Triple M. Corporation
"Are ya buckin' kiddin' me?!" Mac demanded before rolling left, avoiding a strong, red scaled tail slamming down where he once stood. A sharp pain stung up his foreleg where the offending creature had slashed a nice gash right above the stallions hoof. He looked down to see a small chunk of muscle had been stolen along with the skin and fur. His eyes trailed from his wounded appendage up to the dazed monstrosity.
Three carts had already fallen on Golvec, the first two the dragon treated as minor inconveniences, and the their was merely the equivalent to a smack in the face. "Alright," Golvec looked upwards to see Shade readying another cart for assalt. "That's enough out of you!" The dragon raised his claw and aimed for the night pegasus. Shade grunted in frustration and flew out of reach before the appendage crashed through the rail bridge. Mac took note of Shades escape before quickly limping behind a cluster of stalagmites to nurse his wound.
He looked back to where Spike and Sin had run off to. Mac remembered protesting the livelyhood of Sin's plan, though he couldn't really come up with anything better at the moment. With the dragon already enraged from his spat with the pony, talking it down would be next to impossible at this point. He heard Golvec roar in anger before commanding that Shade remain still for capture and consumption.
He peaked his head over to see the ruby dragon slam his fist into the wall where Shade had been a moment prior. Sin landed on a higher carved our platform and began to quiver from what Macintosh assumed was exaustion. "Hey Sin! I'm not sure how long I can keep this up bro." The stallion gasped. Macintosh couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for the pegasus, he doubted even Rainbow Dash herself could keep up with him. After tracking down Spike, having dive bombed at least three dozen times into a large pack of diamond dogs, bucking three iron carts, and still managing to avoid a dragon in such a tight nipped place; he still managed to keep himself not only alive but relatively unscathed.
"Don't worry little pony." Golvec smiled gripping the claw he used to hit the cave wall, loud cracking sounds emitting from his knuckles. "All you have to do is DIE!" He opened his mouth, a small ember emerging from his throat before a flaming inferno blasted forth.
"OH MAMA!" Shade jumped out of the way and took flight, Golvec however wasn't done and followed the bat pegasus with the flame still spewing forth. Half the cavern had been covered with golden flames before Golvec held off on the flaming assault. The dragon began panting from fatigue, something Macintosh found curious, he hadn't seen many dragon in his time, but he knew that from most stories; dragons shouldn't be that tired from such a simple feet. At that moment, the dragon turned around having lost track of his pray, and began to search through readily available mineshaft hiding places.
Mac saw the elusive pegasus and called him over from behind the rock formation. Shade glided over to the stallion as the now annoyed Golvec called out to them.
"What are yo-" Shade stopped after seeing the trickling blood oozing from Macintosh's leg. "Oh, you alright?" His angry tone turning soft.
"Ya, Ah'm fine." Mac replied before turning his head back to the hazordos reptile. "Alrigh', Ah have an Ideah."
Star Shade nodded intently before Mac explained what he needed to have done. He made sure that the dark stallion was alright before setting the plan into motion.
"I think so, but have you seen Sin or Spike?" Star asked, oblivious to the eerie silence that had befallen the previously thundering cavern.
"Ah havn', Ah hope ther' okay." Mac said, his eyes riddled with concern.
"I belive it is yourself you should be worried about." Golvec called.
Both the stallions snapped their necks just in time to see Golvec reaching down. In a panic Macintosh jumped up and instinctively through his hind legs behind him to push his friend out of harms way. What happened next he couldn't quite say, maybe it was seen by the dark stallion and he did the same, or perhaps it was just dumb luck. But Shade had mirrored Macintosh and their hind hoofs made contact in mid air before they both pushed, and bucked each other just in time to avoid Golvec's deadly claws.
They both rolled forward, neither expecting the other to give savior. "DUDE THAT WAS AWESOME!" Called the dark stallion gleefully before his happy face dropped at the sight of another claw reaching for him. As the winged stallion ascend into the air once more, he observed Mac running into an undamaged mineshaft. He quickly followed with Golvec hot in pursuit. He slowed his speed and entered the small vein just in time to avoid the dragons reach.
Golvec roared in anger and then reached his arm into the the vein, feeling around for the hopefully close by meal. A loud crack was followed by a loud cry from the dragon. he quickly recovered his arm from the mine and inspected the now two broken index and middle claws. He gently touched them in a nervous attempt to put them back the right way, sharp winces accompanying even the most sensitive of grips.
Mac smiled at his work from the Mines entrance. "Good job." he smiled approvingly at Shade for buying him enough time to get where he needed to be. The complimented stallion simply nodded before collapsing in an exhausted heap on the ground.
"Golvec!" Cried a booming voice from the cavern. The dragon dismissed his broken carpels and looked around, the smoldering ruins of the eastern side of cave, trying to find where the voice had come from. "You know, for all your arrogant boasting, you are rather simple to trick."
The ruby wyvern blew an annoyed huff of steam from his nostrils before he pushed the pain from his claw to the back of his mind and regained his composure. "You speak confidently, when you're not around to be held responsible for it." He replied smugly.
The voice gave a low chuckle. "Why would I need to be around? You're hardly capable of defeating two ponies on their own. Getting myself involved would only give them advantage enough to fall you. I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed. I mean look at you: A massive lump on your head protruding from your scale covered scalp, broken clawed fingers, and you still have nothing to show for it."
Mac recognized the words and voice after a moment, the bloodloss and pain of his wounds beginning to make his mind a little fuzzy. Why would Sin be provoking the beast so much? Mac winced at about the tenth angry rawr the dragon had let out since the ordeal began. "You are one to talk about the shame of working through others, Mister Sin." Called the dragon with a smile steadily creeping onto his face. Mac let out a questioning sound before the dragon began to speak again. "Oh yes, you demonize me for the act, than you turn around and allow those two fools to battle me for you. We're alot alike you and I."
"HEY BIRD BRAIN!" A small voice called.
Golvec turned with a pleased expression to see a purple hatchling of his species standing with a nicely sized ruby in hand. He tilted his head and slowly wondered over to the him. "And now you send infant wyrms to do you're fighting? Undoubtedly one of the greatest cowards I have ever met."
Spike looked up at him with a half confident smirk. The young dragon took a bite of the ruby, his faux smile never leaving the approaching beast. "Gotta problem big guy?"
The elder wyvern lowered his head so it was eye level with younger. "Do you presume to test me hatchling?"
"Just for the record." Sin called out, Golvec looked past Spike to see Sin hidden under a stone shelf only a few feet away. He was holding something that the crimson gold dragon couldn't quite make out. "I'm nothing like you."
A quiet thud echoed breifly before it was drowned out by a cry of pain. Golvec threw his head back and grasped at his left eye with his claws. A sharp and concentrated pain radiated from the visual orb, causing pain never before experienced in the slave masters life.
Spike gave sine a wry grin and thumbs up. Sin lowered his crossbow and grinned to the youngling in return.
"YOU JACK ASS!" Golvec roared thrashing his head around violently, trying to dig the bolt out with his claw. "OH WHEN I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU, YOU WILL FEEL PAIN BEYOND PAIN!"
Sin looked back over to his associate. "Find Mac and Shade, make sure they're alright." Spike gave a salute and quickly walked over to the mine he had last seen them in. After he arrived, he found a wounded Macintosh leaning against the cave wall, Star Shade collapsed a few feet away from him.
"BIG MAC!" Called Spike running over to his side.
"Hey li'l fellah." Mac replied sheepishly. Spike raised alarm over the gash in Mac's leg, the stallion merely shrugged it off as shock. He hadn't lost to much blood, not enough to kill him, but enough to cause disorientation when coupled with the shock of the current battle they were in. Luckily most of his wound was begining to clot, and the blood loss slowing. "Is Sin alrigh?"
Spike nodded and tried to help the stallion out of the mineshaft to observe the now calming Golvec. They deduced the arrow had been removed, but a small trickle of green blood flowed from his now swollen and useless eye. "Very cleaver donkey, use my emotions against me. Strike my pride and make me act arrogantly." He looked to where Sin was and a devilish grin graced the dragons mouth. "But I'm done with your games." With a quick spin, the elder wyrm slammed his tail into the cavern wall, causing the dirt to come cascading down upon the former shelf that had sheltered his foe.
Waiting for either the dirt to entrap Sin, or said stallion to come running out to escape; Golvec took a in a deep breath and waited for the perfect time to unleash the flame. After the last of the rubble had fallen, the crimson beast blew more steam from his nose and laughed maliciously in his triumph. Though his mirth had soon quieted With when he noticed the rubble beginning to shift. With an expectant, albeit curious smirk; he watched as the brown tanned form of crawled out, gasping for air in between rough coughs.
"Well, well." Golvec mused, grasping the stallion; making sure to hold his forelegs against his body to stop any tricks. "So you're still alive."
Spike and Mac watched helplessly as the the cocky wyrm patronized Sin. They both wanted to help, but Mac was injured and disorientated, Shade was unconscious and exhausted, and Spike knew there was little he could do to catch Golvec's attention, let alone actually hurt him. The duo grew teary eyed as they saw Sin get one last lecture before his demise.
"You know pony? if you were a dragon, I think we might have actually been friends." Golvec's smile turned into a grin before his grip tightened, causing a muted yell out of his prey. "It's to bad."
Sin was given reprieve from the dragons tightening claws, he greedily sucked in the dry oxygen the cavern had to offer before tilting his head up and looking the great beast in the eye. "I would never associate with a such a slothful and foolish coward." He muttered before the dragons grip tightened once again, it's sharp claws digging into Sin coat, small drops of crimson began to streak down the punctured intrusions of his body. One final wheeze escaped the pony before the dragon let out a small chuckle.
"Say good nigh-"
Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the main entrance of the hollowed cave. Shouts of official sounding voices shot all through out the mine. Then, three silver armored Griffons speed past an opening, each beginning to assault Golvec.
"What in Skyrim?" He barked trying to shoo them away. "What's going on? Who are you?"
"Golvec Rubyborn." Called a strangely familiar voice. "You are banished from Equestria for the crimes of enslavement and murder. By order of the Royal Sisters."
A small smile crossed Mac's face as he recognized the booming voice of Princess Luna.
Golvec scoffed and swatted the three eagle/lion hybrids away, slamming them into the far wall. He dropped the barley conscious Sin onto the ground, a loud thump echoing upon his impact, and turned to face his new; Royal adversary. "I am matured passed your magic, dear heart. It will have no affect on me."
Luna only smiled back as ten silver clad minotaur charged in and placed themselves in two rows of five, the front row knelt down while the back row stood. All of them holding weapons much like Sin had, though with out the modification for hooves. They all took aim at the dragon face finger firmly on the trigger. "We wont need magic when we have ten well trained dragon hunters present."
Golvec opened his mouth to speak but immediately covered his snout at the foul stench that assaulted his snout. He turned back to find the source of the putrid odor was the arrow heads. He had only smelt it once in his life, but remembered almost instantly that it was Dragonsbane. He took a step back and shook his head in defeat. Before anything else he looked down at a struggling to stand Sin, his one good eye glaring down on him. "You will pay for this." And in one swift motion, the elder dragon darted skyward, bursting through the roof of the cave and out into the open sky.
"Follow him!" Called on of the minotaurs, the three Griffons from before gave a quick salute before jumping up and flying after the reptile.
Luna watched the predators give chase before remembering the injured pony before her. "Sargent, we need your medics, add it to your fee." The Princess demanded, the lead minataur nodded and barked out for medical staff. Soon after, five unicorn mares with a read crossed on their hats gracefully ran in and began to inspect the pony.
"P- Princess?" Spike called, Luna's gaze shot to the procuring dragon, than they shot wide open in shock.
"Spike? What in the name of our moon are you doing here?" Her words were much softer when not using her Royal Canterlot Voice. She cautiously trudged up to him with two of her night guards falling in line behind her.
The two shared a brief embrace before Luna noticed the few cuts and scrapes that Spike had endured. "My goodness Spike, what on Celestia's Sun happened to you?"
Spike looked at minor injuries he gain from the struggle with Golvec. "It's a long story," he dismissed before he motioned with his hand. "C'mon, Macintosh and Star need help."
"SPIKE!" Sin called trying to push away the medical mares.
Spike shrugged him off, what ever Sin wanted could wait. He lead the lunar princess into the shaft to a sickly looking red stallion who greeted them with a somber smile and glazed eyes. Luna's eyes shot to the other heap of a pony laying only feet away and her eyes shot wide again. She informed her personal guards to fetch the medical personal to tend to Macintosh than wondered over to her former subordinate.
She cleared her throat to gain the forms attention. Shade opened on eye and rose his head to see the princess looking down at him indifferently. The exhausted pegasus groaned and began to speak "Oh the nightmares are back, wonderful." he complained laying his head back down.
"Star Shade!" She barked causing the stallion's head to shoot up.
His eyes widened and he prodded himself with his hood. "OH SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA IT'S REAL! WHY!" He shouted in an over-dramatic and disparaging voice before he began to sob. "Why Discord? Why have you FORSAKEN me? I CARE NOT for this BEAST!"
Luna gave a curt and offended scoff and began to scold the pony for his insolence, though a sudden thought crossed her mind. She had heard tales of Star Shade from her other Night Pegasi, and if the psychotic tendencies of the creature before her were true, it was best to leave him be. She shook her head in defeat before turning away from her former would-be subordinate and wondering back out side. She was greeted by three members of the medical staff tending to Macintosh, placing new gauze over his injured limb and giving him something to drink. His other associate however was reluctant with the medics, pushing them away if they tried to get to close.
"Get away from me, I don't want your help." Sin groaned, his shaking legs threatening to give out at any time.
"Please sir, we're just trying to help you." Called a light blue maned unicorn mare, he eyes riddled with concern for the stallions well being.
"And your concern is appreciated, but I will not take anything from the Triple em Corporation." Sin barked, his voice stern and unwavering, thick venom dripping from the last two words to exit his mouth.
"And why do you deny our aid?" The princess of night barked approaching the battle marked stallion. She looked down at him expectantly, noting all of the crimson stained puncture marks on his cape, and his wobbling legs. Her reflection caught in the young ponies black reflective goggles and hid his eyes from her judgment.
"I'm sorry." Sin mutter and furrowed his brow, "I didn't intend to seem rude, though-"
"And rude you were, my little pony." Luna announced, glaring down at Sin as if he were a foal being scolded for doing something foolish.
"And I apologize madam." Sin gave a curt bow of his head, as angry at the ill treatment she personally was giving him, the liberty pony still owed her his gratitude for her saving of his life.
"Uh, Sin." Spike interupted, "This is Princess Luna, she's one of the Royal Pony sisters."
Sin's mouth gaped, "So I did hear correctly." He muttered looking up at Luna, judging her for what it was worth to him. After his brief examination, he gave a more genuine and deep bow. "I am sorry Princess Luna. I did not know it was you." A faint smile passed over the princess lips at his words and genuine respect. "And thank you for your aid, I am in your debt."
The princess allowed a bigger smile before addressing the wounded stallion again. "Rise Sin, please, the formalities are hardly needed to gain our favor."
Sin arose slowly, trembling from his aches before he was upright again. Though his words sounded warm, his face was passive an unreadable; even for the mistress of the night. "So why will you not allow my associates to treat your wounds?" Luna asked returning to her original point. The two medical mares stood eagerly to the side, just waiting for their call to action.
Sin let out a long slow sigh. "It's complicated, general synopsis, we have an unfavorable history."
Luna cocked a brow and was about to speak before she was silence by the sound of another stallion, this one's voice as cold and empty as Sin's. "Yes, he and we didn't exactly see; eye to eye." They all turned around to witness the entrance of a dark grey earth pony stallion with a darker grey mane, small wisps of white running back through it from front to back. On his neck was a red striped tie with two white cuffs that were held firmly in place, and his cutie mark was that of a female bipedal creature made of ice. "It's been quite some time, Sin."
Spike looked back to Sin, had he not known any better, he would have sworn the brown pony's eyes had narrowed. "Malic." Sin spat, causing the named pony to produce an empty chuckle.
"Sin, Sin, Sin." Malic tisked shaking his head. "Out of all the places in the world I expected to find you. You! A once proud Senator of New Equine-"
"Why are you here, Malic? You're the Vice President of the Triple em Corporation. You are hardly a field worker." Sin asked with little more than annoyance.
"Triple em Corporation?" Spike asked confused.
Malic smiled looking down at the dragon, a smile that seemed all to familiarly empty and ingenue to him. "Yes my good sir. Triple em. Medical, Mining, and Mercenary. Back in the Federation many years ago, those were the three most in demand services at the time, still are to this day."
Spike was already weary of this "vice president " just from his empty smile and seemingly emotionless words. But the ponies eyes sealed the deal, they lacked a certain shine to them; that shine that showed: hope, happiness and love. It was lost to the pony before him, and set the baby dragon on edge. "Oh. Okay." Spike shrugged forcing himself to sound more interested than nervous.
"And if you must know." The stallion turned to the battered former Senator. "I was here as a peaceful negotiator. Though, I think after seeing you in that predicament, those intentions went out the window." The executive pony shook his head.
"Negotiator?" Sin asked, though his question was ignored.
"Truly a shame as well, I was hoping he would join the Dragon Raiders, from what those mutts told us, he was quite the intelligent creature. I was hoping to make him my personal mount."
"Truly a loss for New Equine." Sin gave a sarcastic smile.
Malic shot a skeptical brow to his former associate, giving a dry word of acknowledgment before turning to Luna. "Princess, as we agreed. Triple M. has removed the dragon, and attended with Medical personnel." He bowed to her. "I will have a balance written up for you when you are ready. And please, if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." And with that, the princess gave him a thankful nod and Malic proceeded out the way he came. Though not with out one last empty smirk to Sin.
"Sin?" Spike croaked looking up at him, "What's a Senator?"
"A very shameful thing Spike, A very, very shameful thing."