//------------------------------// // CHapter 29: Daring Do and the Temple of the Black Phoenix... (part 2) // Story: Through the Looking Glass // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Through the Looking Glass Chapter 29: Daring Do and the Temple of the Black Phoenix… (part 2) A large circular chamber stood before the explorers and the orb that was spoke of in the cravings stood on top of a stone pillar with red flaming touches lighting the chamber up, standing in a exact distance of a triangle covering all angles stood three black flaming unicorn ponies all wearing black cloaks covering their heads with piecing red eyes all seem motionless but still standing strong and before each was stone panels and an energy barrier around the central part of the chamber with eight huge pillars on the outer edges supporting the large chamber. All three black flame ponies started to chant as the four explorers slowly walked in. 21 will become 22 Day of reckoning shall become Evil shall win or evil shall lose The black flames will consume it all Consuming worlds Of 2 this shall be 22 Evil wins darkness shall fall And human life turn to dust Upon Defeat Harmony shall win But one shall be lost And yet the end is still as clear Black Phoenix shall rise in 2 And the flames of time Will consume it all Ark of History May share light Light of colour Shall change the time Time shall fall from the path Path that will destroy the Black Flame Black Phoenix will fall into the path of Discord And consuming of worlds shall come to an end Ricks was a bit dumbfounded by this “They all spoke… it seem to be a poem but some of it didn’t really work… is it some sort of puzzle, riddle or clue to getting the orb?” Daring Do look at the plates before her “I think I get it, look at the plates on each leading to the unicorn ponies, they all had something that similar yet something stands out. But if you look there is two others which mean all three must be solved at the same time…” Maxine notice the glowing horns “I get what you mean, they all protecting that orb, their souls most be sealed within the flames consumed by Black Phoenix a long time ago…” Maxine taking note of what they were seeing. “It rather too simple don’t you think? Three working together to solve a puzzle each having to take the same step” Jackson said looking around “I think I rather just go get it” he takes a step towards them. “JACKSON NO!” Ricks yelled out and all three unicorns turn at him as he step on a panel. “One shall fall” they all said and fired a beam of black fiery light at Jackson, hitting him he cried out in pain as he was engulfed and then standing before them was a black phoenix crying out it turn to dust before their eyes. “The Black Flame shall consume them all” they said and turn their heads back into position. Ricks slam his fist into the pillar “Damn it Jackson! Why!” “Solve the Puzzle by midsun shall the flames release him from his fate” one spoke out of tone from the rest. “And we be finally free” Maxine gasped “You knew didn’t you?” “Yes… I see all” “I hear all” “I speak all” each spoke in turn “But trapped by flames we all are” said together and a flash of flames they became what they first saw them statues of living fire. Ricks turn to Daring Do and Maxine “Lets do this” he throw his bag down and went over to the beginning on one set of panels and Maxine went to the other. Daring Do realised before they begin “I get it now each just gave us the answer we looking for” they turn to her from their positions “Mine is ‘See all’ Ricks is ‘Heal all’ and Maxine your is ‘Speak all’ we need to find the symbols that match them” Daring Do found her one with an eye inside a phoenix “Check for a phoenix that match the ponies” Daring Do called out to them and they soon found theirs, Maxine was shaped as a mouth speaking out and Ricks was an ear inside the phoenix “I’ve found mine” Maxine called out Ricks waved to show he found his “So we need to time this time and jump on each panel. It all down to timing” They all counted to three and step on the first panels together and suddenly as they did the last triangle panel starts flipping and randomly changing images but they seem to also in some points show the symbols they had to step on but a large version of it as the three panels of the triangle changed and the unicorn heads lower facing them direction. “Is it me or we now part of the game to do it before midsun…” Maxine saw the sun moving over head “And that would be in minutes…” Daring Do and the others moves in fast jumping from one panel to another in perfect time until they came to the final panel that made them all stop in their track seeing it flipping every half second changing before their eyes. “All down to timing and hitting it right…” sweat was coming off their faces as they watch the changing symbols. Ricks then came up with an idea “On the word pie we step on it” “Say what?” Maxine turn to him. “Pucky Ducky Pie” he said with a smirk “Sir what the heck are you talking about!?” Maxine yelled at him “It simple, we say something stupid and then jump together.” He said to her “It of a game of chance we either fail or win...” He gave her a serious look. Maxine felt really stupid “I am not going to say it…” Daring Do looked up again then over to Maxine “I would too but we out of time” “Fine…” “Pucky Ducky Pie!” they all said together and jumped with eyes closed upon landing they was afraid to look. Daring Do open one eye and her purple eye saw it was her symbol with a smile she notice the barrier collapsing and the horn magic disappearing too. “Another day, another trap…” she sighed happily and knock her hat up a little. Ricks turn to the bag walking over to it he picked it up “Get the orb and lets get out of here” “Couldn’t disagree with you there sir” Maxine went up the steps looking at the orb she was amazed by it design “Sir this is really out of this world…” she touch it and then took it from the stone pillar all the sudden she saw the middle start ticking as it rose up. “Oh crap…” it shot off into the air and lands as Jackson suddenly appears and land before them. “Jackson?” “Urg my head… what happened…” he slowly got up and look at the black orb coming up “We should be going…” “Why?” Maxine turn and saw the black orb with fire increasing in it. “ah…” The three unicorns turn and unleash their magic creating an field around it “Thank you for freeing us, we will do what we can to hold this phoenix off, please go” they all said together. Ricks went to the entrance “You heard the ladies move out!” “Thank you” Daring Do spoke to them and made a run for it with the others to the other side of the chamber heading through the only open door. Ricks stops with the smell of something “Methane” he whispered that place the bag down by the crack “Sir what are you doing!?” Jackson called out to him. Ricks pulled out his hand gun “Destroy the bloody phoenix that what” he step back turning to Daring Do. “Get everyone out of here my mare friend it time for the running to stop here and show us humans and ponies won’t allow this threat to continue” Daring Do nods “Alright General I promise to get everyone out” They turn and ran for it. General Ricks walked a bit of a distance from the bag and checked his gun “This was a great idea wasn’t it...” he said to himself turning to the tunnel entrance they came from. “Still had to do what I had to for the protection of them… good thing I brought all those explosives with me” he said quietly to himself. He notice a black bird appear at the entrance flying on the spot before him. “So are you a black phoenix or part of the Black Phoenix?” he questioned as it seem to hover and stare at him with piecing red glowing eyes. “I guess I won’t be getting a answer from you…” he closed his eyes with a deep breath then open them. “For the people and ponies… for queen and country things start to change now and here…” he aimed his hand gun at the bag as the phoenix let out a high pitch squawk and charges right for him at high speed. “Tell me this phoenix, what do you put out a fire without water?” It stops suddenly as it saw him aiming for the bag directly below it “Yes suck out the fuel which means the air.” He smirks and fires the hand gun a bullet fires out and heads for the bag. In slow motion of firing the General turns and make a run for it. It hits and the Phoenix only could do is stare at the huge explosion that engulfed it. The explosion set off a chain reaction with the gases causing a massive explosion that ripped out of the side of the mountain that everyone at the rope bridge saw it; and then got thrown back by the shockwave. Daring Do gasped at the sight of another blast with lava being thrown into the air. “Jackson get that airship out of here, the island is cooking” “What about you?” Maxine said helping Jackson up “Don’t worry about me temples are my thing and danger I get into!” she smirked “I got to help the General out since I promised!” Daring Do ran across the bridge and just as she cross a lava bomb hits it smashing the rope bridge to pieces. “Well so much for that way…” she ran off back to the temple Jackson holding his side a little “We better get to the airship… I got a plan to get them out… risky but it should work” “I am all ears” Maxine replied as she helped him up onto his feet and made their way back to the airship. HMS Hope at this very time was only a few miles out when they saw the explosion, the ship rocked from the blast and lava bombs and rocks was the next problem for them “Captain the seismic readings are off the chart that island is going to blow!” one of the men at their station called out. “Damn it, get us at least 20 miles from it!” Captain ordered looking at the ash cloud coming from the vent that was recently formed. The helmsmen turn to the captain “Captain McQui what about General Ricks his on the island?” “We can’t do anything for him… the ash is already coming down around the island and the lava bombs are falling around us… his on his own…” Captain McQui sighed and the helmsmen turn the ship around as ordered trying to get away from the lava bombs as many of the crew watch as sums of the jungle started to burn. Daring Do dodged fire balls and rocks as she got into the temple and ran fast as her four legs could take her through the temple to get to Ricks, behind her she saw walls falling and ceiling caved in with lava pouring out of the side. “This gets better by the second…” she jumped up on some down pillars and got to the path that she and the others used to get out and jumped into it. Running down the corridor she came to a stop seeing a huge sum of the temple was gone with the sight of the heart of the volcano in her view with huge sums of ash pumping out. “Wow General Ricks is more reckless then me and that saying something...” she step on to the rocks and saw the tunnel to her right, hoping on rock to rock ledge she quickly got to it after almost slipping on some rocks knocking loose rock into the lava below. “Whoa too close!” she wipe the sweat off her forehead and saw General Ricks in the tunnel under a few stone slabs. Daring Do pushed them off him and waved her tail in his face, he waved his hand in the way of it and coughing a little. “Daring… what the hell are you doing here?” he slowly got up turning to see the ash pouring up into the sky with an explosion of lava coming out from the blast some hitting the walls. “Any ideas?” Daring Do notice part of the wall had open up and seem to lead up into more of the temple “We got to get higher” she pushed him up onto his feet “Lets go” Ricks pulled out his radio as they started to make a run for it. “Jackson this is General Ricks do you copy?” “This is Maxine, Jackson is kind of busy at the moment, we made a quick pass and saw what seem to be a upper entrance close to the mouth of the breach” Maxine spoke from her radio as Jackson turn to airship around dodging fire balls. “How about telling them to get their butts to it now! The island is sinking and fast” Jackson yelled out and Maxine took a look over the edge Maxine put the radio to her mouth “Sir you better hurry you out of time…” The water rushed in through the beach and jungle washing up the black timber wolves as the island starts to sink with huge explosions of stream shooting up as the island starts to break up and fall into the ocean. “Whoa… jeez!” Jackson manage to get the airship out of range of a stream jet. Daring Do and Ricks climbing up more stairs saw the lava coming up through a wall and raising fast and they also saw the water pouring through another just close to where they was. “Now this is an adventure don’t you think General?” He dodged some rubble and climbing up as steam rose up from the contact of salt water and lava “I got to say being on a Daring Do adventure has it kicks… but I how will I explain to the UN that I caused the volcano to blow it peak?” Daring Do smirked “Oh you worry too much I am…” suddenly a massive quake cause pieces of the stairs above to fall right towards her and Ricks quickly reacted by pulling her into a corridor that they cross by just in the nick of time as the stair well was completely destroyed and sealed up. “Whoa thanks Ricks… you saved my rump…” “Just returning the favour!” Ricks replied and then they both turn to see lava coming through the cracks “How about we talk about this after we out of the sinking island…” “Alright Ricks good plan?” she tap her hat with that smile she had and they ran for it as the lava burst through and flowed out fast and thick after them. They running upwards fast as they could turning back to see the lava gaining on them. Ricks pulled out a pack from his pocket and place it on the wall as they ran “When I say jump. Jump!” “Whatever you say Ricks!” General Ricks turn to see the lava close to the pack he placed on the wall, he pulled out a trigger and flip the safety catch “JUMP!” he press the button as they jumped as it exploded creating an air pocket shooting them out with the pressure. “Hold on Ricks” she opened her wings up with the bandages falling as Ricks took hold of the front hooves “Whoa you need to lose some weight…” “How about we save the weight jokes for later and focus on the flying!” Ricks said looking down at the rushing water and jet fuelled stream shoot up at them. “Stream!” Daring Do saw it and used it to give her the air she needed and come flying in fast and hard “Watch out below!!!” she zoomed right past Maxine on the airship and crash through the open door with Ricks, she cringed from the sound of the impact hearing things fall over. Maxine peered through the door seeing Daring Do lying on top of Ricks with a mob on her head and Ricks having a bucket on his “Are you two ok?” “Just dandy Maxine” Ricks lift the metal bucket up a little and laughing a little with Daring Do also laughing. “Right ya are Ricks” Maxine left them to it and quickly got to the bridge up the stairs “Jackson they in” “I did notice the crash landing Maxine!” Jackson replied turning the airship away from the island tying to get distance from it as more of the island fall into the sea and explosions of stream filled the skies with thick towering ash and lightning. “Come on baby move your big back side and give me speed!” The airship got a fair distance away when all the sudden they heard a huge squawk and turn to see a large Black Phoenix coming out of the lava “Jackson!!!!” “Everyone hold on tight!” he pull the leaver back opening up the other propellers which increased the speed of the airship with a shunt Maxine fell over and quickly got up to see it turn to them and then a shell hits causing it to turn to the HMS Hope. “This is the HMS Hope get out of here we will take care of this big bird!” Captain McQui spoke through the radio. “Fire everything we have at it!” they watched as shells, machine gun bullets and missiles hit it. Ricks and Daring Do came up to them to see the large phoenix “my god…” “Oh my rainbow…” suddenly the volcano exploded with a huge bright flash of light and the island was engulfed in the huge blast with the phoenix crying out as it was destroyed in the inferno blast. The sound was deafening and the shockwave caused everyone to hold on to the side of the airship as it was rocked around by it and as the blast wave dies down they could see that the island was totalled and nothing remained of it. “If you don’t have water to put the fuel out, take the oxygen away” Ricks spoke calmly picking up Daring Do’s hat and placing it back on her head with a smile. “Right ya are Ricks, right ya are” Daring Do push up her hat a little as the airship flies away with the HMS Hope sailing directly below them away from the last remains of the island disappearing forever below the waves. “Shall we all say it?” Jackson looked at each of them with a smile. “Another temple, another adventure!” they all said together looking to each other then back at the sea feeling that had got a hand and hoof up on the Black Phoenix, Maxine held the orb in her right hand with it pulsing with pure white light, they all looking at the treasure that they had manage to take from the temple knowing this one item could very have to the information they need to save not only Earth but the Pony World Equus too. “This is the HMS Hope we have the package, ETA with New York City in one week” Captain McQui spoke through the phone and also added “Encountered a magical beast code name Black Phoenix… unknown island destroyed in volcanic eruption along with the Black Phoenix...” he put the phone door and turn to the sight of the airship above them. “More paper work to fill out…” he muttered to himself. “The UN going to have a real fit over this...”