Appledashery

by Just Essay

Craterfall

"Mrmmmfnngh... gnngh..."

Bruised...

Bleeding in several places...

Romulus pushed himself up into a sitting position. He clutched his head, wincing as he shook the cobwebs loose.

All around him, the remaining combatants of the castle courtyard waged manic war, littering the floor with bodies and blood.

The griffon assassin looked up, blinking out one eye.

As his foggy vision came back into focus, he noticed three shapes surging north over the ramparts. One belonged to a petite blue streak. The other two looked suspiciously liked a certain pair of dragon siblings... and the smaller of the two sported a crucifix made out of conjoined chaos shards.

Sneering, Romulus stood up the rest of the way, flexing his muscles.

"HRESSSSSSH!" A small dragon lunged at his rear.

Schiiiing! He jabbed a knife back without looking. Schlunnnk! It embedded meatedly into the broodling's throat.

The scaled creature's eyes rolled back. It gurgled up blood and fell in a meaty slump. Talons scraping the stone floor, Romulus sprinted icily forward, due north.

---

"Well, we had a boss fight!" Lancie exclaimed over the whipping winds. He looked back past Rainbow's tail. "Now it's something like the end of Haylo, only without the awesome music."

"Lancie, could you find a less climactic moment to wax absurd?" Rainbow Dash sputtered.

"Hey! You're the one who set this insanity up!" The statue folded his granite arms. "Not that I'm complaining." His stone eyes lit up with flamelight. "Oh, and... uh... incoming by the way."

"Whoah!" Rainbow jolted upwards, twirled, and narrowly avoided the burning breath. "A little faster on the draw, please!"

"Sorry. I figured you knew the shape and size of death incarnate on our tails."

"For serious, Lancie. Help me out here."

"I'm not sure I can even help you lose them."

"I'm not trying to lose them!" Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she glided north towards a starlit curtain of steam and mist. "I'm trying to lead them."

"Ah... but of course." Lancie nodded, grinning. "Your stats are so agility-based. Shoulda figured you were perfect at kiting."

"This will all be over soon," Rainbow said. "Trust me."

"Who says I wasn't?" Lancie yawned. "Incoming."

"Guhhh!" Rainbow twirled once more to dodge.

---

"Blood Fire!" Aatxe snarled from where he saddled his older brother's neck. "What's the meaning of this?!"

Blood Fire closed his jaws. His nostrils smoked as he breathed normally. "Do we or do we not wish to catch them?"

"Yes, but remember!" Aatxe aimed with the Flame Staff. "I want the killing blow! So stop burping fire at them!"

"Effective misdirection, Aatxe!"

"It's Big Boss! Big! Boss!"

"Rrrrrrnghhh..."

"What was that?"

"Yes, Big Boss. I understand, Big Boss." With a frown, Blood Fire flapped his wings even harder, propelling the two forward.

"Whoah!" Aatxe nearly slipped off. He swung the Flame Staff to regain his balance, then grinned toothily as Rainbow's blue coat came closer into focus. "Yes... yes! That's it, brother! I'm catching up to her!"

"She's attempting to lose us in that steam cloud."

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"Is it not obvious?"

"I'll be the judge of what is or isn't obvious, thank you very much!" Aatxe cleared his tiny throat. "Now..." He pointed with the Flame Staff. "Forward! Quickly! Before she... disappears inside the steam cloud!"

"Mmmmngh... yes, Big Boss." Fwoooosh!

And the two dragons chased the pegasus into the hazy crater.

Comments

[zaponator]

So she's leading them back to momma dragon. Figured it would either be that or lead mom to the castle.

[RoboRed]

"HRESSSSSSH!" A small dragon lunged at his rear.

Schiiiing! He jabbed a knife back without looking. Schlunnnk! It embedded meatedly into the broodling's throat.

The scaled creature's eyes rolled back. It gurgled up blood and fell in a meaty slump. Talons scraping the stone floor, Romulus sprinted icily forward, due north.

I say you he mad.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

And the two dragons chased the pegasus into the hazy crater.

Which is just exactly what Rainbow wants them to do.

Heh, looks like Aatxe's size isn't the only thing that's small about him. His brains ain't all that big, either.

Now, if she can only permanently rid herself of a certain griffin assassin, get what she needs, and get back to Ponyville in time to save the day.

And Apple Bloom.

[Phoenix Kitten]

Momma thunderlizard gonna make Aataxe go squish soon.

"Well, we had a boss fight!" Lancie exclaimed over the whipping winds. He looked back past Rainbow's tail. "Now it's something like the end of Haylo, only without the awesome music."

I got you Lancie.

[Lightning Bearer]

Very clever, Rainbow.

[Hestia]

Stupid plan is a go! I repeat, stupid plan is a go!

. . . This is gonna be so awesome!

[destinedjagold]

...and then a one-eyed cat-bird assassin ruins it all. The end~

[Hawkmann96]

Am I the only one who reads Aatxe's lines in the voice of Mandark from Dexter's Lab?

[Leftover of Saikano]

6558670 I read them in the voice of Ludo, from Star vs the Forces of Evil.

[Sharp Quill]

Craterfall

Skyfall reference. Ancestral dragon home, like Skyfall was Bond's ancestral home.

(I need help. I'm starting to see patterns that don't exist.)

[Seraphimus]

"Ah... but of course." Lancie nodded, grinning. "Your stats are so agility-based. Shoulda figured you were perfect at kiting."
"This will all be over soon," Rainbow said. "Trust me."
"Who says I wasn't?" Lancie yawned. "Incoming."
"Guhhh!" Rainbow twirled once more to dodge.

These moments of interaction between Rainbow and lancie. they have developed such a spectacular repertoire, and both their personalities and antics play off eachother so well.

[True Edge]

"Well, wehada boss fight!" Lancie exclaimed over the whipping winds. He looked back past Rainbow's tail. "Now it's something like the end of Haylo, only without the awesome music."

So you say, Lancie, but not when I have THIS playing in the background!