open An Arrow to the Wing (1x1 with Catpone Cerberus)

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ruby just grinned, there were some things in the world she feared yes, but there wasn't somebody, not that it mattered since fear itself didn't paralyze her or otherwise hinder her, so even if she got scared, it only make her even more vicious. But since the wording was, 'fears the most', the one appearing would be someone she almost feared, a clone of herself, who would have thought, someone who sees themselves as the best also sees themselves as their biggest threat. 

The real Ruby would ignore the clone Ruby, who would also ignore the real Ruby since she was identical clone and thus thought identically to the real Ruby, Darkstalker had really hit himself in a knee with this one. The both Rubys would speak at the same time because again, it was 100% identical clone "There is no one I fear, as I fear nothing anyone I know could do to me, only one creature I know is capable of such actions that would make me feel fear, and that is I myself, but why would I do that?" 

 It was hard to truly scare someone who had already lived through their worst fear, there was ways, and if one managed to do it right, she would be out of the fight for some time, but could Darkstalker word it right? 

"Also, fear only fuels me, so go ahead, make me fearful, you'll see just how dangerous this young dragon can be." 

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Ember would move as was planned, and when it came time to take down someone, she would silently get close to them and just as silently take them down, it was clear that she had done similar things before, though it was also noticeable that she wasn't really a fan of doing it with someone. The crow would silently follow and if needed would fly to opposite direction from Ember and start doing crow-things to get the target's attention long enough for Ember (or Arrow) to take them out.

 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

Darkstalker let out a sigh and frowned. This was not what he wanted.

"Hmm... give the clone it's own free will and make her the color of the gem moonstone! Give this clone a deep hatred for Ruby and Quasi and make the clone's name Moonstone! Oh, and make her twice the strength of Ruby."

"Why didn't you have her have the same color? It would get confusing on me."

"Confusing on me too, we'd both be at a disadvantage."

"He can make things happen like a fast food order?" Daring Do said, taking out pony after pony.

"Making the clone fight for you? Weak."

Quasi wrote something down and held his spear, prepared to fight this clone.

"Thirkuir wer shishin ekess kampiun vi xanalre counts lae physical lae coi physically tiric creolnali ekess wer shishin."

He pointed to his head, trying to signal that she can tell him her strategy through telepathy. He didn't want the giant dragon to know what Ruby was saying to him in her mind.

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Arrow would sneak through with a dagger, and take out a few combatants. One by one they would go down, not suspecting a thing.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"Just because you know the words doesn't mean you can speak the language, most of that was nonsense." Ruby said to Quasi, but in her mind she 'said' got the message, though she said it word at a time. And for strategy regarding the clone, it was simply, 'break neck', it may be double Ruby's strength, but it was still her size and with her build. While she tried to get behind it so that she could grab its head and twist it beyond its limits by using her whole body weight, she also tried to lure it after herself so that she could keep luring it near Darkstalker, because while it was made to hate her and Quasi, Darkstalker never said it would be on his side fully, so if Ruby didn't succeed in breaking its neck, she could just make it angry towards Darkstalker.

There was something that Ruby didn't tell though, her plan B, there was another reason why she went so close to Darkstalker all the time, more specifically, why she stayed so close to his head, and that reason would come apparent the moment he would start another spell, as she would fly directly into his mouth and sink her claws in his tongue, and while she could be pulled out, either the tongue or her fingers would be ripped off. Or he could bite down, but while that would hurt Ruby quite a lot, it would make her stay put well enough to go crazy¨inside his mouth, destroying more than just a tongue.

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Ember would continue on her way, avoiding any non-creature security as she did, until there was something unexpected she wouldn't have any trouble with dealing with anyone, even if there was more than one. The crow now and then left her and later came back and told how many guards it had seen in various gestures. Ember used both the spear and her hooves to take down guards, sometimes even using their own weapons against them if necessariy.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Seriously? She has a hatred for you, Ruby. You think she will attack me?"

He looked at Moonstone.

"Wux lehhav sari jacida cha'sidic, darastrix. jaci geou svent wux huena wux nahilnop dout mission, jaci geou tepoha thric karifilt klae ihk wux. si dujzarn wux shartleg shafaer jacion."

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Arrow would open a door and take out a combatant. He turned to go after another one, but stopped before he could do anything to them. A mother stood next to a crib, afraid. In the crib was a small jackal pup.

Soon, Ace, Sky, and Myra would meet them in the room.

"All the hostiles are KIA."

"What do we wanna do about the mother and child?"

"Hate when this happens. Some guards will be coming soon, we've prepared for this situation."

Two Equestrian royal guards came in.

"Don't worry, we'll get you somewhere safe. We can discuss refugee status once we do that."

They'd then lead them out.

"Could've gone worse."

Arrow would zone out and speak.

"If I didn't stop fast enough..."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ruby didn't say anything, as she had no reason to talk to Darkstalker, and him thinking that was her only plan was only a good for her. She would continue trying to break the clone's neck.

That is, until she heard what Quasi said, she had to give it to him, she hadn't even thought about the fact that the clone probably spoke her language. She then spoke to it in her native language, saying what would roughly translate to something along the lines of 'He is right, you will be played by this male like all the inferior creatures, you will be used and then removed, this big male can steal your mind with mere words. So kill him before he kills you, and steal the impressive kill from those you hate the most. Inside of his mouth is unprotected.' Darkstalker may have given this dragon a free will besides who it hates, but he never erased Ruby's nature from the clone, which made Ruby believe that the clone would still think very close to how she thought about things, and hey, what was there to loose in trying?
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Ember put her armored hoof on Arrow's shoulder, but not in comforting or gentle way, instead it was firm and professional "If" she then said in rather emphasizing tone "But you did stop." "I don't know how things work when you only hunt dragons, but in my work I have seen plenty of creatures using innocents as their meat shields." "That's most likely true in war too." "It is mental warfare, and if you let it get to you, you have already lost." while her words were cold, her demeanor told of sympathetic mind.
 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

She'd say something to Ruby. Probably something not very nice and flow into the mouth of the giant dragon.

The dragon would soon start gasping for air and eventually die. An injured Moonstone would climb from his mouth.

He looked at Ruby.

"Do wings bend that way? And that, I didn't know that could bend."

He poked the clone with a stick, and she'd growl at him.

"Should we help her?"

-------------------------------

"Why? Why would someone do that. War isn't what I thought it was."

"Welcome to the club."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight

It went slightly differently to what Ruby had planned, but since the end result was the same, she considered it a success. She didn't mind the kill getting stolen from her because she had no personal interest in the fight. 

"No" she said coldly to Quasi's suggestion of mercy as she made her way to the clone "It will come after us if we leave it alive, I won't make my mother's mistake." she would then kill the clone in quick an painless way if Quasi didn't stop her in physical way, if he did, she wouldn't be happy. 

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"Because unlike your dear princess wants you to believe, not every creature cares." Ember said in surprisingly cold tone "And while they don't care, they know you do." 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

Quasi stood in front of Ruby to stop her.

"No, your mother's mistake wasn't helping you."

Quasi then wrote something in his book.

Temporarily make my claws and my teeth strong like a deathwing.

He wanted to try and restrain Ruby.

"I can remove her hatred towards you, it was forced on her by the dragon. I can fix this."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ruby looked at Quasi similar to how a cruel mother looked at their misbehaving child "I do not leave lose ends that can come after me later." "This isn't even a real dragon, it's a clone of me with the only good thing taken away." she didn't seem like she was going to back away, though she didn't attack yet either "It is also been given unnatural physical strength by magic from outside this world, letting such freak of nature to go free will ruin the order of nature." "Is that what you want? uncontrolled slaughter of local creatures?" 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Your land. That place would be natural for her. We could reduce her strength and give her a cave."

Quasi walked closer.

"And honestly. If that were you, wouldn't you know that killing us would be giving Darkstalker what he wants? If she is anything like you, she'd know that."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"No it wouldn't." Ruby stated "And nobody will be given anything, that's not how things work there." "And lastly, no, while there is the knowledge that it would be what he wants, I wouldn't care, he's dead, why would I care what he wanted?" Ruby still didn't back down, and it wasn't hard to tell that she would kill the clone if she got a chance without having to fight Quasi first "If you insist on its survival, you send it in where it belongs, your world, it was created through magic from your world, so it should be returned where it came from, your world." "And make sure it will not come back." "Either that or I'll move you out of my way and do what should be done." her thoughts and emotion indicated she was not bluffing. 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Fine, if that's what it takes to let this dragon live."

"Hmm... for a second I thought I was going to have to step in and do something. Even I don't want to fight a dragon."

Quasi would remove the hatred spell, however whether or not she hated Quasi... she didn't know. Even with mindreading, Ruby is a difficult card to read. Taking some vines, Quasi made something to carry the dragon in.

After a while, they'd get to his world and the Rainwing kingdom. Colorful rainwings would swing from tree to tree with their tails. Quasi would take the injured Moonstone to the healers den and when he returned, a yellow and pink rainwing would come up to them.

"Wow! Are you a deathwing? Are you really immune to fire and weapons? Are you immortal? Can you die? Did you die? Do you eat fruit or meat? Do you keep pet sloths? Is that your cat? What's her name?"

"Careful, you might overload her simple brute brain." Quasi joked. He didn't mean it, he didn't actually think Ruby was a simple brute.

"Aren't you supposed to be saving the world or whatever?"

"Well, we were, but this clone of Ruby named Moonstone got injured killing Darkstalker... well... a clone anyway."

The happy rainwing went silent then spoke.

"You guys killed a clone of the Darkstalker?"

"She did, she flew into the his mouth and destroyed a bunch of stuff. And, she can live here, right?"

"Hey, Kinkajou, what are y-? Wait, I thought you went to Equestria days ago."

"I did, Queen Glory, we brought back an injured dragon. Can she live here?"

"Of course, but if may ask, why did you bring this injured dragon all the way back?"

Quasi looked at Ruby.

"Ruby, you owe her the answer."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And that's Indiana Jones."

"Sounds like a Daring Do ripoff."

"No! Indiana Jones was made first!"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ruby would stay silent during the travel, even if talked to, and even her thoughts wouldn't give much of anything, as she thought about quite literally nothing, her thoughts only now and then listing what she saw or sensed, and emotionally too she was very much neutral, only her natural hatred and anger floating in her head.

This would continue even after they would arrive, as she ignored the questions from the yellow-pink rainwing, and Quasi's joke seemed to have a quite the opposite effect on her than jokes were supposed to have, because she couldn't read anyone's mind, thus she couldn't know if Quasi meant what he said or not, and if it sounds like an insult, she considers it and insult.

It was when Quasi addressed Ruby with  his demand that she finally spoke "I owe nothing to any of you." she sounded very irritated, and her emotions matched her tone "And if I see that thing even as little as look into my world, I will kill it and anyone trying to defend it." the she just turned around  and started walking away, pushing anyone and anything out of her way if necessary, and not carefully, but in a way that it was certain they moved. "I'm done" Her mind was filled with various hostile insults in the case anyone tried to invade it.

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Ember again didn't take part in conversation she didn't care about, and this time she didn't even comment on it after it was over, instead she just fed seeds to her crow from a pouch she had had tied on her armor this whole time. 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

He wrote something in his book.

Make Ruby freeze in place, allow her to speak.

"We aren't playing that, Ruby. You think it's all about what you want, thinking you're superior, thinking you can harm anyone you wish without consequence."

Make the plants immune to Ruby's and mine fire.

"I've loved you Ruby, and I do still, but you've done much wrong. You must learn that you aren't any better than anyone else. We will fight, if I can stop you, you stay."

Unfreeze Ruby. If Ruby is lethally wounded, make her paralyzed until she heals.

Quasi then breathed fire in her face to create smoke to blind her, and attempted to put the spear into her left side.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
If something as simple as smoke would distract Ruby for long, she wouldn't have lived as long as she had, and while it was enough for Quasi to get his spear in her side, that would be as far as that weapon got, because Ruby would grab it and pull it sideways, causing it to snap in two leaving the spear end in her while leaving the handle outside, the whole freezing bit, it only made her more furious, bad memories and all that. "This whole time I have been following orders like a dog." she launched towards Quasi, aiming between the pieces of armor to break whatever was holding them in place "This whole time I have been risking my life and health for a war I do not care about." she would counter attacks and any hit she may take would be seemingly ignored "I have let everyone belittle me, to insult me." "I've let you to invade my mind without question, I have blindly trusted you won't mess with my head." she would also attempt to get her claws on the book to destroy it "Now you attack me, and dare to claim that I'm the one only thinking of myself?" "To think I was stupid enough to plan risking myself to help you take down Darkstalker." her every strike was meant to injure, but she wasn't trying to kill Quasi, even though she would go that far if necessary, she only wanted to injure him enough so that he would leave her alone. "You can tell Celestia to keep her treasure and pardon, I'm done with this, I'm done with Equestria."

Quasi hadn't really thought this through, even if he with the help of magic managed to force Ruby to stay, what then? would he mind-control her to do what he wanted? because how things were going now, she certainly wouldn't do anything willingly.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"That's your problem. You care not for the future of others, your heart is greedy and hateful and you refuse to think you can be better than this! You despise the good and love the evil, claiming there is neither."

 He'd write something down fast to make his claws and teeth as strong as Ruby's and quickly through the book to a nightwing next to Queen Glory. He'd then run off with it so that Ruby didn't get it.

He'd move fast dodging Ruby's attacks.

"I know many tried to help you, but you brush off their help. That dragon did not ask to exist, she didn't ask for any of this, and you punish her for it. I don't get why you hate me, her, and everyone that isn't yourself."

His armor was full metal, through and through like most dragon armor in his world.

"I never asked for this! The only dragon I had this kind of love for, and she is full of hate, down a path that will lead to her own destruction! I know you're full of pain too, and it is upsetting to me to see you hurt like this, but I cannot let do this to yourself! It hurts too much!"

He still loved Ruby, it was clear. He was doing this to try and stop her path of selfishness. And maybe he couldn't do such a thing immediately, but he hoped that she would just listen and try.

"Please listen to me Ruby, before your heart turns to stone! I know it's not stone yet, I can tell. I can't stand to watch this."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Metal or not, every armor had its weak spots, and if it was a kind where movement was sacrificed to eliminate any weakness, Ruby would simply use the same spell as she did when she broke the chains, as the sealing spells didn't need a literal lock, and only needed two things that could be sealed together, like two pieces of armor, this of course would be lot more damaging than just breaking the armor of course, since even a smaller one was enough to blow away Ruby's scales and take a piece out of her legs, what would such do in bigger scale to Quasi's less durable body. That and her claws would be able to go through the metal eventually, even magic wasn't unbeatable.

"I'm done listening." Ruby declared "I will not fall for your lies anymore." "I didn't ask to exist either, nor did any of the various creatures that are born only to feed those stronger than them." Quasi may have the means of going through Ruby's scales, but Ruby still had over 100 years of experience fighting those who truly wanted to kill her, Quasi wasn't going to outlast her in this fight, especially now that he no longer had the book to cheat with. "You criticize me caring about myself, but who else would uphold my side if not myself? not you, not ponies, not my mother!" "And if you can't watch, then don't." with those words came a wall of flame directly towards Quasi's head, flame hot enough to make metal glow. "I was going to leave peacefully, you brought this on yourself." 

If someone was to bring the book back or otherwise intervene, they would be met by wall of flames intended to kill.

 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

The nightwing with the book would emerge.

"Stop this! You don't listen to each other and now look where we are."

"Deathbringer?"

Freeze Quasi Nix and Ruby both in place. For 100 dragon heartbeats, make the two hear and know the feelings and pain of each other. For 10 heartbeats, let them really experience and feel each others emotions.

From Quasi, what he felt was a strong love for Ruby and desperation to help her. He was scared for her. His recent actions were out of desperation and fear for her. He was heartbroken too, did Ruby hate him? Why? He knew Ruby hated him starting out, he never truly understood the reason.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Love as a concept still was unknown to Ruby, so she wouldn't be able to recognize it, but while she lacked the sympathy to feel bad for Quasi, this at least proved to her that he wasn't lying, not that she really knew what to do with that information yet, having no experience with emotions like that.

For her emotion, besides the expected hate and anger, which didn't exactly go away from getting frozen in place..again, there was the feeling of being used and betrayed, something she had also verbally shown, and while she was very much angry at Quasi, there wasn't absolute hate towards him, but there was hatred. Most of her emotions were things like this, things that had been already shown outside if one paid attention, things that confirmed that what she had said during their little argument had came from her heart, but there was something lot deeper, something that would explain quite a lot. 

It was rage, hate, even bit of fear, it was like a ball of every negative emotion in one, fueled by pain that was such that it was surprise she wasn't lot worse than she was, this was also where her hatred towards Quasi was coming from at the moment.

Other details one may notice depending on the spell's nature would be how she hadn't lied about her lack of various things, empathy, sympathy, things like that, no sign of any of them, seeing life and thus any living things meaningless, it was there...it would be easy to tell that while Ruby was many awful things, she wasn't a liar when it came to her emotions.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

They were then unfrozen.

"Ruby, I want to help. I do, but you won't let me. You're hurt and yet, you won't let me try and heal you. I want to get through to you, but you don't tell me how."

A dragon, a red rainwing would then go up to Quasi.

"I'm sorry Quasi, the dragon you've brought has succumbed to her injuries."

"I guess you got what you wanted after all."

"Even after all of this, I can't stop loving you. Even if it is hopeless. But..."

He stood up.

"I cannot give up on you, I am a dragon, I will fight like one. A real dragon doesn't just lay down and give up."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"If there was something I need help with, I would ask." Quasi hadn't considered one thing, what if Ruby didn't want help, because she didn't know she needed help? Maybe she was in denial? or maybe she just didn't know what she was feeling wasn't normal? Possibilities were many, but what is sure is that sometimes even for stubborn creatures, the stubbornness isn't the problem.

What came for the news about the clone, Ruby's reaction...or well, the lack of one, was as cold as was to be expected.

"You want me to like you, it's no question anymore, and all I have to say about that is...going against everything I say or do is not a way to get any favors from me." she would then turn away again, she may have now known that Quasi hadn't lied, but her opinion on the whole war business hadn't changed "And I will no longer be used for the gain of other creatures like a mindless herd animal." as she said it, she dug out the broken spear out of her side and threw it on the ground "Call it selfish, call it greedy, I don't care." "I'll rather die than tolerate any more belittling from prey animals." 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Then let me go with you! The scavengers obviously have a handle on everything. Even if you don't like me, I like you, maybe I'll make a useful ally. Where are you gonna go anyway? Equestria isn't a safe place, you'll probably get banished."

"Are you sure you wanna go with her? She doesn't seem to be very nice."

"I'm sure she can be nice, she just needs a good influence. Plus, I didn't give her the thing I found for her!"

He held out a gem similar to the one used to attempt to bribe Ruby. It was a clear diamond-like gem that glistened with many colors when held to light. He given the gift to Ruby.

"I found this the other day, I don't know what it is, but you seem like the type for this."

"You know you could've made a lot from that?"

"Not worth as much as Ruby."

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"Does your crow bite? Or is it a 'only when I tell him to' kinda thing?"

"My crab pinch-AAAA"

Arrow's crab would pinch his ear.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ruby had a momentary mental battle between her greed and stubbornness, she didn't want to take the gem for sake of not giving Quasi any points so to speak, but she really wanted it, and after few moments she took the gem, her greed had won. "I guess that can be considered a fair enough payment for me to tolerate you for a while longer." it sounded like a excuse to not thank him, and while she said it, she used some of the nearby plant-life to make the gem into a necklace so that it was easier for her to carry it. She also secretly liked the little praise she was getting, but only a bit, it didn't neutralize the negative feelings from earlier. "And where I'm going? well, if you would have listened, you would have heard when I said that I'm done with Equestria." "I'm going to get my things from Equestria and go back to where I came from." "And if Celestia and her ponies try to stop me form getting them?...well, I have wanted to know how many ponies I can kill before they can bring in the backup." she then grinned at Quasi in a way that said 'I know you don't like it, and that's exactly why I said it like that.' 

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"It depends on your definition of biting, it does peck, and depending on the situation, it could almost be seen as biting." Ember said "But semantics aside, like I said before, it doesn't follow orders, it just does what it decides it wants to do..." and like from a mark, the crow cawed few times *caw caw* before jumping down on Ember's snout and ruffling its feathers, 'accidentally' hitting her face with them. Ember continued with the crow blocking her vision "...but many times it decides to help with things, and it has attacked my enemies few times too...to put it shortly, it does peck, but not because I tell it to." the crow got back on the top of Ember's head "And it can take out your eyes if it sees you as a threat." the crow ate a bug that was stupid enough to land on Ember's head.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Oh! Looks pretty on you! Hopefully the others won't get too mad tha- who am I kidding, they won't care."

"I doubt they'll keep your stuff from you, we should go g-"

"No need. We have your stuff here, we've been keeping an eye on her."

Obviously magic, he would've smelled them if they physically watched.

"What is wrong with you? You treat Ruby like a monster and wonder why she acts the way she does! Your leader acts all nice, but rules without care. Celestia is a joke! She's naive, cannot defend her homeland, and her military is more undisciplined than a rainwing! ...no offense Queen Glory."

"None taken."

"Literally the only reasons the Fironians haven't destroyed you is because those Americans entered the war. Without them, you would've been crushed. It isn't friendship I have a problem with, it's the naivety of your land."

He looked at Ruby

"Let's go, I can carry your stuff if you want, I don't mind. Don't bother attacking the guard, he isn't worth it, and neither is Equestria."

"So... what will we do once we get to your land?"

----------------------

A letter appeared in front of Arrow. He opened the scroll.

"Ruby and Quasi have gone AWOL. The black or.... white sheep of the nightwings is on the lamb! This is bAaAaAAD! Eh, whatever, I expected that from Ruby. Quasi, being in love with Ruby, doesn't surprise me either."

"So, what does this mean?"

"Ruby is banished, they brought her her stuff to avoid... an incident. Well, Ember, I guess you lost that helper of yours."

"Aw... Ember's little helper! So, we gonna go after her?"

"Nah, let her go. She'd probably attack us and we'd have to kill her. More trouble than she's worth."

"I hope she's alright. I was like her in some ways. It isn't a good life to live."

Sky reached up to try and pet the crow.

"Aw, stupid thing."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"I hope many died." Ruby said rather coldly to the guard, most of the trapped-seals were non-lethal in her house to avoid unnecessary drama with the guards, but the ones on the only way to her cave under the house, that was one of her strongest spells, and while the seal itself wasn't that impressive, the counter measures that were activated by any physical or magical disturbance on the hidden door or the gate behind it was rather devastating.

The one on the gate was a simple yet powerful explosion, enough to collapse the cave entrance fully, but the one on the door, she was quite proud of it, she had created that spell herself, it was a explosion of fire, but not just any fire, but very specific type of magical dragon-fire, it was very sticky and constantly heating up fire, it stuck to everything, including things that didn't usually burn, and because it got hotter and hotter, it eventually melted or burned pretty much anything, including magically enchanted armor, and that wasn't all, it was also impossible to extinguish, it burned even under water, only way for it to stop burning was the thing it was on burning into nothing. It had one downside though, it didn't really spread, so it would only burn down everything and everyone in or close to her house, she had tried to make it so it would spread since that would have made it unstoppable, but even magic had its limits unfortunately.

"If even a single thing is missing, I'll come back, this time with the intention to kill, though I still need to fly through Equestria to get where I'm going, and before anyone even thinks about teleporting me somewhere, if I don't end up exactly where I want, I'll come back to kill." she had dropped the act since she no longer had any reason to try to please Equestrians "And before you go anywhere, I have a message for Celestia and the friendship princess or whatever she was called, any Equestrian creature in or around my territory will be killed without hesitation, and if my kind ever ends up forming a military, I'll make it my personal goal to make sure you are to be considered the enemy." her tone was lot colder and lot more serious than usually, this was not a threat, it was a warning. "And any attempt to intervene with my travel from here to where I'm going will be considered as an attack from this point forward." 

Quasi got mostly ignored in all this, Ruby still didn't buy the defending words right after she pointed things out, and getting her message out was more important currently, though she would answer Quasi's question as she started gathering her things in various bags and boxes that she had collected exactly for this type of situation "There's a certain cave I have been planning to take over, and after I have settled in and made my presence known, I'll deal with my mother if she's still alive." while she didn't respond to Quasi's offer regarding carrying the stuff, the way she positioned about half of the stuff, mostly the bones and other random stuff, she wouldn't trust anyone with her treasure after all, it strongly implied that she expected Quasi to take them. 

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"If you think even for a moment that Ruby was anything but a convenient way to...clean up, you're wrong." Ember said "Though seeing the interaction between you and her, I don't blame her for leaving." "And your reaction now...well, all I say that with the knowledge that you already left her behind once, you really are ones to talk." being half-dragon, Ember had faced her fair share of mistreatment, especially before ponies allied with the dragonlands, so she had certain sympathy for Ruby, even if she was undeniably a very hostile dragon "And yet again Celestia shows her lack of foresight, which is slightly ironic when you consider that some think she can see the future, instead of potential powerful ally, she has now created yet another dangerous threat for Equestria." "And as highly as you think of yourself dragon-hunter, you do not know what you will be facing if you take on Ruby, none of us have seen her when she has nothing but killing in her mind." if it wasn't became clear earlier, Ember was very much a realist, and tended to look at things from the practical direction rather than emotional one, thus it was bit hard to figure out her personal opinions about topics if she didn't say them out loud. "And shall it be known that this is a mess that I won't help to solve, so if this backfires, don't waste your time trying to hire me." 

For the crow, it simply bit Sky before jumping on Ember's horn, so that probably answered his question, it does bite.