Dodger stared at Mare-Do-Well for a moment before tilting his head. "Wait, let me get this straight. You think that you can stand a chance against me?"
"If you want to do this the hard way, we can find out," said Mare-Do-Well.
Dodger laughed. "A-are you being serious right now? This has to be some kind of joke," he said, turning to me. "You set this up, didn't ya, Momma's Girl? You thought I was gonna be scared away by this thing? Come on!"
"As far as I can tell, Ms. Sparkler stumbled into your hideout quite by accident," said Mare-Do-Well. "I came here of my own accord to defend her."
"Well, aren't we special," said Dodger, his voice slick with venom. "Listen, you flying costumed freak. I don't know who you are, and I don't care. But there's no way you can stand up to the might of Kohryu! No one can!"
"Not even his false prophet?" said Mare-Do-Well coyly.
Ooh! That one had to hurt. Dodger let out an angry snort.
"You heard that too, did ya?" he snarled. "Well, I guess I'll just have to mark you, too! And since you insist on protecting Momma's Girl over here, you get to die first!"
"Don't count me out so quickly, Dodger Dragonvest," said Mare-Do-Well, adopting a battle position. "I have no plans on dying here. Not while you threaten the lives of innocent ponies."
Dodger sneered. "You have no idea who you're messing with."
He then hefted up the mystical gemstones and fiddled with them in his paw. As soon as they reached a certain level of luminosity, he thrust his arm forward.
"Sturdy as steel!"
In a flash of white light, Byakko lunged forth with a mighty roar. Mare-Do-Well did a loop over the charge and dove towards Dodger.
"Gotcha," said Dodger. "Bright as the flame!"
In a burst of red light, Suzaku emerged and sideswiped Mare-Do-Well before she could swerve out of the way. As Mare-Do-Well assessed herself, Suzaku towered over all of us.
"Time for this game to end!" said Dodger. "Suzaku, make it rain!"
With a screech, Suzaku spread his wings and unleashed a barrage of fireballs. That was our cue to skidoo.
"Quick, Mom! To the tunnel!" I exclaimed, making a break for the hole we came out of. Derpy was quick to follow my example, but my idea to escape came a bit too late. Before we reached the hole, Byakko leapt out in front of us and snarled.
"The hierophant has marked you," Byakko growled. "Accept your punishment."
"Open your eyes, fuzzball!" I yelled. "Dodger Dragonvest is duping you!"
"Nice try, Momma's Girl!" said Dodger with a laugh. "But the acolytes only respond to my orders! Byakko, rip 'em to shreds!"
Crap, I forgot about the curse! The acolytes are bound to whoever wields them. Of course they weren't going to listen to me!
"Get down!"
Just as Byakko pounced, Mare-Do-Well pushed me and Derpy to the ground. Byakko soared over us as Suzaku's fire continued to rain down from above. Suddenly, I heard a roar of pain from behind, and just like magic, the fireballs stopped coming down.
"Byakko!" Suzaku screeched (at least I think it was Suzaku; I don't have a good view of the situation right now). "Are you alright? I'm terribly sorry."
"It's alright, friend. No one is at fault," said Byakko.
"Do you need anything, friend?" asked Suzaku. "Perhaps Genbu could sooth that nasty burn."
"It's not as bad as it looks," said Byakko with a chuckle. "I'm as sturdy as steel, remember?"
Wait, what the heck is going on right now? Weren't we in the middle of a fight? I got to my feet and turned around to see Suzaku looking over Byakko's wounded paw. They had orders from Dodger Dragonvest to kill us, and they called a time-out because of friendly fire. I'm not complaining or anything, but I am very confused. And apparently, I'm not the only one.
"What in the world are you mooks doing?!" Dodger bellowed. "I gave you an order!"
"The Great Kohryu says that hurting your friends, even inadvertently, strains your bond with them," said Suzaku plainly. "We must have this sorted out."
"You dare question your master, the Dragon's Hierophant?!" Dodger barked, holding the gemstones aloft. "Get them, now!"
The white and red gemstones both glowed for a moment, and in turn, Byakko and Suzaku's eyes glowed. Byakko then advanced towards us while Suzaku flew back to his vantage point. So much for the reprieve.
"The exit is clear now," said Mare-Do-Well. "Ms. Sparkler, I ask that you and Ms. Hooves make haste. I'll hold them off."
Without waiting for my acknowledgement, she flew towards Suzaku in an attempt to draw his fire. For a moment, I felt kinda bad about leaving her behind. Even if she is a hero, I doubt she can take on four powerful creatures by herself. I shook the doubt from my mind and prepared to leave, convincing myself that she'd be okay. But just my luck, that moment of hesitation cost me.
"Cold as the frost!"
Right before my eyes, a sheet of ice materialized over the hole leading to the tunnel where we came from. I was hoping to see Derpy on the other side, but of course, she didn't want to go anywhere without me. With a swallow, I looked up to see Genbu staring at us with blank black pupils.
"There is no escape from being marked, equine," he said. "It is as the Great Kohryu decrees."
I suddenly felt a sudden chill in my hooves. Looking down, I was horrified to see my body freezing over inch by inch. I squirmed and struggled, but the ice held me fast.
"Ammy!" Derpy cried. She then threw her forelegs around my frozen haunches and pulled, flapping her wings with all her might. "Don't worry, Ammy! I've got you! You're gonna *mmph* be okay!"
"It is too late to save those who are marked," said Genbu coldly. "Do not interfere."
"Don't tell me what to do, you big meanie!" Derpy snapped. "I'm not *errgh* letting any of you *nngh* hurt my daughter!"
"Then you shall feel the cold frost as well," said Genbu. "It will be the last thing you feel before you die."
Dodger laughed as he watched me and Derpy struggle. "No use fighting it, Momma's Girl! This is what you get for defying Kohryu's will! And by Kohryu, I mean me! Byakko! Shatter her into a thousand pieces! Ignore that costumed freak!"
I turned my head to see Byakko swiping at Mare-Do-Well, who was flying just out of reach. When he heard Dodger's order, he dashed towards me and Derpy. I scrunched my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact.
"Hold, Byakko! I see you have been wounded!"
The impact didn't come, and the ice slowly encasing my body suddenly stopped spreading. I opened one eye, only to see Byakko looking at the paw Suzaku burned earlier.
"Oh, this?" he said. "'Tis nothing. I can still fight."
"There is a fine line between courage and recklessness, Byakko," said Genbu. "I suggest you let me treat that burn before continuing."
Byakko stroked his chin for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, if you insist."
"That I do, old friend," said Genbu. "Now, this might sting a bit..."
Genbu then focused his magic on Byakko's paw, and a thin layer of ice formed around the burn. I'm actually beginning to see why Kohryu called his acolytes the Four Benevolent Animals. When they're not trying to kill you or following the words of a false prophet, they're actually very nice fellows. Heck, if they suddenly moved to Ponyville, they'd fit right in.
"Cut that out!" Dodger roared. "The one marked by Kohryu is helpless, Genbu! Finish the job!"
"Patience, hierophant. Can you not see that I am busy?" said Genbu irritably.
"Don't you talk back to me!" Dodger boomed, holding the gemstones aloft. "I command you to— yeow!"
Before he could do anything, one of Suzaku's fireballs came close to grazing him. He snarled and looked up at Mare-Do-Well, who was still drawing Suzaku's fire.
"Grr. I've had enough of you!" he yelled. "Genbu, change of plans! The costumed freak dies first!"
The black gemstone flashed, and so did Genbu's eyes. Genbu then focused his attention on Mare-Do-Well, freezing her legs and causing her flight to become wobbly.
"Now I've got you, you pest," said Dodger. "Sharp as the timber!"
Seiryu made his appearance in a flash of blue light. There was suddenly a rumbling in the ground, which was accompanied by several roots shooting forth and wrapping around Mare-Do-Well's body. Dodger roared with laughter.
"You're not so tough now, are you?" he mocked. "Now you'll feel the might of the Great Kohryu!"
The acolytes began to surround Mare-Do-Well, leering at her with hungry eyes. Mare-Do-Well growled and groaned as she struggled against her bonds.
"Nngh! Ms. Sparkler, go!" she grunted. "I-I'll be okay!"
I, somehow doubt that. And again, I don't think it's right to leave her like this. I admire her sacrifice and all, but this mystery is far from solved. And as long as that's the case, she still has a job to do.
"You said before that you needed my help, Ms. Mare-Do-Well," I said.
"I said that I might need your help!" Mare-Do-Well spat.
"Yeah, well. You also said you didn't plan on dying here," I said with a smirk. "So I'm not gonna let you!"
I then fired a narrow beam from my horn that shot over Genbu's head and right at Mare-Do-Well's bonds of ice and tree roots (probably should've used this earlier, but it's hard to think straight when you're in imminent danger, y'know?). Seeing as I usually use this spell to cut gemstones, the beam cut through the bonds like a hot knife through butter. Once Mare-Do-Well had broken free, I focused on the ice covering my hooves.
"One *oof* last *omph* pull!"
Just when I remembered that Derpy was trying to pull me free, part of my icy prison has shattered. With less resistance holding me in place, Derpy yanked me out of the ice and accidentally hurled me across the room. Shouts of confusion bombarded me from all sides before I crashed into something soft. When I recovered from the experience, I saw that the soft thing I crashed into was Dodger Dragonvest, who was out cold. The four gemstones lay scattered on the floor, and the acolytes had disappeared from the room; supposedly because Dodger wasn't controlling them.
"Oops. Sorry, Ammy," said Derpy with a guilty look on her face. "I guess I don't know my own strength."
"Nngh. It's okay, Mom," I said, rubbing my head and getting my bearings. "You alright, Ms. Mare-Do-Well?"
"I've, been better," Mare-Do-Well grunted, clutching at her chest. "Quick, we should leave before he comes to."
"Agreed," I said. I started making my way to the hole when I noticed Mare-Do-Well scooping up the discarded gemstones. "Um, what are you doing?"
"It would not be wise to *mmph* leave these in his possession," said Mare-Do-Well weakly, not even turning around to acknowledge me. "I happen to know somepony who specializes in magic. She might know how to free them."
"You mean the acolytes?" I asked. "Well, that's very noble of you, but didn't you say two seconds ago that we had to get a move-on?"
"You saw it yourself, Ms. Sparkler," Mare-Do-Well rasped. "The Benevolent Animals are not completely bound to the curse. If there's a chance to save them, then I mu— Nngh!"
Mare-Do-Well stumbled forward, clutching her chest and dropping the gemstones. Derpy sighed.
"Maybe you should think about saving yourself first," she said, putting the gemstones in her mailbag. "Here, we'll help you get to a doctor."
"N-no need. I-I'm fine," said Mare-Do-Well.
"You don't sound 'fine' to me," I said. "Here, let me help you up."
"Y-you don't need to do that. I can walk just fine," said Mare-Do-Well, still clutching her chest.
"After the beating you took? I don't think so," I said, grabbing one of Mare-Do-Well's forelegs.
"I-it's alright, Ms. Sparkler. M-my wounds are not that bad," said Mare-Do-Well nervously.
"Stop being such a silly-filly and let us help you," said Derpy. "You shouldn't try to do everything yourself."
"Please, you really don't have to do this," said Mare-Do-Well. "I'll be okay."
"Well, we're gonna just gonna make extra sure of that," said Derpy with a smile as she gripped Mare-Do-Well's other foreleg. "Now c'mon. Up and at 'em!"
"No, wait! You shouldn't—"
When Derpy and I hefted Mare-Do-Well's forelegs over our shoulders, a bright flash came from her chest. Part of her costume was ripped, and hidden underneath was some sort of vial hanging off of a necklace. Whatever was in it, it was letting off a powerful illumination. Through the glare, I could see quite a few cracks.
"Ooh, pretty~," said Derpy, staring at the necklace. "Who made that for you?"
Mare-Do-Well sighed. "Well, this is awkward."
"Awkward?" parroted Derpy. "What's so awkward about a necklace?"
Mare-Do-Well sighed again. "I, have a bit of explaining to do. But not here. We should probably get moving before Dragonvest wakes up."
"Right, sure," I said, cutting through the ice Genbu created with my magic. With that, Derpy and I led Mare-Do-Well down towards the tunnel we came out of. Before we left Dodger's den completely, Mare-Do-Well gave me a sideways glance.
"One last thing, before I forget," she said.
"What's that?"
"Thank you, Ms. Sparkler. For, saving my life."
I chuckled. "Same to you, and more of it," I said.