A Joint Missionby Jay DavidChaptersThe TaskThrough the ForestA Failure to CommunicateTo Battle a DragonThe TaskThere were some sights that, once seen, always made people know that something bad was going on. Such was the case today for the ponies of Ponyville, as many nervous eyes now peeked out of their windows to what lay just before the Lunar Embassy. The Lunar soldiers, all lined up in a row, with Captain Aurora Dash at their head. And opposing them? The members of the Equestrian Guard, led by Shining Armour. All the soldiers were lined up perfectly with one another, looking as stoic and professional as ever, but never said a word. As for the two Captains, they appeared to be speaking to each other, albeit with some sternness in their expressions. This whole exchange was something Twilight had been watching for some time now, never straying from Ponyville's border as she did so. But there eventually came a time when a familiar voice spoke up to her from behind. "Mom? What's going on out there?" Twilight turned, seeing the concerned face of her son, Spike, staring back at her. Normally, she'd probably smile, perhaps give him a few words of comfort to alleviate his fears. But not today. Instead, she simply sighed, shook her head, and spoke to him honestly. "I don't know, Spike." Naturally, such words didn't please the young dragon in the slightest. But Twilight, turning from him, looked to the collection of soldiers with determination. "But I'm going to find out." And with that, she started walking forward with purpose, as Spike stayed behind, watching her go. It took very little time for the young unicorn to reach the gathering in front of the Embassy, and as soon as she was close enough, Aurora, who had been facing her direction this whole time, raised an eyebrow. "Well...looks like we have company." Shining seemed confused by his counterpart's words, until realisation took hold of him, and he turned just in time to see Twilight arrive to stand beside him. "Twilight?" The mare's expression softened when she looked to her older brother. "Shining, people are scared. What's going on?" Her brother's eyes flickered, showing hesitancy, as if fearful of what he needed to say to her. But Aurora, being in a somewhat less diplomatic mood right now, merely rolled her eyes to this, taking a step forward and just coming out to say it. "The Problem, Twilight...is that there is a dragon in the Everfree, close to Ponyville's position." Silence fell, and Shining looked to the Lunar Captain with scorn at having been so blunt about the matter, while Aurora herself didn't seem at all concerned about it. As for Twilight, she was, naturally, worried about this news, briefly taking a moment to look over her shoulder, over to where Spike was standing back in Ponyville. Then, after letting this information sink in for a few moments, she sighed, looking back to Aurora. "What's going to happen?" The blue pegasus narrowed her eyes as she answered. "The Everfree Forest is Lunar Kingdom territory. So, under normal circumstances, our forces would move in, demand that the dragon vacate, and, failing that, remove it forcibly." Twilight seemed surprised by this. "You...you're people have actually fought dragons?! And won?!" Aurora nodded. "It's difficult, and we haven't had to do so for many years, but yes. Most of them have gotten the message by now, but, every now and then, one of them gets it in their head to try their luck and cross our borders." After a brief pause, Aurora turned to Shining, frowning as she did so. "However...it would appear that, this time...we will be having some company on this expedition." Confusion took hold in Twilight, and she looked to her brother for clarification, which the latter soon gave to her. "It was decided between Ambassador Cadence and Ambassador Rarity that, for the sake of international relations, it might be beneficial for us to...work together on this particular task." Twilight's eyes widened. "You're...you're going to face the dragon together?!" Shining nodded. "The Everfree may be their turf, but if they fail to stop the dragon..." "Which we wouldn't," Aurora interrupted. Shining cast her a frown. "...if they fail to stop the dragon, it would still be dangerously close to Ponyville. It may even decide to head on out here and cause havoc." Aurora nodded. "So, we're heading in together. Although..." She looked to Shining with her prior sternness. "...given that this is Lunar territory, I trust you understand that I will be assuming leadership here." Shining looked back to her, matching her expression. "That is...understandable." From the tone of his voice, it was obvious that the stallion was not going to enjoy this in the slightest, and Twilight could feel that just from looking at him. However, before she had a chance to say anything to him, she was kept from doing so by Aurora, who looked to her intently. "One last thing...I think it would be best if you came with us, Twilight." Both Sparkle siblings looked to her with shock, and Shining soon descended into outright anger, stepping forward and pointing a hoof at Aurora in an accusing manner. "You go too far, Captain! I'm willing to follow you in this mission, but my sister is a civilian! She has no combat experience! I won't allow you to just throw her into this mess!" Aurora looked to him with incredulity. "This civilian managed to hold her own and do damage against the Tantabus, even when I couldn't. I assure you, she can handle herself in a dangerous situation. Besides..." She looked back to Twilight. "...her magic is strong. And when facing a dragon, we need every possible advantage we can get if things go south." Shining continued to seem angry and indignant over this, but Twilight, placing a hoof upon his shoulder, spoke to him calmly. "Brother...it's okay...I'll go." Her older sibling looked to her as though she had just gone mad. "But..." But she raised a hoof, stopping him. "Aurora's right. The dragon could hurt a lot of people if things go wrong. And I'm Celestia's apprentice. I have a responsibility to do what I can to help, just like I did when the Tantabus appeared." Shining stared at her, and for the longest time, it seemed as though he wanted to say something, anything, to dissuade her from this choice. But, when he looked into her eyes, seeing the determination she bore, he knew in his heart that nothing he could say right now was going to stop her. She was coming, whether he liked it or not. He turned, looking from his sister to Aurora, who simply stared right back at him. After a few moments, he exhaled deeply, nodding slowly before speaking in a softer tone than before. "Alright...but I want to make one thing perfectly clear, Captain." He returned to the stern expression he had before. "Twilight stays close to me. And you don't order her to do anything that puts her in any needless risk." Aurora frowned. "I'm a soldier, Captain, not a psychopath. But if it makes you feel any better, I have no intention of putting Twilight on the front lines if my troops and I can handle this without her." Shining considered that, before giving a short nod, accepting that much. But, before they said anything else, Aurora looked over his shoulder, to the Equestrian Guard who were lined up behind him. "I assume you want to say something inspiring to your troops before we go?" Shining too looked to them, and, after thinking hard on the matter, faced them fully, stepping forward and speaking up in a professional manner. "Guards. You all know me. And you all trust me. Facing a dragon...is not what any of you signed up for when you came here to Ponyville. I realise that." He sighed. "There's a very real chance that this could be the most dangerous thing you will ever do, and I have no intention of throwing you to the fire. None of you were ever trained for combating a beast like this, and I can't expect you to suddenly be able to do so. So..." The stallion looked into the eyes of every single guard assembled there before continuing. "...if there are any among you who wish to sit this one out...make your way back to the Town Hall. Given the circumstances, such an act will not be regarded as desertion, nor will I think any less of you if that is what you choose." There was a silence, as many in the Guard started looking to one another. For a time, nopony seemed to know what to say right now, but there came a moment where some did decide to move. Some of the older-looking Guard, as well as those who looked like more recent recruits, started to seem very nervous and wary, and eventually broke ranks, heading as instructed back in the direction of the Hall. Of the twelve that had originally been there, only eight remained, and they gave a salute to their commander, which Shining nodded to in appreciation. He turned, smiling to his sister, which she returned, before looking over to Aurora. "And you?" But Aurora had already turned from him, looking to her own soldiers, taking only a brief moment to look at them all before she started speaking. "Solders of the Lunar Kingdom! A dangerous beast has taken residence within our borders! It is our duty and responsibility to remove it as swiftly as possible!" She started marching up and down the line of ponies, looking to each unicorn and pegasus within it. "You all know your vows. You all know your responsibilities to our domain. And more importantly, you all know the consequences of what this monster will do if we don't stop it." She stopped in the middle of the line again, narrowing her eyes. "I go to face it. To bring the command of our Queen and drive it from our lands! Who among you will join me?" As if of one mind, all twelve of the assembled Lunar guards, with determination in their eyes, stepped forward, and the echo of their collective step echoed across the immediate area. Aurora took this in, giving a single nod, before looking back to Twilight and Shining, bearing a slight smirk as she addressed the two of them. "Well then...looks like I'm bringing more soldiers than you are." Through the ForestIt was a place she had hoped never to enter again, and yet, here she was all the same. The Everfree Forest. Gateway to the Lunar Kingdom, and home to beasts and creatures that most Equestrians had created entire legends around. It was a place Mothers told their children never to go to, for fear that they would never return. And here, even surrounded by soldiers as she was, Twilight couldn't help but feel as though she was more at risk than she'd ever been. The joint force of Equestrian and Lunar soldiers had entered the Forest via the gap in the tree-line that lay just behind the Lunar Embassy, and had proceeded through what could generously be called a "path" through this place. While the Lunar soldiers marched onwards in a strict and tightly-knit line, the Equestrians were not so sure-footed, often stopping to make sure they weren't stepping on anything bad as they moved. Because of this, it wasn't long before the Equestrians were bringing up the rear entirely, with the Lunars forging ahead. In-between the two groups however, were their respective leaders. Aurora and Shining, both keeping their eyes forward as they walked together, and beside them, keeping a fearful eye on all around her, was Twilight. The young unicorn, realising that she was with experienced military personnel, had decided not to really speak up all that much on their journey so far. But always her eyes drifted to something up in the trees, or even to the trees themselves, and could practically feel how ancient they were as they passed. During her silence though, Shining had a question for his counterpart. "I was under the impression that your Queen faced such dangers herself. Why send her forces to face this dragon instead of engaging it directly?" Aurora didn't face him as she answered. "If this were some monster that we mortal ponies couldn't fight, like the Tantabus, that is exactly what she'd do. But, she takes it upon herself to ensure that her people are strong enough to fight beasts like these without her presence. After all..." She cast Shining a sly glance. "...we'd be a pretty feeble people if we kept on relying on some higher power to save us all the time." Shining considered that, not quite appreciating the tone she'd spoken to him in. As for Twilight, she'd been listening carefully, and there came a time when she found that she could keep silent no longer, and so looked past her brother to Aurora. "Captain Dash?" The blue mare looked back to her ally, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" Twilight hesitated, but soon got her thoughts together. "I was wondering...how exactly do you plan to deal with this dragon?" The Lunar Captain looked ahead yet again, her expression never betraying her feelings as she answered. "Standard procedure. Issue our demands that he move beyond our borders. And if that fails, we engage." Twilight nodded. "Yes, I gathered that much, but...how do you plan to engage?" Aurora replied in her usual professional tone. "The pegasi, including me, will engage directly, encircling the beast and keeping it distracted. During that time, our unicorns will get into position and use their most powerful offensive spells." She turned to look at Twilight directly. "Our training has let us know of a dragon's weak points, usually on the underside, where their scales are thinner. And fortunately for us..." The pegasus looked ahead again, narrowing her eyes. "...our reports say that it's an adolescent. Not fully grown. So with luck, this'll be easier than tackling the adults." Twilight took in all of those words, though it would have been a lie to say that she was entirely comfortable amidst all of this military talk. But, as they journeyed onwards, one question started to grow in her mind. A question that, perhaps, she feared she already knew the response to. Her eyes kept drifting from Aurora, to the path ahead, and back and forth, until finally, she opened her mouth, ready to answer. However, she found, to her surprise, that Aurora, still keeping her focus on the path, asked the question for her. "You want to know what we plan to do with the dragon after its defeat?" While taken aback, Twilight soon composed herself, closing her mouth and nodding, to which Aurora soon responded. "Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" Twilight face became one of concern, as was Shining's when he looked to her, and soon, the former spoke softly to their Lunar ally. "...You're going to kill it, aren't you?" Aurora said nothing for a time, but for almost a full minute, Twilight kept her eyes on her. The pegasus mare could feel her gaze, and finally, there came a moment when she'd had enough, and she raised a hoof. "Halt!" As befitting of their expected discipline, the Lunar soldiers stopped their march, but did not turn to their leader. Instead, they remained as still as statues, while Aurora herself turned to look Twilight right in the eye. "Yes, Twilight, we are planning on killing it. Posing a threat to the wellbeing of Lunar citizens is a capital offense in our domain, especially when the ones doing so are within our borders while they do it." Seeing Twilight's indignant look, Aurora soon rolled her eyes. "But if it puts you at ease, we will be offering it a chance to leave peacefully before we take that action. I believe I told you as much before we left." Twilight frowned. "It doesn't put me at ease." Aurora frowned right back to her. "I appreciate that you might feel for this creature, given that your own son is a dragon, but..." But Twilight cut her off. "This has nothing to do with Spike. You can't just go around killing things, Aurora! I know there's a chance it might go off and do harm, but...ending its life isn't the answer!" Aurora almost seemed amused by this. "Then what is? Send it home? Let it escape and go on thinking that the worst that'll happen if it does it again is a slap on the wrist? How long before news of that soft approach spreads to other dragons? If we don't deal with this trespass harshly, all we're doing is inviting further incidents later on!" Twilight pointed to their path ahead, keeping her eyes on Aurora as she did so. "A dead dragon can't learn from its mistakes!" The Lunar Captain took a single step forward. "Nor can it repeat them!" Aurora gained even more sternness in her eyes. "Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to be merciful to a monster? The Tantabus nearly killed you! Do you really want to risk that again?" There was a wariness in the air now, as several of the Equestrian guards behind them started to look to Aurora with scorn. And likewise, as if responding to the Equestrians, two of the Lunar soldiers looked behind, watching them cautiously. Shining, looking from one mare to the next, finally intervened. "Look...we have no idea what might happen when we meet this thing. For all we know, it'll take your offer and leave. And if not..." He sighed, looking to his sister. "...then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Twilight cast her brother a glance, and when she did, her expression softened. Slowly, she nodded, accepting his words. As for Aurora, she looked over to the two of her soldiers who had looked back to this little confrontation, giving them a silent nod. They nodded back, and soon, the convoy was moving again. Twilight, Aurora and Shining too resumed their walk, and as they marched, Twilight cast her Lunar companion a disapproving look. "Just so you know...I didn't sign up for this mission just to become someone's executioner." Aurora didn't look back to her as she answered. "Maybe not...but it's better to be someone's executioner than their victim." Twilight said nothing to that, merely watching as her brother and his counterpart kept on marching beside her. After a while, she hung her head low, letting out a long sigh, and in the relative silence of this place, her eyes widened slightly. She started to slow down a bit, looking around as though she'd heard something strange. It was a confusing feeling, something she couldn't quite describe. And yet, there was a sense of familiarity about it. Eventually, she stopped walking altogether, with many of the other Equestrians looking to her with confusion as they passed her. In this moment, Twilight looked off to one side, through the thick collection of trees in that direction, looking almost like she was in a trance. Something was out there, calling to her, and for just a moment, she reached out her hoof to whatever might have beckoned to her. "Twilight?" The voice of her brother snapped her out of it, and she turned to him, seeing the worried look he now bore. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" The young mare turned from him, looking back in the direction she'd been staring in before. She couldn't understand why she'd just done what she did, or what that prior feeling truly was. All she knew was that, under the present circumstances, it was a poor time to be dwelling on it. So, after shaking her head, she turned, trotting along the path to re-join her brother. "It's...it's nothing. Let's just get back to the others." A Failure to CommunicateEver since she was a small child, she'd heard stories about dragons. In her time as Celestia's student, she'd taken it upon herself to read up on them every now and again, if only to satisfy some youthful curiosity. And when she'd taken in Spike, raised him as her own, and come to know him, she felt as though, on some level, she understood dragons. Twilight, through this whole journey through the Everfree, had told herself time and again that this creature they were going to was someone she could speak to, someone she could connect with. And yet, now that she and all those other ponies had finally arrived at their destination, she could see for the first time just how little she truly knew. They had reached a small clearing, about the same size as the gulf between Ponyville and the Lunar Embassy. There was nothing remarkable about this particular spot, just a bit of old and mossy-looking grass with a small hill in the centre. But it wasn't the landscape that drew everypony's attention, but rather the one who dwelt in the middle of it. While the dragon before her may not have been of the same vast size she'd read that full-grown dragons could be, Twilight nevertheless gulped at the sight of the enormous beast. It was around the same size as a Ponyville house, and was a distinct green colour. Currently, it was laying upon the ground, snoring its head off, not knowing of the approaching group. And as it slept, smoke rose from its nostrils. Wariness was the order of the day for all who had come here, and Shining himself made sure to step in front of Twilight, as if making himself a shield for her pre-emptively. "So...what now?" the stallion asked. Both he and Twilight turned to Aurora, whose eyes had been fixed on the dragon since they got here. She looked over her shoulder, to the soldiers she'd brought here, and nodded, to which they all saluted. Once that had been done, she started to step out into the clearing herself, followed by those in her group who happened to be pegasi. Shining and Twilight watched, and the Equestrians behind them seemed more than a little concerned right now. But, on Aurora marched, until she was just a few feet from the jaws of the dragon. Here, she stopped, clearing her throat a little before coughing in a deliberate manner. "Ahem!" There was no response, just another loud snore. Seeing that, Twilight, much to Shining's chagrin, managed to move past him, making her way into the clearing herself. Shining, likewise, started to follow, along with some of the braver members of his entourage. Meanwhile, Aurora, growing irritated at the lack of response from the dragon, resorted to poking him hard in the snout with her hoof. "I said...AHEM!!!" That did the trick, and within moments, the eyes of the dragon started to open. There was a pause as everypony on the Equestrian side of things halted in their tracks, taking a deep breath over what was going to happen next. As for the dragon, it seemed to display a lot of the grogginess and lack of awareness that most would display after having just been woken up. But, after yawning, and revealing all of its razor-sharp teeth in the process, he soon started to focus. And what he focused on first was the one who woke him, Aurora, who now took a step closer and spoke up to him in a blunt and direct manner. "Dragon! You have violated sovereign Lunar Kingdom territory! At the command of our monarch, Queen Moon, I, Captain Aurora Dash of the Second Legion of the Royal Army, demand that you vacate this place and withdraw from our borders!" The dragon stared at her, looking as though he was listening to the most boring lecture in the world, and the second yawn he gave only further reinforced that impression. In time he finally did respond, though his words were slow and sluggish. "Go away, little pony. I have no time for you." With that, he laid his head upon the grassy floor once more, closing his eyes. Twilight, seeing this, chose to start drawing closer to this little confrontation, with Shining, of course, close behind her. As one would expect, this lack of seriousness from the dragon did not sit well with Captain Aurora, who approached him and, for the second time today, poked him in the snout. Again, the dragon opened his eyes, but this time, he seemed a touch more annoyed than before. "I thought I told you to scram, runt!" Aurora frowned aggressively. "This runt is a soldier of the Lunar Kingdom. And my orders are to get you out of that Kingdom. So, either you do as instructed and vacate, or..." Her expression darkened. "...we'll be forced to make you leave." Slowly, anger took hold in the dragon's eyes. Gradually, he started to get himself up, rearing higher and higher, much to the fearful reactions of the Equestrians. Aurora stood her ground, spreading out her wings in a threatening manner, never letting her eyes stray from that of the dragon, who again spoke out in a deep and aggressive voice. "You presume to order me?! To threaten me?!" Aurora smirked. "I do. So what's your answer?" The dragon seethed now, stretching out his own wings, the result of which caused a small gust that nearly caused many of the ponies present here to take a step backwards. Shining rushed forward, ready to defend Twilight from whatever was going to happen next. And speaking of which, the dragon, to Twilight's amazement, started to take in a deep breath, and his chest started to glow, a clear sign of him gathering that most notorious of dragon weapons, fire. And as he did this, he looked down to Aurora with utter hatred. "My answer? My answer?!" He flapped his wings once, creating an even greater gust of wind than before, and Twilight herself had to hold onto her glasses in case they fell off as a result of it. The Lunar unicorns, maintaining their position within the edge of the forest, started to focus, their horns glowing slightly, as they watched their commanding officer. And Aurora herself, knowing what was to come, stared this mighty beast in the eye and did not waver, even as flames emerged in his mouth. Twilight, seeing this response, widened her eyes, and in spite of Shining's every attempts, pushed past him, running over to Aurora's location while looking up at the dragon. With the danger of the situation, she realised that, this whole time, she'd been practically frozen, never once allowing herself to speak to the dragon before this mess began. But now, she called out, her voice dripping with desperation as she pleaded. "Wait! We don't have to fight here! We can...!" But it was already too late, as the dragon, having had more than his fill of ponies by this point, gave Aurora that answer she'd asked for. "My answer...is DEATH!!!" To Battle a DragonIt was official, diplomacy had failed. The dragon, having been completely enraged by the demands and threats of Aurora, had unleashed a torrent of fire from it's mouth, unleashing heat the likes of which Twilight had never known before. Immediately, Shining had leapt in front of her, using his magic to erect a powerful shield around them both. As for Aurora, as befitting of one who was trained for combat, her reflexes served her well, as she flapped hard the moment that fire was coming towards her, getting herself out of the way immediately. Likewise, her personal pegasi soldiers followed her, higher and higher into the skies, much to the annoyance of the dragon, who only now realised that he'd missed his target. Looking down at their quarry, Aurora narrowed her eyes, before launching herself back down, followed shortly by her soldiers. "For the Queen!" she called out. "For the Queen!" the soldiers echoed behind her. The dragon raised his clawed hand, taking a swipe at the approaching pegasi,. But his movements were too slow, too cumbersome to get them, which only added to his frustrations. With the fire around them having died out, Shining lowered his shield, and spun around in place, gesturing to the dragon while addressing his own troopers. "Pegasi! To the skies! Keep the beast distracted!" The Equestrian guards saluted, before all unfurling their wings and launching themselves upwards, straight for their target. Eventually, the area around the dragon's head and neck became filled with pegasus ponies, Lunar and Equestrian alike, all buzzing around him like a swarm of flies. Naturally, he tried everything in his power to try and get to them, but no strike nor attempt to catch them worked. Eventually, he once more resorted to using his fire, but much like the last time, he never once managed to get any of them. Their speed was just too great. Growling fiercely over this, the dragon threw back his head and let out an almighty roar, all while Twilight watched from below. "Shining...what do we do?" The older stallion looked to her, then glanced back to where the still-stationary Lunar unicorns were positioned. Their horns were continuing to glow brightly, and their eyes focused on the underside of the dragon. Realising this, Shining looked to his sister. "Stay behind me! I think the Lunars are getting ready!" Twilight looked to them, and sure enough, her brother had the right of it. For while the pegasi were continuing to distract the furious dragon, the unicorns now aimed their horns, making sure to be as precise as possible before they unleashed their attack. While they were doing this, Aurora, while she was flying, cast a glance down to those aforementioned unicorns, looking confident that this attack was going to work. But, in that split-second she was looking away from the dragon, the beast saw his chance. For while Aurora was beyond the reach of his claws, the same could not be said for his tail. With a single whip, the Lunar Captain was struck, sending her crashing down to the earth with great impact. Many of the soldiers on both sides looked to this with worry, but even more so when they saw what happened next. For the dragon opened his mouth, with his chest aglow yet again, and when she saw this, Twilight called out. "Aurora! Look out!" The blue mare was just recovering from her impact, clearly disoriented by it, and when she heard Twilight, she looked up, her eyes widening with horror at what was to come. Twilight, against all reason and judgement, rushed forward, with Shining failing to catch her before she did so. "Twilight! No!" he called. But on she ran, and just in time. For the dragon now unleashed his fire like never before. Aurora raised a hoof, shielding herself, just as Twilight rushed to her side, casting her magic and, like her brother, forming a shield around them. The shield had only just been formed when the fire reached it, and while Twilight clearly struggled, she nevertheless held her ground, her power repelling the torrent well. Aurora looked to her as this happened, not quite believing what she'd seen, but eventually, the dragon ceased his assault. Realising that, yet again, he had failed to burn his targets, he grew angrier than ever, rearing back and unleashing another roar. But, in his angered state, he had failed to realise that he'd exposed his underside, and Aurora was quick to take advantage of that opportunity. "NOW!!!" Nopony needed to ask what she meant, for the unicorns already knew, and simultaneously blasted off a massive offensive magical beam towards the dragon's undefended underside. Only too late did the beast realise what was happening, as he was struck dead-centre by the pony's magic. He tried to stand his ground under this magical assault, but against the concentrated power of so many unicorns, he soon succumbed. The spell eventually ceased, leaving a still-smouldering scorch mark where it had struck the creature, and as the dragon looked down to it, he slumped his shoulders, falling to his knees. "You...you ponies...won't...beat..." But he couldn't even finish, as he instead started to fall flat on his face, the impact shaking the ground quite a bit. At long last, the confrontation was over, and all that remained was an unmoving dragon. Many of the pegasi, who had still been in the air until this point, now began to land, clearly still wary of the fallen dragon. As for Twilight, after being hugged tightly by a hugely-concerned Shining, and looking somewhat embarrassed from it, the young unicorn broke free from him, taking a cautious step towards the dragon. "Is...is he...?" Aurora, brushing off some of the dirt that had collected on her armour from her fall, shook her head. "No. It'll take more than that to kill a dragon. The attack just knocked him out." Staring at the gargantuan reptilian, the blue mare narrowed her eyes. "Although, now that we've won..." Twilight didn't let her finish, for she already knew what she was going to say, and so positioned herself in-between Aurora and the unconscious dragon. "No! It's beaten! There's no need for anything further!" Aurora raised an eyebrow. "And what do you suggest we do instead?" Twilight thought on that for a moment. "We...we could..." Then she looked to the Lunar pegasus as though she'd just had an idea. "We can take him out of here! Send him back to the dragon lands while he's still unconscious!" Aurora frowned a little. "I told you before why that wouldn't be a good idea, Twilight." Twilight, now re-joined by her brother, looked as though she was about to plead with Aurora further. But, to her surprise, the pegasus raised a hoof, stopping her. "But...I do owe you." She sighed, looking Twilight right in the eye. "You saved my life today. And I never thought I'd ever be able to say that twice about anypony." Looking from Twilight, to the dragon, and then back again, the Lunar Captain let out a long sigh. "Alright...take him." Twilight's face lit up, and she smiled to her brother, but, as before, was kept from saying anything when Aurora spoke up again. "But I warn you...if this thing comes back here again..." She didn't finish, because it was pretty obvious what she was going to say. Twilight, while clearly having difficulty in accepting the rather ruthless nature of her ally, nevertheless gave a solemn nod. Aurora nodded back, turning to start moving back towards her soldiers. But, before she started moving in earnest, she stopped. After a brief pause, she looked over her shoulder, giving a more appreciative look to Twilight. "And...thanks...for helping me back there." Though taken aback, Twilight soon smiled, giving a similarly-appreciative smile to the other mare. She watched as Aurora finally started to walk back over to her soldiers, no doubt to see if any of them had taken any injuries during the fight. But Twilight soon turned her attention to Shining, who, perhaps more than anypony there, seemed relieved. "Let's go home, sister." Smiling, Twilight let out a long and contented sigh. "Yeah...I'd like that."
The TaskThere were some sights that, once seen, always made people know that something bad was going on. Such was the case today for the ponies of Ponyville, as many nervous eyes now peeked out of their windows to what lay just before the Lunar Embassy. The Lunar soldiers, all lined up in a row, with Captain Aurora Dash at their head. And opposing them? The members of the Equestrian Guard, led by Shining Armour. All the soldiers were lined up perfectly with one another, looking as stoic and professional as ever, but never said a word. As for the two Captains, they appeared to be speaking to each other, albeit with some sternness in their expressions. This whole exchange was something Twilight had been watching for some time now, never straying from Ponyville's border as she did so. But there eventually came a time when a familiar voice spoke up to her from behind. "Mom? What's going on out there?" Twilight turned, seeing the concerned face of her son, Spike, staring back at her. Normally, she'd probably smile, perhaps give him a few words of comfort to alleviate his fears. But not today. Instead, she simply sighed, shook her head, and spoke to him honestly. "I don't know, Spike." Naturally, such words didn't please the young dragon in the slightest. But Twilight, turning from him, looked to the collection of soldiers with determination. "But I'm going to find out." And with that, she started walking forward with purpose, as Spike stayed behind, watching her go. It took very little time for the young unicorn to reach the gathering in front of the Embassy, and as soon as she was close enough, Aurora, who had been facing her direction this whole time, raised an eyebrow. "Well...looks like we have company." Shining seemed confused by his counterpart's words, until realisation took hold of him, and he turned just in time to see Twilight arrive to stand beside him. "Twilight?" The mare's expression softened when she looked to her older brother. "Shining, people are scared. What's going on?" Her brother's eyes flickered, showing hesitancy, as if fearful of what he needed to say to her. But Aurora, being in a somewhat less diplomatic mood right now, merely rolled her eyes to this, taking a step forward and just coming out to say it. "The Problem, Twilight...is that there is a dragon in the Everfree, close to Ponyville's position." Silence fell, and Shining looked to the Lunar Captain with scorn at having been so blunt about the matter, while Aurora herself didn't seem at all concerned about it. As for Twilight, she was, naturally, worried about this news, briefly taking a moment to look over her shoulder, over to where Spike was standing back in Ponyville. Then, after letting this information sink in for a few moments, she sighed, looking back to Aurora. "What's going to happen?" The blue pegasus narrowed her eyes as she answered. "The Everfree Forest is Lunar Kingdom territory. So, under normal circumstances, our forces would move in, demand that the dragon vacate, and, failing that, remove it forcibly." Twilight seemed surprised by this. "You...you're people have actually fought dragons?! And won?!" Aurora nodded. "It's difficult, and we haven't had to do so for many years, but yes. Most of them have gotten the message by now, but, every now and then, one of them gets it in their head to try their luck and cross our borders." After a brief pause, Aurora turned to Shining, frowning as she did so. "However...it would appear that, this time...we will be having some company on this expedition." Confusion took hold in Twilight, and she looked to her brother for clarification, which the latter soon gave to her. "It was decided between Ambassador Cadence and Ambassador Rarity that, for the sake of international relations, it might be beneficial for us to...work together on this particular task." Twilight's eyes widened. "You're...you're going to face the dragon together?!" Shining nodded. "The Everfree may be their turf, but if they fail to stop the dragon..." "Which we wouldn't," Aurora interrupted. Shining cast her a frown. "...if they fail to stop the dragon, it would still be dangerously close to Ponyville. It may even decide to head on out here and cause havoc." Aurora nodded. "So, we're heading in together. Although..." She looked to Shining with her prior sternness. "...given that this is Lunar territory, I trust you understand that I will be assuming leadership here." Shining looked back to her, matching her expression. "That is...understandable." From the tone of his voice, it was obvious that the stallion was not going to enjoy this in the slightest, and Twilight could feel that just from looking at him. However, before she had a chance to say anything to him, she was kept from doing so by Aurora, who looked to her intently. "One last thing...I think it would be best if you came with us, Twilight." Both Sparkle siblings looked to her with shock, and Shining soon descended into outright anger, stepping forward and pointing a hoof at Aurora in an accusing manner. "You go too far, Captain! I'm willing to follow you in this mission, but my sister is a civilian! She has no combat experience! I won't allow you to just throw her into this mess!" Aurora looked to him with incredulity. "This civilian managed to hold her own and do damage against the Tantabus, even when I couldn't. I assure you, she can handle herself in a dangerous situation. Besides..." She looked back to Twilight. "...her magic is strong. And when facing a dragon, we need every possible advantage we can get if things go south." Shining continued to seem angry and indignant over this, but Twilight, placing a hoof upon his shoulder, spoke to him calmly. "Brother...it's okay...I'll go." Her older sibling looked to her as though she had just gone mad. "But..." But she raised a hoof, stopping him. "Aurora's right. The dragon could hurt a lot of people if things go wrong. And I'm Celestia's apprentice. I have a responsibility to do what I can to help, just like I did when the Tantabus appeared." Shining stared at her, and for the longest time, it seemed as though he wanted to say something, anything, to dissuade her from this choice. But, when he looked into her eyes, seeing the determination she bore, he knew in his heart that nothing he could say right now was going to stop her. She was coming, whether he liked it or not. He turned, looking from his sister to Aurora, who simply stared right back at him. After a few moments, he exhaled deeply, nodding slowly before speaking in a softer tone than before. "Alright...but I want to make one thing perfectly clear, Captain." He returned to the stern expression he had before. "Twilight stays close to me. And you don't order her to do anything that puts her in any needless risk." Aurora frowned. "I'm a soldier, Captain, not a psychopath. But if it makes you feel any better, I have no intention of putting Twilight on the front lines if my troops and I can handle this without her." Shining considered that, before giving a short nod, accepting that much. But, before they said anything else, Aurora looked over his shoulder, to the Equestrian Guard who were lined up behind him. "I assume you want to say something inspiring to your troops before we go?" Shining too looked to them, and, after thinking hard on the matter, faced them fully, stepping forward and speaking up in a professional manner. "Guards. You all know me. And you all trust me. Facing a dragon...is not what any of you signed up for when you came here to Ponyville. I realise that." He sighed. "There's a very real chance that this could be the most dangerous thing you will ever do, and I have no intention of throwing you to the fire. None of you were ever trained for combating a beast like this, and I can't expect you to suddenly be able to do so. So..." The stallion looked into the eyes of every single guard assembled there before continuing. "...if there are any among you who wish to sit this one out...make your way back to the Town Hall. Given the circumstances, such an act will not be regarded as desertion, nor will I think any less of you if that is what you choose." There was a silence, as many in the Guard started looking to one another. For a time, nopony seemed to know what to say right now, but there came a moment where some did decide to move. Some of the older-looking Guard, as well as those who looked like more recent recruits, started to seem very nervous and wary, and eventually broke ranks, heading as instructed back in the direction of the Hall. Of the twelve that had originally been there, only eight remained, and they gave a salute to their commander, which Shining nodded to in appreciation. He turned, smiling to his sister, which she returned, before looking over to Aurora. "And you?" But Aurora had already turned from him, looking to her own soldiers, taking only a brief moment to look at them all before she started speaking. "Solders of the Lunar Kingdom! A dangerous beast has taken residence within our borders! It is our duty and responsibility to remove it as swiftly as possible!" She started marching up and down the line of ponies, looking to each unicorn and pegasus within it. "You all know your vows. You all know your responsibilities to our domain. And more importantly, you all know the consequences of what this monster will do if we don't stop it." She stopped in the middle of the line again, narrowing her eyes. "I go to face it. To bring the command of our Queen and drive it from our lands! Who among you will join me?" As if of one mind, all twelve of the assembled Lunar guards, with determination in their eyes, stepped forward, and the echo of their collective step echoed across the immediate area. Aurora took this in, giving a single nod, before looking back to Twilight and Shining, bearing a slight smirk as she addressed the two of them. "Well then...looks like I'm bringing more soldiers than you are."
Through the ForestIt was a place she had hoped never to enter again, and yet, here she was all the same. The Everfree Forest. Gateway to the Lunar Kingdom, and home to beasts and creatures that most Equestrians had created entire legends around. It was a place Mothers told their children never to go to, for fear that they would never return. And here, even surrounded by soldiers as she was, Twilight couldn't help but feel as though she was more at risk than she'd ever been. The joint force of Equestrian and Lunar soldiers had entered the Forest via the gap in the tree-line that lay just behind the Lunar Embassy, and had proceeded through what could generously be called a "path" through this place. While the Lunar soldiers marched onwards in a strict and tightly-knit line, the Equestrians were not so sure-footed, often stopping to make sure they weren't stepping on anything bad as they moved. Because of this, it wasn't long before the Equestrians were bringing up the rear entirely, with the Lunars forging ahead. In-between the two groups however, were their respective leaders. Aurora and Shining, both keeping their eyes forward as they walked together, and beside them, keeping a fearful eye on all around her, was Twilight. The young unicorn, realising that she was with experienced military personnel, had decided not to really speak up all that much on their journey so far. But always her eyes drifted to something up in the trees, or even to the trees themselves, and could practically feel how ancient they were as they passed. During her silence though, Shining had a question for his counterpart. "I was under the impression that your Queen faced such dangers herself. Why send her forces to face this dragon instead of engaging it directly?" Aurora didn't face him as she answered. "If this were some monster that we mortal ponies couldn't fight, like the Tantabus, that is exactly what she'd do. But, she takes it upon herself to ensure that her people are strong enough to fight beasts like these without her presence. After all..." She cast Shining a sly glance. "...we'd be a pretty feeble people if we kept on relying on some higher power to save us all the time." Shining considered that, not quite appreciating the tone she'd spoken to him in. As for Twilight, she'd been listening carefully, and there came a time when she found that she could keep silent no longer, and so looked past her brother to Aurora. "Captain Dash?" The blue mare looked back to her ally, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" Twilight hesitated, but soon got her thoughts together. "I was wondering...how exactly do you plan to deal with this dragon?" The Lunar Captain looked ahead yet again, her expression never betraying her feelings as she answered. "Standard procedure. Issue our demands that he move beyond our borders. And if that fails, we engage." Twilight nodded. "Yes, I gathered that much, but...how do you plan to engage?" Aurora replied in her usual professional tone. "The pegasi, including me, will engage directly, encircling the beast and keeping it distracted. During that time, our unicorns will get into position and use their most powerful offensive spells." She turned to look at Twilight directly. "Our training has let us know of a dragon's weak points, usually on the underside, where their scales are thinner. And fortunately for us..." The pegasus looked ahead again, narrowing her eyes. "...our reports say that it's an adolescent. Not fully grown. So with luck, this'll be easier than tackling the adults." Twilight took in all of those words, though it would have been a lie to say that she was entirely comfortable amidst all of this military talk. But, as they journeyed onwards, one question started to grow in her mind. A question that, perhaps, she feared she already knew the response to. Her eyes kept drifting from Aurora, to the path ahead, and back and forth, until finally, she opened her mouth, ready to answer. However, she found, to her surprise, that Aurora, still keeping her focus on the path, asked the question for her. "You want to know what we plan to do with the dragon after its defeat?" While taken aback, Twilight soon composed herself, closing her mouth and nodding, to which Aurora soon responded. "Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" Twilight face became one of concern, as was Shining's when he looked to her, and soon, the former spoke softly to their Lunar ally. "...You're going to kill it, aren't you?" Aurora said nothing for a time, but for almost a full minute, Twilight kept her eyes on her. The pegasus mare could feel her gaze, and finally, there came a moment when she'd had enough, and she raised a hoof. "Halt!" As befitting of their expected discipline, the Lunar soldiers stopped their march, but did not turn to their leader. Instead, they remained as still as statues, while Aurora herself turned to look Twilight right in the eye. "Yes, Twilight, we are planning on killing it. Posing a threat to the wellbeing of Lunar citizens is a capital offense in our domain, especially when the ones doing so are within our borders while they do it." Seeing Twilight's indignant look, Aurora soon rolled her eyes. "But if it puts you at ease, we will be offering it a chance to leave peacefully before we take that action. I believe I told you as much before we left." Twilight frowned. "It doesn't put me at ease." Aurora frowned right back to her. "I appreciate that you might feel for this creature, given that your own son is a dragon, but..." But Twilight cut her off. "This has nothing to do with Spike. You can't just go around killing things, Aurora! I know there's a chance it might go off and do harm, but...ending its life isn't the answer!" Aurora almost seemed amused by this. "Then what is? Send it home? Let it escape and go on thinking that the worst that'll happen if it does it again is a slap on the wrist? How long before news of that soft approach spreads to other dragons? If we don't deal with this trespass harshly, all we're doing is inviting further incidents later on!" Twilight pointed to their path ahead, keeping her eyes on Aurora as she did so. "A dead dragon can't learn from its mistakes!" The Lunar Captain took a single step forward. "Nor can it repeat them!" Aurora gained even more sternness in her eyes. "Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to be merciful to a monster? The Tantabus nearly killed you! Do you really want to risk that again?" There was a wariness in the air now, as several of the Equestrian guards behind them started to look to Aurora with scorn. And likewise, as if responding to the Equestrians, two of the Lunar soldiers looked behind, watching them cautiously. Shining, looking from one mare to the next, finally intervened. "Look...we have no idea what might happen when we meet this thing. For all we know, it'll take your offer and leave. And if not..." He sighed, looking to his sister. "...then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Twilight cast her brother a glance, and when she did, her expression softened. Slowly, she nodded, accepting his words. As for Aurora, she looked over to the two of her soldiers who had looked back to this little confrontation, giving them a silent nod. They nodded back, and soon, the convoy was moving again. Twilight, Aurora and Shining too resumed their walk, and as they marched, Twilight cast her Lunar companion a disapproving look. "Just so you know...I didn't sign up for this mission just to become someone's executioner." Aurora didn't look back to her as she answered. "Maybe not...but it's better to be someone's executioner than their victim." Twilight said nothing to that, merely watching as her brother and his counterpart kept on marching beside her. After a while, she hung her head low, letting out a long sigh, and in the relative silence of this place, her eyes widened slightly. She started to slow down a bit, looking around as though she'd heard something strange. It was a confusing feeling, something she couldn't quite describe. And yet, there was a sense of familiarity about it. Eventually, she stopped walking altogether, with many of the other Equestrians looking to her with confusion as they passed her. In this moment, Twilight looked off to one side, through the thick collection of trees in that direction, looking almost like she was in a trance. Something was out there, calling to her, and for just a moment, she reached out her hoof to whatever might have beckoned to her. "Twilight?" The voice of her brother snapped her out of it, and she turned to him, seeing the worried look he now bore. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" The young mare turned from him, looking back in the direction she'd been staring in before. She couldn't understand why she'd just done what she did, or what that prior feeling truly was. All she knew was that, under the present circumstances, it was a poor time to be dwelling on it. So, after shaking her head, she turned, trotting along the path to re-join her brother. "It's...it's nothing. Let's just get back to the others."
A Failure to CommunicateEver since she was a small child, she'd heard stories about dragons. In her time as Celestia's student, she'd taken it upon herself to read up on them every now and again, if only to satisfy some youthful curiosity. And when she'd taken in Spike, raised him as her own, and come to know him, she felt as though, on some level, she understood dragons. Twilight, through this whole journey through the Everfree, had told herself time and again that this creature they were going to was someone she could speak to, someone she could connect with. And yet, now that she and all those other ponies had finally arrived at their destination, she could see for the first time just how little she truly knew. They had reached a small clearing, about the same size as the gulf between Ponyville and the Lunar Embassy. There was nothing remarkable about this particular spot, just a bit of old and mossy-looking grass with a small hill in the centre. But it wasn't the landscape that drew everypony's attention, but rather the one who dwelt in the middle of it. While the dragon before her may not have been of the same vast size she'd read that full-grown dragons could be, Twilight nevertheless gulped at the sight of the enormous beast. It was around the same size as a Ponyville house, and was a distinct green colour. Currently, it was laying upon the ground, snoring its head off, not knowing of the approaching group. And as it slept, smoke rose from its nostrils. Wariness was the order of the day for all who had come here, and Shining himself made sure to step in front of Twilight, as if making himself a shield for her pre-emptively. "So...what now?" the stallion asked. Both he and Twilight turned to Aurora, whose eyes had been fixed on the dragon since they got here. She looked over her shoulder, to the soldiers she'd brought here, and nodded, to which they all saluted. Once that had been done, she started to step out into the clearing herself, followed by those in her group who happened to be pegasi. Shining and Twilight watched, and the Equestrians behind them seemed more than a little concerned right now. But, on Aurora marched, until she was just a few feet from the jaws of the dragon. Here, she stopped, clearing her throat a little before coughing in a deliberate manner. "Ahem!" There was no response, just another loud snore. Seeing that, Twilight, much to Shining's chagrin, managed to move past him, making her way into the clearing herself. Shining, likewise, started to follow, along with some of the braver members of his entourage. Meanwhile, Aurora, growing irritated at the lack of response from the dragon, resorted to poking him hard in the snout with her hoof. "I said...AHEM!!!" That did the trick, and within moments, the eyes of the dragon started to open. There was a pause as everypony on the Equestrian side of things halted in their tracks, taking a deep breath over what was going to happen next. As for the dragon, it seemed to display a lot of the grogginess and lack of awareness that most would display after having just been woken up. But, after yawning, and revealing all of its razor-sharp teeth in the process, he soon started to focus. And what he focused on first was the one who woke him, Aurora, who now took a step closer and spoke up to him in a blunt and direct manner. "Dragon! You have violated sovereign Lunar Kingdom territory! At the command of our monarch, Queen Moon, I, Captain Aurora Dash of the Second Legion of the Royal Army, demand that you vacate this place and withdraw from our borders!" The dragon stared at her, looking as though he was listening to the most boring lecture in the world, and the second yawn he gave only further reinforced that impression. In time he finally did respond, though his words were slow and sluggish. "Go away, little pony. I have no time for you." With that, he laid his head upon the grassy floor once more, closing his eyes. Twilight, seeing this, chose to start drawing closer to this little confrontation, with Shining, of course, close behind her. As one would expect, this lack of seriousness from the dragon did not sit well with Captain Aurora, who approached him and, for the second time today, poked him in the snout. Again, the dragon opened his eyes, but this time, he seemed a touch more annoyed than before. "I thought I told you to scram, runt!" Aurora frowned aggressively. "This runt is a soldier of the Lunar Kingdom. And my orders are to get you out of that Kingdom. So, either you do as instructed and vacate, or..." Her expression darkened. "...we'll be forced to make you leave." Slowly, anger took hold in the dragon's eyes. Gradually, he started to get himself up, rearing higher and higher, much to the fearful reactions of the Equestrians. Aurora stood her ground, spreading out her wings in a threatening manner, never letting her eyes stray from that of the dragon, who again spoke out in a deep and aggressive voice. "You presume to order me?! To threaten me?!" Aurora smirked. "I do. So what's your answer?" The dragon seethed now, stretching out his own wings, the result of which caused a small gust that nearly caused many of the ponies present here to take a step backwards. Shining rushed forward, ready to defend Twilight from whatever was going to happen next. And speaking of which, the dragon, to Twilight's amazement, started to take in a deep breath, and his chest started to glow, a clear sign of him gathering that most notorious of dragon weapons, fire. And as he did this, he looked down to Aurora with utter hatred. "My answer? My answer?!" He flapped his wings once, creating an even greater gust of wind than before, and Twilight herself had to hold onto her glasses in case they fell off as a result of it. The Lunar unicorns, maintaining their position within the edge of the forest, started to focus, their horns glowing slightly, as they watched their commanding officer. And Aurora herself, knowing what was to come, stared this mighty beast in the eye and did not waver, even as flames emerged in his mouth. Twilight, seeing this response, widened her eyes, and in spite of Shining's every attempts, pushed past him, running over to Aurora's location while looking up at the dragon. With the danger of the situation, she realised that, this whole time, she'd been practically frozen, never once allowing herself to speak to the dragon before this mess began. But now, she called out, her voice dripping with desperation as she pleaded. "Wait! We don't have to fight here! We can...!" But it was already too late, as the dragon, having had more than his fill of ponies by this point, gave Aurora that answer she'd asked for. "My answer...is DEATH!!!"
To Battle a DragonIt was official, diplomacy had failed. The dragon, having been completely enraged by the demands and threats of Aurora, had unleashed a torrent of fire from it's mouth, unleashing heat the likes of which Twilight had never known before. Immediately, Shining had leapt in front of her, using his magic to erect a powerful shield around them both. As for Aurora, as befitting of one who was trained for combat, her reflexes served her well, as she flapped hard the moment that fire was coming towards her, getting herself out of the way immediately. Likewise, her personal pegasi soldiers followed her, higher and higher into the skies, much to the annoyance of the dragon, who only now realised that he'd missed his target. Looking down at their quarry, Aurora narrowed her eyes, before launching herself back down, followed shortly by her soldiers. "For the Queen!" she called out. "For the Queen!" the soldiers echoed behind her. The dragon raised his clawed hand, taking a swipe at the approaching pegasi,. But his movements were too slow, too cumbersome to get them, which only added to his frustrations. With the fire around them having died out, Shining lowered his shield, and spun around in place, gesturing to the dragon while addressing his own troopers. "Pegasi! To the skies! Keep the beast distracted!" The Equestrian guards saluted, before all unfurling their wings and launching themselves upwards, straight for their target. Eventually, the area around the dragon's head and neck became filled with pegasus ponies, Lunar and Equestrian alike, all buzzing around him like a swarm of flies. Naturally, he tried everything in his power to try and get to them, but no strike nor attempt to catch them worked. Eventually, he once more resorted to using his fire, but much like the last time, he never once managed to get any of them. Their speed was just too great. Growling fiercely over this, the dragon threw back his head and let out an almighty roar, all while Twilight watched from below. "Shining...what do we do?" The older stallion looked to her, then glanced back to where the still-stationary Lunar unicorns were positioned. Their horns were continuing to glow brightly, and their eyes focused on the underside of the dragon. Realising this, Shining looked to his sister. "Stay behind me! I think the Lunars are getting ready!" Twilight looked to them, and sure enough, her brother had the right of it. For while the pegasi were continuing to distract the furious dragon, the unicorns now aimed their horns, making sure to be as precise as possible before they unleashed their attack. While they were doing this, Aurora, while she was flying, cast a glance down to those aforementioned unicorns, looking confident that this attack was going to work. But, in that split-second she was looking away from the dragon, the beast saw his chance. For while Aurora was beyond the reach of his claws, the same could not be said for his tail. With a single whip, the Lunar Captain was struck, sending her crashing down to the earth with great impact. Many of the soldiers on both sides looked to this with worry, but even more so when they saw what happened next. For the dragon opened his mouth, with his chest aglow yet again, and when she saw this, Twilight called out. "Aurora! Look out!" The blue mare was just recovering from her impact, clearly disoriented by it, and when she heard Twilight, she looked up, her eyes widening with horror at what was to come. Twilight, against all reason and judgement, rushed forward, with Shining failing to catch her before she did so. "Twilight! No!" he called. But on she ran, and just in time. For the dragon now unleashed his fire like never before. Aurora raised a hoof, shielding herself, just as Twilight rushed to her side, casting her magic and, like her brother, forming a shield around them. The shield had only just been formed when the fire reached it, and while Twilight clearly struggled, she nevertheless held her ground, her power repelling the torrent well. Aurora looked to her as this happened, not quite believing what she'd seen, but eventually, the dragon ceased his assault. Realising that, yet again, he had failed to burn his targets, he grew angrier than ever, rearing back and unleashing another roar. But, in his angered state, he had failed to realise that he'd exposed his underside, and Aurora was quick to take advantage of that opportunity. "NOW!!!" Nopony needed to ask what she meant, for the unicorns already knew, and simultaneously blasted off a massive offensive magical beam towards the dragon's undefended underside. Only too late did the beast realise what was happening, as he was struck dead-centre by the pony's magic. He tried to stand his ground under this magical assault, but against the concentrated power of so many unicorns, he soon succumbed. The spell eventually ceased, leaving a still-smouldering scorch mark where it had struck the creature, and as the dragon looked down to it, he slumped his shoulders, falling to his knees. "You...you ponies...won't...beat..." But he couldn't even finish, as he instead started to fall flat on his face, the impact shaking the ground quite a bit. At long last, the confrontation was over, and all that remained was an unmoving dragon. Many of the pegasi, who had still been in the air until this point, now began to land, clearly still wary of the fallen dragon. As for Twilight, after being hugged tightly by a hugely-concerned Shining, and looking somewhat embarrassed from it, the young unicorn broke free from him, taking a cautious step towards the dragon. "Is...is he...?" Aurora, brushing off some of the dirt that had collected on her armour from her fall, shook her head. "No. It'll take more than that to kill a dragon. The attack just knocked him out." Staring at the gargantuan reptilian, the blue mare narrowed her eyes. "Although, now that we've won..." Twilight didn't let her finish, for she already knew what she was going to say, and so positioned herself in-between Aurora and the unconscious dragon. "No! It's beaten! There's no need for anything further!" Aurora raised an eyebrow. "And what do you suggest we do instead?" Twilight thought on that for a moment. "We...we could..." Then she looked to the Lunar pegasus as though she'd just had an idea. "We can take him out of here! Send him back to the dragon lands while he's still unconscious!" Aurora frowned a little. "I told you before why that wouldn't be a good idea, Twilight." Twilight, now re-joined by her brother, looked as though she was about to plead with Aurora further. But, to her surprise, the pegasus raised a hoof, stopping her. "But...I do owe you." She sighed, looking Twilight right in the eye. "You saved my life today. And I never thought I'd ever be able to say that twice about anypony." Looking from Twilight, to the dragon, and then back again, the Lunar Captain let out a long sigh. "Alright...take him." Twilight's face lit up, and she smiled to her brother, but, as before, was kept from saying anything when Aurora spoke up again. "But I warn you...if this thing comes back here again..." She didn't finish, because it was pretty obvious what she was going to say. Twilight, while clearly having difficulty in accepting the rather ruthless nature of her ally, nevertheless gave a solemn nod. Aurora nodded back, turning to start moving back towards her soldiers. But, before she started moving in earnest, she stopped. After a brief pause, she looked over her shoulder, giving a more appreciative look to Twilight. "And...thanks...for helping me back there." Though taken aback, Twilight soon smiled, giving a similarly-appreciative smile to the other mare. She watched as Aurora finally started to walk back over to her soldiers, no doubt to see if any of them had taken any injuries during the fight. But Twilight soon turned her attention to Shining, who, perhaps more than anypony there, seemed relieved. "Let's go home, sister." Smiling, Twilight let out a long and contented sigh. "Yeah...I'd like that."
