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// Ya Ain't No Halter 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
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	"Okay..." Sunset Shimmer winced in Romulus' talons while flecks of dirt and soil sprinkled across her face.  "That's... a bit unsettling..."

"What are you even doing, soft-hooves?" Romulus snarled in Rainbow's direction.

"Shhhhh..." Rainbow continued brushing her hooves along the bottom chunk of earth that served as the foundation of the floating castle.  The entire hulking structure levitated above them, engulfing the three figures in dark, dark shadow as it made its way east.  Through the edges of their vision, the three could see brief spurts of flame, indicating the close orbit of dragon broodlings above.  "I just need a bit of concentration..."

"For what?" Romulus frowned, hovering beneath her.  "Your job is to find us a way inside this damnable fortress, and so far all you've accomplished is some floundering attempt at gardening!"

"Guh!"  Sunset winced again as more flecks of dirt littered the two of them.  "Could you at least toss that stuff away from us?"

"Well, sorry," Rainbow grunted as she brushed and batted at the uneven clumps of dirt.  "I'm not the one who invented gravity!"

"And just who did, I wonder?" Lancie mused, balanced on her shoulder.  "That would be one fat... fat princess."

"Lancie..." Rainbow sighed, fumbling.

"Need help?"

"Well, the way I figured it... this structure belonged to someone else before the squirrels... much less before the dragons."  Rainbow squinted as she felt her way along the underside of the earthen foundation.  "And—like—it wasn't always flying.  Once upon a time, this place rested in a plot of ground.  Now, I've been through many castles, and I have yet to see one without—"

"A dungeon!"

"Exactly.  So... somewhere around there's gotta be... like... the hollow makings of a stairwell or something."

"Now that I think about it, I doubt Aatxe would have bothered levitating a basement in addition to a castle," Lancie mused.  "It wouldn't look too pretty to have a huge cellar dangling off your villainous lair like some ineffectual colostomy bag."

"The trick is finding where the stairwell's cut off," Rainbow grumbled.  "That's a tad bit tough to do in the dark... where not even starlight can help."

"It's a crying shame you don't have a magic pendant around your neck that can light up a red glow after a simple lamp-rub."

"... ... ...wat."

"Ahem... maybe if we lit a match, Sparky."

"What's taking so long?!" Romulus snarled.

"Keep your beak on, ya emu!"  Rainbow gnashed her teeth.  "I swear to Celestia, I'm not retracing my steps or—"

At last, Rainbow's hooves brushed against a fibrous substance.  Unlike the rest of the earthen foundation, this bent upwards from her physical contact.  The roots split apart slightly, and Rainbow could detect a hint of torchlight from above.

"Hah!"  Rainbow smirked devilishly.  "There's the ticket!"

"What?" Sunset craned her neck.  "Is it a way in?"

"A dungeon stairwell!  Just as I expected!"

"Then let's go through it!" Romulus said.  "What are you waiting for?"

"Just hold on..." Rainbow gnashed her teeth, pulling and prying at the material.  "There's some... nnngh... stupid reed in the way..."  Riiiiiip!  Rainbow tore a hole in the material, exposing cold stone steps.  "Whew!"  She smirked and wiped her brow.  "That was easy!"

"Right."  Romulus flapped his wings, ascending.  "Move aside."

"Uh uh uhhhhh..." Rainbow held a hoof out.  "Ladies first."

Romulus frowned.  "You've got to be kidding me."

"Very well.  Awesome ladies first," Rainbow slurred.  She hopped up onto the stairwell and began ascending.  "We need to make sure the coast is clear.  It's nighttime.  There's no telling if the dragons are choosing to saw logs above or below the main floor."

"Just how do dragons sleep anyway?" Sunset asked.

"Sloppily.  Wait for my signal."  And Rainbow swiftly galloped up the steps, entering the floating castle.