//------------------------------// // Crisis in Cloudsdale! // Story: Dragon of Steel II // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Garble, Grunt and Groan were, needless to say, in a very bad mood when they left Canterlot. Being rebuffed by a pony, particularly a pony princess, and being made aware of how powerless they truly were compared to her, it was not something they were used to. The teenaged dragons had always gotten their way in the past, only when they had been banished had they been unable to assert their authority. Garble was the grouchiest of all, and rightfully so in his opinion. "First that annoying Super Dragon shows up and starts foiling our plans, then Filthy Rich gets cold hooves and bails on us, and now this is happening!" He snorted, blowing smoke from his nostrils. "Those ponies are really starting to bug me! And I hate bugs!" "So, what, we just do what they say and go find some other species to pick on?" Grunt questioned. "I think there's some zebras we could hunt down. Or maybe a few griffons that need a good pounding." "No! Those ponies need to know their place!" Garble hissed and spat at the ground! "They think Super Dragon and the princesses can protect them! Well they're wrong! One way or another, they will accept our superiority! They will bow to us! We'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget!" Groan then suggested. "Then let's go back to Ponyville and put the hurt on those ponies! Maybe we can even find that pony loving pipsqueak Spike and put him in his place!" He put his claws together. "I'm itching for action!" However, Garble's wandering eyes happened to fall upon a most interesting sight. He and his fellow dragons were not alone in the skies. A city literally made of clouds was floating along in the distance, and winged ponies were trotting or flying about the city without a care or concern in the world. The red scaled dragon's smile grew wider as terrible, horrible, no good, really bad thoughts began to flood his mind. "Actually, I think I know of a place we can hit," He pointed a claw. "See that big bank of clouds up ahead?" Grunt and Groan squinted, able to just make out the outline of what looked like a city of clouds. And was it their imagination, or did there appear to be rainbows over it? A glint came into Garble's eyes. "Seems like as good a place as any to cause some havoc! We'll show those puny ponies whose boss! And if that boy scout in blue shows up, we'll take him down too!" Grunt snickered. "Great! So let's stop talking and start destroying!" "Now you're talking!" Garble declared and let out a guttural roar! Then, he and his fellow teenage dragons flew straight towards the city of clouds! The pegasi of Cloudsdale only became aware that something was wrong when suddenly the peace and quiet was abruptly disrupted! Three truly terrifying creatures appeared overhead! Some ponies gasped, but most didn't know what to think. Garble swooped down, presenting himself to the ponies. "Hello all you namby-pamby ponies. Please, don't be alarmed. Unless, of course, the idea of me and my associates here," He gestured to the dragons to his left and right. "Taking over is a problem for you. In that case, be very, very alarmed." Groan then stepped forward. "We're not taking no for an answer, ponies. So what happens next is on you. Either surrender and submit to us peacefully, or try to resist and see just how powerful we truly are." "You... you can't do this to us!" A pegasus pony whimpered. "The princesses will..." "Oh, your princesses," Garble cackled with fiendish and sadistic glee. "Sure, they'll show up, eventually. But by the time they do, there's not going to be a city left to save. Resist, and everything you care about will go up in flames!" He proceeded to let out a small breath of fire to emphasize his point. "So," Grunt questioned with a sinister smirk on his face. "Still wanna hold out for a hero?" As if in response to the question, a rainbow colored blur of motion suddenly swept past the dragons! "Guess it's a good thing I happened to be in Cloudsdale today! Super Dragon won't have to get involved, I'll take you all down myself!" A feminine sounding voice boasted! Garble, Grunt and Groan spun around and found themselves snout to snout with a rainbow maned pegasus. It didn't take long for Garble to recognize where he had seen this particular pegasus before. "Hey, I know you! You're one of those ponies who tried to stand up for Spike, only to run away like a coward." "Yeah?" The rainbow maned mare remarked in a defiant tone of voice. "Well that was then and this is now. No one threatens Cloudsdale on my watch! No one!" Then she took off with a furious flap of her wings, all the while sticking out her tongue and taunting. "Catch me if you can!" Grunt and Groan felt their blood begin to boil, and their anger slowly bubble over! But Garble simply reached out a claw to them both and said to them. "No, leave that pony to me. She wants us all to chase after her, but we won't fall for her tricks. I'm more than enough to take her on and take her down. You two get to work on bringing this stinkin' city to its knees! Hurry, before Super Dragon shows up!" Then he flew off. Grunt and Groan shrugged their claws, but reluctantly obeyed. They flew into the city proper as pegasus ponies proceeded to scream, some running and others flying as the city descended into chaos! Rainbow Dash had not flown as fast as she was flying now since the time she'd performed a sonic rainboom at the Best Young Flyers Competition. This time, the stakes were much higher. And when she looked back, she could see the red scaled dragon chasing after her. "Darn it! I was hoping to get all three of them to come after me!" She thought to herself. "Guess Super Dragon will just have to take care of them. But Garble's mine! I'll make him pay!" And she quickly dove down, then suddenly swooped back up. "Yes, that's right," Garble taunted as he followed Rainbow to the best of his ability. "Keep flying around. We both know you can't take me in a fight." "Don't need to fight you head on!" Rainbow replied as she grabbed a nearby cloud and started hopping up and down on it! "Apparently, you don't know we pegasi can control the weather. I've got mother nature on my side." Suddenly, a massive downpour of rain poured out of the cloud, soaking Garble completely. And at the same time, a gust of wind from the flapping of Rainbow Dash's wings pushed him towards the ground. It took everything he had to keep himself from impacting the ground. Yet just as the red scaled dragon had gotten back to where he should be, there was a loud boom and a bolt of lightning whizzed past him! Then a couple of hailstones started to pelt him relentlessly. Even so, he refused to yield. "Keep it coming! I can take anything you can dish out!" He roared above the tempest. "Oh yeah, hot shot?!" The brash speedster replied as she swooped down and closed in on him! "Let's see how tough you are after you take a sonic rainboom to the face!" Seconds after she spoke that, a cone of speed appeared around her. Garble, unaware, had no time to react before there was an explosion of color in the form of a rainbow shockwave! The brightly colored blast struck him head on, and he had to shut his eyes as the light grew to a blinding intensity! Sensing an opportunity for a follow-up, Rainbow looped around and launched a kick straight into Garble's scaley stomach! As expected, Garble winced in pain. He seemed to be on the ropes, ready for the finishing move. "Say your prayers, tough guy!" The pegasus proclaimed as she stuck a hoof out in front of her, and flew forward, hoping to connect a punch to his chin. Yet the red scaled dragon just managed to grab his attacker by said hoof, bringing her to a screeching halt. Slowly, and still reeling from the pain of earlier attacks (his body only now starting to show any signs of injury, and even then they were faint. Dragons were made of tough stuff), he opened his eyes. "Nice grip, pony," He forced out between utterings of pain. "Here, let me show you mine!" He tightened his grip firmly, squeezing the hoof as hard as he could! Rainbow yowled and tried to kick Garble to make him stop! Garble, however, swung his tail around and blocked the attack. Then he brought another claw of his down on Rainbow and dug into her mane, scraping his sharp claws along her scalp! "Y-you!" Rainbow Dash screamed and grit her teeth, trying desperately to maintain what composure she had! "And now, I'll crush you!" Garble vowed as he released his grip and raised his claws up over the rainbow maned pegasus' head. "It's been nice knowing you, pony!" And as he spoke he inhaled deeply, prepared to land one final blow and then set his opponent on fire. But before Garble could do so, he felt a tap on the back of his shoulder. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you want me to show you any mercy, you'd better let that pony go right now." Spinning around, Garble found himself face to face with the last sight he wanted to see right now! Before him stood Super Dragon in all his glory! "Oh no! Not you!"