Chasing Treasures

by Yukito

30 - The Final Battle

"Enemy incom- GAH!"

"M-Magic! Fall ba- AH!"

Sunset fired spell-after-spell, blowing enemies away and deflecting their rounds. A few enemies were packing explosives, but she was able to contain the explosions by creating barriers. Daring Do could see that it was taking its toll on the girl, and tried to shoot enemies whenever she could before they could attack.

After the second floor, no more soldiers seemed to be coming. The girls ascended the tower, following the sounds of a man shouting, raging. They reached the fifth floor, where the building started to resemble a ruin more than a piece of construction. The floor gave way to lots of holes, many walls were missing, and they could see that the stairs leading to higher floor were heavily-broken.

They could see Tirek in one of the rooms, holding the Sage's Stone in the air and yelling at it. "I TOLD YOU TO WORK FOR ME! HEAL MY INJURIES! MAKE ME POWERFUL!"

"It doesn't work that way, Tirek," Sunset said, prompting Tirek to turn to face the two girls. "That stone can only link this world to Equestria's. And if your own magic can't heal your wounds, then you're screwed."

Daring Do pointed her shotgun at Tirek and fired. He erected a barrier to block the shot, but winced in the process. "Guess this's as far as you go, huh?"

"SILENCE!" Tirek shouted, holding out his hand and firing a blast of light at the two. They dodged it, and as Tirek crouched and clutched at his arm, Sunset charged him, delivering a kick to his chin that forced him back.

The Sage's Stone fell out of his hand, and through a hole in the floor. "I've got it!" Daring Do shouted, jumping down the hole to follow it.

"And I got you," Sunset said, punching Tirek in the face, and then delivering another kick, this one to his chest. This forced Tirek back further, to the edge of an open window, and then over it.

Sunset watched as Tirek's arms flailed, and then, he fell over the edge, screaming on his way down. And then, he was silent. She breathed out. It was over.

She heard footsteps running towards her. She turned around to find Daring Do at the room's entrance, the Sage's Stone in her hand. She gave a thumbs-up, and Sunset returned the gesture. "So, we just saved the world," Daring Do said.

"Two worlds," Sunset corrected.

"Right… Guess we're pretty awesome, huh?"

"Guess so." A thought crossed Sunset's mind. "Well, I guess I sure earned that American citizenship."

Daring Do cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's what it takes to get your Green Card these days? Man, no wonder no one wants to be American."

"Hey you, I'm a patriot now, so watch it!"

The two stood silent for a moment. They tried not to laugh, but it was impossible. Sunset cracked first, and then Daring Do. They both held their stomachs as they laughed, wiping tears from their eyes and milking the happy ending that they had worked so hard for.

The laughter died down, and Daring Do placed the stone into her back pocket. "Alright, let's get out of he-" Daring Do tilted her head, placing a hand to her ear. "Is that a… helicopter?"

An explosion sounded in the distance, and Sunset turned around. A flash of light shone in the air not far from the tower, and beneath that light was… "TIREK?!"

"He's alive?!" Daring Do asked, running to the window's edge to get a better look. She pulled out a pair of binoculars, and watched as a helicopter landed near him. She then watched as Tirek, his face twisted in rage, approached it. "He does not look happy." She then watched as Tirek, mad beyond all reasoning, shot the pilot and pulled his body out of the helicopter. She then watched as Tirek, his eyes staring their direction, lifted off of the ground, turned the helicopter's light towards them… "I think we should go."

Before they could even leave the room, the helicopter's light illuminated them, and a storm of bullets rained towards them, forcing both girls to hit-the-deck. The sudden gusts of wind and the close sounds of the helicopter's rotors told them that Tirek had closed-in on them, and they both wasted no time getting up and running. As Daring Do left the way they had come in, Sunset took a different door – one closer to her location – and found herself in an entirely different stairwell. "Up or down?"

Her radio went off. "Sunset! Head up! UP!"

Sunset picked up the radio. "Up?! Why?!"

"Just trust me! I have a plan!"

Before Sunset could respond, she was blinded by a sudden light. Tirek had circled the building, and was now aiming at her through the stairwell's windows. Sunset ran up the stairs, evading the bullets that chased her and taking cover wherever she could to catch her breath.

As she ascended the stairs, she found that one set had been destroyed, leaving a rather large gap between her floor and the next. With no time to stop and think about it, Sunset jumped. She grabbed the edge of the steps, screaming as the bullets passed over her and pelted the stairs above.

As Tirek stopped firing to adjust his aim, Sunset climbed up and ran again. "Oh yeah, teleporting," she told herself in hindsight. She clutched the jewel around her neck, but a sudden pain in her neck told her not to try. She was drained, and teleporting in that state that she was in could result in her passing out.

So instead, she ran. She ran until she could run no more, and yet, there were still more stairs to climb. She needed to rest. Upon reaching another floor, Sunset found an open doorway and ducked inside, keeping her back to the wall of the large room she had found herself in as the bullets passed her by.

This room was also lined with large windows, and she knew that it would not take Tirek long to circle around. Grunting, Sunset removed her jacket, hoping to at least lighten her load. As she glanced to the left, she noticed something poking out of a small closet…

---

Tirek circled the building, his eyes burning and his hands shaking. These girls… If it wasn't for them… Daring Do, snooping where she shouldn't have been and alerting the FBI to his moves. This pony-girl, whose magic thwarted his plans in Equestria. And then she had the gall to try to kill him!

After circling the tower, Tirek found the girl standing against a wall inside one of the rooms. He fired, tearing her to shreds with bullets. Her magic could not stop rounds designed to destroy tanks. He grinned, laughed, and rejoiced! One down, one to-

"Wait…" Tirek's blood boiled. "GGGGGRRRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

---

Sunset ran. It certainly felt lighter without her jacket or her trousers, and a lot cooler, too. Still, she had not been afforded too much time to rest, but thanks to the broom she had found, she had managed to distract Tirek and buy herself a short time of running slower than before.

She heard the helicopter drawing closer, and picked up her sped. The bullets returned, and she felt the stones of the building flying up and scratching at her now-exposed legs. She winced, but she kept going. She had to. She was so close to the top, now. Just a little longer…

Reaching the top of the stairwell, Sunset pushed the door to the rooftop open. The cold air was a welcome presence to her overheated body. "Sunset!" Daring Do shouted, standing beside a large floodlight that was pointed to the sky. "I need power!"

Sunset nodded, rushing to the floodlight and pressing her hand to it. Closing her eyes, she channelled her magic, powering the light. The helicopter rose then, buffeting them with powerful gusts and shining its light on the two girls.

"NOW!" Daring Do shouted, lowering the light to shine on the cockpit. Sunset used her magic to amplify the light, and the two then pulled out their guns, firing at Tirek while he was blinded.

---

Tirek roared as the blinding light forced his eyes shut, and he instinctively raised one hand to cover his face. He heard the sounds of guns firing, and of small objects hitting the glass before him. Thankfully, the glass was bulletproof.

Slowly, he lowered his hand, and fired blindly.

---

"Damnit!" Daring Do shouted. She and Sunset ducked to either side as the helicopter fired, showering the roof in bullets and shattering the floodlight. "Not good…"

With the light gone, Tirek could see once more.

---

His target was still. The wind was favourable. His sights were locked. Licking his lips, Doctor Caballeron fired, aiming through the open window in the helicopter's door.

---

Both Daring Do and Sunset waited for the inevitable. They stared at Tirek, at his face full of malice and murderous intent. And then, they saw his body jerk, before falling forward, draping over the controls.

The helicopter swayed slightly, and then started to fall backwards, then forwards, crashing into the side of the building. Both girls got down, and the helicopter continued to fall. Moments later, they heard an explosion.

Once all was quiet, the two rose. They approached the edge of the rooftop, gazing down at the flaming wreckage below. A noise behind the two startled them, and they saw a hook impaled into the ground, attached to a wire that extended to a nearby watchtower. Zipping along that wire was Doctor Caballeron, who landed gracefully on the roof and smiled at the two girls. "A fitting end, would you not agree?"

"So, I guess we have you to thank?" Sunset asked.

"If you feel so inclined."

Daring Do looked back over the edge. "… I take it you disarmed the nuke?" she asked.

"I did."

"You could've said something."

Doctor Caballeron approached her. "I did not wish to distract you." His eyes were drawn to Sunset Shimmer, just now noticing that she was missing her leggings. She followed his eyes down and yelped, retreating behind the ruined floodlight. "Ahahah… What a crew indeed."

"I've got some pants you can borrow, Sun-" Daring Do stopped as she felt something brushing along the back of her shorts. She gritted her teeth and spun around. "What are you touching, you-"

Caballeron stood before her, holding two objects in his hands. In one hand, the Sage's Stone. In the other, a small remote with a single button. "I'll be taking this now. I would not suggest fighting, as I can still trigger the warhead with this."

"… And just what do you plan to do with that? You know how dangerous it is."

Caballeron shrugged. "Who knows? Use it or sell it… I haven't decided yet. But if I don't get it now, I feel I will miss my chance forever."

"And you would risk blowing yourself up over it? I don't buy that."

Caballeron chuckled. "Do you really want to call my bluff?"

The two stood in tense silence, which dragged on for what seemed like minutes. Then, the sound of a helicopter approaching reached their ears, and all eyes turned to the small, fast aircraft approaching the tower. It hovered above, and released a rope ladder, which Caballeron climbed onto.

"Well then, until next time, Miss Do!" he said, before throwing the remote to her. As the helicopter left, he waved his hat to her, his laughter echoing for some time.

Daring Do picked up the remote, and sighed. "Should've called his bluff, after all…"

As Sunset approached her, the building began to shake. And then, the shaking increased, and parts of the roof started to collapse. "W-Whoa… Don't tell me…"

"Tirek's crash must've weakened the structural integrity! This place was already on its way out…"

"Quick, pull out a parachute or a… a hookshot, like what he had!"

"I don't have either of those! … Not on me, at least."

"Well we have to get down somehow!"

"Maybe we can help," Celestia offered, brining joyous gasps out as they looked up and found the two alicorn sisters hovering above them.

"Seems we missed the battle, but at least we made it for the daring rescue," Luna said, landing beside Daring Do. "Feel honoured! It is not every day that we permit anypony to ride us."

Celestia landed beside Sunset, and the girl grimaced. Slowly, she climbed onto Celestia's back, whilst Daring Do happily hopped onto Luna's. "This feels… weird."

"Oh?" Celestia teased. "I seem to recall you couldn't get enough piggybacks when you were a filly."

Susnet's face exploded into a sea of red. "T-That's a lie! And I was like, ten! And it's still a lie!"

"Thou doth protest too much," Luna said as she and Celestia took off, carrying the two girls with them just as the building began to collapse in on itself.

"This is awesome, Sunset!" Daring Do cried, waving her hat in the air as Luna picked-up speed.

"See? She has the right spirit," Celestia said with a chuckle. Sunset groaned, slamming her fists onto Celestia's back, but she simply chuckled again. "… You lost the stone?"

"… Yeah," Sunset admitted.

"It was my fault," Daring Do added. "I was careless."

"Well, it can't be helped," Celestia said. "For now, we must return to Equestria and ensure that everybody is okay."

Sunset nodded, her face falling as she recalled the state of things when she left Ponyville. "Shining Armor and Bon Bon…" She looked up, facing the portal in the distance. Her hands gripped the fur on Celestia's back. "At least… At least it's all over, now…"

Comments

[Emperor]

I was thinking "...seriously?" when Tirek fell to his doom at the start of the chapter. Well, at least he managed to make it back for a proper climax, even if the camper managed to get him.