Chapter 99 – No Longer Enemies
The group kept running, Sselekk leading the way as he ran through town, "Image?" Spike asked as he tried to recognize the area, "What was that?"
"I am also curious about your temperament." Serenity said as she carried the baby dragon, "No Meltackian has ever been able to do what you've done."
"I…" Image began as he suddenly felt shame, "…May have lost my temper for a moment.
"Wait?" Spike asked, "That's what Meltackians look like when they get angry?"
"That wasn't anger." Sselekk said, "That was rage. I don't think a Meltackian has ever been that stressed out and upset before."
"And the power he exuded?" Serenity asked, "I've known Meltackians to be able to lift small, nearby objects with their minds but never a full-grown person. And with such a glow..."
"That wasn't Meltackian power." Spike said, "I'd recognize Magic anywhere."
"Magic?" Serenity asked as she turned to the baby dragon in her arms.
"I don't think we have the time for this right now." Sselekk said, "We have to find Kkimira and my father quickly and get out of here."
"Is that why we're not going to the exit we came in through?" Spike asked.
"Correct." was all Sselekk said.
They ran as quickly as they could, the silence echoed only through the gasps of shock others gave them as they ran right by, a sight like this was not one seen often, and wonder showed on all that witnessed them as they ran by. Sselekk suddenly stopped at the door of a large building, carved ornately out of one of the stalactites that stretched so tall it nearly touched the ceiling. "Whoa!" Spike gasped in astonishment.
Once the large Sunik man caught his breath, he made his way up the stairs, and flicked his tail to the front of his body in order to knock on the door gently, "FATHER!" he shouted.
"I do not sense any life in the building." Serenity said as she floated up to him.
"He's not home?" Sselekk asked.
"It appears not." she announced, "Also, we don't have much time left to look for him."
Sselekk growled a deep rumbling growl that echoed frustration, "I'll just have to leave a note or something."
"Let me." Image said as he floated up to him. He placed his hand on Sselekk's arm, then his other hand on the doorknob. With a quick focus, the knob shined the same color as his magic, and then faded. "Let's hope that worked." he said and turned, pulling his friends a few feet before the Law Keeper turned the corner, a large grin on the face of the warrior and blood on his claws.
"Oh, Egas…" Sselekk gasped, only to have Spike pry himself from the arms of Serenity and land just in front of them. He took a few steps to place himself in front of them and inhaled deeply. With a long exhale, he started to breathe fire, an orange fire that engulfed the Law Keeper as the Sunik started to yell in pain. Serenity quickly grabbed the baby dragon, lifting him up just as the flames stopped, and the group ran past the fallen Sunik as the Law Keeper clutched his face. "That was crazy." Sselekk said, "Thank you."
"We need to go..." Spike said, "…NOW!"
"First, Kkimira." Sselekk said, "And I know where she is." They kept running, not for as long as they just did, but for a rather shorter distance, into the crowded city, and to a rather fancy-looking shop carved from a mound of stone. The shop was ornate, to say the least, red painted wood lining the inside with bright tile flooring, purple curtains bundled up at each side of the entrance, and dresses displayed at intervals along the sides while racks and shelves of clothing were strategically placed around the store. Kkimira was easily found, perusing the racks of cloths near the front, "Kkimira." Sselekk said as he neared her. The Sunik female turned, a smile on her face until she saw the unconscious female in his arms, "We have to go."
"What on Sunik is going on?" she asked in surprise.
"I'll explain on the way, we need to leave now!" he advised and once again the group began to run, with Sselekk using the tip of his tail to wrap around the wrist of Kkimira and gently urge her on. They ran in silence, each keeping to themselves as they moved swiftly to the nearest exit, jumping quickly on the train, and allowing it to take them to a new location.
Up on the platform, just as the train left, the Law Keeper stumbled to the gate, looked outwards with his left hand on his face, and an angry scowl, as well as some of his hair, burned away. His breath heaved in his silent rage as he watched the train disappear, no telling what stop they got off at. In his anger, he growled and removed the hand covering his face, revealing the left eye to be dim in color and blind, red, and burned with a large fresh burn stretching across the left side of his face a small amount of blood streaming down his cheek.
"We'll leave at the next stop and walk to your platform." Sselekk said, "I don't think he's following us now."
"Sselekk?" Kkimira asked in stern worry, "What did you do?"
The large male Sunik slowly turned, a nervous grin on his face as he set his mind on either an excuse or a reason, "I…" he started, "…may have punched the Law Keeper hard enough to make him bleed."
She stayed silent for a spell, then narrowed her eyes as she cradled the unconscious mother of her boyfriend, "You what?" she asked flatly, "Why would you do that?"
Spike was just happy that they were the only ones in the train car now, "Don't get angry." the baby dragon pleaded.
"He did it to protect his mother." Image said to everyone, getting them to stop in curiosity, "I'll show you." he said, and placed his hand on each of their heads in turn. He quickly introduced them to the sounds he had heard and the sight he had witnessed while at the Sunik's side.
As soon as Spike opened his eyes, he shivered, "I didn't know scales COULD be removed." he said in a shiver.
"Dragon scales are probably tougher than Sunik scales." the large Sunik guessed.
"All that pain." Kkimira said, "And not an ounce of remorse. That man is truly dangerous."
"I let my anger explode." Sselekk said as the train came to a slow stop, "I'm sorry."
"I'm just glad no one got hurt." she admitted, "But they'll make sure you're not welcome back at the garage now."
Sselekk froze in shock and slumped his shoulders as the doors opened. They exited and several dozen others moved around them to enter the train, "I forgot about the garage." he said and then let his eyes open wide in shock, "Oh no." he whispered.
"What?" she asked.
"I just remembered." he said, "They have the Spell Burst Engine Pilit made for us."
"WHAT?" Spike called out, and was shushed by everyone there as he realized the attention he was gaining, "I totally forgot that you had Pilit make your ship a Spell Bust Engine." he finished in a whisper.
"We've got to get you back to your garage." Sselekk said, "Maybe we still have time to sabotage it."
"I doubt it." Image said to himself.
The group traveled in silence from there, not taking long at all to get to a travel station, not a train but a different station entirely. They only spoke when they had to, a quick chat with a Sunik who drove a vehicle through some rougher and more natural tunnels. After a time, they finally came to a stop, "We'll." the driver said, "Here's the Outer Barrens. I ain't takin you any further, too dark."
"Thanks." Sselekk said as he lifted his still unconscious mother from the bed of the truck.
"Again, thank you for the ride." Kkimira said and tapped a card of hers to the dash of his truck.
"Any time miss." he said as they all made touched the ground, "Don't stay out too long. The Sun Crystals will go out soon."
"Thank you!" Spike called out and waved as the truck took off. The second it was out of sight, Image and the baby dragon turned and began their walk, "Should be close, right?" he asked.
"I hope you two know where you're going." Sselekk asked, Serenity and Kkimira beside him as he carried his unconscious mother.
"We wandered around a bit at first." Image said, getting everyone to groan, "But I am nothing if not a perfectionist, so I kept a mental map in my head. We were strikingly closer than we believed." he finished as he rounded a rather large cave. The cave itself was littered with scrap and parts of ships and near the back; a dune of sand reached up and into the darkening sky.
They climbed the sand, Spike poking his head out and scouting the way. "Coast is clear!" he whispered and each of them raced for the structure only a short way away. They silently rounded the corner and ducked through one of the doors along the wall. Once inside, they sighed in relief, "I'll go wash my scales and I'll meet you in the dressing room." the baby dragon said as he pointed to the male Meltackian, and turned the corner, making his way into the hall, and right into the chest of a very angry purple alicorn, "GYAA!" he called out, getting the group to come out of hiding in alarm, "Uh…Hi Twilight." he said nervously, and grinned.
