//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 
// Story: Tale of Two Dragons 
// by Kind of Brony 
//------------------------------//

	As the pony-shaped silhouette stepped deeper into the alleyway, the shadows melted off of its coat, only to leave much of it still wrapped in pitch black stripes. Even through the fear and confusion, Spike's mind noted that he was now looking at the second zebra he had ever seen, though this one was nothing like Zecora. The zebra was much taller than his friend back home, with long legs and a slim build. Though these weren't necessarily male traits, and the blunted muzzle was an attribute both Zecora and male ponies shared, there was no mistaking this was a stallion looking at him and his sister with a charming smile that clashed with the cruelty dancing behind his seemingly glowing red eyes. The long, sharp pointed horn extending from his forehead that just now lost its red aura also helped with the deduction. Admittedly, Spike didn't know if the zebras had different tribes like ponies or if this one was just an abnormality, but that didn't change the fact that the white, spear-like horn with its black swirl was both very intimidating and something he had only seen on male unicorns the likes of Shining Armor and Blueblood. 
The differences didn't end there, either; unlike Zecora's storm cloud and coal grey stripes, this stallion's stripes were a bone white to go with his black ones, and the contrast made the eerie markings on his face stand out all the more fiercely. In the darkness of the alley, Spike could almost swear he was seeing a skull. Nearly the entire top of the zebra's muzzle was white save thin black lines running vertically along his upper lip, creating the illusion of exposed teeth. The fur around his eyes was also black, making it look like two orbs floating in dark pit.
Set between his black ears was a dark purple, silk top hat with a crimson band wrapped around its pipe and a red feather placed in it. With the matching suit jacket and clean-cut, parted, black and white mane, Spike could almost mistake this zebra as a gentlestallion, but he doubted there was anything gentle about him, not if the tight squeeze Amy gave his claw was any indication.
"I'd say the odds are pretty damn good," the dragoness growled as she pulled her brother closer. "What do you want Zariba? I'm not in the mood to beat your tail today."
Zariba gave a reproachful look. "Come now, Ms. Thistle, it's Dr. Zariba. Just because you failed to get your doctorate doesn't mean you shouldn't show proper respect to real archaeologists."
The dragoness snorted. "Yeah, I'll make sure to remember that when I meet one," she mocked, before glancing around. "Now I doubt you went through the trouble of having your lackeys bring me here just to chat. What do you want, Arbez?"
This got a more genuine emotion to flash across the zebra's face, and Spike looked away in fear. The younger dragon regretted this though, as the action only served to heighten his unease; in his attempt to find something else to look at, he turned his head and saw that behind the two dragons stood the massive diamond dog from earlier, as well as two smaller ones. Turning back to the horned zebra, he was just in time to see the scarred pegasus touch down next to him.
Zariba's scowl soon returned to an easy grin and he spoke in his deep voice, "Zariba will do just fine... Now, bring you here? Really, Ms. Thistle? To accuse me of such a thing. Why would I do that?" The dragoness simply continued to glare, getting a sigh from the zebra. "Fine, I suppose there's no reason to dance around the issue; I need your cooperation for my next expedition."
Spike definitely hadn't seen that coming with how sinister the current setting was, and judging from the choking noises that came from Amy, neither had she.

~8~

With how well the day had been going, Amy actually began to fool herself into believing things were going to be okay. The dragoness started to think that maybe, just maybe, her time with Spike wouldn't have to only be until he returned home. Then Arbez Zariba the zebracorn showed his freaky mug and shattered her budding dream with a truth she had already started forgetting. It was a reminder that to be part of Spike's life meant he had to be a part of hers, and that would only put him in danger.
It was while she came to terms with this crushing realization that she was blindsided by the zebra's request for help. Really, she shouldn't have been so surprised; Zariba had left her gobsmacked before with his seemingly insane, infuriatingly brilliant tricks and traps, but this was on a whole new level of ludicrous. "Are you fu-ah-fricken crazy!?" Amy exclaimed when she got over her coughing fit. "You've done nothing but get in my way and try to kill me since we met, and now you're asking for my help! Are you insane!?"
He chuckled and slowly trotted forward. "You know, those accusations can be reversed, Ms. Thistle; you've been the proverbial thorn in my side on more than one expedition." He made sure to stay well out of reach of the elder dragon's staff as he came to a stop, and his gaze slid downwards.
Another fierce growl escaped her lips as she shifted to stand between her brother and the horned zebra. "Don't even think it, bastard. You so much as touch him and I'll rip you to shreds!"
When she bared her fangs, satisfaction flashed through Zariba's eyes. "So protective, Ms. Thistle. I haven't even spoken to the child and you're already threatening me with dismemberment." A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. "That's exactly what I was counting on."
She had a strong inkling of what Zariba intended to do to force her cooperation, and she did her best to delay him long enough to prepare their escape. "What exactly would I be helping you with anyway, huh? I can't imagine the great Dr. Zariba being so desperate as to ask me for help," she said with a low laugh. "You usually just follow behind and try to steal my finds after I've done all the real work."
"You wound me, Ms. Thistle. I would never resort to stealing," Zariba replied, acting aghast. "It can't be helped if our paths coincidentally cross once in awhile. We are in the same business after all." The smile returned. "And it is a business. I have bills and employees to pay. We can't all live off the generosity of others." He tilted his head. "Besides, does it really matter who claims a find as long as the world gets to learn more of its history?"
Amy almost snorted in derision, but resisted the urge. She couldn't afford the disruption to her breathing it would cause. As she kept Zariba speaking, the dragoness slowly, but steadily, stoked her inner fire and smothered it back down. Normally, a deep breath and flare of magic would be how she went about producing a smoke screen, but the zebracorn and his lackeys knew what to look out for and would attack as soon as they saw the signs. As it stood, she could only rely on her own skills to save her little brother, knowing that Zariba had more than likely already set a sound dampening spell on the alleyway and that Ford Junction's populace would not be coming to her aid. She would need every possible second the diversion would provide to get Spike and herself out of this safely, and so she kept her breathing calm and inconspicuous.
Putting a cap on the smoke she had built up so far, she managed to speak in hopes of earning more time. "Yeah, if you don't end up selling the artifacts on the black market instead of delivering them to museums... Now I'll ask again, what do you need from me?"
Zariba sighed. "Yes, I suppose we should move things along and get away from this garbage, shouldn't we?" he asked with a gesture to some garbage bags and cans off to the side. He ignored the muttered comment of how he belonged here and continued. "Phantom here told me you've stumbled upon some intriguing information about a certain dragon's treasure and I thought a joint effort could be made in obtaining it."
Amy almost blew like a smoke stack at that, but managed to get a handle on herself. When she spoke, it was far quieter than the yell she would have produced had the situation allowed it, she just hoped it wouldn't seem too suspicious that she wasn't. "What are you talking about? You yourself said it's a myth and nothing more, why would you have any interest in it now, let alone need my help in finding it?" She finished just as smoke filled her gullet and she was forced to clamp her mouth shut and hold her breath. There was no more room in her to hold any more of it, and she couldn't so much as flare a nostril without smoke pouring out. Even so, she waited; her desire to discover all she could on her life's goal preventing her from acting. Just a moment longer, Amy, and then you can get Spike out of here.
Luckily, Zariba didn't keep her waiting. "We are all allowed our mistakes, Ms. Thistle, and I will admit to mine; I was too quick to dismiss the old legends," he began, still speaking in that infuriatingly false voice of his. "But, I've come across evidence that both lends credence to the existence of Bahamut''s hoard and may very well hold the secret to obtaining it." As he spoke, his words had started to come slightly faster and his charming smile became just a tad manic. "Think of it, mountains of gold and jewels, artifacts of unknown power, fame and fortune! It's all within reach if only you join me!"
You get that one out of a cheesy book, drama king? Amy would have said as much, but instead had to settle for letting her actions be her answer. With all she had and giving no warning beyond opening her mouth wide, the dragoness forced every wisp of smoke out into the open with one flex of her diaphragm, flooding the cramp alleyway with a dense black smog in seconds. In that instant, she turned and ran, moving her staff to her mouth to free it of its load and saying "Keep running Spike! Don't stop!" With that, she released his claw from her own, satisfied that she could still hear his footsteps pounding even though he himself must have been disorienting.
She was less satisfied to hear Zariba's voice sigh, "Always the hard way," before yelling, "Grab the little one." Her jaw clenched, fangs tearing into the bundle held within them, but she kept moving and readied her staff. A moment later, a near-silent whistle reached her ear and she ducked forward, narrowly avoiding the giant fist that whizzed overhead before she spun, the length of hardwood outstretched in retaliation. The staff struck hard, creating a shock wave that combined with the rapid flurry of movements to form a small pocket of clear space within the smoke.
Amy's eyes moved up past the thick forearm her staff was currently held against to the half-exposed, snarling face of Cujo. In the next instant, the dog pulled his arm back, causing her to fall slightly forward, and brought his other fist around in a haymaker. Just managing to move her head, wind and fur brushed against her cheek, and wrapped her own arm around his to pull him off balance. While her body worked with a well ingrained fighting instinct, all her mind could think about was getting away from this beast and following her brother.

~8~

Spike was wading through his sister's smoke, glad his draconic biology could handle it without choking like he remembered the ponies of Ponyville doing. The younger dragon was more than a little stunned by all that had happened; one moment he and Amy were happily walking to her friend's home after one of the best meals of his life, and the next he was being pulled through the streets by an increasingly frantic dragoness. Then they were in an alley, boxed in by diamond dogs on one side and a horned zebra whose noble mannerisms and dress belied the evil dancing in his eyes on the other. Spike was warily optimistic when the Zariba guy had asked his sister for help instead of attacking, and was even a little excited upon hearing talk of Bahamut's hoard, realizing what a large step forward this could be towards Amy's dream. Any hope he had for a peaceful resolution was ended however, when his world went dark and he was once again being dragged away. Following Amethyst's command to run, he kept going the direction she had been leading before she let go of his claw, and he hoped with all his might that she was still with him.
He slowed as his worry overcame his panic and he stopped when he heard a cough not a few steps in front of him. He had made it quite close to the edge of the smoke screen, allowing him far more visibility than what was at the center and to see the figure approaching. "Stupid dragon! Stupid smoke! Me hate them!" Growled a diamond dog as he stumbled into sight. Though it wasn't the giant monster he feared it would be, Spike went rigid upon having the mutt's mucus-yellow eyes land on him. The diamond dog was slightly shorter than his sister, though that may have been because of his poor posture, and appeared to be very scrawny. This was misleading however, as Spike could see the lean, sinuous muscles shifting under his short grey coat.
Dropping his paw from his nose upon seeing the little dragon, his face went from frustrated through surprised to wickedly satisfied in an instant. "Oh, Toby is going to get a big treat for this." He took a step forward and Spike matched it with one backwards. "Don't be afraid little dragon pup, Toby won't hurt you..." He suddenly lunged. "Toby only catch you!"
"Guh!" The little dragon stumbled back, avoiding being landed on, but not getting far enough away to evade Toby's grasping paw. "H-hey! Let me go!" Spike yelled as the dog grabbed him around the ankle.
With a triumphant laugh, Toby scrambled to his feet, holding his upside down, screaming victim at arm's length to avoid being cut by his flailing claws. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Toby got the dragon! Alpha is going to give Toby big treat for this!" the dog cheered as he did a little jig. His smile took on a lecherous note as he added. "Maybe me even get given female to have fun with!"
The younger dragon continued to try and scratch at his captor, even attempting to reach the paw wrapped tightly around his leg. Sadly, Spike didn't have the most stellar of abdominal muscles and his pudgy belly kept him from tearing into the dog's limb. As his fear and frustration mounted, the young dragon unconsciously puffed smoke from his nostrils. As he spoke between grunts of effort, flames began slither from between his lips. "I said... let... me... GO!" he shouted, creating a green fire upon the last word that was large enough to lick at Toby's knuckles and stop his dance.
Two sets of wide-eyes landed on the smouldering fur as the flames began to spread across the dogs paw and embers slowly drifted upwards. It was Toby who reacted first, dropping Spike like a hot potato as he howled and shook his smouldering appendage, now doing a different dance. The young dragon landed on his back with an "Umph!" as the air was knocked from his longs.
While he tried to catch his breath and stumble to his feet, another dog stumbled into view, this one being half the size of the other while being noticeably thicker in both fat around the midsection and muscle around the arms. His coat was a darker grey and had noticeably more dirt in it than his companions. "What's goin' on!?" he said as he shot his head back and forth. "Why're ya howlin' so loud!?" he questioned, his pea green eyes went from the taller dog sucking on a burnt paw with a tear in his eye to the dragon just now standing steady. When they landed on the dazed drake, a knowing glint entered them and he smiled, revealing quite a few missing teeth including the top left and bottom right canines. "Hah, so the pup got 'imself burned by this 'ittle dragon, did he? Looks like Ol' Cooper will have ta handle this then."
With the adrenaline that had slowly been seeping into his bloodstream now in full affect, Spike was ready when the Cooper's smile turned into a snarl of yellowed teeth and spit, quickly dropping onto his belly with his arms covering his head as the dog tried to pounce on him. With a loud crash, the dragon peeked behind him to see the growling dog climbing out of a pile of knocked over trash cans. Despite the situation, Spike couldn't help but snort upon spotting the crud filled coffee filter fall from Cooper's head. "Wow, you two could be even dumber than the diamond dogs in Ponyville," Spike said before hearing a growl from in front of him.
He was about to turn his head to the source, but a paw slammed into him before roughly pulling him up by the scruff of his neck and turning him around. "Dragon pup is very bad," Growled Toby, fangs bared. All Spike could do was gulp.

~8~

Amy landed from a backflip on the outer edge of the smokeless hemisphere the fight between her and Cujo had slowly been creating. The dragoness was not allowed a moment's rest before her adversary came flying through the air with a growl and an overhead hammer fist. She rolled to the side, coming into contact with the brick wall, and barely avoided the powerful strike that cratered the ground beneath it.
Cujo immediately followed her, lunging at the dragoness with the intent of ripping her throat out with his fangs, but instead crashed muzzle first into the wall. As he half crumpled, half caught himself, a length of hardwood was brought down hard on his neck, forcing him to his belly.
Amy panted as she jumped up to her feet from her second roll and pushed the dog down with her staff. Though she did not have the strength to keep him there for long, even a few seconds free of Cujo's berserk attacks was worth the effort. She was definitely at a disadvantage while fighting in this enclosed space; being unable to move as much as she normally did in battle and having the use of her staff severely limited. Not to mention the bindle still hanging from her teeth.
Her attention shifted to the voice of her brother yelling "Go!" and the pained howls of a diamond dog, but before she could even think of running to the young dragon's aid, the mass beneath her staff shifted and she felt a sudden jerk in her claws. She looked down to see Cujo had snapped his head around and latched his powerful jaws into her wooden weapon. With his own roll to the side, the dog yanked the staff from her hand and let it fly through the air before fluidly returning to his feet.
I can't let this fight go on any longer; I need to get to Spike. Taking the offensive, Amy charged with the best battle cry she could manage without dropping her bag. "Get outta ma 'ay!" she managed as she reeled her right fist as far back as possible and whipped it forward with all her might as she leapt through the air. The move was suicidal and the dragoness would never have risked leaving herself so open to a counter from such a dangerous opponent, but she couldn't afford to dance around while a monster like Zariba was after her little brother.
Disarmed, Cujo no doubt thought Amy would not go with a direct attack, which was exactly why his eyes widened for a split second before a fist dwarfed by the size of his massive skull slammed into his cheek with a sickening crack. The massive dog was not granted a reprieve from the onslaught as Amy grabbed hold of his collar with her left claw, planted both feet on his chest, and continued to rain blows down onto his head.
She managed another four strikes before Cujo wrapped one massive paw around her sleek midriff, thick fingers easily reaching halfway around her body, and throwing her violently behind him with a roar. The dragoness flipped through the air wildly, landing with a thud and crack as she slid across the ground, her tough hide protecting the flesh underneath at the cost of some of her scales. Ignoring the new ache in her ribcage, Amy opened eyes that had twisted shut in pain to find fate had finally given her a hand. Lying not a few feet away from her face was her staff in all its glory. She would have taken a moment to send a prayer of thanks to the powers that be for cutting her some slack, but another roar from Cujo reminded her of where she was and she looked up to see the massive dog's newly bloodied face appear out of the slowly clearing smoke, glaring at her with one eye, as the other was swelling shut.
The dragoness grabbed her staff and hurried to her feet just as Cujo began to rush at her. Thinking quickly, she knocked over a large pile of trash consisting of cardboard boxes and garbage bags before forcing her aching lungs to expand. With a flare of magic, she opened her maw wide, catching her bag as it fell out, and breathed a cone of fire more than large enough to accomplish her needs, encompassing the improvised kindling as well as a good portion of the alleyway beyond for nearly ten seconds of intense heat. Though she did not wait to see if her gambit paid off, the yowl of pain and frustration was a good sign.
Hoping that the pile of flaming refuse, melted ground, and slightly glowing brick walls would buy her enough time to get to Spike and into the open, Amy turned tail and ran. No matter how much the citizens of Ford Junction tried to turn a blind eye to trouble, there was no way her light show and opening act could have been ignored. If anything, somebody would at least want to put an end to the property damage accumulating. After all, someone had to own the buildings surrounding Amy and company. By now, the local law enforcement should have been close to showing up, and even if that weren't the case, Zariba would rather leave empty-hooved than allow himself be seen in a situation like this.
In only a few rapid steps, Amy got the first glimpse of her little brother since the smoke screen went up, and what she saw made her blood boil. A frightened, roughed up Spike was being held by one of Cujo's underlings, and the lanky dog had a none too friendly look on his face. Showing her own fangs, the dragoness reeled her staff laden claw back and snarled, "Get your paws off of him!"

~8~

Whatever it was Toby had planned on doing to him would forever remain a mystery to Spike as it was stopped by a loud yell reaching his ears just before a length of black wood cleaved the air with a whistle and punctuated its journey with a sickening crack against the dog's skull. The response was instantaneous as Toby's eyes rolled up and his body went limp to the ground, letting the young dragon in his grasp fall for a split second before being caught in the crook of his sister's arm. "Are you okay Spike!? He didn't hurt you did he!?"
"Uh, y-yeah, I'm fine, just a little-"
"Grrraaawr!" Both dragons snapped their heads in the direction of the sound, only for the younger to be jostled free from his sister's grip by Cooper flying into her side. Spike once again hit the ground and was soon followed by Amy with an angry diamond dog straddling her, both arms pinned under his legs and his paws wrapped around her neck.
Amy looked over him, jaw clenched and one eye slightly opened as she strained out, "Run."
Cooper tightened his hold, eliciting a grunt from his victim. "Boss wants ya alive, so I'll just get ya ta blackout... shame," the dog growled as he adjusted to keep Amy's struggling arms from getting free.
At that moment, seeing his sister buck and writhe in an attempt to knock loose the stout diamond dog atop her even as her eyes began to roll back into her head, something primal snapped inside him and he lunged. In a flash, he had his fangs buried deep into Cooper's meaty forearm, getting a surprised look from both the dog and dragoness... at least until the former started screaming.
"Ahh! Ge' off!" Cooper shouted as he started shaking his dragon laden arm, only succeeding in getting the young dragon to bring his claws up to join his teeth in their bloodied prey. Just as he gave one last, desperation-fueled fling of his arm, two things happened. The first was that Spike came loose, as well as some of Cooper's flesh, and was sent flying into the wall. The second was that Amy had gotten an arm free and delivered a right hook to Cooper's face that sent him rolling off of her and his eyes rolling in his head.
With her airpipe reopened, the dragoness gasped to quickly feed her oxygen starved lungs. She sat up in a daze, the only coherent thought her rebooting brain being able to process was to get Spike and run for it. Unfortunately, when she looked over to her little brother, she could see through the clearing spots of her vision that somebody, or more accurately, somepony, had already beaten her to it.

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As soon as that blasted dragoness had spewed its accursed smoke out into the alleyway, Phantom took to the rooftops. This was mostly done on the order of his boss, but a small part of him was more than glad to get away from anything related to dragon fire. Ignoring the ache of his scar at the thought of losing anymore of his hide to the flames, Phantom watched all that he could from his vantage point up high, which wasn't much even for his sharp eyes.
From the side he had stood, the pegasus saw Dr. Zariba shake his head in resignation as he levitated his hat up into the air and retrieved a hefty, tied off leather bag from within before casually walking into the smoke. On the other end of the alleyway, he saw Cujo run into the cloud, no doubt looking forward to yet another bout with Amethyst Thistle. Behind him soon followed an overzealous Toby and slightly less so Cooper. Yeah, no thanks, I'd rather wait up here for an opening instead of choking on fumes, but you guys go right ahead. A small smirk came to the pony's face. Enjoy the beating, morons. Really, they should have brought along more idiots to slow their prey down, it would have made this plan a cinch.
Getting serious, Phantom pushed away the thought of a battered and bruised pair of diamond dogs as well as the small criticism about how the boss shouldn't have dismissed the cannon fodder, and moved to the side of the cloud he imagined the dragons would be popping out of. If they haven't come out yet, it's probably safe to say they're trying to get past the dogs... I can't blame them, I'd rather face an entire pack of diamond dogs than the boss. At least that way you'd die quickly.
Soon enough, amongst the sounds of fighting he heard a pained howl and readied himself to pounce. He could make out the shadows of those below as they struggled against each other and, after only a couple of minutes, the smoke had cleared enough for him to distinguish who was who. It was at this time that he saw the dragoness knock Toby out cold and get tackled by Cooper. For a moment, Phantom both feared and hoped that Cooper would kill the thing, but when the little one attacked and was subsequently sent flying, he knew their job was near completion.
The little dragon had hit the wall hard, its head making a loud thunk against the reddish brick before he fell forward limply with a groan. Turning his attention back to the dragoness, Phantom noticed its sluggish movements and the bloodied Cujo approaching. At the sight of the three injured dogs, Phantom couldn't help but smirk. And that's why I don't go running into the dragons' den, chumps. You guys can take the lumps, and I'll take care of the wrap-up.
Seeing no more threat from the fire breathers, Phantom dove down and landed right next to the little dragon, one hoof driving its face back into the ground as it shakily pushed itself up on tired arms. The pegasus just hoped his boss knew what he was doing; there was no doubt that Amethyst Thistle cared for this little whelp, but to expect the dragoness to cooperate if they threatened its ward was risky. After all, mother animals were more likely to attack wildly when they thought their young was in danger than reason with the threat. The thought had his eyes switching between the two cloaked beasts. There's a thought... Could this thing really be her spawn?
The pointless pondering was ended upon seeing the snarling, dazed dragoness trying to climb to its feet, only to be forced back down under Cujo's back paw. His lips twitched up into a satisfied smile upon seeing the fire breather put in its place. If anything, perhaps this plan would remind the great Amethyst Thistle what she truly was; a beast, a monster, a dragon.

~8~

A surge of anger was urging Amy to her feet, but the attempt was foiled as something collided with her chest, sending her back to the ground and remaining to keep her there. Getting the air knocked out of her lungs after just being choked to near unconsciousness did little to help her severe light-headedness. Amy looked up through the daze to see the unmistakable silhouette of Cujo, and judging from the rumbling growl she could feel traveling through the dog's foot and into her ribcage, he did not want to stop at simply restraining her.
"You put up a valiant fight as always, Ms. Thistle, but I'm afraid the playing field was simply not to your advantage this time," the distracted voice of Zariba said. Amy was able to look passed her captor to see the zebracorn emptying the last of a leather bag's content onto the ground with a small shake. "I honestly wish you could have seen that and simply saved me the trouble of having to use all this magic powder. It's not easy or cheap to make, you know."
Amy snarled. "Let us go Zariba or next time I get my claws on you will be the last time you draw breath!" The dragoness reached a claw up with the intent to maim the leg holding her down, but Cujo simply huffed and quickly grabbed her arms, putting more weight on her damaged ribcage before hauling her up. With both wrists held tight up above her head in the right paw of the diamond dog, Amy could do little as he wrapped the other around her neck and began to squeeze.
Still suffering from the effects of oxygen deprivation, the dragoness soon found her energy sapped and her blows against the beast behind her only receiving annoyed grunts. A fading part of her consciousness figured Cujo must have looked askance, because his boss told him in a far more demanding tone than had been used so far, "I can't have her flailing about like that; she could disrupt the array. Put her to sleep and bring her over, along with those two as well. Phantom, bring the child; he's our leverage for the foreseeable future. Now hurry up, our cover's almost lifted and I have a reputation to protect."
Amy wanted greatly to do something, especially upon being reminded of the situation her brother had now been put in, but she could no longer muster the strength to even move. With the last vestige of her vision, she was able to spot what Zariba had been up to while his underlings fought with her. Using Amy's remaining smoke to hide from the gathering masses beyond the alleyway, the zebracorn had poured out a familiar design in greyish-purple sand along the ground; a circle nearly stretching from one wall to the other and filled with intricate patterns. To widen and amplify a teleportation field, her mind offered dully. He's going to use it to take us all with him when he makes his escape... I really hate that thing.
With that final thought, Amy's eyes slid shut and her body went slack, much to the horror of one little dragon.

~8~

Spike's eyes were screwed shut in pain as the scarred pegasus kept a heavy hoof on his already injured head. He could hear his sister and the zebra speaking, but could not make out individual words as the most painful headache of his life slowly wound down to a throbbing, dull ache. When it did, he managed to open his eyes just in time to see Amy's body go limp in the arms of the behemoth diamond dog. The fire in his belly froze as his eyes widened. They wanted her alive, didn't they? What were they doing to his sister?
The terror gave his body new, if not very limited energy and he tried to get out from under the maroon hoof as he reached a claw out. "Amy..." Before he could do any more, his face was pushed even harder into the ground and he hissed in pain as gravel dug into his scaled cheek.
"I wouldn't, whelp. You even try and cause trouble, and I'll knock you out like that beast over there," Phantom said lowly. The threat didn't quite have the effect the pegasus had wanted, for though ended the young dragon's struggles, it was not out of fear, or at least not entirely, anyway. She's just knocked out, Spike. Your sister's still alive. Cujo slung a limp Amy over his shoulder like a sack of flour before moving over to Cooper and kicking him none too gently in the side to rouse him from his fist-induced slumber. For now at least, I have to get us out of this.
He jolted when the Phantom leaned down and whispered harshly in his ear, "Remember whelp, try anything and you'll regret it." Spike was suddenly hoisted into the air with one furry foreleg wrapped around his torso and arms while the other was tight across his neck. With a few flaps of his wings, the pegasus had brought the two hovering over the circle as Phantom carefully landed his back hooves between the lines and used his wings to help him balance on two legs. Soon after, Cujo had joined them and Cooper followed, Toby draped awkwardly over his back.
Looking over, Spike shivered visibly when his eyes connected with those of Zariba's. "Don't worry little dragon, we'll be on our way in just a moment," he said with a smirk as his horn began to glow crimson. Spike looked away from the horrifying sight of the skull-marked face bathed in red light and instead found himself looking at the horned zebra's cutie mark. There, set in the middle of a patch of darkness, was a pony skull and crossbones made from thick, white, tribal lines grinning at him.
Then everything went red.