Hammer & Anvil

The tunnel echoed with the sound of fast paced hoofsteps.

Dive Bomber carried Cookie who wore the saddle bag of treasure as he flew while Jackboot ran as fast the red pegasus could fly. The three ponies had just gotten Jackboot’s watch back from the lair of the dragon who Jackboot had given to the other day when he had gotten himself cornered by the titanic reptile.

The stomping of the dragon followed behind the three. That being followed by a loud roar.

“Keep going! Keep going!” Dive Bomber shouted. “Wonderbolts training, don’t fail me now!”

They managed to get to the exit of the cave and out into afternoon sun.

Before they could catch their breath, the dragon roared again.

“Oh sweet Celestia we can’t lead him into town.” Jackboot said.

Dive Bomber set Cookie down on the ground.

“Cookie, go back into town and get help.” He said. “Get the Wonderbolts, Princess Twilight, heck, go and find Faust herself. Just get somepony.”

Cookie then exchanged a brief kiss with the pegasus. Before Cookie could say something else, Dive Bomber beat her to it.

“And yes…” Dive Bomber said. “…I’ll be careful.”

Cookie smile and exchanged one last kiss with him before running for help.

A loud roar caught the two stallion’s attention, both of which said in unison.

“Let’s do this!”

“So then I saw these cheerleaders that were pretty cute looking…” Soarin said as he was telling Ballpin about an incident that had happened during tryouts for the Equestria Games as the two hung out in the waiting area of the metal shop. “…you see, I wasn’t paying attention, that’s when I hit this pole at full speed, clipping my wing.”

“That must’ve hurt.” Ballpin said as he sat on the counter.

“It did.” Soarin continued. “That’s one of the reasons why…”

“…why you’re late for practice?”

Soarin immediately spun around and saw two familiar Wonderbolts entering the shop, one of them wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Soarin tried to look as innocent as possible.

“O-oh, hey Spitfire…” He said. “…how’s it going?”

“It’s going to get pretty bad in a moment if I don’t hear an explanation of why you’re not at practice.” The shades wearing mare said with disapproval in her voice. “Right… …now.”

Before Soarin could begin to explain himself, Ballpin chimed in as he hoped off of the counter.

“It’s my fault ma’am.” He said. “I had a few one too many questions.”

Spitfire looked at Soarin and then back at Ballpin.

“Well, I guess I can forgive that.” She said. “After all, Soarin’s ego can get the best of him sometimes.”

“Hey!” Soarin said with displeasure.

Ignoring her subordinate, Spitfire removed her glasses.

“Nice to meet ya.” She said as she extended her hoof in greeting. “Spitfire’s the name.”

“Oh, I know you are who.” Ballpin said as he shook the Wonderbolt’s hand He then realized his error. “I mean, who you are.”

Ballpin’s attention was then caught by the sight of the third Wonderbolt. The mare had artic blue fur, fuchsia eyes, and a light gray mane and tail that was almost white. Her cutie mark was that of a horseshoe within a yellow arch.

Soarin took notice of this and moved in.

“Since she’s been quiet this whole time, I’ll speak for her.” He said. “Ballpin, meet Fleetfoot.

“Nice to meet you.” The mare said.

“And you as well.” Ballpin said.

Before he could interact with the Wonderbolts further, heard what sounded like something shaking. As if somepony had a back of coins or other metallic objects in a bag and was shaking it rapidly. This sound was followed by a familiar brown mare barreling into the shop, almost knocking Spitfire over.

“Oh jeez, what’s the rush?” The yellow Wonderbolt asked.

Ballpin recognized the mare that was now gasping for her breath with several bits and gems now scattered on the floor.

“Cookie?” He said with surprise. “What happened? And where did these gems come from?”

“Jackboot… …Dive…” She gasped, evidence that she had been running for a long distance. “…dragon… …in trouble.”

Ballpin and the Wonderbolts looked at one another and then back Cookie.

“I’m sorry…” Spitfire said. “…did you just say dragon?”

Cookie nodded.

Without a word, Spitfire nodded to her fellow Wonderbolts.

“That’s all I need to hear.” She said as she put her sunglasses on. “Now where is little dragon of yours?”

Jackboot jumped out of the way as the dragon’s tail swung over him.

“This is getting ridiculous!” He shouted as he picked up his cap.

Dive Bomber delivered a blow with his hind legs to the dragon’s face before getting swatted away like a fly.

“You’re telling me!” The pegasus said as he landed next to Jackboot. “I just hope that Cookie managed to… …heads up!”

Dive Bomber zoomed and Jackboot teleported ten feet away as a large breath of fire scorched the ground which they used to stand. As the latter regain his composure after the teleport, he received a hard swipe from the dragon’s tail, knocking him into the tree line.

Dive Bomber watched his friend go zooming into the shrubbery like a rocket.

“It’s this way, keeping going straight!”

Cookie led Ballpin and the Wonderbolts through the woods as fast as she could. It was much easier to do so as she didn’t have what felt like a ton of treasures on her back. What made it more easier was that she and Ballpin were being carried by the flying heroes.

“So let me get this straight…” Spitfire said as Cookie was being carried by Fleetfoot. “…Jackboot gave up his watch to a dragon for a part for this contraption of his, so Dive Bomber got the idea to steal it back, and that plan has gone wrong. Right?”

“Yeah pretty much.” Cookie said. “Right now they’re holding the dragon off so it doesn’t go into town.”

“Guess Dive Bomber is a lot more bite than bark.” Soarin commented as he carried Ballpin.

“I hope they’re doing alright.” Fleetfoot added.

The moment the flying mare said what she said, a gray blur came out of nowhere and rammed right into Spitfire, knocking the Wonderbolt out of the air.

Fleetfoot and Soarin screeched to a halt and looked and saw a gray unicorn stallion lying on top of their superior.

“Spitfire, you okay?” The former asked as she set Cookie down.

Soarin set Ballpin down as well while checking to see if the mare was alright.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Spitfire said with a disoriented grown.

She then got a good look at the stallion that landed on her.

“Oh, hey Jackboot.” She said. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much.” Jackboot said as he got off of her. “Just fighting a dragon. How are you?”

“I’m good, just got acquainted with your friends.” Spitfire answered. “Nice ponies, by the way.”

“Jackboot, are you okay?” Cookie asked. “And where’s Dive Bomber is he alright?”

Before the stallion cold answer, a loud roar in the distance interrupted him.

“Come on Jackboot, where’d you go?”

Dive Bomber spun through the air after getting swiped by the dragon’s tail.

“Wherever he is, he’d better hurry.”

He delivered another blow to the dragon’s face, again with his back hooves. This time the blow was effective as the dragon actually held his nose.

“Yeah, how do you like that?”

The dragon then tilted his head back and let out a large burst of firs from his mouth, causing Dive Bomber to dodge out of the way.

“Jackboot better hurry up before I’m fried chick… …whoa!”

Before Dive Bomber could say anything, the dragon managed to grab a hold of Dive Bomber; in way in which he couldn’t flap his wings.

“Hey, let me go!”

The dragon pulled him in and opened his mouth, preparing to swallow him.

“No please no!” He shouted. “Somepony help me!”

The dragon threw him toward his mouth.

“HEEELP!!!”

Before Dive bomber got within three feet of the dragon’s maw, what looked like a white blur came, from what seemed to be out of nowhere, knocking the red pegasus out of the air.

Dive Bomber hit the ground with almost a thud.

“What the…?”

His question was cut off by the sight of a certain multicolored maned pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash!” He said with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I was flying around and I saw that huge flame earlier, so I came to check it out.” Rainbow Dash explained. “It’s a good thing I… …look out!”

Dash and Dive Bomber flew out of the way before the dragon’s tail slammed against the ground.

The two pegasi turned to the dragon and prepared to charge toward it, but before either of them could move, the dragon received several blows to his face, from what looked like streaks of light. The two pegasi looked and saw that the light streaks came from Ballpin. Well, “a” Ballpin, which was then followed by four more of the same unicorn.

Rainbow Dash and Dive Bomber both looked at one another with the most quizzical look on their faces, as they weren’t sure of what they were looking at.

“I think I hit my head harder than I thought.” Dive Bomber said.

Suddenly, there was a sudden crash of thunder, followed by the dragon flinching as a bolt of lightning hitting him in the head.

The flying stallion looked and saw that the source was a black cloud being pushed by Spitfire and Soarin with Fleetfoot jumping on the top of it, emitting the thunderous lightning.

“Dive Bomber!”

Dive Bomber saw Cookie and Jackboot running towards him, the later calling over to him.

“Dive, are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine.” Dive Bomber said. “I see you brought the handkerchief army with you.”

Cookie and Jackboot looked over at the Ballpins who were zapping the dragon, keeping it in its place.

“Yeah, I forgot to tell you about that.” Jackboot said.

Suddenly Ballpin, or one of them, suddenly received a massive blow from one of the dragon’s feet and flew backward into a tree with a loud thud. Before anypony could say anything, the Ballpin disappeared in a cloud of white smoke, indicating that it was a clone.

Jackboot looked at the cave and at the dragon and then at Dive Bomber’s necklace.

“I got a plan.” He said. “Dive Bomber, give me your necklace.”

Dive Bomber was confused.

“My necklace? What for?”

“I’m going to lead the dragon back to the cave.” Jackboot explained. “Once the dragon is inside, I want you, Dash, the Wonderbolts, and the Ballpins to last the top of the cave with everything you got. Once I’m inside I’ll go out through the other entrance.”

Another Ballpin slammed to the ground, disappearing like the previous.

“This is really stupid.” Dash said. “But we got your back dude.”

Dive Bomber removed the necklace and handed it to Jackboot.

“Come back in one piece.”

The dragon stomped its way into its gem filled with fire in his eyes, and also in his breath.

“Where are you?!” He shouted.

He looked around at the piles upon piles of his horde of treasures.

Out of frustration, he swung his tail and crashed it into a pile, scattering the contents around the cave.

“You can’t hide forever!” He shouted once more. “Come out and face me!”

Another loot pile shared the same fate as it clattered against the floor and walls. With another angry swing, another pile exploded, this time with a little extra, which flew through the air with a scream before hitting the ground with a thud.

“Ow!”

Jackboot grunted as he tried to stand up after his little trip through the air. The impact from hitting the ground caused his front left leg to shoot a large wave of pain upon any weight bearing down on it.

Jackboot looked over his shoulder and saw the green behemoth looking at him with what looked to be both anger towards him and what appeared to be satisfaction of finding his prey.

“Nowhere to run now!” The reptile shouted before forming a sinister grin.

Jackboot said nothing for several moments before saying something.

“I think we both know what happens now.” The unicorn said.

“I believe we do.” The dragon said.

Dragon tilted his head back and breathed it, building up the fire that was to come.

“I’m sorry Mother.” Jackboot thought, seeing the glow of the dragon’s fire building up.

The dragon tilted his head back one more time before letting out a burst of fire in its direction.

“I’m sorry Rarity!”