Chapter Eighty: A Bite of Karma

Stormy Skies would rather be anywhere but there, doing anything but this routine-though her paint was bright and cheery, the grin plastered upon her face was obviously forced as she juggled pies while riding a unicycle around Terra Cotta, who stood upright upon her hind hooves. The small filly was wearing on her front hooves gloves with five fingers on each one. She wavered before appearing to notice them for the first time. Looking shocked, she attempted to remove them-only to be nailed in the face with a pie by her elder sibling.

The audience laughed uproariously as the pie hit Terra Cotta in the face, though there were certain individuals who weren't laughing.

"Isn't that the kid from before?" asked Rainbow Dash, squinting as to get a better view of the small filly.

The other five mares narrowed their eyelids as they pinpointed their attention to the filly, before Fluttershy gasped with recognition as Stormy Skies sprayed Terra Cotta in the face with a bouquet of trick roses.

"It… it IS!"

The mares' eyes sprang open wide, staring at the siblings intensely. While their antics were amusing, it became fairly apparent after a while the smaller Terra Cotta seemed to be the victim of every prank, pratfall, and mean-spirited trick-at least, it seemed, whenever she and Stormy Skies shared the spotlight.

Fluttershy almost swore at during what ever skit's the two of them were in together, the older sibling seemed to possess a genuinely gleeful-almost sadistic-expression on her countenance.

Even Chuckles had joined in pelting poor Terra Cotta with pies and any other tricks he performed. Though, unlike Stormy Skies, he did not appear sadistic at all. In fact, he appeared sympathetic at times-but, only allowed it to show for a split-second.

The mares watched in empathy, but Pinkie Pie was amused-up until she realized the little one was taking the brunt of all the physical jokes. Her uproarious laughter and cheers gradually diminished and eventually ceased entirely.

"That's just sick," said Applejack after observing the balancing act involving the sisters, with the younger bumbling and messing up, landing on her head but rolling forward with her forelegs raised, as if she were okay, and proceeded to dance and stumble her way out of the spotlight.

"That fall looked quite nasty," Rarity winced. "I certainly hope she's not hurt!"

Chuckles, too, had winced as Terra Cotta fell and watched worriedly as she hobbled away, wondering the same thing. As she left his vision, he snapped out of his concerned state and jumped right back into character. Fluttershy whimpered, feeling bad for the young filly-then felt even worse as the pegasus in the spotlight found it to be far more amusing than anything she had done to her sister.

As the trapeze artists and acrobats replaced the clowns, the rosy-maned mare felt a brief surge of anxiety at their high-flying, almost daredevil, performance, and that anxiety only grew when she realized neither of them were pegasi and there was no net underneath them in which to catch them if they were to fall. Despite the fact that there was nothing underneath them, the acrobatic equines were fully confident and felt their lives were safe.

Fluttershy emitted a short squeak as one pony narrowly came close to falling, thought it was revealed to be only an act-and it seemed apparent the acrobats were never in any real danger, despite the lack of a net. As the miscellaneous tricks were performed, some of the animals were being brought out-the lion tamers directing the white lions and golden tigers onto the raised platforms, sticking their heads into gaping mouths and commanding them to jump through flaming rings. Focusing on the rings of fire, the mare released an outraged cry, nearly fainting on the spot.

Pendulum's specific instructions were to not use much fire and use only the largest hoops for his felines. The stallion himself didn't even know why he had smaller ones to begin with. After all, he didn't want his precious creatures getting singed. Even so, the pristine white lions and graceful golden tigers leapt through the hoops cleanly without any hint of fear. They were long used to it.

Fluttershy watched the big cats jump through the hoops, bravely and without hesitation. Gasping, she grasped the railing in front of her in both pasterns in apprehension. If these animals were out now… then, surely, it wouldn't be long before… he came out…

Pendulum entered the center ring once again, whip in his magical grasp. With a proud smile, he opened his mouth to address the audience.

"Fillies and gentlecoolts! I will noow present Equestria's moost dangerous creature! The woorld's oonly captive dragoon!"

With that, he stepped aside as a few brave, yet frightened stallions wheeled out the snarling and raging red-scaled dragon. A mournful cry escaped Fluttershy. Her eyes widening and her jaw dropping, she leaned partially over the railing, a hoof extended into the reptilian's direction. Twilight Sparkle furled her arms around her as Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all laid a hoof on her back in a comforting gesture.

There was a collective gasp from the audience as the beast roared and pulled hard against the chains binding him. What the entire staff didn't know was that the unbreakable spell applied to his restraints were slowly wearing off. The pony responsible had completely forgotten to reapply his magic to Smokey's shackles and chains.

"Smokey…" Fluttershy moaned out. "Smokey…!"

Another sob emerging from her, she latched onto Twilight Sparkle, her remaining friends running their consoling hooves over her back. The alicorn held her close in a comforting embrace as she watched the winged reptile lunge into the direction of the cage door. Whimpering, sobbing, shaking, the pegasus sat there for several long minutes, before she let go of the lavender equine and rose to her hooves.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle implored, resting her vision upon her friend.

"I can't stand to watch him like this," she replied. "I just can't stand it!"

Patting the yellow-furred pony's back, Rainbow Dash watched the dragon intently. Spell finally wearing off, the chains' strength gave away and one mighty pull severed the links. Loose chains dangling from his body, Smokey threw his weight at the cage door, sending it flying off its hinges.

He was free…

There were gasps at first, then silence…

Then a scream. Without warning, a massive surge of ponies panicked, a number of them attempting to swarm towards the exit in an amassed herd at once. Fluttershy screamed out, leaping from her seat and almost fell over the railing-only catching herself in the air at the last second.

Roaring wrathfully, Smokey bent over, clawed hands gripping the bottom of his cage and tipping it over before leaping over it to tear apart the cages behind his. Though the animals could leave their cages, they remained inside for their own personal safety.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, fluttering into his direction.

"Are you crazy?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she zipped in front of her fellow pegasus to hold her back.

One member of the staff had informed the authorities with haste as a few of the unicorns attempted to use their magic to hold Smokey in place. However, their fear prevented them from doing the job.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, practically tackled from behind by Twilight Sparkle. "SMOKEY!"

"Sugarcube, stop! He's berserk!" Applejack shouted as she came up from behind the princess with the others at her heels.

"NO! I can get through to him! I know I can!" Fluttershy hollered. "SMOKEEEEEEEY!"

"Fluttershy, stop! He'll attack us!"

Rainbow Dash turned her head around to locate the exact position of the dragon. Seeing that the yellow mare's shouting had grasped Smokey's attention, she went into protective mode.

Just as he was about to charge into their direction, a whip struck them in the back of the head then came back to coil around his neck. Pendulum gritted his teeth, shifting his attention to the six mares.

"Get oout while ye still can!"

"NO!"

Fluttershy's surge of mixed anger, frustration, fear, and selfless regard for her safety caused her to forcibly shove her friends off of her to fly straight to Smokey. Whirling around to him, she threw her forelegs around his neck, pressing her muzzle against the side of his face.

"Smokey! PLEASE! Calm down!" she sobbed. "Smokey, it's me! Fluttershy! I know you're in there! I know you can hear me! PLEASE!"

Snarling indignantly at having the pony attached to him, he swung his head back and forth to toss her off. Fluttershy tried hanging, crying out to her beloved, but was shaken off and flung a short distance away. Correcting herself in mid-air, she flared her wings and flipped around purely on instance-her emotional drive causing her to react in a way she normally would have never been able to.

It was shortly after then several heavily armed unicorns burst into the tent…

After the pegasus was dislodged, Smokey turned towards the Shetlandish stallion who still had the whip coiled around his neck. Tilting his head to the side to grab part of the object between his teeth, he tugged it out of Pendulum's magical grasp.

Throwing the whip aside, the draconic being dropped down on all fours and charged at the equine to bite him in the left foreleg. As he growled hatefully, he sank his teeth deeper into his flesh.

Yelling in pain, Pendulum attempted to utilize his hoof to hit the dragon in the lower jaw in order to persuade him to let go. This annoyed Smokey and he parted his jaws. As the reptilian rose back up onto his hind legs and towered over the stallion threateningly, the pony began to experience flashbacks, his mind envisioning the imposing beast as his own father with a belt held between his teeth. Whimpering and curling up into a ball, he called out to his deceased father not to beat him, that he promised to be a good boy. This didn't dissuade Smokey, and was about to take another bite out of him before he was surrounded by heavily armed unicorns. Lowering their heads, the gaggle of stallions fired magic from their horns.

"SHOOT TO KILL! FIRE! FIRE!"

Many beams fired through the air, searing across the gap and slicing through the canvas at the far end of the big top, one partially cutting on of the tent supports. One blast in particular came dangerously close to Smokey and hit the stands near Pendulum, where it exploded with a violent detonation. Shrapnel went everywhere, though by some miraculous grace, he wasn't hurt more than he already was.

"FOR FUDGE SAKES, JONES," came the booming voice of the squad's chief. "KILL THE DRAGON NOT THE CIVILIANS!"

Another beam, not as powerful as the first, struck Smokey dead on, cutting through his scales and searing the skin underneath. Roaring in agony, the reptile stepped away from Pendulum and doubled over.

"SMOKEY!" Fluttershy cried, flying through several bolts and dodging a few that nearly sliced through her as well. At his side again, she wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

"Hold your fire!" the chief ordered. "Miss, get out of the way!"

"NO!" the mare defied. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"

"Miss, he's a dangerous, wild animal! Get away from-"

"NO!" she wailed again, tightening her hold on him and pressing her body against him. "I LOVE HIM! I love him and I will NOT let you hurt him!"

The officers were stunned at the mare's revelation as they observed her embrace his neck. Groaning on the ground, Smokey was in too much pain to throw her off. Plus, the spell induced on him was beginning to wear off.