All's Right With The World

by Dusty Tome

Chapter Nine

Twilight stomped her way into the cockpit. “What is it this time Dash? Magical constructs in the lower engines?”

Dash smirked. “Actually, I sneezed while holding the steering wheel. Nothing world-ending, I hope. Unless we get some kind of butterfly effect going with sneezes. Then everything’s going to go to Hell in a handbasket.”

“Well with our luck, darling, that may well be where we’re heading.” Rarity chimed in, sweat dripping from her brow.

“You ladies really shouldn’t have fought so hard. I’m sure things would have—” Flash was cut off by a combined groan, causing him to slump back against the wall. “Well, I guess I’ll… go… watch the prisoner… yeah, I’m just gonna go now.” He blinked. “Oh, hey Pinkie. What’s up with your hair?”

Pinkamena grinned, her head lolling to one side like her neck was broken. “Funny you should ask.”

Flash paled. ”Oh, no.”

“Well,” Twilight sighed, “I’m not going to rescue him.”

Dash’s smirk widened as she leaned back in her chair, “Hey, he said it himself, he’s a big strong guard. He can rescue his own damsel-in-distress ass. Besides, anybody wanna fill me in on just what in the nine hells happened with our resident dragon out there? Because last I checked, dragons don’t do black fire. Even tall, dark, and gruesome himself’s heart flames are gold.”

“Dash, before I answer that, I have a question. How, in Luna’s name, do you know the color of Geryon’s heart flames?” Twilight asked, a twitch starting in her right eye.

“Ohhh… I never told you. Okay, ladies, and… well, Flash, just keep… yeah.” Rainbow cleared her throat and tuned out Flash’s muffled cries. “Anyways, when we were younger, I told you that when I got out of the kids’ home I’d be flying around, seeing the world, that much you know. Well, after you stopped visiting, I was walking through the city…”

“Okay, two hours left ‘til Mrs. B gets on my case for curfew again. Eh, I’m good enough to make it in one.” Rainbow shrugged to herself, “Okay, the alleys should be fine.”

Rainbow Dash rounded corners and jogged down a few narrow paths, the lingering twilight catching on the eaves and edges of roofs, casting deep shadows across the alleys. She heard a low, almost warm laugh around the next turn, and stepped around to see who it was.

She saw four guys, each either sitting or leaning against the walls around them, smoking and laughing. Dash didn’t like the way they looked, and turned to go back down the other direction, when a pair of grimy, scarred hands grabbed her and cupped over her mouth. A deep, scratchy voice called out close to her right ear, alerting the others.

“Hey boys, looks like I found some Friday night excitement!” The others called out in agreement, painfully dark emotions etched in the creases on their faces and eyes.

She stumbled and fell as the hands pushed her roughly forward, a breathy yelp catching in her throat as she hit the hard cobblestones. She began to get up, flaring her wings, when someone put a boot between her shoulder blades, forcing her back to the ground. She let out a scream as she felt a knife roughly cutting apart her cargo pants, digging into the skin beneath, then moving to her sweater and shirt, leaving gashes and cuts on her now nearly naked body.

She screamed and cried as she felt them tie her up, thrashing against the coarse rope that bound her wings and arms. She cried and screamed until her throat began to bleed, blocking out the feeling of what they did, hearing nothing but that deep, scratchy laugh, haunting every movement she made.

Her thrashing broke the rope, and she lunged up before being thrown back down.

“Oh ho ho, so she’s a fighter, huh? Let’s see if we can’t just take the fight out of you.”

Rainbow Dash screamed anew, a horrible, chilling sound, as the knife from before began to drag itself down her face, trailing to her eye.

“Hold her down guys, I’d hate to mess up such a pretty face.” The breathy laugh came again, this time from an emaciated looking man.

She screamed again, nearly blacking out as the knife dug itself into her left eye. She screamed and cried as blood streamed down her face. She tried to breath, bracing herself as she saw the knife position itself above her other eye.

‘I’m going to die here,’ she thought, ‘I’m going to die alone and afraid, surrounded by scumbags.’

She stopped struggling, intending to accept her fate, and—

“Then I stepped in, gallantly staving off the ravenous hordes like a true savior.” Everyone, save Dash and Luna, jumped, seeing Scoddri leaning against a half open dutch door. “Well, don’t all applaud at once, please, it’s entirely too much.”

The twitch in Twilight’s left eye broke into full force, as she stepped around the door. It could only be seen from the front.

Dash just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, old man. Come to gloat or something?”

“Actually, no, Dashie, oddly enough. I came to provide some information, and a way to contact me when you eventually manage to leave my area of influence. First,” said Scoddri, stepping through the door, causing it to disappear like ink into water, “the cracks are spreading. I would give you three months, barring some random cataclysm, and I’m fairly sure the next one isn’t scheduled until next century, but nevertheless, they have spread. And second, here are these.” He held out six small books, “These will allow you to contact me, by writing in them. Sparkles, are you going to keep staring at me in disbelief, or are you going to sit down?”

Twilight managed to shut her jaw. “You shouldn’t be able to do that.”

Scoddri laughed, a booming guffaw that bordered on a cackle. “As I have already explained, I am neither governed by nor concerned with the laws of physics, society, or common sense. That was my gift, and I shall abuse it until such time as it becomes boring. Then I will then make up a new law, and break it for a few centuries.” He yawned briefly. “Now Miss Dash, please do continue. I haven’t actually heard what happened after I heroically leapt into action.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Whatever, dude. Like he said, he jumped in, turned everybody into waffle-statues, and took me back to the castle…”

The doctor adjusted his glasses as he considered his clipboard. “Well, Miss Dash, it appears that everything has set correctly, and should heal in due time. Of course, as with most Seraphim, I know that you are likely concerned with your wings, and have been growing quite restless over this past month. I am relieved to say that your wings do not show any signs of damage, apart from a few strained muscles, but those should clear up within the week.” He sighed. “But I should advise against any flight in the near future, especially until you get accustomed more to having half of your vision, and severely deficient depth perception.”

Rainbow huffed indignantly, her one good eye scanning the small room, instinctively searching for a way out amongst the flowers and few bookcases. “You do know that the old man came by and fixed that, right? He told me he can’t do anything to a dead eye, but he used whatever magic he has to give me better perception, or whatever.”

“Well, I did not, in fact, know this. I’ll have a talk with the king at length, but you still should consider staying here, or at least check in with me every few days until things are fully healed. I know it has been a rather large adjustment, being adopted by the king, but I feel that you should be more cautious. Explore the castle, especially the gardens, but please, take a few more weeks to heal before you try anything reckless.” He stood, putting the chair back against the wall, and turned back to see Dash sitting up on the small bed. he began to move towards her, concernedly.

She waved him off, standing up on unsteady legs. “Yeah, yeah, doc. The old man would kill me if I killed myself out there. I won’t fly off anywhere.”

“Thank you, Rainbow. Have a good day, and tell your new father congratulations for me.” He said as he left, not noticing her uncrossing her fingers.

“Wait, wait, wait. The king, as in the creepy old man beside me, is your adoptive father? And nobody thought to mention it until now?” Twilight asked, her hands shaking in visible stress.

“I thought he told you when he sent you to find me, and nobody asked. Now, like I was saying…”

She beat her wings a few times, gaining more altitude before settling back into a glide. Rainbow checked her map, making sure that she was set on her path. She had always wanted to go to Mason Hill, and now she was on her way to see the minotaurs. The massive machines and intricate metalworking that came from their lands were always exciting and riveting to her. She was always enthralled by the idea that even she could make anything she wanted to with a few bits of metal and some tools. She beat her wings once more, catching a strong updraft.

“Almost to Drake’s Hollow, huh? Well, I can always steer to the south without altering my - AGHH!” Rainbow shrieked, clutching her shoulder, before her wing gave out. She began to spiral downwards, her vision catching glimpses of fire and scales, before she bounced to a stop onto a pile of bones and ashes.

She writhed in agony, her wings refusing to move, before she noticed the sounds around her. on either side of her were large drakes, enough to fill her vision with teeth and scales. A beat passed, before one of the larger ones set upon her, claws gripping at her sides. as she tried to scream, the air was ripped from her lungs by the strength of the drake that held her.

“I’m dead.” She thought mournfully, her strength fading as she gave up. No scream came when the dragon raised its claws to her face, and no pain came when it dug itself into her cheek. Then, just as the fire began to build in it’s throat, the Dragon looked up. A piercing shriek rent the air, and she fell to the ground.

She laid in a pool of her own blood, watching weakly as the drakes fled from the area, before a looming figure stepped into view. Her eyes caught his, brilliant rose and grey meeting hard emerald, and she noticed a sad look there. His throat began to glow, and she smiled. she knew that dragon fyre was a quick death, and she was being shown a mercy. The air was hot, and golden, and all she knew was black.

She awoke in a cavern, the ceiling to high to see, and fire all around her.

“Oh, perfect. I’m in Tartarus. Never put much stock in the Goddess crap being real, and here I am. Well, at least I don’t feel like I’m dying anymore.” Rainbow mused.

“Hush, child, lest you wake my mate. I may have saved you from the impetuous whelps outside, but even I cannot save you from a female’s wrath.” Rainbow looked to the darkness, as a truly massive dragon, seemingly darker then the shadows around them, stepped forward. “Welcome, child, to Loch Nazdun, and to my home. I am Geryon.”