My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 6

Skyline felt his body hit the ground. He coughed and wheezed to try and catch his breath. He started to stand and felt the pain shoot through his body, but he pushed himself to stand on shaky legs. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"You stupid brat, you couldn't make this easy for me," Shadow Dancer snarled. Skyline couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing in front of him, in a protective stance was the white tiger he'd seen in his dreams. Its body was made of thick white fog and its stripes were made of black smoke.

Shadow Dancer's rage overtook him and he violently punched the air again. The tendril shot out of his hoof and split into four tendrils with clawed hands. The tiger roared and the four tendrils slammed into an invisible wall. They coiled on top of themselves as they hit. The tendrils retracted back into Shadow Dancers hoof. Shadow Dancer slammed both his fore-hooves on the ground while screaming in rage, "Just die already!" the eight tendrils erupted out of the ground as Shadow Dancer glared at Skyline and the tiger.

The tiger's tail gently wrapped around Skylines waste and placed him on the tigers back. He felt the warmth of the fog as straps wrapped around his hooves and torso. The tendrils shot towards them and the tiger shot to the left and bolted away as the tendrils followed suit. The tendrils slammed into the ground trying to find purchase. The tiger bounded left, then right to avoid the tendrils. One of the tendrils flanked the tiger, but it roared in its direction and the tendril slammed into an invisible wall. The other tendrils continued the chase as the tiger picked up speed. The tendrils continued to slam into the ground trying to make contact with the tiger, but it was far too fast for them to hit.

After a while, the tendrils dissipated. The tiger stopped and the straps unwrapped from Skyline's hooves and waist. The tiger crouched down to let Skyline off. He climbed down before the tiger stood back up. It started examining Skyline before it seemed to nod. It turned its attention to Shadow Dancer and glared.

"What? You think I'm scared of that stupid illusion?" Shadow Dancer exclaimed before he continued, "I saw the fog coming from your body. All that tiger is, is a fake. Now my shadows on the other hoof. Well, you've felt how real they are." The fog the tiger was made of frilled up with every word Shadow Dancer spoke. Skyline could feel the rage building in the tiger.

The tiger suddenly bounded towards Shadow Dancer. However, Shadow Dancer didn't seem to worry. He knew once the tiger got close enough. It would simply phase right through him and when that happened. He would finish off Skyline. In a matter of seconds, Shadow Dancer would find out. How wrong he was.

The tiger leaped towards Shadow Dancer, its claws twitching with anticipation. The claws tore into Shadow Dancer's flesh causing him to scream in both pain and surprise. The two rolled around on the dirt floor. The tiger might have been made of fog, but it still felt and weighed like a real tiger. When they came to a stop, the tiger had pinned Shadow Dancer to the ground and began to tear into his flesh with its claws. Blood spurted out of every wound the tiger made. The tiger lunged for Shadow Dancer's throat. It's jaw clamped around his neck, its fangs cutting into his throat and jugular. Shadow Dancer's screams turned to gurgling as he choked on his own blood. His back hooves continually kicked at the dirt, trying to escape the tiger's grasp. His hooves suddenly fell limp as his head hung in the tiger's jaws. The tiger let go of Shadow Dancer's neck and he flopped to the floor. Blood stained the dirt under and around Shadow Dancer's body. The blood on the tiger seemed to fade into its fog body.

The tiger turned around and trotted back to Skyline who had been watching in total shock. The tiger stopped in front of him and sat down before it licked its paw and began to clean itself. After it finished it got up and walked over to Skyline and lifted up its paw and gently corseted his right fore-hoof. Skyline's fear turned to confusion. The tiger had just killed Shadow Dancer, but now it was acting like his grandma's cat when it wanted him to pet it. Skyline swallowed and lifted up his shaky hoof. The tiger rubbed its face against Skyline's hoof. He felt the warmth of the fog and to his surprise. The tiger was purring. Skyline petted the tiger behind its right ear and the purring grew louder.

Electricity suddenly coursed through his body causing him to scream in pain. The tiger roared in pain as though it could feel the same pain. Skyline watched as the tiger slowly dissipated. The electricity continued to course through his body after the tiger disappeared. Before long, Skyline fell to the floor unconscious. The left side of the wall opened up and the tan stallion and milk-white mare quickly trotted out and placed Skyline's body onto the cart before wheeling him out of the arena.

A red mare watching from the skybox smiled as she watched them take him out of the arena. For the whole match, she was bored. She had thought Shadow Dancer would easily win. Even when Skyline ran around and avoided the tendrils, she knew Shadow Dancer would catch him and it would be over. She wasn't too invested in the match. That all changed when she saw the white fog pour out of Skyline's body and form the white tiger. When that happened, she was at the edge of her seat the rest of the match. When the wall closed behind the stallion and mare, the two squares descended into the ground. The red mare pressed a button next to a speaker.

"Yes ma'am," Jukebox's voice came from the speaker.

"Jukebox, I believe I've come up with a name for our little colt friend," the red mare said.

"Wonderful, just let me go to his file and write it down," Jukebox said. A few seconds passed before Jukebox added, "Alright. Go ahead."

The red mare told him the name and Jukebox agreed, "That's a great name. As always ma'am. You've outdone yourself."

"Flattery doesn't suit you, my dear," the red mare said before her smile faded and she hissed, "Now get back to work."

"Yes ma'am," Jukebox said before the call ended. The red mare's smile returned as she sat back in her chair. Waiting for the squares to resurface to show her the next round and their combatants.