//------------------------------// // "Dashed" With a Capital D // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// Romulus craned his neck, staring out into the adjacent hallways to where he and Sunset Shimmer were crouched, hiding. His one good eye reflected torchlight and vacant corridors. Sunset leaned in, hushed and trembling. "Any... any sign of them?" "Mmmmm... no..." "Then the coast is clear?" "Difficult to say," Romulus grumbled. "These dragons should know the lay of the land by now, but every time I see them fly these halls, I get the distinct impression they don't really know their way around here." "Then that gives us an advantage, right?" "Mrmmmmff... why are you so worried?" "Because my leylines are chock full with this unspent teleportation spell!" Sunset frowned. "I can't afford to use my magic to save us from anything else!" "Must be a brand new thing for a pony like you to feel naked." "Eugh... could you just check to see if the dragons are really... really gone?" "And I'm telling you..." Romulus' beak nostrils snorted as he peered right. "It's not safe enough to do that yet." He looked left. "At least not until I know for sure if—" "They're gone," Rainbow said in his face. Schiiiing! Romulus pulled out a dagger out and— Grip! Rainbow caught his talon calmly with her hoof. She exhaled. "Easy there, slickfeathers. I just checked both ends of the hallway. Now's our chance to make a break for the dungeon again." Lancie leaned over her shoulder. "Also, she totally just snuck up on an expert assassin." He winked. "I'd suggest removing five letters from that last word and adding a 'fat' to the front. It'd describe you better." "Hrmmmmffff..." Romulus frowned, sheathing his blade. "And just where the Hell were you all this time?" "Wondering where the heck you guys were," Rainbow said. "But now that we've found each other, let's make a break for it, huh?" Sunset snuck out, trembling slightly. "They... they really didn't send the rest of the brood after us?" Rainbow shook her head. "Doesn't look like it. I'd say we take advantage of it." "We won't by standing here." Romulus gave the two ponies a shove. "Move, already!" "We're moving! We're moving! Jeez... ya molting crow." Sunset grumbled, galloping along. She muttered aside to Rainbow Dash: "Next time we have to split up, I wanna be with you." Rainbow said nothing. In very little time at all, the group arrived in the basement to the Castle. The tarp and detritus used to obscure the crystals were right where the group had left it. "Finally!" Sunset Shimmer galloped into the center of the room. "Oh, wow, I thought all was lost." "Why's it so dark in here?" Romulus asked. "The dragons flew through here at one point," Rainbow explained. "Their wings must have snuffed out the torchlight." "Hmmmmm..." Romulus looked over his shoulder. "You still got juice for the transportation spell?" "You bet!" Sunset said, squatting down and aiming her glowing horn. "Ready as I'll ever be." With a grunt, Rainbow yanked the tarp off, revealing the finely-set circle. "Let 'er rip, girl!" "The sooner we get Don Canter and the gang here, the better," Romulus said with a nod. "Okay... stand back..." Sunset narrowed her eyes. A pulse of light grew along the tip of her horn, growing brighter and brighter. "Here... they all... come...!" And she released the spell with an emormous flash!. Romulus squinted. Then—before him and Sunset—the beam of light flew over the summoning circle, levitated a bit, and shot straight up through the ceiling. "... ... ...wait." "Huh?!" Sunset gasped, jaw dropping. "The... the stones!" "What happened?!" Romulus snarled. "My spell was supposed to enchant the transportation crystals!" Sunset's voice cracked. "I don't understand why it would shoot off like that!" "... ... ...!" Romulus looked to the right side of the room. Rainbow Dash was gone. He looked to the left. Still no sign of the pegasus. Seething, he flew straight forward, reached out, and hoisted one of the stones from the circle... Only it wasn't a stone at all... but a glaring chunk of bone, gnawed all over with dragonteeth marks. Sunset gawked, her ears drooped. She summoned a beam of light, illuminating the floor. Each and every crystal had been replaced with pieces of bone and beastly femurs. "But... but..." Romulus stared at her. Sunset looked back. "Wh-where are the actual stones?" Dead silence. Both tilted their heads up to the ceiling. Thirty seconds ago... Sunset's glowing spell flew up through several stone floors... then illuminated a neatly hidden row of red-and-pink crystals. They all glowed a bright crimson, and then— FL-FLASSSSH! Dozens of ponies and diamond dogs materialized, wielding their weapons and standing back to back. Top Dog twirled his spear. Flim and Flam readied their catapult device. Don Canter stood in the center of the group, holding a jar with a rolling green eye. "Alright! Good job, toots. Now let's go upstairs and bag us some... ... ..." His breath trailed off. "... ... ...dragons?" Every thug and villain blinked. They stood along the southern edge of a massive, open courtyard... surrounded by discarded bones... ... ... ... ... ...and dozens upon dozens of large, fire-breathing, razor-toothed dragons. The entire brood of Aatxe stood frozen in their nightly reverie, staring at the tiny morsels who had just landed in their midst. They snorted smoke and reared their glistening fangs. "Hmmmf..." Don Canter flicked his cigar. "...well, poo." "HRESSSSSSSSHAAAA!" The dragons all pounced on the group in a flurry of leather wings and lacerating claws. "Aaaaaaaaaugh!" "Gaaaah!" "Buck it! Attack!" "Don't leave any standing!" "Woof!" Flames, bullets, spears, and boulders flew in a blinding, violent melee of epic preportions.