//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - The Crater // Story: Fun & Fantasy // by Yosh-E-O //------------------------------// The portal instantly brought each of the party members into a wasteland that smelled strong of smoke and sulfur. “The Dragon lands?” wondered Spike. “We’ve been here before in Spiketopia.” “With your other crush,” added discord with a wink. “I’m not glorifying that with an answer!” blushed Spike as he tried to show great offense to his interest in Princess Ember. “Oh,” added the draconequus as he patted Spike upon his diapered bottom. “You just did.” “Hmmph!” the purple dragon huffed. “Look!” cried Parker as they peered down into a deep crater. The team gazed down to see another familiar face pacing about below. “Garble?” thought Spike. “He’s your bestie, right?” joked Discord. “You do know that I can turn you back into a statue in this world, right?” reminded Spike as he charged his magic. “Okay, okay,” the Master of Chaos pleaded while waving his hands in front of himself. “I don’t want the Element of Childhood bringing his tantrum-filled wrath upon me.” The remark reminded Spike of the diaper he had been cursed with and he blushed even more as he very desperately tried to hide it under his outfit. “You know,” thought Discord. “Since you two have such chemistry together I vote you go down there and show us how Garble fits into our little game this evening?” “Spike looked down to see the fall would definitely be one where he’d lose all his HP from the impact. “I suppose I could use my Owl’s Feather of Safe Falling…?” he considered. “Why bother?” further added Discord as he swatted Spike on his thickly padded rump. “EEp!” the purple dragon squeaked as he involuntarily bounced forward and started to fall towards the bottom of the crater. Parker, Leon, and Big Mac all glared at their rogue archer. “Oh, c’mon,” he scoffed while gesturing down to the ground below. “He’s just fine.” Sure enough, Spike was standing himself up amidst a giant white cloud. This appeared to get the attention of Garble who quickly approached to engage the mage in combat. “We need to help him!” proclaimed Leon. “Perhaps our diapers have the same effect as his?” thought Parker before taking a big leap over the edge. BYOO PLOP “Huh?” wondered the more daring of the two brothers as he found himself on his bottom back beside Discord and Leon. “How did I get back up here?” Leon thought as he watched his twin leap again over the cliff. BYOO PLOP! “What’s going on?” growled Parker as he found himself right back where he started. Something made Leon think to look at the Nixi plush he held. The eyes seemed like they were shimmering a bit. However it could just be the amount of open sunlight reflecting off of them. “You can ride with me,” suggested Big mac. “I have high stats for Dexterity and can get us down right quick.” The two ebon dragons got aboard Sir McBiggun as he started his descent down into the crater. “Blah,” shrugged Discord. “So much for watching our fearless leader in action.” *** “Well, well, well,” Garble ferociously glared as he noticed Spike appearing from within the cloud of baby powder. “If it isn’t the namby-pamby padded pony lover?” Spike was still trying to catch his breath after the fall. He thought he would’ve been turned into a spirit until the team resurrected him back. However here he was and looking up towards his dragon nemesis in as most embarrassing a position as could possibly ever be imagined. “I hate cute things!” stomped the red teenage dragon. “And you’re definitely too cute to not rip into far better looking shreds that I will incinerate with my fire breath!” BWARF! “Ah!” cried Spike as he barely rolled out of the way of Garble’s flaming assault. “Hold still!” demanded the agitated dragon as he opened his wings for effect. “It’s not like you can get away from me! You can’t even fly!” FWOO-SLASH! “Hey!” exclaimed the purple dragon wizard as he just ducked under a claw swipe by Garble. He was noticing that his reflexes were a bit slower. “This dumb diaper is messing with my reflexes!” “You won’t be worrying about that for much longer,” stated the assailant dragon while trying to pin Spike to the side of the crater. “Though I do hope you last long enough to be worth my time. You’ve been such a thorn in my scales that for you to just lose like the hatchling pony pal you are would be far too disappointing.” SLASH-SKRICH BWARF! Spike panicked to his feet as he tripped and stumbled to get his footing as quickly as the bulky diaper would allow him to. The sheer size of the plastic-shelled garment spread his stubby legs apart and made getting to his feet next to impossible. “Okay!” the purple dragon proclaimed upon finally getting his footing. “This isn’t Equestria, Garble, so I don’t have to be nice to you either!” WHOOO SHWEE “Ah!” the red dragon growled as he was encased in a pillar of ice. This did not last long before Garble freed himself in a cascade of melting crystalline shards. “That all you got!” boomed Garble. “What a joke!” Spike stared down his opponent and conjured all his magic to cast his ultimate spell. “You asked for it!” he announced. “Feel the full force of Garbunkle the Green!”