>"We've gotten this far, I'm not gonna give up now!" Night Watch yelled, her spear pointed forward as she charged.
>Hastily, Mosina readied the Wind Ruler and pointed it forwards as well.
>"Gonna be the death of me," she grunted, giving a quick glance and shrug to Gloomie beside her.
>She took off with a strong beat from her wings, a gust of wind announcing her initiation.
>"Woo!" Gloomie cried.
>Riding on the boost, Gloomie took off too, straightening her wings as she leapt forwards.
>As the two of them crested upwards in their climb within the large room, Night Watch had reached Aux and thrust her weapon forward without hesitation.
>Gloomie barrel rolled in mid-air, facing the endless black void above them before arching backwards, diving downwards with her golden hoof-claws outstretched.
>The walls, lined with azure glow worms, lit up the scene with a dead, soulless atmosphere.
>The stone around them was slate, some of it reflecting a sheen of wetness.
>White and purple flashes glared off of pockets of puddles, the clashing of Night Watch's and Aux's weapons sparking a furious lightshow around the room.
>Below, Aux was already upon Night Watch, forcing her on the defensive.
>He slashed his hoof-blade effortlessly, easily finding ways past Night Watch's spear tip.
>His crossbow, although it appeared damaged, was loaded with a bolt.
>On the far side of the room from the fight, taking up at least a third of the space, was what seemed to be a deep underground pond.
>Mosina touched down several feet behind Night Watch, using her momentum to propel herself fowards and thrust her spear at Aux.
>Aux, however, was too quick, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
>"Aw," Gloomie complained, slowing her descent and landing beside her comrades.
>Night Watch and Mosina stood with their spears pointed outwards in different directions.
>As silence took over the air around them, Gloomie positioned herself between the two mares.
>"Hrmm... where'd that coward go..." Night Watch muttered, her sharp eyes darting to and fro.
>"We really have to try and not hurt him," Mosina whispered underneath her breath, an edge to her tone.
>"I know," Night Watch responded with annoyance. "It's not like I'm going to kill him."
>"Can I really trust you not to?" Mosina grinned. "Have you still not forgiven him for his... mishap at that reunion?"
>Night Watch's eye twitched.
>"No promises on not hurting him."
>Behind her, Gloomie giggled.
>Suddenly, the three of them go silent.
>Their light conversation was interrupted by a feeling beneath their hooves, the slate seemingly thumping.
>It felt as though that something beneath them was moving.
>Something large.
>Mosina gave a confused look at the rocks beneath her, but her attention soon turned to the large body of water nearby.
>The once calm surface of the water was now rippling... and bubbling.
>Night Watch, being at the front of the group, stepped back slightly from the pond, her back hoof landing in a shallow puddle.
>The rippling turned into small waves, and the small waves turned into a large bulge emerging from the water.
>The whole room seemed to rumble around them, and the three of them could not do anything but watch as the giant beast emerged.
>"Aw, shit," Night Watch damned, gritting her teeth. "Not you, again."
>A giant, scaly hand with elongated, thin claws slammed down on the ground in front of them, causing the bat ponies to stumble backwards.
>As the water receded back into the lake, the monster stood up from the water, almost reaching the blackness that hid the ceiling above.
>It let out an ungodly roar, a mixture of screeching and crying piercing their ears.
>Gloomie slouched down, holding her front hooves over her sensitive ears.
>"Oh my Luna," she breathed, trying to bear with the pain.
>Night Watch, who was not in much better shape, stole a glance at the beast.
>The long spines on its back perked up as it roared, tiny tendrils of electricity beginning to dance around them.
>However, the beast looked somewhat distressed. Angry.
>She noticed its other hand was dislocated.
>Thank you, Speck.
>"Oh my god, shut up!" Night Watch screamed, her voice barely piercing through the shoegaze.
>Just as she had said that, the screeching roar began to die down, the beast tilting its flattened head down at them.
>As it closed its mouth, it barred its dozens of claw-like teeth at them, seething with rage.
>Immediately, it raised its good hand high up in the air, letting out a brief screech as it did so.
>"Move!" Mosina cried to Night Watch's left, electing the other two to recover from their stun and bolt in different directions.
>The claw came down again, slamming the ground that was between the three of them.
>"How the hell do we fight--whoa!" Night Watch yelped, almost running into an awaiting Aux.
>"Dammit, why now?!" she screamed as Aux lunged forwards with his blade, almost piercing Night Watch's neck.
>She rolled to her right, slashing her spear as she did so.
>Nimbly, Aux hopped over her swing and came down with his blade again.
>Night Watch leaped backwards stumbling, but avoiding his attack as his Umbra blade instead glances off of the slate in indigo sparks.
>As she attempted to recover though, she stumbled again, losing her balance.
>Seeing the opening, Aux leaped forward with his blade outstretched.
>However, it met with a pair of golden hoof-blades as Gloomie parried his swipe.
>His black-veined eyes hardened with frustration as he pulled back to make a quick second swing.
>With a small grin on her face, Gloomie met his swing again with her right hoof-claw, jabbing with her left at his side.
>He dodged and leaped backwards with a steady beat of his wings, just outside of her reach.
>Immediately, he lifted his left-hoof crossbow and pointed it at Gloomie, quickly releasing the loaded bolt.
>A gust of wind, however, knocked the bolt out of the air.
>From both of his flanks, Mosina and Night Watch lunged with their spears.
>Gritting his teeth, Aux parried away Mosina's Wind Ruler and ducked under Night Watch's swing.
>That's when a giant claw, accompanied by a screeching roar, came down from above again.
>The four bat ponies leaped out of the way, but were all met with a sudden blast of electricity as the claw slammed the empty ground.
>Unfortunately for Aux, he had landed in a puddle, and the shock electrified him with a painful bolt.
>He screamed in agony before realizing the claw was now sliding towards him, its fingers outstretched.
>Before he could be sliced to pieces, a white-clad Gloomie had knocked him out of the way.
>"Dude! Watch it!" she muttered, her eyes rounded with worry.
>Upon noticing his still-corrupted eyes, her eyebrows raised in realization before parrying another blow from Aux's blades.
>That's when the entire room suddenly exploded, the walls and ground shaking with a violent bang.
>Bright, white light poured in from what used to be the blackened ceiling, and large chunks of rock fell towards the combatants below.