Fluttershy hit the stone ground on her back, her wings splayed out in a futile attempt to break her fall, and she groaned as she sat up immediately to take stock of her situation.
It was dark, but that wasn’t a problem for a dragon. She had been separated from Rainbow too, but that was okay… she would actually be able to cover ground faster now that she wasn’t slowed down by Rainbow’s inability to see in the dark— not that it was Rainbow’s fault; she couldn’t have known that ordinary lanterns would be nearly useless inside this mine.
And Rainbow and Fluttershy could both take care of themselves, so there was nothing for Fluttershy to worry about. They’d be back together in no time.
Right?
Right…
“I hunger…”
A growling voice coming from the darkness nearby sent a chill up Fluttershy’s spine.
“For… blood?” Fluttershy responded timidly, standing to her feet and looking around for the source of the voice.
“For tacos,” the voice sighed, and quickly made herself known. Sure enough, she was a dragon; with shimmering blue scales and a mane of clashing dark and light blue hues that was tied into a neat, fashionable ponytail.
“Oh,” Fluttershy let herself relax ever so slightly, seizing this tiny glimmer of hope that she could escape this encounter without a fight. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t have any.”
“Aww, bummer,” the dragon yawned. She seemed lazy and easily disinterested, and it was jarring to think that she was the one causing the problems in this mine, especially since that earth manipulation magic was some powerful stuff.
“Okay, well,” Fluttershy cleared her throat and sidled along the wall of the mine, inching toward a tunnel that led away from the dragon, “I’m just going to be leaving now. I seem to have taken a wrong turn, and I—”
“You with us or against us?” the dragon turned her eyes to Fluttershy, and now she looked anything but lazy; sizing Fluttershy up with a keen glare.
“I’m sorry?” Fluttershy whimpered, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I don’t really understand it,” the dragon groaned as she sat up, flaring her impressive wingspan behind her as the walls of the cave moved to accommodate her size. She wasn’t a terribly large dragon, roughly the same size as Trixie, but it was a cramped tunnel. “But Adagio wants me to ask every dragon we come across. That’s why I had to separate you from your pony friend. So how ‘bout it? With us or against us?”
“I don’t know who you are,” Fluttershy said, pausing her egress. It may have been worth it to stick around and listen to what this woman had to say. “Could you enlighten me please?”
“Oh, sure!” the woman chirped, illuminating the cave tunnel. And while that was a welcome relief, it wasn’t exactly what Fluttershy had in mind.
“I’m sorry, I meant—” Fluttershy bit her lip nervously, unsure of what to say or not say to avoid a confrontation. While this woman seemed nice enough, Fluttershy couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her gut, and listening to her gut had saved her life more than once. “Could you tell me who you are?”
“I’m Sonata Dusk!” the dragon beamed, showing off her glimmering fangs. And she would almost look unbearably cute if Fluttershy hadn't recognized the stains of blood all over those teeth.
“And who is ‘us’?” Fluttershy asked.
“I dunno, who are you?” Sonata blinked, and Fluttershy’s eye twitched. She would almost think she was being toyed with if Sonata didn’t have such a palpable air of innocent sincerity to her.
“I’m… Fluttershy,” she wondered if giving her name was a good idea, but it seemed only fair since Sonata did the same. “But I was wondering, what is it that I am to be for or against? I need to know what that is if I’m to answer honestly.”
“OH! DUH!” Sonata blew a raspberry and conked herself on the noggin. “Sorry, I’m a total ditz, my bad. We’re taking over Equestria! I’m helping by raising an army of the dead, and together the dragons will take Equestria from the ponies and turn the rivers red with their blood. It’ll be fun!”
Sonata beamed, like it was the easiest thing in the world for her to say. Fluttershy felt sick.
Fluttershy took a deep breath and let her disguise slip away, returning to the form of a dragon. And though she felt a little cramped inside the mine— after all, Sonata moved the walls to suit her size, and Fluttershy towered over her— she would simply have to make it work.
“Against,” Fluttershy snarled, baring her fangs.