In one last order before the fight began I looked at those beside me, those ready to lay it all on the line. "Stay here. I need space for this."

With that I trotted forwards, putting what necessary distance I deemed worthy of my transformation. I focused intently, letting my wrath for Flametread strengthen my resolve. The landscape, and those nearby, rapidly shrunk in scale as I became the colossal dragon I had discovered previously. With my new, booming voice I spoke one clear command. "Kill the others. Flametread is mine."

I heard the ferocious cries of those behind me and, as breaking floodgates, we erupted into a charge. Some creatures of Galaxia's command took to the skies to match the dragons. Before the two sides collided I charged forwards with an extra burst of speed. I leaped into the sky, swinging one massive, clawed appendage to catch Flametread's face before he managed to breathe any fire on those below. My claws rent deep, throwing him with enough force to cause his trajectory to drop. He crashed into the ground, sliding while attempting to stand once more. I came over in another charge, crashing down upon the stumbling monster. After a few successful slashes he kicked me away and got up. We both rushed in again. He reared up to take several swipes; I ducked down and headbutted his thorax with grand force, launching him away. He did manage to land a few claws on me to leave his fair share of marks upon me. The punctures in his abdomen and chest were reason enough for the careless manoeuvre. He arose once more, too far to reach. "This day will be your last, mutt!"

"You couldn't manage to kill me last time. You're just as pitiful this time. Give it up already."

"I will never rest until you are sent to the grave where you belong."

"We'll see each other there then." He charged in again, head first. I got into a low position, bracing myself for the impact. He jumped up, arching down to head butt me. I lurched upwards in a swift motion to meet him, clashing horns. When he landed down we both reared up. What followed next was a flurry of slashes and swipes from both sides. Each landed several blows, rending the sides and legs of the other. The pain only seemed to fuel me in this moment. Flametread, being less accustomed to remaining on two legs than I was, lost balance and dropped forwards. This granted me several free strikes on his head and neck. He then leaped forwards, grabbing me firmly and knocking me over backwards. At the same time his claws sunk within my sides, as I lost all ground, I began fiercely kicking with my hind claws, shredding his undercarriage. When I hit the ground he let go, hoping to deal major damage while I was pinned. I, instead, kicked him off with colossal force. I could not afford to be in the position he was trying to pin me in. Thusly, I sent him flying across the scorched earth. When he got back up he began charging, so I did the same. We collided with a very loud crash. The impact, as prepared as I had been, left a ringing pain in my skull. I could tell it left him worse as he rocked backwards to allow him room to grasp his bleeding crown. Flametread then growled before roaring at me. I returned the gesture, causing him to move in once more. He came in with claws flying. I managed to block his swipes, even landing one or two when he set back down upon the ground. He then tried to swing his tail around to hit my face with the large mass. I ducked and spun as well, sweeping my tail from below and connecting with his jaw in the opposite direction. He was forced backwards with a tumble or two. When he arose again he charged once more. "You will be mine, whelp!"

I prepared myself for the charge. He suddenly beat his massive wings to launch himself airborne. He was rapidly approaching with all four sets of claws. I intentionally fell onto my back and, as he was attempting to latch on, kicked him over top of me, narrowly dodging his fierce hooks. When I could I rolled over and arose once more. He was skidding to a halt but remained upon his paws. When he stopped he approached, opening his mouth to breathe fire. In rapid response I opened my mouth and jetted water into the fluid erupting from his mouth. The mix did not, indeed would not and could not, catch fire. Before I had time to react he swung a paw heftily for my face. It connected, his claws rending fiercely the whole left side of my face from the cheekbone to the snout. The force alone caused me to stumble, allowing him to land two more swings. When the last connected I snapped back, grabbing his leg fiercely in my fangs. I yanked a time or two but ultimately had to release when his next swing came. I barely managed to avoid the blow. As I drew back a little ways he began swinging his tail low, hoping to trip me. With a mighty twist I leaped in a horizontal circular rotation, bringing my tail around from above. It crashed heavily upon Flametread, knocking him down. As he recovered I threw several more swings in rapid succession. I was unable to dodge his next blow, a swipe in the abdomen. Pain shot up my frame from the rending strike. I shook it off, seeing him rear up again. I followed quickly in suit and prepared to lash out. He instead, as I had done earlier, ducked down and leaped forwards, tackling me. As I approached the ground I raked his sides and back viciously, meriting enough reactionary release from him to force him off again. We both got back to standing, facing each other. He taunted first. "You're a slick one. You've had practice in cowardice."

"Says the one that used worthless underlings to try and kill me off. You were too scared of me to even try."

"We'll see who’s scared this time, mutt!"

"Wretch! You'll run like you always do!" He roared and charged back in. I met him with a tail slam. It connected, but he managed to grab a hold of my tail with his claws. As I was yanked back with the force, the pain of the punctures caught up with me. As my equine nature had taught me to do I kicked back with full force. The two paws connected, detaching Flametread at the cost of wicked gashes forming on my tail. I arose and wheeled around, facing him. By the time the pain died down he was nearly upon me again. We reared up and he swung one set of claws. As I went to block it he changed the trajectory, forcing me to block with both paws and opening my side to his other claws. He landed a couple of blows like this, tearing apart my sides. As he attempted the last, being fed up with his vicious tactics, I shot both front legs forwards, connecting with his chest. The force sent him sprawling backwards. When he recovered he began charging in. I braced for his impact, anticipating a head butt. What I received instead was a wallop in the side of the head from his paw, followed then by the impact I was expecting. I was sent skidding across the scorched earth, his first strike having reduced my bracing for the second. When I stopped he was already charging again. Once more I was struck by his claws before the charge, but this time I had braced for both. Whereas the force was still more than I could withstand I simply skidded a short distance. When I stopped I looked back up to see him trying to breathe fire again. Once more was it met by my own breath weapon and the attempt was extinguished. This caused him to speak again. "Why is it that abominations are always harder to kill?"

"Because you're too dumb to know how to do it!"

"Ignorant pest! I'll make those words your last!" He reared up when he was in range, forcing me to do so as well. He repeated the selfsame tactic from before, but I was aware enough to dodge most of the harm from the slash. When he tried it again, seeing an open opportunity, I leaped upon him, tackling him to the dirt below. He didn't manage to kick me off before I shifted enough to clamp my teeth heftily upon his throat. A metallic taste filled my mouth as I firmly grasped his neck in my fangs. He let out a strange noise, half roar and half gurgle, before frantically scratching at my body. As the pain sunk in I got desperate. With his throat in my grasp I began viciously yanking and tearing my head back and forth, hoping to rip it out. It proved too resilient to accomplish my goal and, figuring the damage to be enough as it was, released his profusely bleeding neck after chomping a few more times for added effect. Half hoping to clear his blood from my mouth and half wanting to drown him, I began shooting the streams of water into his face. He struggled desperately, trying to either get me off or to block the stream cascading into his face. After a short while, probably from his lack of breath, his swipes became very weak. Just as I might have come out victor the water ceased after my body lurched forwards. I was hopelessly weak at this point, barely able to remain upright. Flametread took the opportunity and rolled, forcing me off. I fell from him as he rolled the other way. I barely clung to my form at this point. I tried to arise but was too weak to do so. Flametread hacked and coughed, sending a mixture of blood and water spewing from his mouth. When he finally ceased he spake, the words barely capable of leaving. They were raspy, occasionally gurgled, and spaced farther than normal. "Your time...has come, pest. You never stood...a chance. Death comes."

He coughed again, spitting more blood than water this time. He began approaching once he stopped the renewed hacking. In desperation I gave it a few more tries to get up. I did, albeit barely. When he neared and attacked his swings were weak; my swings were weaker still and my defence was nearly nonexistent. After he landed a few more gentle blows I shoved him back a little ways. An idea sprouted into my head, one that was fatal for both Flametread and I, highly dangerous for those nearby and capable of terrible failure. Fearing the worst for those I cared about I turned to where the rest of the conflict was and, barely managing, shouted "Run!"

What I wasn't aware of was Flametread's renewed vigour. He suddenly and unexpectedly rammed me in the side, the flayed and tattered flesh stinging wildly. The force knocked me further along the rough dirt than I had anticipated. All the pain caught up like a freight train and suddenly I collapsed. I couldn't manage to hold the colossal form any longer. I shifted back down into a normal sized pony again. Without a moment to lose I began amassing as much energy as possible into my pearl. I was creating a bomb. I did so as long as possible, draining everything that I was and making my very soul volatile. A shadow overcame me and, within seconds, I was hammered by Flametread's massive claws. The blunt force trauma was undeniable, several ribs cracking and shattering. I'm sure I looked nightmarish at this point, but it didn't matter. I continued, nevertheless, as best I could but the pain was eventually too much. My concentration was wavering. I felt the ground beneath me shift before I was picked up, dusted off and dropped into his mouth. As I entered he bit down. My reaction, albeit faint and tiny, did wonders, for when his maw shut it simply caught the entirety of my right hind leg and the majority of the left one as well. Both these were severed. My tail in its entirety was also rent from my torso, landing who knows where. The pain was unreal and all hope was fading. He then swallowed, forcing me down his gullet. It was here my concentration ultimately failed. Suddenly the device I had been holding together ruptured from overloading. I was heftily forced back into the muscular wall that was the back of his throat. When I managed to see once more, the effects of the blinding flash wearing off, I noticed that the front of his throat had ruptured. The weakening from before, paired with the immensely volatile force, was too much. Flesh and blood shot outwards from the open orifice of his throat, coating the dirt before him. Before the wall of muscle recovered, Flametread rotated and dropped. After the brutal drop the pains and losses overcame me. The light shining through his demolished windpipe, as well as the rest of my world, faded into inky blackness.