Inside the cave next to the three hunting ponies lay Unity and the baby Lagombi she saved from the Tigrex not a few minutes ago. She had escaped to save her new kind-of-foster-child and was trying her best to play with him. She had decided to name him George, and she would hug him and pet him and love him to bits. She smiled as she rubbed his surprisingly soft grey belly, making him purr in satisfaction. Trying to mimic her, he rubbed her own belly, making her giggle.

"Silly George" she petted him again "Actually, I wonder how well you two would get along? Hopefully decently. You two would be the perfect match. I wonder if it's illegal to take in monsters as pets in the Crystal Empire... If it is, will you be a good big brother?"

George's stomach growled in response, causing the pregnant mare to chuckle again.

"You must be hungry. I'm not exactly sure what I can-" she felt a nudge under her legs "O-Oh... Um... Well, I've never exactly done that before..." the Lagombi didn't listen to her "Okay, yep, there you go... Something tells me you aren't going to stop anytime soon..."

At that moment, much to Unity's embarrassment, the two hunters plus one reentered the cavern and caught her in her act of feeding the newest addition to her family.

"Unity? Are you-" Twilight began before getting interrupted by the dark grey mare.

"NO!!" she shouted before realizing her tone of voice and calming down "I mean... This isn't what it looks like."

"Nothing wrong with that!" smiled the stallion not familiar to Unity "But boy, never thought I'd ever see somepony breastfeed a monster!"

"George is NOT a monster!" Unity shouted again before petting the calmed creature "He's just a baby..."

"George, darling?" Rarity wondered "A highly uncreative name if I do say so myself. I was thinking something perhaps more along the lines of Rasputin, or Wolfgang Amadeus. Are you sure George is a good name?"

"Thanks for the suggestions Rarity," Unity smiled "but I've already decided on George."

"Very well" the white Unicorn sighed "I'm not one to conflict with your final decisions..."

"Now, moving away from feeding a rabbit," the pregnant mare turned to Twilight "Who's your new friend?"

"Him? Oh, right!" Twilight began "We were having some trouble fighting the Tigrex, then out of the blue this stallion comes out of nowhere and kills it! We owe him our life. His name is Bright Light."

"WOO!! I'm a hero!" Bright shouted in glee.

"...right" Unity stared at him skeptically "Well, I think we should start moving out again. Now that the Tigrex is gone, and since we have two new additions to the group, no point in staying here any longer."

"Wait, so I'm a part of the team now?" the white stallion asked "Yay! I get to be with the baby Lagombi!"

"He's like a child..." Twilight sighed whilst next to Rarity.

"I think he might have ADHD, darling" the white mare said "I just hope that doesn't interfere with anything too important."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Rarity" the lavender Unicorn said with a smile as she watched the Pegasus jump around like a loon "Ponies are ponies, no matter if they have a few... differences."

"Well, let's get a move on then!" Bright gleefully said as he skipped out of the cave and into the snowfield where the Tigrex still lay bloody and dead. The three mares and Lagombi, now finished with his meal, just stared at him in confusion and worry.

"Let's hope..." Unity spoke before she got up from her position and began walking forward again. The baby rabbit monster followed her as if she was his own mother. Twilight smiled at this.

"I guess the Lagombi found a new mom" she said to Rarity.

"Now how are we supposed to explain this the legal system, darling?" the white Unicorn questioned in worry.

"The legal system can't say no to a pregnant mare with puppy dog eyes, right?" grinned the lavender mare.

"I suppose you took a bit of Rainbow Dash's personality when you left Ponyville" Rarity rolled her eyes "By the way, darling, how is Rainbow Dash? Is she well?"

As the two talked it out, slowly walking towards the cave exit, they never noticed the squishy stepping sound or the dark, gecko-like shadow on the ceiling, following them. It silently watched its prey with its no eyes, waiting for the perfect time to strike and tear them to shreds. Two spots where its eyes should have been began glowing purple, as did the two on its tail, which looked just like its head. It slowly walked away to try and follow the group with out getting noticed.

XXXXXX

"...and then, I blew its face off! Wasn't that exciting?!" Bright Light explained how he defeated the Tigrex as the five traveled through the cold harshness of the Frozen North.

"It sure was... the first ninety times you told us..." Unity deadpanned.

The group had walked far away from the cave they fought the Tigrex next to and found the baby Lagombi in. Since then, they had used up a few of their hot drinks and were beginning to run dry. This was one of the few times Twilight wished Teal was still with her. Her handy bag of just about everything; her interesting yet still lovable nature; her warm body; her soft lips... The lavender Unicorn slapped herself across the face.

"Bad Twilight, bad!" she scolded herself "Teal is not a love interest! You're straight! Um... I think. Yeah! You're straight! Books! Libraries! Egghead stuff!"

"Twilight, are you alright?" Rarity asked in concern.

"Y-Yeah, Rarity..." the glaive wielder sighed "I'm just thinking of somepony I left behind a while back. She opted to stay, but I can't help but feel that maybe I left her just... stranded there."

"How long have you been thinking this, darling?" the elegant archer asked her friend.

"Only recently... Like, two minutes ago recently" slightly chuckled Twilight before going back to her original sort-of down mood "I just... W-Well, you see, um..."

"You have feelings for her?" Rarity asked her with a smile.

"I... I don't know..." she sighed "...maybe..."

"Twilight, that's precious!" the white Unicorn made a 'D'aww' sound as she smiled "I'm sure that whoever this pony is, you should go back to her and confess your true feelings for her."

"N-No, it's nothing like that at all!" Twilight argued with a blush on her face redder than a cherry "It's just... She really helped me get where I am now. I feel as if I should owe it to her that she-"

"Is she a fillyfooler?" Rarity wondered.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!!!" the lavender hunter shouted rather quickly, as if covering something up. Her face was as red as Big Mac's coat as everyone, including the Lagombi (though slightly not-understanding of the situation), looked straight at her in confusion. Twilight looked around her and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Um... Sorry..." she sheepishly smiled.

"Right... Well, we're almost there" Unity proclaimed, still giving a funny look towards Twilight as she pointing to a cave nearby them "Through there should be the ruins. Even further is the final seal, which I need the Gore Magala scale to open."

"Gore-what-now?!" Bright Light spoke up with a surprised look on his face "I have no idea what that is!"

"Let's put it this way..." Twilight began explaining to the white Pegasus "It's a great dragon that terrorized and destroyed my hometown of Ponyville, and now I'm out to hunt it."

"Ooooh, sound interesting!" he said with curiosity before his ADHD got the better of him "Hey look, a cave! We should go explore it!"

"I don't know why I even bothered..." the lavender Unicorn sighed with a small smile.

XXXXXX

The cave looked near identical to the one they were in before. So much so, they once thought they accidentally turned around and found themselves in the exact same cavern. What set this one aside from the last was the traces of frozen chiseled stone, meaning there was once a civilization here. Twilight was absolutely fascinated by it all and skipped around the area, marveling at the sight.

"This is incredible!" she pranced around, starry-eyed as she looked at the ancient stone "Do you know what stories these ruins might contain within them? The good, the bad, the incredible, the fascinating! I have to come back here and research when I get the chance."

"I never understood your interesting knowledge, um... fetish, darling" awkwardly smiled Rarity.

"It's not a fetish!" argued the egghead "I merely have a highly curious interest in the subject."

"I think that's a fetish, Twi" giggled Unity.

"No, a fetish is a-"

"NO!!" everyone present stopped the lavender Unicorn from finishing her sentence. Twilight slumped back down and continued to stare at the stone, albeit now more normally.

The party went silent as they explored the cave around them. It was then when Twilight heard a squeaking noise from around her. She looked back and saw that the others were looking around the place as well, their backs turned at her. Shrugging, she went back to looking at the relics until a quiet growl came from above her. She saw purple water drip down from the ceiling which, when it hit the ground, was too thick to be water. Slowly, she looked up and came face-to-face, or rather face-to-mouth of a monster hanging on the ceiling.

The lavender Unicorn backed up immediately. She saw more the creature as she did so; a grey hide with a softer, red underbelly and a tail that looked the same as its head. It had no eyes, so in their place were small blotches of glowing purple skin on its face and tail. It had a circular mouth with dozens of razor-sharp teeth lining it, and on its front legs were wings more than likely used for gliding and gecko-like feet for its claws. From some pores on its body, it seeped poison onto the ice below it.

"W-Well..." Twilight stuttered as she stared at the beast in awe "T-There's something you d-don't see e-everyday..."

"Twilight, darling, whatever do you-" Rarity turned around and saw the creature hanging on the ceiling, to which she shrieked in fear "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! G-G-G-GIGGINOX!!"

The other two ponies turned around hastily to witness the blind monster in all its glory. It sniffed the air to sense where its five preys were before finally picking up their scent again and roaring at them, its mouth expanding to impossible sizes as it did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNOUE107V_s&list=PLW9n301Gjga0hGAjEeEeidw86viqyn8H8&index=33

"And now's my time to run" Unity spoke surprisingly calmly before picking up her pet George and hightailing it out of the cave until the monster was exterminated. The three hunters continued to stare at the Gigginox before snapping out of it and bringing out their weapons. The monster latched off of the ceiling with a disgustingly wet popping noise before crawling towards the hunters, all the while releasing more poison from its pores. It dashed forward at Bright Light, trying to eat him. However, Twilight swung around her insect glaive right onto its head and knocked it on its back.

"Thanks!" the white Pegasus present smiled before facing the monster again "Now, BOMBS AWAY!!" he laughed as he threw two large barrel bombs at the monster's head. They landed right next to it and he whipped out his gunlance, firing at the bomb and blowing them up. The Gigginox writhed in pain before finally getting back up and latching onto the ceiling again. It began crawling around, looking for a good time to strike.

"Oh no you don't..." Rarity lined up her bow, took aim and fired a flaming arrow right on the monster's head, knocking it back down onto the floor. But instead of staying down, it landed on its feet and let out a terrifying roar before spinning around in a rapid motion, the weight of both its tail and head sending the three flying against the wall, forming cracks in the ice where they landed.

"Ugh..." Twilight groaned "That was a hard hit..." before she could even think about getting back up, she heard a cracking sound. She looked up and saw that the wall of ice she and the others crashed into began to crack. Above her were about ten giant icicles waiting to fall on their heads. That's when Twilight got an idea.

"Bright Light!" she called out the white Pegasus now just getting off of the wall "Fire your shells at those icicles!"

"Sure thing!" he gleefully said before aiming his gunlance at the ceiling and aiming. The Gigginox wouldn't have any of it though, and it pounced onto him without question. Just before it landed onto him, Twilight ran out and slashed her insect glaive upwards against the monster's body, flipping it on its side right underneath one of the giant frosty stalactites. Bright fired at the icicle and it came crashing towards the beast. However, it managed to roll out of the way before the object pierced its heart. It then placed its tail on the floor and, with a disgusting wet gushing noise, laid an egg.

"How revolting!" Rarity cried out before aiming her bow at the monster's head "I simply shall have none of it!" she fired away at its face and hit the glowing purple spots where its eyes should be. The purple light of them slowly faded out as blood began to trickle down its face from the arrow wound.

"Nice shot, Rari-" Twilight was about to finish her sentence until she heard another cracking sound. However, this one didn't come from the ceiling, but rather the egg the Gigginox recently laid. The egg hatched and out came seven little Gigginox larvae known as Giggi. The parasitic monsters began bouncing around the arena to try and latch onto the three hunters for food. Fortunately, the hunters managed to repel them long enough to evade the Gigginox's next attack; a large glob of poison headed straight for them. They dodged, but the surrounding larvae instantly died from the overdose of its mother's venom.

"So even young Gigginox aren't safe from this thing" the lavender Unicorn noted.

"Hey, guys, I have all these shock traps I haven't used yet!" Bright Light spoke up as he was standing on his hind legs with about five shock traps in his hooves "You think we should use them on the Gigginox?"

"Use them!" Rarity spoke a bit quickly and hesitantly "Use them now and end this retched thing!"

Bright nodded and grinned before throwing one of the traps underneath the Gigginox, paralyzing it. Twilight looked up and saw it was once again underneath a icicle.

"Bright, fire at that icicle above it!" she shouted. The white stallion did as he was told and fired another shell at the ceiling. This time, the icicle came crashing down onto the Gigginox and impaled it. Blood sprayed everywhere on the ground as the beast struggled to stay alive until it finally gave up and crashed its head onto the floor. It was finally dead.

(Music stop)

"Well, that certainly takes care of that problem" Rarity commented "Well, I do believe we should retrieve Unity and... George, and proceed onward, should we not?"

"No need to, Rares" Unity came out from behind a wall "George and I saw the whole thing. You three are absolutely beastly as hunters! I feel really safe when you guys are around."

"Really?!" Bright joyfully said "Wow! I feel so honored!"

"Well, I'm not really that important..." the pregnant mare blushed, and the baby Lagombi beside her growled in joy "Well, I guess George here thinks I am. You're a suck-up, you know that?" she petted him on his head "Alright, let's get a move on."

Just as the five were about to continue onwards, they all heard a groan coming from the seemingly dead Gigginox. They all turned to see that it had risen its head and was just barely clinging onto life. Twilight sighed and walked over to it, whipped out her insect glaive and impaled the blade straight into its head has hard as she could, finally killing it for good.

"What a strike, darling" Rarity commented "You would have made quite the addition to the team if you decided to go into the Monster Hunter profession sooner."

"Well, this is only temporary" explained Twilight "I need to defeat the Gore Magala, save Equestria and finally, I'll go back home and study more about the monsters."

"Hmm... How unfortunate..." sighed a slightly disappointed Rarity "Well, I suppose that's that then."

"Right!" Unity nodded "To the final seal!"

As the five began walking off to their destination, they never noticed the creature following them. This appears to happen a lot to them, but this time the monster wasn't looking at the entire party for food. It was looking straight at Twilight. Why? It had a score to settle with her.

Author's Notes:

That took FFFFFOOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!!! God dammit, school and homework!

But the next chapter is here! YAY! And, with Easter Monday and Good Friday coming up, I get four days off to do more of this story! DOUBLE YAY!! That is, if I'm not nose-deep in G-Rank quests. Yes, I'm G-Rank now. Not gonna brag because I know there are still people out there not in G-Rank, but just thought I'd let you know.

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, happy hunting!

Oh, and you'll like the next chapter...