//------------------------------// // It Was Bound To Happen Sometime // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// The chaos and bedlam of the courtyard could be heard all throughout the castle. Even in the stairwell, Rainbow Dash heard the echoes of screaming voices and growling snouts. She flew up out of the vertical shaft and landed on the floor of a long corridor. "Sounds like the kickoff's already started," Lancie said, gazing ahead. "You suppose this is the distraction that you wanted?" "That remains to be seen." Rainbow Dash galloped ahead. At last, she reached a long horizontal window looking in on the courtyard. She glanced through—and almost regretted it. Two bullets pinged off the windowframe, narrowly missing her skull. This was followed by a catapulted chunk of burning wood and metal that landed violently close. POW! As the smoke cleared, Rainbow peered out in time to see dragons fighting off scores of diamond dogs while several of Don Canter's henchstallions flanked from the side, guns blazing. "Okay..." Lancie exhaled. "That's a distraction and a half." Rainbow gulped, watching as a green glowing jar went flying over the melee. "We're not even finished yet." "You're for real, Sparky?" Lancie peered down into her face. "I swear... if I had freckles and a brown stetson, I'd practically be in love by now!" "Eugh... don't go there." "There are worse places to go." Lancie gestured out at the courtyard full of flames and screams. "Exhibit A, for instance." Before Rainbow could retort, both she and the statue heard a reverberating shriek rising up from the stone stairwell behind them. The pegasus spun about, grimacing. "Doth my ears hear the battle cry of an enraged pigeon?" Lancie sang. "Go time!" Rainbow spun and galloped for the very front of the castle. Within seconds, Romulus slid out of the stairwell, claws scraping and producing sparks. "YOU!" He broke into feathery pursuit. Meanwhile, Sunset stumbled out of the stairwell and collapsed with a heavy gasp upon seeing the chaos. "Nnnngh!" Rainbow sprinted and sped down the main corridor. "Gotta go fast!" "You... filthy... pile of putrid horse meat!" Romulus soared after her. Schiiiing! He produced two daggers, scraping them threateningly against the walls. "To think that I ever... ever trusted you!" Rainbow came to a quivering stop before a massive wooden gate. She looked all around, cornered. Scrkkkk! Romulus grinded to a halt, facing her. His one good eye flared as he spat: "You've ruined everything! Everything!" Rainbow spun about, gulping. "For you, maybe..." "Shut it! I don't want to hear another word!" Romulus pointed a dagger her way. "Only screams." "Yeah, uh..." Rainbow finally found what she was looking for—a lever to her right. She swung a hoof over and yanked it. "I'll get back to you on that." "What do you think you're—?!" Romulus' voice was overtaken by the enormous thud of the Castle's front gate falling open. "Huh?! What's—?!" "DEES EEZ OUR MOMENT, BROSERZ!" A flying squirrel with glinting goggles stood on the other side, pumping an enormous shotgun brimming with electrical energy. "TAKE BACK SQUIRREL HOME! FOR MOZER RUSHNUT!" "Hey!" Romulus sputtered. Rainbow Dash ran away, and he lunged for her. "Don't you—" "FOR MOZER RUSHNUT!!!!" A veritable wave of fur and bushy tails soared into the castle, plowing Romulus over. "Gaah! Sh-shit!" Romulus' skull collided with the wall while his body was trampled by hundreds and hundreds of tiny paws. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" A living sea of enraged rodentia flooded the Castle. They attacked the dragons from the side, clinging to them, biting and stabbing and firing their stupidly large rifles. What was once a bloody two-sided melee turned into a threefold bath of carnage and righteous retribution. "Aim for zeir eyeballz, comrades!" Brucie lit his cigar with the tip of his gun and pumped it. "Iz softest part of drragon oser dan nutz, da?" BLAM! BLAM! BL-BLAM! "Da! Suck on Brucie's lead puneeshment!" BL-BLAM!