing as quickly as possible
>And you'll have to hope that you're strong enough to take this thing down by yourself
>Worst comes to worst, you can always take some of the doping medicine
>Mind set on a course of action, you start to speak to Spike
"Spike, listen carefully. I'm gonna throw you forward as hard as I can, and then I'm gonna hold that thing off. Get as far away from here as you can in that time, and I'll catch up once our scuttly friend here is taken care of. Understand?"
>He looks up at you, eyes wide with horror.
>"B-but, big bro! What if you can't--!?"
"No buts!"
>You growl quickly at him, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Your job is to get ahead, see if you can find Rarity, and if you do, come back for me. I guarantee that this thing'll be nothing but paste ground into the dirt by then, and I'll be coming back to meet you halfway. Am I clear?"
>He swallows nervously and nods. "F... Find Rarity. Report back. Got it."
>You smile grimly. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Good. Now, Spike... FLY!"
>You roar out as you lift him bodily in one arm and throw him forward before skidding to a stop and turning to meet the beasts black fangs.
>Spike somehow manages to tuck and roll as he tumbles along the ground, getting up into a sprint as fast as his legs will carry him
>The spider gives a dread screech as it lunges forward, and you duck under its head to avoid the bite, slamming your fist directly underneath its mandibles as hard as you can
>The creature doesn't seem to feel the blow, snapping its fangs towards your jugular again
>A duck and a roll to get yourself directly underneath the beast, and you kick up with all the force you can muster
>The kick penetrates its abdomen, covering your shoe with some kind of green and black goop
>You quickly withdraw your leg in disgust
>What you wouldn't give for an industrial sized container of bug spray right now, if only to save yourself from the smell of this things insides soaking into your sock
>And a hiss of pain accompanies a renewed attack, as several pointed-tipped legs are raised and brought down upon you
>You dive to the side, pressing yourself up against the tunnel wall, and you move away from--
>SHIT
>WHERE THE FUCK DID THAT LEG COME FROM?!
>You thought you were keeping track of all of them, but this one must have been in a blind spot, because it's just cut off where you were planning on escaping to!
>You grit your teeth and smash the joint of the offending limb with a left hook, giving you just enough time to move forward
>None too soon; the spider's maw smashes into the wall you were up against
>It quickly withdraws and comes at you again, aiming to slam you with its entire body
>A leap and a kick, you grab onto one of the secured laterns and use it to propel yourself up and over the spider, stomping it in the back for good measure before landing behind it again
>The thing is quick to follow you though, turning around and hissing
>It pushes the pointed ends of its legs into the wall, scuttling onto the ceiling and jumping at you from above
>Another roll forward and you're able to launch a flurry of punches around the hole you opened up in the thing's thorax, widening it and spilling more of its insides on the floor
>Another shriek and another whirl, it's facing you again, clicking its jaws rapidly, foaming at the mouth
>Looks like it's really pissed now...
>But it doesn't change its strategy
>Climbing on the walls, leaping at you again
>This time instead of rolling underneath it, you move to the side and hit another one of its legs in the joint with a sickening crunch
>The leg now hangs weakly at its side, instead of planted on the ground like the rest
>The spider hisses again, more softly now
>Strange... It's like its rage disappeared...
>It takes several slow steps towards you, advancing with eyes fixed on you
>You match each of its forward steps with your own backwards steps
>What the hell is going on? What's changed to make it act this way--?
>You feel your answer on your back
>A long, sticky strand of... Something holding onto your shirt
>Turning your head, to see, you realise what it jumped to the ceiling for: it was trailing a small trap for you
>A single strand of almost see-through web is holding you in place, stretched from floor to ceiling
>In the dim light of the caverns, you couldn't make it out clearly from a distance
>It was placed in a way that you would be most likely to stumble into it
>Clever bastard...
>A shriek of triumph and the spider leaps upon you
>You start to tear out of your shirt to escape
>The barbed, glistening black stinger descends on you as you struggle to escape the trap...

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>You'd been running for you didn't know how long
>Your legs had felt like they were on fire, your breathing was slow and ragged
>The only thing that kept you going was big bro's words; first Rarity, then go back for him
>As the clicking and hissing faded and your bros image faded into the dark, you slowed down to a walk, gulping down precious air
>You've never been so scared in your life... That spider, that monster, it was gigantic!
>And big bro is fighting that thing all by himself...
>You start to mumble to yourself under your breath, trying to comfort yourself.
>"He..."
>"He is going to win... Right?"
>You blanch, and slap yourself for that thought, shaking your head.
>"Come on, Spike! Of course he's going to be alright! You heard the way that he beat Shining Armor! And, and what about those timber wolves he took care of?"
>"Some giant bug couldn't POSSIBLY be a match for him!"
>"Yeah! Big bro is unstoppable, right!? He's GOTTA be okay! He's just gotta!"
>...
>"But..."
>"What if he isn't...?"
>Your worry starts to rise, a sinking and hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach.
>"What if he needs my help to fight off that thing?"
>"But... What can I do anyway?"
>You kick a pebble glumly, and stare at the ground.
>"I'd probably just get in bro's way... Heh, yeah, I'm no good with something like fighting... I'm too just scared..."
>"... Fighting like big bro does just isn't possible for me."
[spoiler]A courageous heart makes all things possible![/spoiler]
>"I mean, I'm even smaller than p0nies, and big bro towers over them! Someone as tiny as me would just be a burden for him..."
[spoiler]I'll need somebody to watch my back in case things go south. Think you can handle it little bro?[/spoiler]
>You sniffle a little, that feeling of dejection fading slowly.
>"But... Bro fought something way bigger than him and still won..."
>"That mean old timberwolf didn't stand a chance against him, did it?"
[spoiler]"B-big bro... You... You really trust me to watch your back?"[/spoiler]
[spoiler]There's nobody else I'd rather have by my side right now than you, Spike.[/spoiler]
>"And... And... "
>Your foot steps have stopped now, and you look back over your shoulder
[spoiler]Your claws cutting through even the hardest rock, claws that can even one day carve through the heavens![/spoiler]
>"He... He brought me down here because he trusted me..."
[spoiler]This is our strongest combination attack![/spoiler]
>"And... And I ran, like a coward!"
>Hot tears of anger builds in your eyes.
>"Big bro is fighting alone, and here I am fleeing for my life!"
>You grit your teeth and clench your claws into a fist
>"Well... No way! I'm not going forward alone!"
>"I'm going to help big bro! I'm gonna fight too!"
[spoiler]Let's go! Little bro![/spoiler]
>You start your charge down the tunnel, back to where your bro is fighting
>"Hang on, big bro!"
>"I'll show you I can be courageous too!"
[spoiler]Believe in me as I believe in you, and we'll get Rarity back safe and sound![/spoiler]

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>The spider circles around you slowly, hissing and clicking and twitching and threatening to attack
>You abandoned your shirt to the web in the tunnel, and barely managed to escape the attack
>It still got a nasty slash beneath your ribs, but didn't manage to inject any poison into the wound
>After taking that attack, you realised that you stood very little chance against the spider sticking around the cramped tunnel, so you ran back to its cave which was still lit by burning webs
>Now with more room to manuever, you won't be caught by the same trap twice
>But another problem has come up in this battle
>Your attacks, no matter how much force behind them, seem to have practically no effect
>You've put holes in its body, broken three of its legs, blinded two of its eyes, even smashed the tip off of one of its fangs
>And it doesn't slow, it doesn't stop, it doesn't hesitate
>Its thick body just absorbs all the shots you send at it
>It barely seems to feel pain
>Its stamina is just as good as yours, if not greater
>It's like fighting a monstrous version of yourself, a mirror image of your tenacity
>You're not tiring, not quite, but if this keeps going this way, you'll start slipping up
>You need something
>A better weapon
>A sword would come in handy
>Or...
>Fire
>If you had fire to wield, this fight would become a thousand times easier
>It seems to fear and hate the flames still consuming its home
>Your eyes glance around the cavern
>Searching for something you saw earlier
>Behind the circling spider... An overturned minecart and...
>A pick axe!
>Smash that thing straight into its brain with enough force, and it'll die
>Even if that doesn't work, if you can get to some of the burning web, you'll be able to wrap it around the pick use it as a torch
>You lock eyes with your opponent again as it circles
>And take one small shift towards it
>The monster takes this as a signal, and leaps at you again with the same shriek it always makes when it attacks
>At least it's predictable
>You roll underneath once more, making sure not to get anywhere near its stinger, and sprint for the pick
>The spider quickly recovers its stance, whirling around and leaping at you again
>Grabbing the pick in a dive, you spin and swing the axe straight down to intercept its trajectory
>You miscaulculate: swinging too slow, and it manages to catch the pick in its fangs
>With one sickening crunch, the pickaxe falls to pieces
>Hissing with satisfaction, the spider steps over the pick, deliberately cutting you off from it
>Fuck. Now you've gotta try and find another one
>But breaking eye contact will just give this thing an opening to jump
>... Maybe you can use that against it?
>Very slowly and deliberately, you turn your face away from the spider
>But your eyes still keep staring into its own
>You break your stare, quickly scanning the room for any other abandoned picks
>A flicker of movement out of the corner of your eye: it's just leaped at you again, you know it
>So you duck forward again, underneath it mid-leap
>And you shove it on one side
>The creature clicks and hisses in confusion as it turns over it midair before landing on its back
>Shrieking and rocking, it tries its hardest to right itself, but it's stuck upside-down
>You take your chance, dashing for another pickaxe nearby
>You grab it up as the spider rights itself, foaming at the mouth and clicking its fangs in a frenzy
>Now running for burning web, the monster charges forward on whatever working legs it has left
>You wrap what little web you can in the time you have before the beast knocks you over
>The now burning pick falls, jarred from your grasp
>That impact knocked you for a loop for half a second: but a half a second is enough for this thing
>You come to your senses with a pair of fangs coming down upon you, intent on your jugular
>Grabbing at where its neck should be, a desperation throw gives you some breathing room again
>You can feel the tip of its fang scrape your skin as it goes over your head
>Jumping back, you grab your neck and pull your hand away to see your hand with a thin line of blood marking it. Dammit, that was close
>The spider hisses in satisfaction, slowing down and approaching carefully
>Looks like it got some of its confidence back after landing that hit
>But the monster's onto you now: it skitters around to cut your path off from the flaming pick
>Every time you try and go for a new pick, it cuts you off again, keeping you from getting your hands on a decent weapon
>Shit. This... Is getting bad
>Without a weapon, it's not likely that you'll be able to land a killing blow
>Without a way to wield fire, you can't gain a psychological advantage either
>And without a way to finish this quick, you'll have to risk breaking it down one piece at a time
>It's been working well up til now, but for how much longer...
>"B-bro!? Are you here?!"
>Spike!?
>Your eyes snap around together with the spider's to see your little bro slowly stepping wide-eyed into the cavern
>He freezes up as he spots you, with blood trickling down from your neck to your shoulder and back and a gash in your side, and the spider, with a few holes in its body and most of it injured or missing pieces in some way
>You look at him
>You look at the spider
>Spider looks at him
>Spider looks at you
>You're both thinking the same thing
>Gotta get to Spike!
>You dash out as the spider starts its scuttling, Spike frozen like a deer in the headlights
>A swift boot to the bug's side, sends it sliding for a second, enough time for you to get into position in front of Spike
>Stomping the ground, you settle back into your stance, guarding your little bro from the beast
>It hisses, displeased that you managed to cut it off from another potential prey
>Like fuck you're handing your little bro over to that thing!
>Waitaminute, why the hell is he even here!?
"Goddammit Spike, what are you doing back here? I thought I told you to go ahead and find Rarity!"
>He flinches at your harsh tone, before swallowing nervously
>"I-I know, big bro... But, I didn't want you to be fighting this thing alone!"
>He came back to help you?
>"I remembered you telling me... We're a team, right? We fight together! A combination attack! You told me to believe in myself, just like you believed in me! And I wasn't going to let you down by being a coward!"
>You glance down in surprise to meet his gaze, and you see his eyes.
>They were fearful before, but now... They're charged with a fire. The fires of courage.
>He's determined to help you, anyway that he can.
>Even if his shaking legs betray the fear beneath the surface.
>You sigh in defeat.
"Normally, I'd say that I expect you to do what I tell you to when things are this serious, but in this case... You made the right decision Spike. I've been floundering against this thing by myself, and had a few close calls too."
>His determination starts to fade a little, hearing and seeing your struggle.
"But now that you're here..."
>You turn your gaze to meet the shuffling beast once more.
>With the addition of Spike, a lot more options open up...
>Visualisations of potential methods of attack and paths to victory
>Together with your little bro...
"We're gonna kick this things ass!"
>You quickly explain the plan of attack to Spike, how each of you will play your parts in the battle
"Got all of that Spike? we both have to cover each other for this one. Either of us fails, we both fail. That's our gamble."
>You can see his throat bobbing as he swallows nervously. "Alright big bro... I can do it. I can do it! I won't let you down!"
>A smirk takes over your face. You've got a helluva reliable little bro here...
"Then get ready... Here I go!"
>You charge out towards the spider, kicking up dirt and rocks with each step forward
>A screech comes as the spider meets your challenge head on
>Ducking underneath another bite, you pummel it with fast-but-weak blows
>It hisses in annoyance, jabbing down at you with its stinger, trying desperately to pierce you
>Dodging back now that you have its attention, you circle around it until--
>*FWOOSH*
>With its back turned on Spike, it's the perfect opportunity for your little bro
>A fireball sears the back end of the beast
>Its rattling howl reverbating throughout the cave, it turns to try and hurt the one that wielded the hated flame
>But its howl is cut off by a foot slamming into its head
>Rattling angrily, its eyes and face are attacked over and over, and it can no longer ignore you
>With a screech, it tries to stab at you with its legs
>Another circle-strafe around it, it follows you instinctively, and thus--
>*FWOOSH*
>This second fireball catches it in the side, and starts to catch around the holes you made in its body earlier
>It tries to wheel around on little bro again, but you don't let it, not even for a second
>You can't let it forget your presence, continuously throwing attacks at it from close range, targeting whatever vital parts you can identify
>It's trapped
>The instant it focuses on you, you open a gap and allow Spike to blast it with fire
>And as soon as it tries to focus on Spike, you're there, bringing its focus back on you
>It's simple, but highly effective
>Its hisses fades away to gurgles, its foaming mouth becoming stained with blood pouring from its maw
>The fire crackling over it burning away hair, fat, skin and muscle
>It realises its death is near: it cannot escape alive
>So it makes a final reckless charge, trying to mow you down
>You feel a grim smile on your face, and wind up for your strongest front kick
>Your foot connecting with the beasts head, sending it upwards
>Stepping back to allow Spike his final burst, turning your back on the beast
>And the last thing it sees is a gout of fire coming from the tiny purple dragon it would have made into its next meal
>Collapsing onto its side, it gives on final gurgling hiss before silencing for good, nothing more than a burning, twitching corpse
>You start to pick at the dried blood on your neck, pondering the fight
>You should start carrying a weapon from now on. You won't be able to rely on Spike's presence for such things forever
>Speaking of your little bro...
>He tiptoes forward towards the spider's body, peering anxiously at it
>"Is... It over? Big bro?"
>You glance down at him before returning your sweeping gaze to the room.
"Yeah. Won't have to worry about that thing ever again."
>He breathes a sigh of relief. "Good. That was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life... I don't think I could take it if it got back up again!"
>You ruffle his headspikes again, making to walk for the exit. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "After the beatdown we just gave it? Nothing could get up from that, little bro."
"You did good today, little bro. Remember the fear you felt as you faced that thing. Remember the driving force that kept you going through the terror it put in you. The fire of courage that burns inside of you as it burns in me... Grab hold of that feeling and never let go."
>Turning around, you give him a broad grin.
"That's the first step to becoming strong!"
>He stares dumbfounded for a moment before giving a big, dopey grin right back at you.
>"Gotcha, big bro!"
>Before the two of you leave this place for good, you give a final look around the burning tomb of your foe
>Won't take long before the webs burn away into nothingness, plunging this place back into darkness again...
>Maybe it won't ever be lit up again
>A fitting resting place for that monster.

-------------------------------------------------------

>Following the tunnel, you now know what to look for
>The lanterns that are clearly newer, without dust and brighter colours
>The cart tracks that lack rust or other signs of decay and disuse
>The fresher, darker scours in the dirt compared to the lighter, greyer marks
>If you had known this shit earlier, it would have saved a helluva lot of time...
>Well, at least you know that spider won't be causing anymore trouble
>At least you managed to snag your shirt off the web and use it to clean yourself up a little
>Still gonna have to get those injuries bandaged properly though
>You look down at your little bro, humming a little made-up tune for himself
>You can catch snatches of words every now and then, mostly his and your names, with a lot of different words that all mean awesome
>Is he... Is he making up a theme song for you two?
>You stifle a laugh and refocus your gaze ahead
>Everything is starting to look even newer than before, which means you're probably getting close
>A slight tremble underneath snaps you away from thoughts and daydreams to what's coming
>You throw out an arm to stop Spike from continuing and place a finger to your lips to indicate silence
>He nods tersely and instinctively turns to cover your back
>You smile to yourself. What a reliable little bro he's turning out to be.
>The earth above and below shudders and quakes. Hands pop out from the dirt beneath grab your ankles as three more opponents drop from the ceiling with loud whoops and cries
>You finally get your first good look at them: dirty grey fur and bulldog-like features
>Large hands like a gorilla, with sharp tips on the ends
>Humanoid, bipedal dogs... Interesting
>Too bad they're SO GODDAMN SLOW!
>You grab the hands that emerged beneath and roll forward. As the dog's shoulders and head emerge from the dirt with a confused whine, you brace your feet against them while holding his wrists and slam him down headfirst into the dirt
>A jump back into the air to meet the other three, and your right leg connects solidly with the side of the rightmost ones head, sending it into a cartwheel midair before it lands facefirst in a wall
>Planting your feet, the other two land and start to turn as you charge
>You grin with glee: it's been such a long, long time since you've gotten to pull this one off, and they're just close together enough for it!
>They're facing you now, eyes widening with horror at their two unconscious comrades, and the unknown creature responsible charging them at incredible speed with arms flung wide open
"DUAL HORN..."
>Your arms catch the dog-men straight in their throats, and you follow through with extreme speed and force, crushing their windpipes and sending them flipping head over heels, just like the other two
"LARIAT!"
>Their skulls hit the ground simultaneously and they fall limp
>You dust yourself off, and admire your handiwork. Four enemies in, what, 5 seconds?
>And you even got to shout an attack name out.
>Not too shabby.
>Spike stares jaw dropped as you step calmly over the unconscious body of one of the dog-men
>You look back and ask, [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Are you coming, or what?"
>He picks his jaw up off the ground and hurries after you
>"That kicked ASS big bro!"
"Oi, oi, language little bro! Didn't Twi teach you not to cuss?"
>"Oh, uhh, I-I just meant that, uhh, I mean I didn't, that is...!"
"Just messing with ya little bro. Might not wanna talk that way around Rarity, though. Anyway, that was a good sign: I recognise their hands as the ones that dragged Rarity into the dirt. So we must be getting close if they're finally getting in the way."
>Spike nods. "Right! So, uhh, what's the plan bro?"
>Your heart pumps a little faster. You smile warmly at your little bro.
"Do you know what the phrase 'curbstomp battle' means, little bro?"
>1 minute of walking later,and the tunnel finally opens up into another cavern
>This one appears to be of the same sort as the old, but it's entirely lit up
>You press yourself up against a wall and motion for Spike to do the same
>The two of you move forward quietly until you can finally peek around the corner to see what's going on
>A fairly large group of the dogmen... Some swinging picks, some pushing carts, and some...
>Standing around Rarity who's shackled to a cart!
>Your blood starts boiling over with rage. Your nails start digging into your palms and your knuckles turn white as you grit your teeth.
>Slavery, huh?
>You look around the cave. There's nobody looking in your direction
>The way some of the carved buildings are shaped, you could climb up to almost directly above where Rarity is shackled...
>A smirk plasters itself onto your face. Time to get the... *drop*, on these bastards!
>You signal for Spike to follow you, and the two of you start clambering up quietly
>Spike makes his own holds with his claws, while you grab onto whatever cracks you can find
>As you get closer, climbing up and further in, you can hear Rarity's voice growing louder and more indignant
>At least she doesn't sound hurt
>A minute of climbing and sneaking gets you and Spike close to your location
>You finally reach the highest roof in the cave, a ledge directly above Rarity and her tormentors
>Both taking a quick look out over the ledge, you and your little bro see--
>*SLAP*
>...
>Did those motherfuckers just smack her on the flank?
>You look at Spike
>He looks at you
>He seems pissed
>Good, cause you're pretty pissed too!
>Rarity's voice fills with shock and disbelief over being struck
>You hold up a hand and mouth a countdown to Spike.
>3...
>2...
>1...
>Just as Rarity bursts into tears, you leap over the edge, aiming directly at the one responsible for hitting Rarity, leg thrust downward
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
>The dogs and Rarity look up just in time to see your heel plant itself right between the eyes of your target
>Your foe is crushed into the ground, not making a single sound except for the noise of its form crumpling into the dirt
>Spike quickly follows, cushioning his landing with the now unconscious dogman, standing on its chest and making lots of (what he thinks are) tough, growling noises
>You'll have to teach that kid how to intimidate properly at some point
>As you stand, cracking your knuckles and shifting your neck, Rarity gives a small squeal of delight. "Oh my!"
>You look down at her and smile. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Sorry we're late. Miss us?"
>Her tears are entirely forgotten now, she flashes a winning smile like nothing was ever wrong. "Well, since you made such a dashing entrance, I suppose I can forgive your tardiness THIS time, Anonymous! Spikey-Wikey!"
>You give her one final smile before turning your back on her to face the speechless dogs. They seem to be having trouble taking in what just happened.
>But the shock fades, and soon their hackles start to rise, as they start to slowly advance as a group upon the three of you
>They're about to learn that quality outweighs quantity
>Your smile fades, and you shift your feet in the dirt until you reach a comfortable stance
"Spike, you protect Rarity and get her out of that cart. I'll cover your backs."
>"Roger that, big bro!" Spike gives a quick salute with two claws and starts scrabbling to free Rarity from her confines
>The dogmen are closing in on you now. Still you bide your time, waiting for them to reach the appropriate distance...
>Time slows to a crawl. You pick your target. Plan your moves. And then...
>Strike!
>Your heel finds the gut of your first target, who crumples, gasping and heaving
>A backfist crashes into the side of one of the more daring beastmen
>A hook here
>An elbow there
>The occassional throw
>The whole fight begins to blur together as instinct and muscle memory overrides conscious thought
>This entire scenario... It's so much like the brawls back home
>Completely outnumbered by a bunch of thugs that barely know how to throw a punch, and you relying on nothing but reflexes and practice to make it out
>Except these mutts are even less competent fighters than the wannabee punks you were used to
>Or maybe you're just that much better now than you were before?
>It's like daydreaming to you now
>You feel... Disconnected from everything
>Like a spectator inside your own body
>Testament to all the shit you've been through before
>Proof of experience
>It feels like just a few seconds have passed even though it's been a chaotic fight, minutes long
>You blink, and it's... Over
>All of the opponents are down, or fled
>"Woaaaaah..."
>You snap back to reality, giving your head a shake to clear the fog that results from going into autopilot like that
>"That was AWESOME bro!"
>Spike's eyes are practically glittering with admiration.
>You try and make a humble expression.
"Years of practice, little bro."
>Rarity swans about, freed from the cart's shackles and now bemoaning her appearance
>"Oooooh my, such a daring entrance! And look at me, all muddied and dirtied from these tunnels! Hardly a fit sight for such brave rescuers!"
>You shake your head chuckling. Held captive for hours by strange dogmen, and she's worried about dirt in her fur.
>A hand grasping your ankle makes you jump in surprise, but a whimpering makes you hold off from stomping the source.
>Looking down, one of the dogmen is holding your ankle with a lump swiftly sprouting from his head and making pathetic whining noises.
>"Never wanted this... Only wanted the precious, the shiny... Not worth the pain... Take it away, pleeeeeease!"
>Your lip curls in disgust. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "If you never wanted your beatdown, you should have thought about that before resorting to kidnapping, punk."
>The dog shakes its head violently. "No! No! Not care about fight! Bruises heal, cuts get better. But the whining... It's stuck in my head! Take her away, stop her torture!"
>Wait, what? Torture?
>Rarity gives a little cough. "O-oh, don't pay that horrid beast any mind, darling. Come, we still have time to obtain a few jewels before heading home!"
>You ignore here, crouching down to stare the dog-thing in the face. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "What do you mean, 'torture'? Aren't you the ones doing the torturing around here?"
>Its eyes widen as it shakes its head even faster. As it speaks, its fetid breath washes over you, and you crinkle your nose in disgust at the smell.
>"No! Not torture! Only wanted her to find, show us the gems! But she... She... Never. Stopped. Complaaainiiiing! Always, whining! Always want things HER way! Made us dig for her! Made us treat her like princess while we worked!"
>That gets an eyebrow-raise out of you at least. Rarity breaking these things with nothing but... Whining?
>She shuffles awkwardly on the spot, smiling half-heartedly at you now. "Oh how ridiculous! The tales these things will tell to get themselves out of trouble. Now, Anonymous would you kindly...?" she says, trying to flutter her eyelashes at you again, but it ends up looking more like a nervous twitch
>Your eyes narrow. You stand upright, giving Rarity a stern look. She tries to match it, but her eyes keep darting around nervously, and she wilts under your stare.
"Rarity... Were you really that comfortable down here? While me and Spike were worried for your life?"
>She opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to decide on what to say, before huffing indignantly. "W-well... I may have had a FEW words for them! Trying to shackle a lady like myself and use her as some sort of... Of... Blue-collar grunt! Hmph! The sheer cheek of such things, I could hardly let them go unchecked!"
>"So, I let them have a piece of my mind... Made a few requests in exchange for my help with their little gem hunt, and they accepted. Well, right up until they tried chaining me to the cart again, like you just saw. But I'm certain that I would have had them back under heel given a few moments with them myself."
>A groan of frustration escapes you. You rub your eyes with thumb and forefinger, exasperated. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "All that effort for a bunch of mutts that you had wrapped around your hoof like a whipped husband..."
>Spike pats your knee sympathetically. "Aww, come on bro. It's not so bad! I mean, hey! Better than just digging all day, amirite? And look!" He points over at one of the cave walls, lined up with carts.
>"All the gems we could ever need and more! Mmmm... Shining and sparkling, all different colours of the rainbow..." He licks his lips, wiping away a bit of drool and sighs hungrily.
>You stifle a chuckle. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Well... I guess it was more exciting than just standing around in a field all day. And beating that giant spider into the dirt will make for a nice story once we get back to P0nyville!"
>Rarity beams her usual, wide smile. "You see! Everything worked out for the... Wait..." Her smile fades as she realises what you just said. "Giant... Spider?"
>You flash her your usual fierce grin. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "Oh, you're gonna love this one, Rare. We'll tell it to you on the way back home. Now, come on."
>Kicking off the hand of the whining dog, you stride over to the cart-lined wall. [spoiler] [/spoiler] "You still need gems, right? If we both pull a cart, that'll give you more than enough for your dresses."
>She trots over to the carts, still trying to process what you said. "Yes... But... Giant spider...?"
>You share a look with Spike. He glances at Rarity, still slightly open-mouthed, and nods sagely.
>Yep, your little bro agrees. Looks like you broke Rarity.
>Shaking your head, you start dragging a cart behind you as Spike jumps in the back, and as Rarity grabs her own, you begin to regale her with the story of
>Anon & Spike VS the Cave Spider!