"MOONSTONE! DO IT!"
Pennington leaped into the air, already feeling the rush of displaced air from behind him. A tidal wave roared up behind him, catapulting him forwards and upwards into the air. He brought the Glacier Sapphire up to his hoof and focused, only brushing the surface. Beneath him, a circle of ice formed on the cresting wave, allowing him to ride it upwards and around Scorch. As he drew close, Pennington made the leap onto the titanic dragon's back, landing unsteadily on his hooves with a halo of enchanted relics floating around his head in his magic. He didn't pause, he simply began running upwards. He had landed near the base of Scorch's tail, and the pressure point Quill had mentioned was between his shoulders.
Scorch roared, making it clear that he wouldn't let it be that easy. Pennington was hurtled upwards as the dragon's spine arched. As he was flung backwards, Pennington took note of the water level in the room: it was nearly up to Scorch's knees. Moonstone was standing at the entrance, gripping the Tidal Wand with both hands and a determined look on her face. She was, by the magic of the wand and sheer force of will, holding the flood back from washing out. Just as planned.
Just as he was about the crash into the stone wall, Pennington plucked one of the relics from the air, a rectangular chunk of jade. He gave it a nudge, pushing a section in the center until it sat perpendicular to the frame around it. In a perfect mimicry, a section of the wall opened up behind him. Pennington pulled himself tight as he flew through the new opening. Immediately, the ground was back beneath him, tumbling and rolling across the floor of the cavern in a brand new location: the entrance. He had emerged from another wall just behind Moonstone's back. Without even waiting for his momentum to run out, Pennington righted himself onto his hooves. He turned the tightest corner of his life, rushing past Moonstone and up to the wall of water. He let go of the first relic and returned the Glacier Sapphire to his grip, tapping it against the mass of seawater. The reaction was instant, transforming the pool of water to the world's largest ice cube and trapping all four of Scorch's limbs in place.
Moonstone let loose a sigh of relief as she lowered the Tidal Wand. "WHY didn't we use the Jade Pathway before?" she asked.
"Only works if you can see the other wall for the door..." Pennington muttered. "Now he's trapped, we need to find a safe way to get to his-"
GRAAAAAH! Scorch roared. Beneath the ice, Pennington could see the Windigo Gauntlet shimmering with golden light. Through mountain's volcanic opening, Pennington could see the clouds above them vanish into nothingness. Beams of blinding sunlight struck the icy floor, hissing and crackling as the sunbeams cut through the ice like butter. A rolling cloud of steam filled the room, leaving Pennington and Moonstone completely blinded, but the sounds of cracking ice and monumental footsteps made it clear Scorch's bindings hadn't held.
"Penn..." Moonstone stepped back, eyes wide with fear.
They had expected Scorch to come at them with... well, everything they considered WEATHER. Clouds, ice, rain and floods, just like he had all across Equestria.
"I guess that the sun technically counts as weather..." Pennington whispered, wrapping his hoof around Moonstone's shoulders and pulling her up against the wall. Step by careful step, he walked the two of them into the mist.
If we can't see Scorch, then he can't see us, right?
His question was answered almost immediately by a clap of thunder and a wall of lightning racing past them and back into the entrance, where they had been standing only seconds prior. Moonstone clamped both of her hands over her mouth to try and suppress her terrified scream, which was thankfully drowned out by the thunder.
"Come out, Quill, and I promise... I'll make it quick." Scorch's voice rumbled through the room, echoing off of the walls until it came from everywhere at once. It was enough to give Pennington chills.
Moonstone jumped up, grabbing Pennington's ear and yanking it down so she could hiss into it directly. "What are we gonna DO?"
Pennington had to admit, he was pondering the same question. He refused to risk throwing Moonstone into the heart of the fight, so her flying up with the sword was out of the question. The fact that there was no roof meant that not only did Scorch have unfettered access to all the powers of the gauntlet, using the Jade Pathway to get the drop on his weak point was near-impossible. Now their plan to trap him had failed, and-
A cold wind blew through the room, crystallizing the mist and creating a flurry of snowflakes suspended in the air. Scorch's head swiveled, locking eyes on his prey.
-and now their cover had been ripped away from them.
Scorch lashed with his gauntlet-covered claw, snarling and sending a trio of thunderbolts racing towards them.
Pennington stopped thinking. In fact, he didn't even feel himself move. For a second, it was like his body wasn't his own, acting on a long-forgotten instinct. Quill's instinct.
Quill reached up, plucked his sword from the air, and stabbed it into the ground.
The two of them watched as the lightning closed the distance between them... before every bolt struck the sword and traveled down the blade, grounding itself in the rock and dissipating.
WHAT?
Pennington and Moonstone both stared in shock, mouths agape. After a second, Pennington could feel the gears in his head finally beginning to turn. He could think clearly again.
Pennington rushed forward, ripping the sword out of the ground with his magic and holding it in front of him.
"PENN! What are you-"
"Just follow my lead!" Pennington called back, picking up his pace. He had a plan. A brand-new, extra-terrible plan.
He watched Scorch's movements carefully as he dashed his way through the floating snowflakes. When he saw Scorch beginning to raise the gauntlet again, Pennington rolled to the side, only barely avoiding a flash of searing light from above. He watched the column of golden light begin to shift, chasing after him. Pennington escalated to a sprint, running straight towards Scorch.
Is this what ants under a magnifying glass feel like? he thought to himself. As he drew close, Scorch reared back onto his hind legs to free his gauntlet-free claw and swing towards the tiny pony beneath him. Maybe this is what it's like just before a pony STEPS on an ant...
Luckily, Pennington was no ant. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Pennington levitated his sword back and behind him, catching a wide beam of light on its polished surface and redirecting it directly into Scorch's eye.
"GRAAAAH!" the dragon howled, bringing his claws up to his smoldering eyeball as he tumbled backwards. The titan crashed against the side wall, writhing in pain. Above them, the burning sunlight faded back to its natural strength as the clouds dissolved away, Scorch's concentration broken. "MY EYE! AGAIN! WHY do you ALWAYS attack the same EYE?"
Pennington ignored Scorch's roaring, closing the distance between him and the giant dragon in a matter of seconds. As he leaped up onto Scorch's back leg, he brought his sword up to his back and pressed down hard. With the steadying force, Pennington began to run his way straight up Scorch's black underbelly, defying gravity. Just as he crossed the halfway point of the dragon's torso, Scorch finally pried his claws away from his face. The injured eye now sported a large black spot among the blue iris, still smoking slightly. The rage-filled glare Scorch sent at him felt almost like a physical force, but Pennington was already committed to this path. He pressed forward, making his way toward's Scorch's shoulder.
He can't use the gauntlet up close!
Pennington felt an overwhelming dread, however, as Scorch's chest began to rise and warm under him, taking a deep breath. Somehow, in all of the chaos, Pennington had forgotten one crucial fact: that dragons could breathe fire.
Pennington didn't have time to think before his vision was filled with emerald inferno. Jumping away was no option, even his above-average ability wouldn't be enough, and a fall from this height would be certain to at least break a leg. None of the relics he had could control or protect him from fire, not at this intensity.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Moonstone shrieked, darting past Pennington's shoulder, a bolt of purple among the green. She closed her wings to grip the Tidal Wand with both hands, sending out a high-pressured spray that instantly dissolved to steam. Unable to use her wings, she was thrown back by the force, crashing into Pennington's chest. It was almost enough to throw him off of the near-vertical surface, but the grip of his magic held fast.
Pennington pressed forward, placing one hoof ahead of him, then a second. Painstakingly, the two of them advanced through the fire. Soon, they had reached the base of Scorch's neck, just below his shoulder.
"Think you can-"
"Just DO IT!" Moonstone shouted, not needing Pennington to explain the plan. Pennington nodded and wrapped one hoof around Moonstone's waist. With a massive heave, he flung her up and into the air, sending her rocketing away with the force of the water still blasting from the tidal wand. At the same time, Pennington took advantage of the sudden lack of backwards force to rush forward, finally reaching the point of safety from Scorch's flames in the crook of his shoulder. He dashed to the back of Scorch's neck as a massive claw came up to swat at him, certainly losing a few hairs from his tail as he narrowly avoided being crushed.
Finally, he had a second to catch his breath as he looked down. Scorch's pressure point was lower, just above his shoulder blades, totally inaccessible while he was leaned back against the wall like this. But now, Pennington was in prime striking position. Scorch was a quadrupedal dragon, rearing back like this wasn't something he could do forever. And now...
Now Pennington could negotiate from a position of power.
"It's over, Scorch!" he called, stamping his hoof. "The moment you move, I'll strike your weak spot! You'll be paralyzed!"
Scorch stiffened, and all sounds of the crackling of fire and the hissing of steam came to a stop. There was a moment of silence as the dragon seemed to ponder his options.
"Over? Hardly. Even paralyzed, I'll still have the use of the gauntlet. I could destroy you both with ease." he growled.
Pennington raised an eyebrow. "Ease? You seem to have been struggling so far!" His response was met with a gust of wind, one that whistled through the narrow space he was hiding in, but not with enough force to lift him away. He pressed himself lower against Scorch's body, making certain he couldn't be blown away if the winds grew stronger.
"H-hey! WOAH!" Pennington's blood ran cold as he heard Moonstone cry out. The wind hadn't been an attack on HIM.
"Wyverns are such weak fliers..." Scorch hummed smugly, raising up his gauntlet-covered claw so that Pennington could see it over his shoulder. There was Moonstone, gripped tight with her wings against her sides. The gauntlet crackled and hummed with electricity, ready to shock her.
Pennington's thoughts came crashing to a halt.
"Come out quietly, or the hatchling dies."
"She's just a kid..." Pennington muttered. "Scorch, she's a KID!"
"P-Penn... I don't- I don't wanna... EEP!" Moonstone whimpered, squeaking with fear as he tightened his grip.
"NOW, Quill!"
Pennington had no choice. Letting Moonstone get hurt wasn't an option. With his head hung low, Pennington walked his way up onto Scorch's shoulder. Scorch flexed his wings, pushing himself away from the wall and allowing himself to return to standing on four legs, pinning Moonstone beneath the Windigo Gauntlet.
"Well... what now?" Pennington growled. He eyed the relics he still had gripped in his magical aura, as well as his sword. There HAD to be a way to save Moonstone with what he had. He watched the Glacier Sapphire float by, followed by the Ruber Locomotus, then the Jade Pathway and the Topaz of Del Torah.
"Now, Quill... You die. Come down so I may dispose of you properly, once and for all. Your shambling corpse will no longer dwell among the living."
Out of the corner of Pennington's eye, he spotted an unwelcome sight. Floating by in his magic, alongside the rest of the items he had chosen to bring, was one he had not: Cha'Qued's mask. He paused, staring into the empty eye holes of the mask.
You wish to win? Cha'Qued's voice growled.
Pennington sighed. This was the moment Cha'qued chose to come to offer him a deal? That was low, even for him. "Yes..."
"Then it is agreed. Come down, Scribe, and face your final end." Scorch said, mistaking Pennington's reply for compliance.
Then HUNGER for it! Need to win like you need to breathe! Cha'Qued snapped, the mask glaring at him in outrage.
Pennington blinked, surprised at the uncalled for advice. He looked down at Moonstone, examining how she was being held, then at the items in his grasp. There WAS another option. It wouldn't be pleasant for Moonstone, but...
"Very well, Scorch!" Penn called, taking the Jade Pathway in hoof. "DOWN I COME!" He took a running start, then dove from Scorch's shoulder. As he fell through the air, Pennington carefully adjusted the Jade Pathway, calling on its power once again. But he didn't need to look at the relic to use it. He kept his eyes locked on Moonstone, her eyes wide with fear as she watched him plummet. The Jade Pathway couldn't make a doorway out of living flesh, so opening a way straight onto Scorch's back was out of the question. However, there was one restriction that it did NOT enforce that had always frightened Pennington in its deadly potential.
Pennington plunged into the doorway that opened in the ground beneath him. As he entered, however, something else exited. He twisted himself in the air, dodging around Moonstone and between Scorch's claws. On the other side of the doorway, Pennington kept his momentum, flying up from the place Scorch's claw had been resting. His speed carried him up into the air as Scorch stumbled forward, making landing on his shoulder an easy task. Pennington was running before his hooves touched the scales, taking off at a dead sprint to the center of Scorch's back. He used his magic to set the Jade pathway back to its default state, cutting off the magic keeping the doorway open. From below, Pennington heard a sickening squelch. As Scorch began to roar in unparalleled agony, Pennington tried not to throw up imagining the gory scene Moonstone was now sitting in the center of. He gripped his sword in his magic, everything else fading away as he drew close to his target spot.
Scorch has threatened my country... My friends... my FAMILY... Pennington could feel determination coursing through his veins. He knew what needed to be done. He's taken lives in Equestria with this attack, hurt more ponies than I can count! He hurt Quill! He hurt ME! He hurt MOONSTONE! Pennington jumped high into the air, the handle of his sword falling into his hooves. He's NEVER going to hurt ANYONE ever again! I SWEAR!
Pennington felt a pair of words on his tongue. Words that needed to be said. Words that fit. A name. The name of Quill's sword.
The name of HIS sword.
"BITE, INSCUNE!" Pennington roared, plunging the golden blade into Scorch's back in a two-hooved blow with all of his weight behind it.
The sword carried out the command with ruthless, unfeeling efficiency, sinking though Scorch's scales like a hot knife through butter. The world around Pennington seized and lurched downwards as Scorch's back legs buckled and gave out. Pennington yanked hard on the sword, pulling it down and further through the nerve bundle, severing it completely and making certain it would never heal. Pennington cringed as Scorch's roaring rose to a fever pitch, pushing the limits of his eardrums with its sheer volume. He gritted his teeth and ripped his sword, Inscune, from Scorch's flesh. He took a small jumping start before sliding his way down, riding down Scorch's back and tail to safely descend to the floor.
Once he was on the ground, he spotted Moonstone easily. She was still pinned to the ground, Scorch's massive clawed foot on top of her. She and the gauntlet were both totally soaked in blood, the consequence of the perfect severing that the Jade Pathway had created when he shut it on Scorch's leg. As gently as he could, Pennington wrapped Moonstone up in his magic and slid her out from beneath the disembodied claw.
"Are you okay?" He examined her up and down, trying to check for signs of injury.
"W-well... It hurts... to breathe?" Moonstone panted in a raspy voice. She pointed to her side with the claw that wasn't still keeping a death grip on the Tidal Wand. "Hurts here... and here..."
Pennington nodded. "Sounds like you broke a couple ribs. But you can survive that."
"Plus, I have... another memory... to repress."
Pennington chuckled, running his hoof through the spines on top of her head. "My bad, Moon Moon. I kinda had to improvise if I wanted to save you AND win."
Moonstone's eyes widened, staring over his shoulder. She grabbed at his ear, yanking him forward as something huge crashed down behind them. Pennington spun around, seeing Scorch's last functioning claw dragging away the remains of his other leg... and the gauntlet along with them. The gauntlet crackled and hummed with power, and the skies above them grew dark with heavy thunderclouds.
"I... am not... finished... yet!" Scorch declared.
Pennington pushed Moonstone behind him, stepping between her and her uncle. "Scorch, look at yourself! You're not even HALF the dragon you used to be! This is where you need to cut your losses and-"
Pennington didn't get to tell Scorch to surrender. Pennington didn't even get to finish his sentence. A colossal thunderbolt, greater than any that he had ever seen, tore through the air and struck Scorch from above. Left reeling from seeing the biggest thunderbolt in the history of thunderbolts, neither Pennington nor Moonstone saw what was coming.
All that Pennington registered was SOMETHING big striking him, and the numerous cracking sounds when he struck the far wall. The corners of his vision were already dimming when he finally collected himself enough to process what he was seeing.
Scorch had risen back onto three legs. His lower body was covered by a heavy layer of clouds, but the constant lightning strikes inside highlighted a silhouette of the disabled legs standing tall. His tail was sliding back into a resting position, and somewhere in the back of Pennington's mind, he registered that it was most likely the tail that had hit him.
The electricity... He's using it to move... He tried to say it out loud, but he didn't feel his mouth move. He couldn't hear anything, not even his own voice. His vision was blurring even further, darkness overtaking more than half of his field of view. He saw Moonstone running up to him, tears in her eyes as she screamed something over and over again. Maybe it was his name.
You are DYING, Inkwell...
Pennington's vision dimmed faster until his eyes became totally sightless, leaving him in a dark void without sound or sight. Pennington watched as only one clear image appeared in his vision: a familiar face. A pale face. A face with uncountable fangs.
You are DYING here, Inkwell. You are dying here and soon I shall fall into Scorch's claws by rite of conquest, as will all that you have ever laid claim to. Imagine the devastation Scorch could cause with my power? Unlike you, he will not hesitate to use it.
Pennington knew Cha'Qued was right, although he'd always expected dying to hurt more. This was just... numb. It seemed too easy. Another problem tugged at his mind, tethering it to the land of the living for a few extra seconds. Quill had told him that he mustn't let Scorch kill him. Quill had said that a greater threat was coming. He COULDN'T die here. He couldn't leave Moonstone alone. He promised Quill that he would look after Calalily.
And yet he was here. Dying.
Unacceptable.
Pennington held out a hoof to the face, offering a shake.
"Fine. Let's work out a NEW deal, Cha'Qued..."
The mask shifted to a bloodthirsty grin, its eyes glowing with a spectral, evil light.
Make me an offer, Inkwell.