A meeting of the minds.
"WELCOME SPECTATORS," a masculine voice boomed over loudspeakers.
Riptide rubbed his pounding temples as he stood up off of the cold hard floor.
"TO THE GREATEST SHOW IN EQUESTRIA."
The stallion groggily looked around, and saw that he was trapped in a dimly lit room, one large vaulted door showed the only exit.
"THESE FIVE MONSTROSITIES HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF OUR BELOVED PRINCESS CELESTIA. BUT IN THEIR INFINITE MERCY, OUR RULERS HAVE DECIDED TO EXTEND LENIENCY TO THIS GROUP OF NE'ER DO WELLS.
"USING SPECIALIZED MAGIC, THE PRINCESS HAS IMBUED EACH STALLION WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF IMMORTALITY. FOR THE DURATION OF THIS GAME, THE COMPETITORS WILL FEEL THE HORRIFYINGLY AGONIZING PAIN OF DEATH WITHOUT ACTUALLY DYING. THE FIRST ONE TO REACH THE FINISH LINE SHALL BE AWARDED A FULL PARDON, AND A PRIZE IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE MILLION BITS. THE OTHERS WILL BE LEFT TO SUFFER IN THEIR VARYING STATES OF UNDEATH UNTIL THE SPELL HAS BEEN LIFTED VIA COURTESY OF OUR ALL FORGIVING LEADER.
"QUITE OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE LIMITS TO EVEN THE GREATEST SPELLS. THESE MAGIC ENCHANTMENTS CAN KNIT MUSCLE BACK TOGETHER, AND EVEN REGENERATE FLESH. SO LONG AS THERE IS SUFFICIENT TISSUE, THE PLAYER WILL CONTINUE TO REGENERATE INDEFINITELY.
"OBVIOUSLY WE ARE NOT SAVAGES, AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW THESE DISGUSTING PIECES OF VERMIN TO SIMPLY BEAT EACH OTHER INTO BLOODY PILES OF MUTILATED ORGANS. NO, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WEAPONS TO BE FOUND AROUND THE ARENA. THESE MURDERIFIC KILL TOYS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, GRENADES, BUBBLING VATS OF AQUA REGIA, ALL MANNER OF SHARP AND POINTY OBJECTS TO STAB AND/OR SLICE EACH OTHER OPEN WITH, NOT TO MENTION THE LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA CAPABLE OF TURNING EACH ONE INTO A DISGUSTING PILE OF LIMBS. BY POPULAR VOTE , WE ARE SEEING THE RETURN OF THE SPINE-TINGLER. I KNOW THAT OUR LOYAL FANS DON'T NEED A REMINDER, BUT TO OUR NEWCOMERS I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN. AS ITS NAME SUGGEST, THE SPINE-TINGLER HAS TO DO WITH THE VERTEBRAE IN THE VICTIM'S BACK. WITH ONE QUICK JERK, AND VIA MAGICAL GIZMOS AND DOODADS, THIS FINE MACHINE MANAGES TO RIP THE SPINE OUT OF THE PONY'S BODY WITH NARY A HESITATION."
Riptide felt a tingle run up his back.
"BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN HALF OF THE DANGERS THAT THE FOREST OFFERS. WHAT ARE THE REST YOU MAY WONDER, AS SUSPENSE GRIPS YOUR TINY HEARTS? KEEP WATCHING, YOU'LL SOON FIND OUT."
The navy stallion felt weak as he fell to his rump.
"LETS FINISH WITH THE TALKING, AND GET DOWN TO WHAT ALL YOU FINE FOLKS CAME TO SEE, THE HORRIFIC MUTILATION, AND EVENTUAL DEATH OF THESE FIVE, SORRY, FOUR OF THESE SORRY EXCUSES FOR WASTES OF OXYGEN."
Orange signal lights flared to life as klaxons screamed from outside. The heavy steel door pulled away revealing thick bars bolted in place.
"OUR FIRST COMPETITOR COMES FROM THE FROZEN WASTES, THIS HORRIFIC MONSTER ENJOYS LONG TROTS ON THE BEACH, ANS ISNT AFRAID TO SHARE HIS FEELINGS," a crowd hooted in response. "PLEASE GATHER ALL OF YOU HATERED AND ANIMOSITY FOR DASHY-J ALIAS JIM." * A cable snapped in the distance as screaming died away before a deafening crash filled the air. "THAT ONE LOOKED MESSY FOLKS, LET'S HOPE HE CAN GET BACK UP BEFORE THE MAGGOTS STRIP HIS BONES CLEAN.
The pegasus gasped as he pressed his head against the bars, and looked below him. A verdant emerald canopy spread all around, a singular crater marred its uniform surface.
"MOVING RIGHT ALONG, THIS NEXT PILE OF FILTH WAS APPARENTLY ABLE TO TOUCH CELESTIA'S SACRED CROWN BEFORE BEING APPREHENDED, PLEASE POUND YOUR HOOVES FOR OUR NEXT VICT- ER PARTICIPANT, COMING FROM A LAND IN WHICH EVERY MOVING THING, AS WELL AS A FEW SEDENTARY, TRIES TO KILL YOU, ALLOW ME TO PRESENT TO YOU LOOSEPARTYCANNON OR LOOSE FOR SHORT. * APPARENTLY HIS HOBBIES INCLUDE FLYING, AND NOT DYING. THANKFULLY HE'LL BE ABLE TO ENJOY BOTH OF THOSE THINGS A WHILE LONGER."
The sound of straining metal filled the air as another container dropped into the wilderness below.
"OUCH, THAT ONE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GOOEY."
Riptide heaved and gagged as he heard the squelching sound of organs being liquified fill the air.
"OUR NEXT PLAYER IS A BIT OF AN ODDITY, AN ALICORN. AS TO WHY HE WOULD FORSAKE HIS LOVING MATRIARCHS, WHO CAN SAY, BUT THIS THING HAS CHOSEN TO LIVE AMONGST THESE COMMON CRIMINALS, MAYBE EVEN SO FAR AS TO CALL THEM FRIENDS." The crowd awwe'd at the announcer's statement. "BUT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT, WE'RE HERE TO SEE HIM KILL HIS BROTHERS IN ARMS FOR COLD HARD CASH, AND THE EVENTUAL RELEASE OF ONE OF THESE DESPICABLE MURDERS. GIVE IT UP FOR... BRYAN? SERIOUSLY? FROM NOW ON, HE SHALL BE KNOWN AS ASSHAT." * The spectators howled in agreement as a thunderous applause rang through the stadium.
A dark cackle followed the alicorn's descent into the forest before the inevitable crunch followed suit.
"IT'S ALWAYS SAD WHEN THE PONY LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING YOU WIPE OFF OF YOUR HOOF, ISN'T IT?
"MOVING RIGHT ALONG, THIS NEXT PRISONER WAS IN CHARGE OF DISTRACTING THE GUARDS WHILE THE REST OF THEIR GROUP WENT AFTER THE PRINCESS. IT IS WITH BILE IN MY THROAT THAT I INTRODUCE CHRYASOR." * Not even crickets broke the deafening silence. With a snap the stallion fell, screaming, to his doom below.
"OUR FINAL CONTENDER IS A BIT OF AN ENIGMA, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH NINE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SIX OTHER PONIES BEFORE WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THIS ONE. ALL OF OUR RECORDS SAY THAT HE'S JUST SOME GUY, BUT AFTER A PAINFULLY BRIEF INTERROGATION, HIS MOTHER REVEALED HIS NAME TO BE RIPTIDE." * Half of the crowd cheered as the other half booed the stallion.
The navy pegasus slammed and bucked against the bars of his cage, the container that held him had begun to sway. With the building momentum and the stallion's own weight, the bars began to loosen. The cable snapped, the steel cage tumbled through the air as Riptide collided against the walls of the metal box. The pegasus steadied himself as he looked skyward, and saw the bars of the cage shaking in the wind. Pushing off of the floor of the container, the navy pony slammed against the bars with enough force to shatter a few bones and knock the rods loose.
The dark blue stallion tumbled through the air for a few moments before he snapped his wings open and flapped erratically to keep airborne.
"ISN'T THAT REMARKABLE FOLKS, THIS FILTHY MAGGOT HAS MANAGED TO NOT ONLY ESCAPE HIS CONFINES, BUT TO DO SO BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND. CAN'T HAVE THAT NOW CAN WE," the announcer chided.
In the distance a massive gun turret rose from a darkened tower in the distance, with one quick motion it locked onto Riptide's head and fired a single massive round into the pegasus' skull. The navy pony's body fell like a stone.
A pounding headache gripped the stallion when he awoke on the forest's floor. His descent was clearly marked by the broken branches and dented soil he now laid in. As he got up, he placed a hoof to his head, but quickly removed it as he felt one of his hind legs jerking erratically. Slowly placing his hoof to his head once more, the pegasus felt a soft and squishy blob. Eventually he realized that he was touching his brain.
Riptide's mouth hung open as his lips flapped uselessly. As his hoof gently massaged the lump or gray matter between his ears, a painful cracking filled the air as his skull began to reform. Pulling his foreleg back, the navy stallion shuddered as his hoof came away slimy and sticky.
"Oh God!" Shouted a pony from the heart of the forest.
With hooves like lead, Riptide took a heavy step towards the epicenter of the shout. Dried leaves crunched under the pegasus' hoof as the shadows on the trees made his heart pound, and spine tingle.
"Please, sweet Celestia, somepony help me!" the stallion pleaded through cries of agony.
Swallowing his fear, the navy pegasus galloped towards the suffering pony. As he neared the pleas for help, Riptide noticed several broken trees as well as a general slope downward. Passing through one final thicket, the stallion saw the front half of a gray coated, blonde manned pegasus. His cries for help were apparent as he appeared to be crushed under the container that had held him.
"Thank goodness you're here," the pinned pony said as he attempted to move before falling in crippling agony.
"Oh fuck," Riptide exclaimed as he made his way towards the gray stallion.
Beneath him was a pool of viscous red fluid with rivulets of yellow ichor spreading throughout the scarlet puddle.
"Help me," the pegasus pleaded as he choked back a sob.
The navy pony began to hyperventilate as he saw the scene before him.
"Alright buddy, what's your name?" Riptide asked as he took a hold of the prone pony's shaking hoof.
"I-I'm C-Chryasor," he said, squeezing the navy pegasus' hoof with what little strength he could muster.
"G-good, Chryasor, I'm going to need you to do something for me," Riptide said slowly.
"What is it?"
"I'm going to need you to hold your breath for a minute. Alright buddy."
Chryasor gave one long wet inhale, and strained to keep his breath held as it escaped in small yelps of pain. Taking one of Chryasor's hooves in his own, Riptide pulled with all of his strength as gray pegasus howled in pain, his torso ripping free at the abdomen. The sound of ripping hide and rending flesh filled the air as tendons gave wet snaps and bones popped free of their sockets. The gray pegasus couldn't articulate this level of suffering, his visage stuck in a permanent grimace of pain. With a final tug, the navy pegasus tumbled free, the gray pony in tow.
Looking up, Riptide nearly vomited as he saw several feet of ruptured intestines spread out behind the gray pony. Pink lungs filled and emptied within a glistening ribcage as spurts of blood sprayed from arteries in the pegasus' back. Shreds of bloody hide hung limply from the torso.
"I can't feel my legs," Chryasor said through the tears.
"You haven't got any legs," Riptide responded as he clutched the stallion's hoof with his own.
The two sat there, the gray stallion wept as pain unimaginable racked what was left of his body. More than one tear fell from the cheek of the navy stallion. For several minutes the two sat there in shock as the day sunk in.
"DUCK," shouted Chryasor, as a metal bar swung where Riptide's head had been milliseconds ago.
"G' day mate," an azure pegasus with a yellow and black stripped mane said as the head of the rod embedded itself into the soft ground.
"Who the fuck are you!?" the navy pegasus shouted as he scrambled to his hooves.
"Loose is the name, and I'm just here to make sure you two blokes don't go muckin' up me chances of gettin' outta this hell-hole," the pegasus said through a thick accent.
"What the hell's wrong with you, we should try to help each other get out of this alive."
"That's where your wrong mate, only one of us can make it out of here alive, and I intend for that lucky bastard to be me. And as I see it, best get this sticky business out of the way first."
The azure pegasus lifted the piece of metal high into the air, and brought it down with a thunderous crack. Sanguine specks splattered against the pony's coat. With sadistic glee, the iron bar lifted out of the scarlet crater that had been Chryasor's skull. Bits of bone, blood, and brain all dripped from the metallic head of the weapon.
Wet sputtering gasps eminated from the gray pony's mouth, as its chest rose and fell of its own volition. A single red eye rolled over to look at Riptide before it fell out of its broken socket.
"Bloody hell, he's not even dead!" the pegasus exclaimed as he raised the bat once more, and began to bludgeon Chryasor's ribcage.
Again and again the weapon fell, beating what was left of the gray pony's sternum into a digusting red paste. Giving one last bloody hiss, Chryasor wrapped his forlegs around the pegasus' torso. Taking the hint, Riptide bolted into the jungle and away from the monster.
Farther and farther the pegasus ran as curses flew from the strange pony's mouth. Eventually they faded away only to be replaced by the sound of cracking bones and wet thuds.
Riptide dashed through the trees, tripping and stumbling as he ran from the gorey scene behind him. When his breath gave out, and he felt he was far enough, the stallion allowed himself a moment to rest.
"Ohfuck ohfuck ohfuck!" shouted another voice from the bush.
Curious, Riptide, glanced at his surroundings. To his right, he could hear snapping twigs, a deep panting, and frantic curses.
"Run you dumbass!" shouted a blonde manned sanguine pegasus from between the trees.
The navy stallion's eyes widened as he saw the red pony galloping towards him. Scrambling to his hooves, Riptide began to run in the same direction.
Too late. The two ponies collided, falling to the ground. The stallion quicky disentangled themselves.
"Don't go that way!" The navy pegasus shouted as the sanguine stallion began to limp in the same direction he had been going.
"Why the hell not?" he snapped back.
"There's some crazy motherfucker over there."
"What a coincidence, I'm running from some crazy bastard too," the stallion replied with a harsh laugh.
"Is he some light blue jackass with a black and yellow mane? Goes by the name of Loose?"
"No, this one's black, red mane, alicorn. Name's Assh-"
A glistening metallic blade pierced the stallion's neck as blood began to spread onto his coat, run down the face of the steel and onto the ground. With a flick, the brand sliced between the vertebrate in the stallion's neck, allowing his head to dangle from the flap of flesh that attached the two. Giving a wet wheeze, the corpse fell to the ground with a thud as more crimson ichor spread out among the forest floor.
The hilt of the blade was covered in a scarlet aura. The weapon floated over to the wielder of the weapon whose black muzzle was was barely made distinguishable from the forest shadows by his own red aura. Running his tongue along the length of the blade, and lapping up the crimson fluid, the stallion giggled to himself.
"Tastes like raspberry," the pitch black stallion said with a guffaw.
Riptide took a step back as the stallion began to stab holes into the heaving chest of the crimson pony. Turning tail, the navy stallion galloped away from the psychopath.
"Nonononononononononononononono," the pegasus muttered to himself as he dodged branches and roots on his way through the forest.
As Riptide barreled through the undergrowth, one of his hooves caught a stray root, and the stallion tumbled forward. When the navy pony impacted with the ground, his chin rebounded against a metal object. The pegasus disregarded the blood flowing down his neck, and instead choose to focus on the ground under him.
As he looked down, Riptide saw a small metal box with a leather strap. The wound it had caused was already closed. With wary hooves, the stallion found a pair of metal clasps holding to box together. Flicking the clasps open, the pegasus was shocked to find half-a-dozen dark green eggs with a button on top and an electronic display.
Taking one of the eggs in his hoof, Riptide weighed the item for a moment before examining the display. It was small, not big enough for more than two numbers. Eventually curiosity got the better of him, and his hoof pressed down on the metal plunger on top.
10 *beep*
9 *beep*
8 *beep*
The pegasus' ears drooped as he realized what he was holding. The navy stallion held a grenade, and he was holding it... like an idiot.
7 *beep*
Chucking the bomb into the forest, Riptide ran as fast as his legs would carry him.
*beep*
The pegasus darted past the trees, narrowly avoiding a low hanging branch.
*beep*
*beep*
A rock clipped his hoof, causing him to fall into a shallow ditch.
*beep*
*beep*
Riptide clasped his hooves over his ears.
*beep*
*BOOM*
The blast shook the ground, and felled more than one of the ancient trees that comprised the forest.
Despite his distance from the explosion, as well as the fact that he had his hooves clamped over his head, the stallion still heard a terrible ringing in his ears. Riptide wobbled a bit as he regained his equilibrium. For several moments, the pegasus stared at the arsenal that hung from his neck.
A dark smile crossed his face.
For now, Riptide bounded into the forest as the others would no doubt be jolting towards the epicenter of the explosion.
For several hours the stallion walked, through the forest. The trees had thinned, and sparse grass grew in pockets of sunlight. Finally, the edge of the forest was in sight, beyond lay a rocky chasm. As Riptide strode forward, he heard a soft crunch underhoof. Looking down, he saw the bleached bones of an unfortunate former competitor. Against one of the last trees, sat a skeleton its white bones sat upright, one hoof curled around a handle in its abdomen as its face formed an eerie smile. A rusted, serrated combat knife was speared through its ribcage, and was stuck firmly in the tree behind. Giving a tug, the stallion pulled the blade free.
Twirling it a few times to get a feel for the weapon, the navy pegasus cut a hole in the leather strap, and shoved it in.
Riptide felt strange as he stepped out from the shadowy canopy of the forest and into the bright oppressive sunlight of the chasm.
The pegasus' hooves clacked against the burning, bright-orange stone beneath him as he stepped up to the edge of the precipice. Down below, rushing water roared in the pit of the valley. Spreading his navy wings, Riptide allowed a gentle breeze to ruffle his feathers a bit.
Taking a few steps back, the stallion galloped forward, and dove into the rocky chasm. For a few seconds the navy pegasus stared at the river below him and allowed the adrenaline to rush through his veins. The walls of the valley narrowed around the pegasus, nearly brushing against his hide.
The roaring river below churned and crashed as Riptide spread his wings with a loud *fwomp*. A navy hoof dipped into the water, skimming its surface as the dark blue stallion raced down the narrow canyon. Ahead of him, the valley narrowed and the river gave a dull roar as it spilled downwards several hundred feet.
Snapping his wings closed, the pegasus narrowly avoided clipping the walls of the valley. Looking forward, the navy pony took in a sharp breath as he dove under water. For a moment, Riptide surged with the flow of the water before falling down with the cascade.
The view was breathtaking, emerald treetops peppered the ground as rocky crags seperated the forest from a vast sunbaked desert, great stone monoliths stood watch over the landscape. On the horizon the glittering surface of the sea extended until it met the sky. Beyond the desert sat snowcapped mountains. Finally four massive black towers stood at the cardinal points, keeping watch on the contestants.
Breaking away from his revelry, the navy pegasus spread his powerful wings, pumped a few tmes, and came to rest on one of the low mesas that erupted from the desert.
Despite his exertion, the stallion didn't feel drained, or tired, or hungry, or thirsty. He felt fine. That worried him the most. Riptide sat there, lost in thought for a few minutes before he saw a great column of black smoke rising from forest.
*click*
*clack*
A monotonous, metallic clicking came from behind him. Spinning around, a black and yellow mane caught his attention as an azure muzzle moved to speak.
"You're tough to follow, you know that?" Loose spoke with a gentle calmness that coincided with the emotional damn holding back a wave of malice. "I have ta say, your buddy, Chrya-something put up one heck of a fight." Clawed shoes on his hooves clicked against the stone butte.
"What did you do to him?" Riptide asked evenly as he began to make his way around the cerulean stallion.
"I got tired of beating the guy, so instead I got this really big rock, and I just pinned what was left of him under it. Messy business really, but what's done is done."
The two pegasi locked eyes as they circled one another.
"Make any new friends?" the navy stallion asked with venom in his voice.
"I assume you mean the big, black fella. He was munching on some whacker's brain when I came across him. He smiled at me, gave him one back. From ear to ear," Loose traced a line from one of his ears to the other with that statement.
"And now I assume-"
"That I've come to finish the job? Yes. Nothing personal, but there's only one pardon, and I intend on getting out of here in one piece."
"It hasn't occured to you that maybe there's a way for all of us to get out of this alive."
"I thought about that while I was busy being impaled on a tree, had a good long while to think too. You heard what the announcer said, immortality and all that. You've had a brush with with that messy business too haven't you." The azure stallion stopped and gestured at the side of Riptide's head. "So after my organs finished regrowing, I figured he was right on the money about the other things too."
"There's gotta be another way," the navy pegasus reasoned.
"The way I figure it, we can either: a, sit here with our hooves up our asses until they get bored and kill us all anyways, or b, have a little fun while racing to the finish line."
"So this is fun to you?"
"I'm always up for a little challenge."
"I'll have you know that I'm more of a challenge than a lunatic or a cripple." Riptide backed against the edge of the mesa.
"Let's hope you are."
Loose charged at the navy stallion, metal claws glistening in the sunlight. The dark blue pegasus fell backwards, spreading his wings as he fell parallel to the stone monolith. The azure pony cursed as he dove, forehooves extended, at the stallion before of him.
Riptide pulled up well before he hit the ground, but Loose was a different animal. The azure pony's legs all impacted against the ground at the same time, cracking fiercely as the stallion pushed off against the ground, and darted after the navy pegasus.
"Gotta do better than that mate," the azure pegasus shouted as he swiped at the nave stallion.
"Don't worry about that," Riptide replied as he dropped a dark green egg.
*beep*
The dark blue stallion's wings pumped furiously as he desperately flew away.
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
The explosion knocked Loose helplessly forward, charring his hide and blistering the flesh benath. Both of their eardrums ruptured in the resulting shockwave.
The azure pegasus clutched at his head as he fell to the ground and thrashed in the sand, spitting curses in Celestia's name. The navy stallion fared little better, managing to crash on the opposite side of the valley.
With a cough, Riptide stood, and set down his case of grenades, took the knife and a single bomb in his mouth, just in case.
His body regenerated, bringing back his hearing, and with it, a fresh slew of curses from the cerulean pegasus.
"Time to die, fucker." The navy stallion quickly spread his wings and took to the sky, Loose fresh on his tail. "What, not feeling chatty?" the azure pony hissed as he managed to strike a blow into Riptide's back with his spiked shoes.
The navy pegasus nearly screamed as another set of claws buried itself into the stallion's back.
"Come on bitch, cry for me," Loose screamed.
The dark-blue stallion nearly did, the grenade in his mouth the only prevention. Closing his wings, Riptide fell, leaving Loose's grip. As gravity took hold, the navy pegasus turned and saw his attacker.
The cerulean stallion had suffered far more damage than the dark-blue pony had anticipated. Half of the azure pegasus' face had turned to char, one bloodshot eye rotated among the blackened bone. Lips had crumbled away into ash, leaving teeth and tongue exposed to the air.
The azure pegasus closed the gap between two. Two pairs of metal claws dug deeply into the navy pony's shoulders as a manic grin broke across what was left of Loose's face.
"Die you bloody son of a bitch," the cerulean stallion screamed as repeatedly stabbed his weapons into Riptide's ribs.
The navy stallion smirked as he raised his own weapon, plunged the serrated edge of the rusted combat knife into azure pegasus' abdomen, and began to slowly saw upward. With agonizing sloth, the blade tore bloody strips of flesh free from Loose's abdomen as intestines full of half-digested matter began to spill and mix with the blood flowing down his legs. The cerulean pegasus' grin became a tortured grimace as the rusty teeth of the weapon stopped against his sternum.
The navy stallion saw fear in the azure pegasus' eyes as Riptide pulled the knife free and allowed it to fall into the forest below. Spitting the grenade into his hoof, the dark blue pony slammed the button on the grenade against his head, activating it, and shoved the explosive as far into the cerulean stallion's abdomen as he could. Intestines shifted and broke, spilling their sickening contents onto a dark blue hoof as it made its way up into Loose's chest cavity.
"G' day mate," the navy stallion said as chuckled darkly.
Riptide grinned as he pulled his hoof back with a gooey squelch, and let the light-blue pony fall to the ground. The pegasus fell, limbs flailing, as he screeched his lungs out. Curses and apologies were spewed equally as the azure pegasus desperately clawed at the bomb in his chest, leaving a bloody hole in his chest. Just above the emerald canopy, the explosive detonated, sending a powerful shockwave, and spraying the bark of the trees in horrific red gore.
