In an instant, the dragon swooped down to grab her descending male friend and the squealing chimera cub.
Before she had met Donkey, Dalia had swiftly executed enough hopeful princess-rescuers that she had gotten bored with such quick kills and had settled to flying outside and playing with her prey above the lava pit, so it was with a certain degree of skill that she grabbed the chimera with a clawed maroon arm and 'grabbed' Donkey's fuzzy tail with her teeth.
She flew high up into the air, Donkey screaming like a baby and the baby being still and quiet.
Then, she dropped Donkey.
Yelling like a maniac, he fell through the air, and she managed to swiftly fly under him. He thudded down onto her back, causing her to grunt and almost get the breath knocked out of her.
"What're you tryin' to do?! Kill me?!" Donkey wheezed, looking like he had just had the daylights scared out of him.
"Getting you on my back," she replied shortly, trying to swing the chimera toward him.
With slitted eyes, Donkey managed to catch the child in his teeth, not harming her.
The cub made no noise or movement, and when the pack animal saw why, he had to laugh. Heartily.
Crossly, as she headed toward the castle where the Genie was, Dalia muttered, "What is it this time?"
"She fainted!" he snickered.
"Yes, well, your reaction wasn't much better," the dragon pointed out.
"Whaddaya mean?"
Looking even more exasperated than before, Dalia gestured indirectly at the pile of yellow liquid streaming down her back.
"Oh, uh, sorry about that," Donkey blushed. "A few minor urinary difficulties there."
"So I noticed," Dalia said dryly.
After a few tense moments of silence, the dragon landed, gently taking the unconscious chimera from Donkey and holding it gently in her jaws.
After Donkey helped her clean off her back, she quietly walked forward into the castle with a surprisingly silent Donkey behind her.
Soon, they stopped in front of the head suit of armor.
"Ha, you didn't—" the suit did a double-take, "—uh...you did."
"Now can we take the cub back?" Dalia gritted.
Nodding quickly, the knightless suit waved them toward the exit, grumbling among his fellows. "I can't believe they did it..."
"Ni," someone nodded sadly.
It was in utter silence that Donkey mounted the unhappy dragon and took the motionless baby chimera.
The only noise was the swishing of her wings as she rose into the air. Before long, however, the chimera started to wake and moan, "Keymee..."
"It's okay, Little One," Dalia tried to soothe the cub as she craned her neck back. Tentatively, she spoke a few Chimeran words, which helped the little thing calm down a bit.
Donkey nuzzled the cub with his nose, praying that she wouldn't bite him again. All thoughts were gone when a haunting melody reached his ears.
"Chim mee. Chim ka keymee. Chim, kuna kung! Ger keymee poauns wu vaquer." The mournful song was soon accompanied by the sad image of a mentally hurt chimera, who was singing out her sorrow, her children joining her in quiet harmony.
Unable to help herself, Dalia roared, "Ger kuna kung paes chimme vaquer!"
Perhaps under other situations the chimera would have opened fire, but the mother saw that it would be dangerous to scorch those who held her child captive.
Dalia knew better than to rely on the chimera's hesitation for long, so she gently landed several yards away. The cub was placed onto the rocky ground, and the dragon quickly took flight.
The chimera was too ecstatic about the return of her baby to do anything else other than gallop over to the land-fish and sprinkle her with love.
Almost regretfully and jealously, Dalia took one last look at the reunited family before lethargically returning to the castle for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"I'm sorry," Donkey said under his breath on the way there.
"I am too," the dragon sighed. "Could you not feel her sadness?"
"I could...But it was for a good cause," the donkey said weakly, trying to defend their cause.
"To get a house built? I'd rather not have a house than ruin someone's life."
"We brought her back—"
"And probably took a few years off her mother's life!"
Donkey didn't reply, and soon they found themselves in the castle once again. They got past the grumbling suits easily this time, and they found themselves in front of an enormous door.
"Uh, should we knock?" Donkey tilted his head, and he lifted up a hoof in preparation, but the doors opened of their own accord.
They tentatively went inside the gigantic room, and the doors slammed behind them.
"I don't think I like this," Donkey moaned. Then he shrieked at the sight of the glowing red eyes that had just opened in the darkness.