“You know, I wonder if the dragons will be willing to help us out?”

    Cadance arched her eyebrow slightly, turning to Dusk as she flew high with him on her back. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

    Dusk pursed his lips. “And you claim to be royalty and you don’t know much about Dragon/Pony relations?”

    “Well I haven’t been a royal for long to be honest, so no I don’t know...”

    Dusk placed his hand on his forehead, massaging the temple as he let out a sigh. “Basically, dragons and ponies do not get along at all...”

    Cadance blinked. “Why though? Why can’t dragons and ponies get along?”

    “Well for one thing, dragons were known to eat ponies. The other is that ponies often slay dragon whelps for the gems and-”

    Cadance eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Kill an innocent baby dragon for its gem?! That’s so disgusting!”

    Dusk nodded and closed his eyes as the wind was picking up. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

    Cadance squinted her eyes as a tall rock formation was coming before them from the distance. “I think we’re nearly there Dusk!”

    “Nice! Now we can-”

    An arrow came flying past them, and both Cadance and Dusk looked at each other in shock. They both looked down on the ground below them and saw a stallion in armor with bow and arrow ready, aiming his next shot at them.

    “Uh Cadance... I think we’re in trouble...”

    Cadance gulped. “I know,” she said, as her eyes narrowed. “Dusk, hold on tight will you?”

    “Huh?”

    Cadance flapped her wings faster, building up speed. “We’re gonna make a break for it!” she yelled as she flew faster than ever before, with her neck squeezed as Dusk held onto her.

    The armour-clad pony readied his bow, pulling back on the draw string as he took aim. He steadied his shot, taking in the wind and distance into the equation, as well as the movement patterns of the dragon. When he finally took his shot, the arrow soared through the air and glided it into the dragon’s wing.

    Cadence roared with pain as the sharp end of the arrow pierced the film of her wings. She could feel the blood gushing out and the air passing through the hole as she started to spiral towards the ground.

    “Cadence! Are you alright?!” Gasped Dusk Shine as he did his best to keep Cadence steady.

    “Hold on!”

    The two crashed into the rocky grounds below. Dusk Shine was flung off the dragon’s back and landed into some nearby brushel. The little phoenix managed to flutter off the falling dragoness before she crashed and gently descended next to the pony.

Dusk Shine slowly pulled himself back up. His ribs were a little sore but he was thankful that nothing seemed to be broken. He grabbed his stick of a wand and rushed over to Cadence.

“Cadence!” He cried. “Cadence, are you alright?”

The large pink drake groaned as she rolled over onto her back. “I think I’m alright... but my wing is killing me.”

“Yikes...” gulped Dusk Shine, looking at the large bloody hole in her wing. “That’s a big one... do you think you can fly?”

“I’ll... I’ll try...” she said, rolling back onto her feet. Extending her wings, the dragon did her best to flap them, but soon stopped as the searing pain shocked through her wounded wing.

“No good?”

“No...” shook Cadence. “I think we’re walking the rest of the way.”

“Crap... we were so close too,” mumbled the young wizard. “And who was that guy? Friend of yours?”

“Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing,” said Cadence.

“Haha,” Dusked mock laughed as he stood up and observed the mountain before them. “Well if we’re going by foot, I suggest we get going now before he catches up on us.”

“Agreed.” Cadance said as she and Dusk began walking, but she winced with each step her wing was folded against her.

Dusk grimaced as he saw Cadance in pain. “Hold on, let me try something.”

Cadance stepped back slightly. “Please don’t do that fire spell on me!”

“Relax, its a healing spell.” Dusk told her as he took out his stick and touched Cadance’s wing with it.

Cadance felt her wing sting slightly, but then she felt an odd sensation as the pain subsided. She looked at her wing and it was no longer bloody or had a hole in it.

“Now I suggest you don’t move it around as it still needs to settle in and-”

Dusk’s eyes widened as he felt scaly lips touch his cheek. He turned to Cadance who was smiling and he couldn’t help but let loose a blush of his own.

“Um...”

Cadance giggled. “Let’s go.”

Dusk nodded as a smile was plastered on him, though he looked back to the distance in hopes of not seeing the stallion that was after them.

____________________________________________________________________________

    “Rats!”

    Shining Armor threw his bow on the ground, nearly breaking it from the force it. He stomped his foot in frustration as he saw the dragon and the unfamiliar pony walking to the mountain.

    “I don’t know who that pony is, but anypony that sides with my fiance’s killer will be punished too.”

    He ran up to the mountain, not caring if his armor was slowing him down or even if he left his bow behind him, all that mattered was that he killed the dragon, and if that pony was accompanying it, then he would die as well.

    It didn’t take long for him to catch up to the dragon, her wound had slowed them down a lot. He saw them as they just about to ascend the mountain.

    “You!” He cursed, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the dragon. “I’ll have your head!”

    “Uh-oh,” gasped Dusk Shine, pulling out his wand. “Look, buddy, we don’t know what your problem is, but it’s not what you think! She’s a pony, not a dragon.”

    “It feeds you lies!” Growled the knight. “It’ll say anything to save itself, it’s nothing but a manipulative coward!”

    “She’s not a coward! She’s my friend!” Dusk Shine screamed. “And she’s a she! Not an it!”

    “You’re such a naive fool,” the knight sighed. “Stand down and let me finish my business with the dragon and I will spare you.”

    “I’m not going to just stand down and let you kill her!”

    “You’re too noble,” Shining said. “You would die defending this monster?!”

    “No...” frowned Dusk Shine, aiming his wand at the knight. “But I’ll die defending a friend!”

    A ball of flames erupted from the tip of the wizard’s wand and hurtled towards the knight. Shining Armour, however, easily side stepped the fireball, chuckling a bit as to how easily he dodged it.

    “You’re magic is clumsy and pitiful,” he said. “It will be almost too easy to kill you.”

    “Yeah... well... I’m just... umm,” Dusk Shine searched for something to say. “I’ve got nothing.”

    Shining rushed towards the wizard with terrible fury, he swung at the wizard, hitting him with the broad side of his sword and knocking him to the ground.

    “Leave him alone!” Roared Cadence, swiping at the pony knight. “I don’t know who you are, but you will not hurt him!”

    “Now you have some fight in you?” snarked Shining. “It’s about time!”