Chapter 33:
Escaping From Slash
After defeating the Conductor and Steam and the crystals are charged up, Twilight, Sunset, Applejack, and Spike approached the two freed Guardians with Applejack and Sunset approaching them first slowly so they won't be taken for threats. As they approach them, Cliffbore and Inferno woke up and looked to see their pupils Applejack and Sunset smiling at them.
"Cliffbore, are you and Inferno alright?" Applejack asked.
"Don't worry about us, Applejack. We're fine," Cliffbore, the brown Alicorn stallion, assured in a gruff but wise voice.
"Yes, and thank you two for rescuing us in time," Inferno, the red Alicorn stallion, thanked the two mares with a smile and a wise voice.
"Well, we actually couldn't have done it without her," Sunset said as she and Applejack moved aside to show the two rescued guardians Twilight and Spike walking up to them.
"I…I don't believe it," Inferno gasped lightly, feeling greatly surprised and shocked to see what is in front of him and Cliffbore.
"The Alicorn Warrior lives," Cliffbore declared.
"She's got a name you know," Spike stated to them.
"Yes, my name is Twilight Sparkle. And you two must be Cliffbore and Inferno," Twilight said.
"Yes, yes, we are, and I must say Inferno and I never thought we'd live to meet you Twilight," Cliffbore said.
"Um, look, I'd love to be here and chit chat and hug everybody but…may I suggest we all leave before the volcano blows up?" Spike suggested.
"He's right. We need to tell the others what Slash is up to," Inferno said.
"Follow us, we'll lead you guys back to the temple," Twilight said as she, her friends, Spike, and the two Guardians begin to make their leave.
"Yeah, let's go, I'm right behind ya. Well, actually I'm right behind you," Spike rephrased.
But before they could even leave, the ground began shaking violently and it wasn't from the volcano. Then suddenly bursting from the ground and shooting upwards into the sky, a strange silhouette appeared with strands of lava around it. The five Alicorns and Dragon watched the figure go up "Oh, no," Sunset said with worry.
The creature then stopped and spread its wings, getting rid of the surrounding lava, and revealed itself to be Slash, a tall black Alicorn stallion with a gray mane and tail. When he looked down at the heroes below him, Slash let out a menacing evil laugh.
"Run!" Cliffbore commanded as he and Inferno stand in front of The Mane 3 and Spike.
"We'll hold him off!" Inferno said as the two Alicorn Stallions glared at Slash.
"See that, when they said run, I think they know something," Spike commented.
Slash then flew down and grabbed the two crystals, charged with Inferno and Cliffbore's magic, as he begins to fly off with them. Cliffbore and Inferno gave chase and flew after the evil stallion to stop him from taking the crystals. Yet, Slash knew they were chasing him, and just when they were about to catch him, Slash then turned around quickly and zapped them both with his magic, knocking them out of the sky.
Twilight, Sunset, and Applejack were shocked and frightened to see the two guardians get hit like that as they watched Inferno and Cliffbore fall out of the sky and crashed onto the ground, almost looking unconscious.
"Cliffbore!" Applejack shouted.
"Inferno!" Sunset shouted as well.
As Inferno and Cliffbore regained consciousness and got up, rocks began to fall but Inferno and Cliffbore managed to quickly dodge them but became trapped.
"Go, you four, fly like you've never flown before!" Inferno shouted to the Mane 3 and Spike.
"We'll go back to the temple for help!" Cliffbore added.
Hearing what they've said, Slash turned his attention to The Mane 3 and Spike as they looked back at him with fear and terror written all over their faces. Quickly, Sunset, Spike, and Applejack began running from the monster Alicorn but they soon stopped and noticed somepony is missing.
"Wait, where's Twilight?" Applejack asked, realizing that Twilight isn't with them.
Spike, Sunset, and Applejack looked behind themselves and saw Twilight still standing looking at Slash in complete fear and terror, she has frozen. Seeing the Alicorn mare all froze and stiff, Slash took this opportunity and flew down to Twilight, ready to kill her.
"Twilight, run!" Spike shouted to her.
But Twilight didn't move a bit, she was still frozen.
Yet, just when Slash was about to harm her, in slow motion, Sunset came to her aid and pushed her out of the way. Missing his shot, Slash ended up crashing into the wall and lets out a monster horse-like whinny, feeling very agitated. While he was distracted, Sunset and Twilight saw their chance and ran off to get out of here.
Slash saw his targets getting away and shoots out fire from his horn right at them, Twilight and Sunset ran from the fire and jumped down from a nearby ledge, dodging the fire. They continued running as they see Spike and Applejack ahead of them, Slash's whinny was heard behind them. Knowing what that means, the Mane 3 and Spike took off running with the black stallion chasing right behind them in pursuit.
"We need to get out of here!" Spike shouted as they ran.
"But where can we go?" Twilight asked.
"The way out is right through the top of the volca-Whoa!" Applejack said as she and the others screeched to a halt to see a sheer drop in their way.
Slash's whinny was heard as the Mane 3 and Spike looked back quickly and jumped off the ledge as Slash came down and missed them again. The Mane 3 and Spike flew down into the volcano trying to find a way to get away from Slash. Then Twilight looked ahead and saw a tunnel and got an idea.
"This way, into that tunnel," Twilight ordered as she and the others flew into the tunnel with Slash still chasing right behind them.
The Mane 3 and Spike have tried every trick they can to get away from Slash. They flew down the tunnel with Slash following behind them, they flew right of the tunnel and Slash followed them giving out a Monster Horse-like whinny, they even flew left of the tunnel, but Slash still manages to chase them. Flying around a corner, the Mane 3 and Spike stopped and gasped to see Slash ahead of them. But as Slash blew fire again, The Mane 3 and Spike quickly dodged out of the way and stopped to take a breather.
"Which way to the exit now?" Twilight asked, panting.
"Up there!" Applejack pointed to the tunnel above them.
"Come on, we need to get out of here now!" Sunset ordered as they began to fly up the tunnel to the exit.
But then Twilight looked down and behind herself and the look of fear and terror returned on her face. Then she turned to her friends as everything went in slow motion and yelled, "FLY AWAAAAAAYYYYYY!".
As Twilight flew, appearing below and behind her, Slash flew into the tunnel. Spike, Applejack, and Sunset saw him as well and they too flew as fast as they could to get away from Slash.
Still trying to escape Slash's pursuit, Twilight, Sunset, Applejack, and Spike managed to break through the volcano wall, thanks to Applejack's Earth Kick, and continued flying away with Slash still in pursuit.
The Black Alicorn Stallion started gaining on the Mane 3 and Spike, mostly Twilight since she seems to be falling behind, and snapped his jaws at Twilight's tail, almost snagging it. But Twilight dodged it as Slash tries again but Twilight dodged it again.
"Twilight Look Out!" Spike shouted.
Twilight looked behind herself and screamed as she saw Slash getting close enough to capture her.
The Mane 3 and Spike continued flying away from Slash but every move they tried doesn't seem to shake him off.
But just when Slash was about to nab them, he was suddenly stopped and blocked by gold and blue beams of magic as two familiar Alicorns then charged in and tackled him. Twilight and her friends stopped and turned around as they saw something that made their eyes widen. Fighting Slash was Celestia and Luna, the two Alicorn Princesses were having a struggling start but they are now getting the upper hoof.
Celestia is using her magic to distract Slash and Luna uses hers to strike him. The fight between Celestia, Luna, and Slash didn't last long because while Slash was distracted by their magic, Celestia and Luna saw this opportunity and together they rammed into the Dark Alicorn Stallion and plunged into the darkness down below.
Seeing them disappear into the smoky abyss triggered something in Twilight as she yelled, "The Princesses!".
Twilight, Applejack, Sunset, and Spike flew around trying to find Celestia and Luna, but even when Twilight, Applejack, and Sunset lit up their horn they still couldn't find them.
"Where are they?!" Sunset asked frantically.
"Any sign of them, Twi?!" Applejack asked.
"No, I don't see them anywhere," Twilight replied, getting very worried.
When the four friends were about to continue their search, Inferno and Cliffbore appeared in front of them and blocked them, preventing the Mane 3 and Spike from plunging into the darkness.
"Inferno, Cliffbore, get out of our way! We gotta find them, help Celestia, and Luna," Twilight ordered.
"But Twilight, didn't you see what happened to them?" Spike reminded her.
"He's right, I hate to say it but they're gone Twilight," Sunset told her sadly.
"There's nothing we can do for 'em now," Applejack added, hanging her head.
"No, they would never leave me. I wouldn't leave my mentors either! I just got to find them!" Twilight said, refusing to give up.
"Twilight, I'm afraid your friends are right," Inferno told her firmly.
"We are?!" Applejack, Sunset, and Spike asked in surprise and confusion as Spike mumbled, "Wow that's a first,".
"Yes, you'll never find them in this mess and you're not ready to face Slash yet. Time to fight will come, but it is not now," Cliffbore stated sullenly.
Seeing they were right, Twilight sighed in defeat and said, "I guess you guys are right. Let's go,".
Cliffbore, Inferno, Sunset, Applejack, and Spike then set out to return to the Temple while Twilight looked back hoping that Celestia and Luna were okay. Yet, Twilight felt some guilt and regret having put two of her mentors in danger and now are probably captured.
"Celestia, Luna please be alright," Twilight said with worried hope as she follows the others back to the Temple.