The three ponies snuck into the dank cave, it was surprisingly cold for a dragon's den. They approached a wide opening, and O'Malley held out an arm to stop the other two before pointing. They followed his pointing and a dragon lay in a dug out-corner, its silvery scales glistening in the dim light. Then they saw it, a small figure pressed against the cave wall, shivering in the darkness. Nightshade stood and took a step forward, his tail knocking over some stacked rocks. He cringed as they tumbled over, and the dragon roused from its sleep with a deafening roar.
"Foolish ponies... You dare wake a dragon from his slumber?!" There was something wrong with this dragon's voice that Nightshade couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Oh, calm the hell down." Nightshade walked out from their hiding place, looking the dragon in the eye, the dragon glared at him inquisitively. "In fairness, we didn't think anyone lived here. Dragons usually live in the mountains. What's your name?"
"They call me Broken."
"Why? You dashing hearts out here?"
"I break my enemies like twigs."
"Dragons never do take lighthearted names, do they? Anyway, the reason we're here is that somepony has wandered into your cave, and we've come to retrieve them."
"I haven't seen a soul, other than you lot." He huffed, raising his tail slightly, blocking Nightshade's view of the girl.
"That's bullshit and you know it. I can see her hidden behind you."
The dragon's eyes lit up like searchlights, quite literally, as the light from his eyes illuminated the cave. His body was fully visible in the light, the 'scales' were slick metal plating, and Nightshade finally realized what was wrong with the dragon's voice. It was glitching. Meaning...
The metal dragon stomped and shot a fire burst, narrowly missing Nightshade, "That was a warning. I advise you to leave. This pony has informed me of the evils you submit them to in these... torture palaces you call 'hospitals'."
O'Malley ripped a few bursts from his rifle, "She INFORMED you? She's a goddamn psycho!"
Broken lunged forwards towards Nightshade, and his twin hearts kicked into overdrive as time slowed to a crawl. How can I get out of this? Maybe I can dodge- No I don't have enough time. I could shoot his eye- But that won't stop this slash, I just gotta brace. As the claw came closer a gray blur shot into the cave bouncing off walls and floors before tackling him, the figure taking the brunt of the scratch.
"Ace?!"
They tumbled across the floor, Nightshade protecting the prince until they slid to a halt. Ace was breathing heavily, but his eyes never opened. Must have knocked him unconscious. Speed appeared at the entrance out of breath. Too much going on. The dragon swung again, this time Nightshade deflected with a burst of dark magic, and it was enough to break the metal arm. Broken reared back with a screech of anguish as he planted his head on the cave floor and attempted to bulldoze Nightshade and O'Malley. Nightshade felt the corners of his eyes stinging as he concentrated his magic and the metal beast came to an abrupt stop, Bri ran over and helped the girl to her hooves. Speed carefully picked Ace up, looking ashamed, carrying the prince bridal style.
"Now." Nightshade put a hoof on the dragon's head, "Why shouldn't I hang your mechanical head over the fucking fireplace?"
"You think I fear death?"
"Death? Oh, no-no. You'd fear death if you were a real living thing, wouldn't you? I was going to take your AI chip and have my friend dissect you like a little science project."
That must have struck a nerve because the dragon tried to squirm out of the magical grip as it began to corrode the metal skin, "L-let's not be hasty now! I can be useful!"
A large motherboard the size of a small dog was torn out of Broken and the life faded from him, "I know. You'll be very useful."
Nightshade tossed the motherboard onto the kitchen counter directly in front of Computer, "Hey, I need you to comb through this. There might be something we can use on there."
The white robot pony gently picked up the hardware and examined it, "Where exactly- "
"I tore it out of a meka-dragon out in the Badlands. So, did Celestia finally fill us in on who that girl was?"
Bri and O'Malley strode into the kitchen, looking unhappy.
Bri tossed Nightshade a royal letter, "Yes. You won't like it. Do you remember the long string of murders in Manehatten? Two parents dead and the kid missing?"
Nightshade could faintly remember hearing of the report.
"No fucking way."
"Her name is Totoro, but she would call herself 'The Foreshadow Pony'. Well, turns out her parents were shitty ponies who did not care for her properly. At least as far as she thought. Turns out she never went missing. She killed her parents in their sleep, Luna alerted nearby guards, but when they arrived she was already gone. They figured there was no way a 17-year-old blind girl could or would have any reason to kill her parents or leave home in the middle of the night. Fast-forward a few years, and they find her in Canterlot walking the streets talking to herself. The day she escaped her escort, she had repeatedly stabbed one of the guards, thank fuck that kid survived."
"If she's so dangerous, why was she so calm when Bri went and got her?"
Computer cut into the conversation, "This bit I may be able to answer. It may be that Bri reminds her of a caretaker at the facility that she favored, something about him makes her feel safe."
O'Malley burst out laughing, "The crazy bitch likes you! That's golden!"
"Fuck you! That's not funny!"
Nightshade began to walk out of the kitchen, "Let me know if you hear anything new, I'm gonna check on Ace."