Daring-Do and the Griffon's Goblet

by Sebbaa

Chapter 5

Daring-Do and the Griffon's Goblet

By Sebbaa

Chapter 5

The ground was treacherous; every other step broke loose splinters from the rock, and sent them tumbling down the steep slope. It was a constant remainder that every misstep could break loose a rocky avalanche. Daring-Do and Bulwark were traveling along a derelict, winding mountain path. The mare was in the lead, walking slowly, her wings extended for extra balance. The young stallion followed closely behind her, warily watching the loose stones above them, his steps deliberate and tense. The two of them were connected by a few pony-lengths of rope, skillfully secured around their chests. Daring hoped she would be strong enough to hold the earth pony if he should slip and fall; the other way around worried her far less.

Both of them let out sighs of relief when the way turned into a pass through the mountain ridge, and no five hundred hoof drop awaited them if they should stumble. Bulwark removed the bothersome rope, and repacked it before they moved on. Their steps echoed from the sheer walls that towered on the sides of the pass as they wearily began to make their way through it in a slow trot. The fighting pony's eyes traced small cracks along the rock. The weather had eroded the stone to the point where whole boulders threatened to break off and bury a large part of the pass in debris. He swallowed hard. “So this is the Hidden Chasm? Celestia, please let this hold while we are in it.”

“Wow, what an amazing echo!” Daring exclaimed, marveling how her words resounded from the walls. “Don't you agree?” she asked and looked back over her shoulder.

The colt twitched, put his ears back and tucked his head between his shoulders. He shot dreadful glances at the rocks towering above them. “Psst! Not so loud! You want to get us killed in an avalanche or something?” he hissed back at her sharply.

The mare stopped; her gleeful expression froze on her face, and she too looked at the cliffs around them. She gave a sheepish chuckle and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Heh, that would ruin our day now, wouldn’t it?”

Just as Daring turned to trot on, her ears twitched. The wind blowing through the pass was carrying a hoarse voice to her. Bulwark’s eyes widened when he too heard it. “Help! Anypony, please help me!” It was a desperate call, coming from further along the pass.

The two travelers jumped into a gallop at once, their fear of an avalanche put aside for the moment. They dashed through the winding pass, their hooves spraying gravel and striking sparks as they went. Small trickles of rocks broke loose from the walls, and cascaded to the ground behind them. After they had rounded a few bends, Daring came to a halt. The suddenness of her action left Bulwark sliding on his hooves. He crashed into the mare, rebounded, and stumbled to the ground.

When he got up again, the pegasus had already jumped ahead and was cradling the head of an unfortunate pony in her hooves. Bulwark blinked a few times, his pupils shrank, and he took a step back as he beheld the whole of what was before him. An avalanche had blocked the way ahead, and had buried a red-coated stallion up to his shoulders under heavy rocks. He had cuts and bruises all over his body; his mane was a mess of dried blood and dirt, his lips cracked and bleeding. Just as repugnant was the smell; the metallic scent of blood hung over the pass, mixed with the stench of feces and vomit.

“Hang on, we'll get you out of there!” called out Daring, desperately shaking the pony’s head, trying to keep him conscious. The stallion’s eyelids fluttered and he looked at her blearily.

“Celestia be praised,” he pressed forth, “I didn't think anypony would find me.”

“Save your strength! We’ll have you out of there in no time,” the mare reassured him, and gave him a warm smile. “Bulwark!” she exclaimed and looked over her shoulder. “Dig him out, then lift the boulder, so I can pull him free!”

The earth pony stood frozen, his fur standing on its end. Every fiber of his body screamed at him to panic, to leave the gruesome scene and the potential mortal danger behind, and run. He clenched his teeth, and forced his left foreleg to take a step ahead, then his right hind one. Slowly he battered his primal instincts down with sheer force of will, and walked over to the trapped pony.

He briefly wondered how the adventuress managed it with such seeming ease, envying her for being able to stay so calm in a situation like this. But he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know; to know what horrors she had seen on her adventures, that had steeled her like this. He shook his head to drive off the thoughts, and quickly fished out an entrenchment tool from his saddlebag. He began shoveling away the gravel and smaller rocks that covered the pony, trying to focus on the task at hoof, and not imagining what he would find under the rubble.

While the colt labored away, Daring tried to comfort the injured pony. She had gotten out her water bottle, and carefully fed small sips to the stallion's dry lips. When he had stilled his thirst, she began to clean his face with a wet cloth from dried blood and vomit. She hoped the gesture would at least distract him from the pain the shifting weight on his body was sure to cause.

Bulwark dug as fast as he dared to. Holding the spade in his mouth he wriggled it under the rocks, careful not to injure the trapped pony with his tool, then slowly lifted them, watching wearily for any sign of his actions causing the rock to shift and pile even more rubble on the stallion. Only when he worked in save distance from the stallion did Bulwark dare to shove the spade with his hoof, and to throw the gravel to the side with a yank of his head. It took him more than half an hour to move the rocks, and his coat was shining with sweat by the time he was done. Now all that remained was a large boulder that lay on the injured stallion's hip. The colt wiped his brow and took a deep breath, looking over the fruits of his labor. “Alright,” he said, “I can raise the rock now. Get ready to pull him out.”

Daring positioned herself before the injured, and grabbed the mane on his neck with her teeth. “Ready,” she mumbled between clenched teeth.

The young stallion got ready to work his earth pony magic; he loosed his shoulders and leaned his head from side to side, producing an audible crack from his spine, then took a deep breath and focused on the rock. The boulder was at least twice as high as he was tall and about twice as wide. Bulwark didn't even dare to guess how much it weighed. He figured this would give him one tartarus of aching muscles. The fighting pony took a firm stance, digging his hooves into the gravel on the ground, and probed the rock with the top of his head to find a good angle of attack. When he had found one, he breathed deeply once more, then brought all of his power to bear.

The boulder shuddered, and smaller stones rolled down its sides as the motion broke them free. Bulwark clenched his teeth and took several steps on the spot; his hooves dug through the ground, struggling to gain traction. Small droplets of sweat formed on his brow and ran down his face; he licked them from his lips and took a labored breath. When his hooves finally stopped slipping, he tried for one last effort. The earth pony clenched his eyes shut and pushed with all the power he could muster, bellowing a primal scream as he went.

With a tremor the rock began to move. Daring wasted no time; as soon as there was a hairsbreadth between the stone and the trapped pony, she pulled him by his mane and dragged him free. The stallion yelled in pain as his broken body was wrenched from its fixed position, and his wound coat was dragged over the rough ground. As soon, as the injured stallion was free of the rock the fighting pony let go, and it crashed back into its place. The ground shook, and gravel cascaded from the blockade and the surrounding cliffs.

The colt rolled his head, trying to loosen his burning muscles, and let out a relieved sigh as he walked towards Daring and the injured pony. But his relive was short-lived. He grimaced, and inhaled sharply through his teeth when he saw the other stallion's condition. Bulwark took a deliberate breath to composed himself, then reluctantly walked over to the mare. She was laying beside the wounded pony, resting his head on on of her fetlocks and brushing his mane with her free hoof, hushing soothingly, trying to comfort him.

“This doesn't look good,” Bulwark whispered into her ear. “His hip is crushed, his legs broken, and he is probably bleeding internally.” He shook his head somberly. “I don't think there is anything we can do.”

“I know,” the pegasus replied calmly, her eyes shining with tears.

The injured stallion ached in pain as his twitching and cramping muscles ground broken bones against each other. “I'm not gonna make it, am I?” he pressed forth when the spasm had passed.

The colt walked around the two ponies to stand in front of the wounded. “I'm sorry,” he sighed, let his head sink and looked down at his hooves.

The other stallion swallowed hard. “I feared as much,” he gasped. His ears sank and his body was hit by another spasm. “You did, what you could,” he said when he regained control of his muscles. “I'm glad anypony came at all.”

“There is one thing we could do,” offered the adventuress, swiping her eyes with her free leg. “We could end you suffering.”

Bulwark looked up at Daring, his eyes widened in terror as the meaning of her words sunk in.

The injured stallion shuddered, and stared at the mare with his ears lain back. Another spasm hit his body and left him gasping for air. He swallowed hard, then nodded resolute.

Daring started to get up, but Bulwark stopped her with a raised hoof. She looked at him confused; the fear in is eyes had been replaced by iron determination. “I'll do it!” he said.

“You sure?” she asked, eying the young stallion doubtfully.

“Yes!” he said and nodded forcefully. “This should be clean and fast.” He swallowed and fished a long survival knife from his saddlebags. “I'm a fighting pony; it has to be me,” he explained, his speech murmured by the knife handle between his teeth.

The mare nodded slowly. She once again rested the injured stallion's head on one hoof and continued brushing his mane with the other. Bulwark positioned himself right in front of the injured pony and made ready to strike. The stallion formed a silent 'thank you with his lips.

“May your next life be long and full of joy!” Bulwark exclaimed solemnly, then lunged his head in a powerful thrust. His aim was true; the knife went between the pony's rips, and pierced his heart. The dying stallion tensed up, and the colt let go of his knife and looked him into the eyes. “May we meet again in happier times,” he sobbed as he watched the pony's eyes break. The stallion let out his dying breath as his body relaxed, then he was still.

The pegasus carefully laid the dead pony's head on the ground, then got up on her hooves. “You okay?” she asked when she saw the colt was still staring at the deceased with a deadpan expression.

“Yea, I'll be okay,” he answered toneless and retrieved his knife. He began to clean it with a corner of his cloak mechanically. “Will probably have nightmares from this, but I'll be okay.”

Without warning Daring swiped him into a tight hug. The knife fell to the ground cluttering. “You did the right thing. Nopony could done it better!” she whispered into his ear.

Bulwark swallowed a lump in his throat. “Adventuring is not always fun and games, is it?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“No, it isn't!” the mare sobbed.

The colt gave a long sigh. “Well, if we hadn't come, he would have died on his own. This way, at least he wasn't alone.”

Daring gave him a mirthless chuckle. “That's something, isn't it?”

“It's better than nothing,” the young stallion replied soberly.

They stood this way for long minutes, comforting each other, sobbing, and weeping in silence. It was Bulwark who finally spoke up when he felt that the moment had passed. “We should bury him.” he said and drew away from the mare.

“Yes,” answered Daring and dried her tears. “That we should.”

.oOo.

They left the pass soon after, leaving behind a nameless grave made out of rocks. The landscape on the other side of the mountain was very different, and the way down it's side far less treacherous than the one they had come up. It was more of a long, gentle downward slope, that slowly became a wide yellow savanna. They made good progress and were soon trotting among grass higher than their heads. Daring had to jump into a short flight from time to time to get her bearings. It was dry time and all of the plants were withered and dead. Dust whirled up under the ponies' hooves as they made their way among dried up puddles of broken, crusted mud, and gnarly, leafless trees.

“Be on watch for predators. There are probably lions in the bushes, and I bet my helmet; they are hungry!” the adventuress warned her companion, suspiciously eying their surroundings, her ears turning and twitching at every sound. The young stallion just nodded and followed her example.

“Is it still far to that Silent Lake? It's almost sundown; we should be looking for a place to make camp!” the earth pony inquired, his stomach grumbling as if to underline his point.

“Oh no! It shouldn’t be far!” Daring exclaimed. She parted a wall of high grass with her hooves and looked through the gap. “In fact,” she said and widened the opening until the colt got a look too. “It is right here!”

Before them stretched a sheer endless waste of hard baked soil. The former lake had completely dried up and all that was left was a hole in the vegetation that stretched for miles. The two ponies saw the air above the lake shimmering in the heat of the sinking sun. Dust devils danced over the lake's ground to some ethereal music.

“This place gives me the shivers!” exclaimed Bulwark with a haunted look. “I don't hear no birds or critters. There are not even insects to be seen. It's like we are the only things alive on the planet.”

The mare frowned and looked around skeptically for long moments. She finally shrugged and stepped through the grass to get to the lake's shore. “Well, it is called the Silent Lake. But we should probably be on our guard. Maybe this place is haunted, or there is a giant spider or something.”

That night they made a fire. Not only because for the first time fuel was readily available and it would ward off the chills of the night, but they hoped it's light would keep away whatever was lurking at the lake.

“What the hay?” The angry curse of the young stallion broke the night's silence and startled Daring, who had been staring absentmindedly out onto the lake.

“What's wrong?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Our provisions!” exclaimed Bulwark. “All of them are rotten, even the dried fruits, even the hay!” he exclaimed baffled, then shook his head in disbelief and threw the spoiled food away in anger. He began rummaging through their luggage again. “Looks like we're down to iron rations,” he said and got out two tins and a can opener. “We got,” he started and squinted his eyes, trying to read the labels. “Two cans of beans.”

“Mmh, beans! My favorite!” the mare joked, but quickly turned on a thoughtful frown. “Lets share only one of them. We don't know when we will find something to eat again.”

The colt snorted in response, opened the can and placed it next to the fire. Then he sat down beside Daring with a thump. “This day is just getting better and better!” he sighed and stared into the flames.

They had been sitting at the fire for a few minutes, each silently sunken in their own thoughts, when suddenly the adventuress' ears twitched and she jumped to her hooves. She took a wide stance, her head lowered, and stared into the near field of high grass. Bulwark quickly got to his hooves and positioned himself at her side.

“Who goes there! Show yourself!” Daring demanded loudly. A rustling came from the grass, and the stalks shook.

“There is no need to be alarmed. I do not mean anypony to be harmed!” replied an androgynous voice with a thick Zebracian accent. Daring relaxed a little and let her guard down. A striped mare embarked from the high grass and walked into the light of their fire. “I'm just a traveler like you two. I'd like to share your fire, mind if I do?”

The pegasus sighed in relieve, and gestured at their camp. “Please, be our guest. Let us share light and laughter!” she exclaimed like it was a set phrase and gave the zebra a warm smile.

“You are very kind. Meeting you here is truly a lucky find!” the zebra replied happily and settled herself by the fire opposite of Bulwark.

Daring too sat back down beside her companion; who wasted no time and poked her in the flank. He beckoned her to lean closer. “You invite a stranger into our camp, just like that?” he whispered into her ear.

Daring looked at him surprised, then laughed and waved his concerns off with her hoof. “Oh relax. It's an unwritten code among travelers; share your fire with any traveler that might come along, like he is your friend, and friends you shall be, and friends at any fire you will find!” she explained and gestured in a wide arc at the other mare; who was making herself comfortable, enjoying the warmth of the flames.

She nodded at Daring's words and gave the young stallion a genuine smile. “You friend’s words are wise indeed. Heed them, and you shan't ever be in need.”

Bulwark blushed and lay his ears back sheepishly. “Sorry, I'm kinda new to this traveling thing. Please. . . eh . . . let us share light and laughter.” His attempt at using the adventuress’ welcoming phrase earned him giggles from both mares. He found their felicity to be infecting, and a bashful smile found its way to his lips.

“Heh! So, what brings you to this lonely place. Oh, and by the way: I'm Daring-Do, and this is Bulwark,” the pegasus asked and made a quick introduction when the laughter had faded.

The zebra nodded at them both before she answered. “Amara is my name, let me tell you whence I came. As part of a caravan to Maredria I traveled for days, in a sandstorm I lost my ways. Walked without direction for the longest time, and feared that certain doom was mine. But the stars yet led me to this ground. I can't say, how happy I am, that you I have found!”

The two ponies had listened to the zebra's words intently. Especially Bulwark was mesmerized by the native's curious way of talking.

“So, you have been wandering this waste for days? You must be starving!” exclaimed Daring. “Would you like to join us for supper? I fear it's not much, but we'll gladly share what we have!” she offered, gesturing at the can of beans, that was steaming by now.

“It is true that food is hard to find in this land, even if you know many a plant. Your offer is welcome and kind. I will accept gladly, hope you don't mind!” Amara replied with a thankful smile.

“Alright,” Bulwark sighed and got to his hooves. “Then I’d better open the other can, or this won't even serve as an appetizer.”

They stayed up long into the night, sharing their food, stories, and laughter. Strangers they may have been when they met, but friends for the night they had become. Their merry little company made the shadows of the night seem that much brighter, and the fear of what might be hiding the dark was forgotten for the time being.

.oOo.

They broke camp shortly after sunrise and the young stallion was busy rearranging their luggage. “You will need a compass, water canteen, fire stone, pot, knife of course, and a blanket,” he counted from his mental list and began packing everything into a makeshift backpack he fashioned from a wool blanket.

“Better give her two blankets. The desert can be freezing cold at night!” Daring interposed from the side. She had drawn a map into the sandy shore of the lake and was using it to explain to Amara the way to Manedria from which they had come.

“Or course,” Bulwark grumbled and reluctantly added another blanket to the package.

“Ah, come on Bulwark. It's no problem. We can share the ones we have left!” the pegasus offered.

“Well, I hope it won't be a problem!” the young stallion remarked sharply and shot the adventuress a wary glance. His antics made the two mares giggle, which in turn didn't improve his mood.

Daring waved the colts concerns off with a hoof, and Amara gave her a curious look. “Are you sure your young companion does not mind? I don't want to impose on ponies so kind!” she asked and looked over at the colt; who was binding up the makeshift backpack with a length of rope.

“Oh, don't mind him, he's just shy!” the pegasus explained and shook her head amused. “He would escort you to Maredria himself if we had the time; making sure no lions would come within a mile of you for fear of their skin!”

“I'm only shy in comparison to you!” the young stallion protested as he walked over to the mares. He offered the zebra the packed backpack with an outstretched hoof. She had to giggle at the two Equestrians’ jibes. But she quickly remembered her manners and took the bag from Bulwark's hoof with a respectful nod, then swung it onto her back.

“Your generosity saved me, and very thankful I am. Meet me again, and help you I will, if I can. Goodbye and good luck on your way!”

“Goodbye Amara! It was nice meeting you. Stay save!” said Daring and waved her hoof.

“Goodbye, and be careful of rock slides on the pass!” said Bulwark concern in his voice.

Amara gave them a grateful nod, then she was on her way, and the two ponies soon were on theirs.

.oOo.

It was the noon of the next day, when they reached a table mountain, standing lonely in the savanna's high grass. They stared in wonder at a building set into the steep face of the rock. It was a step pyramid; it's seamless surface looked like is was part of the mountain itself. The pyramid's edges were rounded and worn down by the elements. Plants grew among cracks and cavities in the stone. The two ponies looked up to the top of the building, where they could make out the remnants of a half-collapsed structure.

“This is it, the last landmark I remember from the map. Whatever physical, or metaphorical stone we have to carry into the sun; it is probably inside this pyramid!” Daring speculated and started to move towards the structure. Bulwark was still staring at it with wide eyes. When he realized that the mare was walking on he quickly shook himself out of his stupor and hurried to catch up to her.

“How can a huge building like this stand in the middle of nowhere. We haven’t seen any signs of settlements for days,” the earth pony asked, his eyes still shining in astonishment.

“This building is very old, maybe thousands of years! It most likely was a temple, or a tomb of an important leader. Possible it was the only structure in an entire city made out of stone. Look how it is hewn from the very mountain! This must have taken decades to build. Now, huts made out of mud and straw, or even wood, would have decayed over the centuries. Withered away by time, 'til nothing was left of the city but this monument of the glory it once had!” the self proclaimed archeologist explained eagerly. She was gesturing around the landscape and looking over hills and trees as if she could still see the houses that had once stood there.

The fighting pony nodded slowly and watched as the stone steps of a flight of stairs, that led up to the top of the of the pyramid, rose before them as they drew near. They were easily half as high as he was. “Who build this? This steps are too big for anypony to walk on.”

Daring shook her head, and shrugged. “I don't now. At least not yet. But there have been civilizations on this world, living long before ponies learned to speak. Who knows what creatures lived here before the zebras settled the land?” Both ponies walked in silence for a moment, and Bulwark pictured how big the creatures, that had build this steps, must have been. He was taken aback by the pegasus giving an amused chuckle. “Or it was zebras, and they wanted to impress whoever came to this temple by the sheer size of their steps!” she remarked, and quickened her pace.

When they reached the bottom of the steps Daring spread her wings and looked at Bulwark with a challenging smirk. “The entrance is most likely on the top. Race you to it!” she exclaimed and began jumping up the stairs, lengthening her jumps with powerful flaps of her wings. Only her saddlebags kept her from just flying up to the top.

“Hey, that's cheating!” yelled Bulwark after the ascending mare, but took up her challenge with a cocky grin none the less. He dashed after her, working his earth pony magic, leaping over two of the giant steps at once. Splinters cracked from the stairs as his powerful, steel shod hooves struck the stone. He caught up with the adventuress on the final flight of steps. They gave each other a challenging smirk and redoubled their efforts. When they reached the top Daring was half a pony-length in the lead. But her triumphant laughter stuck in her throat. The ground of the platform, she hoped to be the first to set her hoof on, was not there. Instead a pitch black hole gaped underneath her. She quickly pumped her wings to hover, but with wide eyes she saw Bulwark sailing past her.

“Wohaa!” he shouted and started plummeting into the darkness. Daring had the presence of mind to grab him quickly by the flailing end of his cloak, but the additional weight was to much for her to carry. With a startled scream both of them vanished into the bowels of the pyramid.

Daring pumped her wings in a desperate effort, trying to slow their fall without hurting her appendages on the walls she couldn’t see. From below came a strangled gasp from Bulwark, and he struggled on the end of the cloak she was holding. After mere seconds she felt a burning sensation in her flight muscles. She clenched her teeth, ignoring the pain and willing her wings to keep on beating. Suddenly the weight in her hooves was gone. Immediately after that she hit the ground, and the impact drove the air from her lungs.

For a second she just lay without moving, her ears ringing. She was wondering if rock shouldn’t have been a lot harder than what she had hit. Then the pain came over her like an ocean wave, flooding through her entire body. She gasped for air, and something beneath her stirred. “Ugh!” somepony moaned in the familiar voice of the young stallion. The pegasus felt the ground beneath her raise and shake as Bulwark dropped her unceremoniously from his back.

The adventures staggered to her hooves, and shook her head, trying to clear out the ringing. “You okay?” she asked into the darkness. She heard a cracking sound and a startled groan from her companion.

“I think nothing is broken,” he moaned. “What about you?”

“I hit on somepony. But you know; I always like to be on top!” Daring exclaimed.

“Ugh, can't be that bad, if you are joking again like this!” he groaned, prompting an amused giggle from the mare, and began rummaging through his saddlebags. Moments later bright sparks lit up the darkness of the pyramid as the fighting pony struck a flint stone with his horseshoe, and ignited a torch.

Daring blinked a few times before her eyes had adjusted to the new light. When she could see clearly again she eagerly looked around the room in which they had crashed.

They were standing at the bottom of a quadratic shaft. The hole, which they had fallen through, could only be made out as a small bright speck atop of them. The light that shone through barely reached the bottom. The ground was littered with debris and remnants of a flight of stairs that had once spiraled along the walls all the way to the top. A single corridor lead from the room. But it was impossible to make out were it went; the light of their torch was swallowed after a few pony-lengths.

They quickly checked if they had dropped any equipment, and readjusted their gear. Then Daring ignited a second torch on Bulwark's lit one, and stepped towards the corridor. “Only one way to go!” she exclaimed with excitement and lead the way.

Daring assumed the tunnel lead towards the mountainside, hoping her sense of direction had not been confused too much by their fall. The walls were incredible smooth for something hewn out of rock. Whoever build it must have taken a lot of time to smooth it out, chiseling the walls to an almost polished surface. After they had gone a few steps paintings and symbols began adorning the walls on both sides. The pictures were of a simplistic design. The first ones showed animals in a stylized manner, like somepony had tried to draw what they were, rather than what they looked like.

“Have you ever seen something like this?” Bulwark gasped in awe, staring at the drawings with wide eyes.

“Not exactly,” Daring replied. “They look similar to hieroglyphs I have seen in the Great Pyramids in Neighgypt. But they must be much older. Just look at the animals! Some of them have been extinct for thousands of years!” she exclaimed, flashing her torch over a picture of a creature that looked like a very small pony with a thick, shaggy coat. “Others. . . .“ She shuddered as the light revealed the form of roughly pony-shaped, black creatures with insect-like wings and long fangs.

As they went on the drawings began to show mostly hybrids with the body of a pony but the heads of many different animals. They were shown in various acts, ranging from watering plants, to kneeling before a fellow creature that had been drawn with thrice the size of the others. The two travelers walked through the history of these beings in wonder, but one picture in particular made Bulwark suddenly stop and take a closer look. “What is this?”

Daring stopped and turned back to see what had gotten the young stallion's attention. In the glow of their torches she made out the drawing of a tall blue box with slender windows and a bright light at the top. Something that looked like a light-brown earth pony stood beside the box. Daring frowned. “That is the Doctor in the Tardis!” she grunted, turned away, and trotted on.

Bulwark stared after the mare, and looked at the picture two more times in wonder, before he hurried to catch up. “What?” he asked perplexed. Daring let her breath out in an annoyed sigh.

“That supercilious oaf turns archeology into a joke. You can find pictures of the Doctor in the Tardis in every single ancient culture on the planet and probably every other planet as well! I swear, if I see him one more time; I will take his silly glowing stick, and. . . .” The adventuress stopped dead in her rant and tracks. They had reached the end of the tunnel; it opened into a wide, high chamber. A big hexagonal pillar rose in the middle of the room, reaching about half of its height. Winding steps lead up the pillar, but only a few of them were left; the rest lay broken on the ground. But none of that had stunned the adventuress. What had stopped her were the remains of a pony, huddled at the room's left wall.

Daring quickly shook herself out of her stupor and rushed over to the corps. It was a rather grotesque sight. The dry air of the pyramid had slowed the body's decay. It was completely dried up; its green coat clinging to the bones; lips drawn back in a ghastly sneer; eyes nowhere to be found. Judging by the shape of the body and the gray streaks in the otherwise auburn mane, she guessed it had been a middle aged stallion. Ragged clothes still clung to the pony, and some of his gear was scattered around him. The mare winced when she saw his cutie mark; it was a compass.

“What have you. . . oh. . . oh, merciful Celestia, no!” Bulwark had walked next to her, and dropped his torch when he saw what she was standing in front of. His startled words shook her out of her own shock. “It's my father!” he gasped.

The pegasus took a step aside and watched the young stallion in concern. Bulwark just stared at the corpse for some time, his face void of expression. Finally something caught his eye, and he pulled it from under the dead pony's hoof. It was a photograph. The earth pony put the picture on his hoof and looked at it. His legs gave away and the sat down heavily on his hindquarters when he saw what was on it.

Daring took a hesitant step towards him and reached out toward the colt with her hoof. “Just give me a minute,” he muttered, interrupting her before she could touch him. The mare took a glance at the photo he was holding in his hoof. It showed a green-coated stallion standing next to a yellow mare with a fiery red mane. In the center before them stood a small colt, who had a pine-green coat and a fiery red mane. The stallion had draped one leg around the mare's shoulders. Both adults cradled the colt with one of their forelegs, and all of them were smiling happily into the camera.

The adventuress shot another worried glance at her companion’s emotionless face. She let out a sigh and looked around uncomfortably. Her eyes fell on a book that was lying open and face down next to the dead pony. She placed her torch on the ground, picked up the book carefully, and looked at the page it was on. Her face lit up in surprise when she read it. “It's his journal!” she exclaimed, and quickly flipped through the pages until she found the entry she was looking for.

“Today the sea voyage ended; and we arrived in Maredria. We got supplies from local merchants and hired several bearers; mostly zebras and a few camels. Then we headed towards the lost city of Sanarth.” She quickly skipped several pages before continuing. Bulwark had not moved or even looked up; only the twitching of his ears and one of them turning towards her voice gave indication that he was listening.

“We arrived at the Valley of Flowers and made camp. Too late did we realize it was a field of poison joke! Normally this would have been funny, but one of my companions laughed too loud at a zebra whose stripes had become rainbow colored. A fight broke out. By the time I separated the stallions, Blue Sky lay dead on the ground. I chased away the zebra in anger. I fear he will not survive the desert; for he had no water and was bleeding from a lame leg.” Daring swallowed hard and skimmed ahead.

“We made it up to the pond where the Mirror of Truth is supposed to be. We searched for a long time, but didn't find anything. Then without warning Amber Mane cried out in terror from the side of the well. I hurried over to her and asked what was wrong. She was clearly distressed, but assured me that she was alright. I fear she wasn't telling the truth. Amber acted strange all evening long. I'm sure she wasn't telling us something. In the morning she was gone without a trace.” Again the adventuress turned several pages before she continued.

“We found the Hidden Chasm. The ascend had been treacherous, and one of the bearers got hurt. We had no choice but to leave him behind. His screams still haunt me; shivers run down my spine when I think of the curses he spat after us.”

“Disaster befell us while we traversed the pass. A rockslide came down on us. Several bearers as well as Silver Heart were caught in it. A rock hit one of his hindlegs, and he suffered an open fracture. I couldn’t stand to see him suffer; his frightened whinnies struck terror in my core. I fled from the scene; as did all the other survivors. I feel ashamed when I think about it.” The pegasus shook her head and skimmed through more pages.

“We made camp at the Silent Lake. None of my companions is left, and only two bearers. We have lost almost all of our equipment and supplies. I rationed the food so it will last a few more days. Our meals are meager; no one is in the mood for talking.”

“Another setback strikes me in the morning; my bearers have betrayed me! They left with all our food. I'm now alone; but still I press on. I am so close. I can feel it!” reluctantly Daring skipped to the final entry.

“I fell into the stupid pyramid! Broke a leg in the fall.” She read slowly as the writing became less and less readable. “Couldn’t climb back out, so I dragged myself further along, until I reached this room. I can't climb the pillar. I have no more food or water, and I think I'm running a fever.” She swallowed hart before she read the last words that were scribbled into the journal.

“I feel the end is coming. Whoever finds this, please find my family in Canterlot. Tell my wife and son that I love them!”

She closed the book and put it down, then walked back to Bulwark. The colt had lowered the picture and was staring at the wall stubbornly, his lips trembling. This time he didn't stop her from putting a hoof on his shoulder. “You can stop pretending now,” she said gently. “He was your father after all.”

Before she could say anymore the colt whirled around and flung himself at her. He broke down sobbing, hot tears streaming from his eyes onto the mare's shoulder. She looked surprise at first, unsure what to do, but then put her legs around him and patted his back. “It's okay!” she hushed into his ear and brushed his mane with her hoof.

For several minutes the colt let out all of his pent-up grief, but eventually his tears ran dry. He drew back from the mare and wiped his face with his fetlock. “Thank you,” he sniffed tiredly.

“Your welcome!” Daring replied with a sympathetic smile. She watched as Bulwark gathered the photograph, and slipped it inside the journal, before he put the book into his saddlebag.

“Can't even bury him in this dump!” he complained and cleaned away more tears from his eyes.

“Well, it is a pyramid,” offered the mare. “The old Neighgyptians buried their kings in pyramids. Is as good a tomb as it gets.”

The fighting pony gave a mirthless chuckle. “Right,” He took one more glance at his fathers body before he took up his torch again, walked towards the pillar in the center of the room, and tried if the lowest remnants of a step could bear his weight. “Let's just get out of here. I don't like this place!” he explained and began ascending the pillar, jumping from one remaining step to the next like a mountain goat.

The adventures gathered her torch and looked at the dead explorer lying at the wall. A shudder ran down her spine, but she clenched her teeth on the torch's handle and fought the feeling down. With a determent face she saluted her perished college, then wheeled around and followed the colt.

When she came to the top of the pillar the earth pony was already examining what was on it. In the middle of a wide platform stood a triangular arch, four ponies wide and almost ten ponies high. It was made out of pitch black stone, contrasting sharply to the rest of the pyramid. Bulwark was running his hoof among the surface, inspecting the runes that were carved into the arch on every surface. “Have you ever seen something like this?” he asked awestruck, only briefly looking over to her when she reached the platform. He started to walk around one of the arch’s foots.

“Stop, don't. . .” Daring shouted and reached for the earth pony with a hoof. But just as he walked through the arc the runes on it lit up in a bright, blue light. A flash from inside the arc blinded the mare for a second. When her sight returned, she blinked several times, but her companion was nowhere to be seen.

The adventures shook her head and walked towards the artifact. “I hate magic portals,” she mumbled under her breath and stepped through the arch.

.oOo.

For the fracture of a second Daring-Do found herself surrounded by nothing but white light and had the sensation of falling. Then it was over as suddenly as it had begun. She stumbled when she felt ground under her hooves again and dropped her torch. She blinked to clear her vision and shook her head to clear it. When the mare had mastered her senses again, she looked around.

She was inside a narrow tunnel, barely high enough for her to stand, and only wide enough for two ponies to pass through. The walls were roughly hewn from the stone, contrasting sharply to the polished walls of the pyramid she had just been in. Daring took a relieved breath when she found the naked form of Bulwark standing right behind her, where the tunnel ended in a dead end. “First time traveling through a magic portal? You alright?” she asked and turned around to face him. When he didn't answer after a few seconds she gathered her torch from the ground and shone the light on her companions face.

Her eyes widened in terror and she almost dropped the fire again when she saw why the colt had not answered. He had been turned into stone; his gray features stared at her unmoving, still conserved in the same surprised expression, he had worn when he had stepped through the portal. “That's why I hate magic portals!” the mare cursed.

Daring wasted no time and began strapping down her equipment. She changed her desert cloth for a fresh, olive shirt of many pockets, in which she stuffed every piece of her luggage she deemed absolutely necessary. Then she got her old pith-helmet from the depth of her saddlebags and brushed over it's rugged surface with her hoof, greeting it like an old friend. She sat it on the ground, lit a candle at her torch and waxed it to the helmet's rim. When it stuck firmly to the headgear she inspected it proudly, turning it on her hoof, then sat it on her head. From her cloak she fashioned a large sling by knotting two corners together, and put it around her companion's stoney form.

“Carry the stone into the sun. Hay, I wish it wouldn’t be this literal!” she mumbled and gauged the weight of the earth pony's petrified body. She took a deep breath. “Alright, here goes nothing!” She took the knot in her mouth, and used the sling to pull the statue onto her back. The effort made a vein stand on her brow; she clenched her teeth and pulled with all her might. Slowly the rock lifted from the ground. When it rose past her haunches it fell over right onto her back. Daring's legs almost gave in when the whole weight slammed down on her shoulders, but miraculously kept standing.

The mare gasped for breath, her legs trembling as she made the first steps along the tunnel. “Why does it always have to be stone?” she pressed forth between labored breaths. “Why couldn’t he be turned into marshmallow, or a cloud, or something else that doesn't weight a bucking ton!”

After what Daring felt was an endless march, the corridor widened up into a long chamber. It didn't take the mare long to reach its end. She stopped before the remnants of a wooden construction, no further tunnels in sight. Twitching with dread, her eyes scaled the chamber's wall in front of her. “Blasted!” she called out when she found the tunnel continued at the top of the wall, right above the broken wood.

“Wait here!” she said and lowered stone Bulwark from her back. The mare let out a relieved sigh and stretched her legs, then she dashed back through the tunnel she had come. Moments later she came back to the statue, carrying a rope in her mouth. She fastened one end around the pony's chest and jumped into the air with the other one in her mouth. A few quick wing strokes brought her up to the the higher tunnel.

The light of the candle on Daring’s helm revealed the passage to look almost the same as the lower one. She couldn’t make out where it lead, as the candle only illuminated a few steps before her. “Right then, no time for feigning tiredness,” she exclaimed to motivate herself and spat in her hooves. She clenched the rope firmly between her teeth and began walking along the tunnel, drawing her companion up the wall.

The pegasus' hooves slid over the ground; she had to fight for every step she took forward. After laboring for several minutes, Bulwark's form finally rose over the edge; she gave him one final pull, then he fell over onto the higher ground. The motion made Daring stumble over her own hooves as the resistance on the rope was suddenly gone. She fell to the ground face first. “Ugh!” she moaned as she untangled herself from her own limbs and rope and struggled back onto her hooves.

Reluctantly she walked back to the statue of her companion, gathering the rope as she went. When she reached him she unfastened it from his chest and draped it across her own. “Back to work,” she mumbled, took the cloak sling's knot back in her mouth and heaved the pony stone once again onto her back. When she tried to take the first step she almost lost her balance and stumbled to the side, crashing the statue into the wall. Daring quickly got back into the middle of the tunnel and glanced in fright over her shoulder. She let out a sigh of relief when she found that the incident had left no damage. “Heh, sorry!” she apologized to the petrified earth pony, then began to walk down the tunnel.

After walking several minutes the adventuress found that the darkness ahead had started to dissipate.; something was lighting up the tunnel. With renewed vigor she quickened her steps. The tunnel sloped downwards, making it easy for her to break into a fast trot. When the tunnel finally opened to a wide, light flooded chamber, a relieved smile crept on the mare's face.

Daring was rushing to the end of the tunnel when she saw that it was not on the same level as the chamber. She tried to brake by crouching on her hind legs, but her momentum kept her sliding over the ground, hooves flailing for traction. The edge drew nearer and behind it a sheer drop. One of her forehooves went over the edge, then she finally stopped sliding. The mare broke loose a small avalanche, sending pebbles cascading to the ground below, as she tried to stop herself from toppling over. Only with great effort did the pegasus eventually regain her balance. She sat down firmly on her hindquarters, and the statue hit the rock behind her with a loud thump.

“Phew!” she took a deep breath, wiped droplets of sweat from her brow and allowed herself a moment of rest.

It was short-lived. The rock beneath her hooves cracked, and the ground gave away. Daring was too startled to scream, as she and the statue on her back fell towards the bottom of the chamber. On their way down she saw the far end of the chamber where high windows, carved into the rock, let the light of the sun flood into the room. She briefly noted that she was falling at the same speed as the rocks around her and watched in wonder as they spun seemingly weightless around themselves.

Then her body hit the ground. For the fraction of a second she heard water splashing, then cold waves crashed around her and she found herself tumbling underwater.

But Daring found it was too soon to thank Celestia for hitting a pond. The petrified earth pony she still carried in a sling on her back, the knot tightly secured in her teeth, pulled er down mercilessly. She found herself rolling, the statue gliding from her back and slipping beneath her. She held onto it with stubborn determination and began to paddle with her wings. The adventuress was not about to loose her companion in the seemingly bottomless depth of a random pool, with the suns rays, that were supposed to turn him into flesh again, only a few steps away.

Despite her desperate struggle the pegasus was drawn deeper underwater. Already her lungs started burning from the lack of oxygen. One more time she made a stroke with her wings and legs, then her body gave in. With an involuntary gasp her lungs flooded with water. Panic overcame her and she flayed her limbs in every direction, fighting for survival. After a few more moments her movements slowed down and the mare felt her consciousness slipping. Still she held onto her companion, as they both faded into darkness.

A bright light engulfed her, and Daring had a feeling of weightlessness. Then her body hit solid ground. Water was driven from her lungs by the impact. Her eyes snapped open; she spat water and took a deep, rattling breath, trying to get as much life-giving air into her as she could. For a moment she just lay on the floor, coughing violently, trying to free her lungs. Only when she heard another pony doing the same did she look up.

“Bulwark!” she exclaimed, her voice raw. She coughed again before she could continue. “You are not a stone anymore!”

The fighting pony was lying on the ground nearby. He looked up from his own misery when her heard her voice and pointed a hoof at her. “You are not a stone anymore too!” he stated between hoarse coughs.

The two ponies realized that something was amiss almost at the same time and looked at each other in confusion. “Wait a second!” the colt exclaimed in bewilderment. “You were a stone! Right after I walked through that arch there was another flash of magic and you appeared behind me as a statue. I carried you through a long tunnel until we fell into a pool. I almost drowned, trying to get you out!”

Daring briefly noted that the colt was not naked anymore, but was wearing his saddlebags; through they appeared much lighter than before. She raised a hoof in protest and was just about to tell her own version of the story, when a deep, rumbling voice interrupted her.

“Ah yes. At this point everyone notices that this cannot be a coincidence. That's why this is the last test.” The voice had an unworldly quality to it and it was hard to pinpoint where it came from.

The two ponies looked around the chamber startled. Their eyes grew wide at the sight of six translucent forms, standing in a half circle before the high stone arches that made up the chamber's windows. The two travelers quickly got to their hooves and faced the specters, getting ready for fight or flight. The six ghostly figures looked like griffons; their incorporeal forms were dressed in equally translucent, old fashioned armor. By that and their hard, scarred faces, as well as the swords and axes at their sides, Daring figured them to be warriors.

“Please, don't be alarmed. We mean you no harm!” another griffon, standing in the middle of the group said, raising an empty claw. The specter had a higher voice and a more slender build than the others, marking her a female.

The adventuress took a step closer, her caution instantly swept away by curiosity. “You are the Huscarls of the Elements!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“Yes!” the griffon furthest to the left replied. “It was us, who stole the goblet from Discord and hid it away in this far corner of the world. And still we carry out the duty that cannot be forsworn. Even in death we guard the goblet from the Spirit of Chaos and his followers and test those who seek the cup for his taint.”

“You have been tested and found worthy!” the female exclaimed ceremoniously.

“You have walked the Valley of Flowers and laughed at its jokes, even though they were on you!” the griffon furthest to the right called out.

“You have faced the Mirror of Truth and shared your secret fears, even if lying would have been easier!” the one next to him went on.

“You have passed the Hidden Chasm and showed kindness to a stranger, even though your instincts demanded to abandon him!” the female explained.

“Wait a second, that was a test?” Bulwark, who had been standing a few steps behind Daring, watching the whole scene in awe, asked angrily and approached the griffoness with an hostile snarl on his face. “That dying stallion who had his body crushed and was lying in his own blood and shit was a test?” He yelled the question, stomping his hoof on the ground.

The shield-maiden raised an eyebrow at his outburst. “Yes, and you did well in this one, young Bulwark. You compassion is admirable!”

“So you just killed a pony so you could test my compassion?” the young stallion shouted, raising high on his legs and staring at the six huscarls, rage burning in his eyes.

“It was you who delivered the killing blow,” explained the griffon second to the right. He seemed to be confused by the earth pony's anger. “But it is true that we set him up for the test. There were just two of you seeking the goblet, so we had to arrange random travelers, instead of using members of your group.”

“Just like you arranged the death of my father's companions? Did you kill them too for your stupid test. Did you kill him when he didn't meet your standards?” Bulwark was foaming with rage, spitting the words at the ghosts.

Daring laid a leg and a wing round the fighting pony's trembling form. “Easy there hot shot!” she hushed soothingly into his ear. “This are centuries old warrior spirits you are yelling at. They lived during the reign of chaos. Discord made them what they are!” she explained. The fighting pony stopped quivering under her feathers and didn't jump at the specter's throats, but he still snarled at them with his ears lying on.

“The death of Vanguard was not our doing!” the griffon furthest to the left explained. “He could have turned around and gone home when his last companions did. But his monomaniacal obsession with the goblet kept him going, and he rushed blindly into his grave.”

“Know this Bulwark son of Vanguard!” exclaimed the female warrior. “We, the Huscarls of the Elements have sacrificed everything to keep the goblet from Discord, even our own lives. We do not play lightly with the lives of others, but there is no other choice. Should Discord get his claws on the cup; he would bring forth another era of chaos over the world and millions would die under his rule.”

“We do not expect you do understand our actions, but in the name of Harmony, hear us out.”

The young stallion shot one more angry glance at every griffon, then he snorted and shook his hoof at them threateningly. “If you were not already dead, I would kick your feathery flanks for what you've done!” he snarled, then sat demonstratively on his hindquarters.

“Ha, 'tis a hot blooded one!” exclamation the huscarl furthest to the right, laughing. “I like him!”

“Can we continue with the ceremony now?” asked the one to the left, rolling his eyes.

“Please go on!” replied Daring, before any griffon could, giving them a stern look.

“Right then,” said the huscarl whose turn it was to make his statement, composing himself before he went on with the ritual.

“You have rested at the Silent lake and generously shared mead and meat with a stranger, even though it meant going hungry yourselves.”

Both Bulwark and Daring didn't show any reaction the the meat and mead part, if for different reasons.

“You have carried the stone into the sun, loyally standing by your comrade, even risking your own lives!”

“And so you have conjured the Magic of Friendship and we offer you the key!” exclaimed the last griffon finally, throwing up his fore legs in a wide gesture. Every other huscarl turned its head in his direction with a scowl on their ghostly features.

“What? You expect me to test a pegasus and an earth pony for magic? And how would I even do that? I told you before, I'm a warrior, not a sorcerer!” the left griffon explained defensively. “And besides, they passed all of your stupid test. If that doesn't make them friends, I don't know what does!”

Despite sharing part of Bulwark's contempt for the ancient spirits' actions, Daring couldn’t help but smirk at the last one's antics. But she quickly suppressed it before anypony could notice.

“Anyhow,” the female spoke up, silencing her companions before they could engage in unseemly bickering. “You have passed the tests. The key to the goblet's vault is yours, if you will have it. And you come at the right time. An agent of chaos has found the vault's entrance.”

“The President!” the adventuress hissed grimly.

“Yes, that's what he is called,” replied the huscarl. “He has brought with him an army under his command and they use strange alchemy to break the chamber's barriers. Our power in this world is fading, and we can no longer stop him. So it falls to you. You must hurry and take the goblet to safety before it falls into his possession!”

The pegasus nodded slowly, then turned to her companion, looking at him sternly. “You know I would understand if you want to back out now,” she explained. “You have found what you came for. This is not your adventure.”

“The hay it is!” the young stallion disagreed sharply. “This is no longer an adventure! Not with the fate of the world resting on our backs! And we are into this together!” He shot the mare a though smile. “And besides, we are stupid friends, aren't we?”

To his surprise, Daring looked at him, her eyes shining with tears, her lips trembling. Then without warning, she kissed him on the mouth.

The young stallion's eyes widened in shock. He quickly put a hoof on her chest and pushed her away. “Wow! What the hay? Friends don't kiss!”

“Sorry, overtaken by the moment!” the adventuress replied sheepishly and dried her eyes on a fetlock. “And in Stalliongrad the do!” she exclaimed, grinning.

“No they do not! You're making this up.”

“Well, you'll have to travel to Stalliongrad if you want to find out!”

The sound of one of the ghost clearing his throat brought the two friends attention back to the six ghost.

“Oh, right! Almost forgot about you,” Daring said and turned back to them. “We'll take the key. And then we'll go and kick the President's sorry flank. You have my word on that!” she exclaimed, sporting her trademark smile.

The six griffons nodded in unison. “So it shall be!” A bright light shone forth from all six of them and engulfed the two ponies. It quickly shrank, becoming smaller and dimmer, until only a tiny shimmer could be seen over their chests, and then it was gone.

“Wait, that's the key? How does this even work?” Bulwark asked confused.

“Magic!” the griffon to the right replied and gave him a wink.

On the shield-maiden's motion the other six ghost floated to the side and cleared from the windows. The female warrior gestured with her foreleg for Bulwark and Daring to come closer. When they had walked to the window, she pointed her translucent claw towards a long canyon in the middle of a rocky plain. The hull of an airship's lifting bag could be seen protruding out of it.

“The vault is hidden in this ravine. Take the pass that leads from the left of this chamber. Follow it swiftly and you can make it to the vault by nightfall. The gates will open at your touch and will. We will pray for your success. The fate of the world now rests on your backs, my little ponies!”

“Alright, no pressure then!” the pegasus mare said and adjusted her helmet. As the maiden joined her brethren Daring gave them a serious look. “You can rest now. We'll take care of the goblet!” she said solemnly, then saluted and headed for the chambers exit.

Bulwark just shot them a final angry scowl before he trotted after her, and they both left the Huscarls of the Elements behind.

Special thanks to Halcyon for his help with editing the story.

Comments

[skrav]

This time I decided to record all the errors I saw. I would go into wording perhaps for some stuff, but that'll take too long.

[[When he had stilled his thirst, she began to clean his face with a wet cloth from dried blood an vomit.]] and vomit*

[[Without warning Daring swiped him into a tight hug. The knife fell to the ground cluttering. “You did the right thing. Nopony could done it better!” she whispered into is ear.]] his ear*

[[“I don't hear no birds and no critters. There are not even insects to be seen. It's like we are the only things alive on the planet.”]] I don't hear any birds or critters* and (pretty sure) There's not even insects to be seen*

[[The mare frowned, and looked around sceptically for long moments.]] skeptically*

[[Not only because for the first time fuel was readily available, and it would ward of the chills of the night, but they hoped it's light would keep away whatever was lurking at the lake.]] ward off* and instead of it's, its*

[[The angry curse of the young stallion broke the night's silence, and startled Daring, who had been staring absentmindedly out to the lake.]] no comma after silence. And, instead of "to the lake," I would say "towards the lake."

[[“Whats wrong?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.]] What's*

[[“All of them are rotten; even the dried fruits; even the hay!” he exclaimed baffled, then shook his head in disbelieve, and threw the spoiled food away in anger.]] instead of semicolon, I believe it should be a colon? dunno. Also, disbelief*

[[“We got,” he started, and squinted is eyes, trying to read the labels. “Two cans of beans.”]] his eyes*

[[The colt snorted in response; opened the can, and placed it next to the fire.]] Instead of semicolon, just a comma will suffice.

[[She took a wide stance, her head lowered, and stared into the near field of high grass. Bulwark quickly got to his hooves, and positioned himself at her side.]] and she stared*, hooves and positioned*

[[Daring relaxed a little, and let her guard down. A striped mare embarked from the high grass, and walked into the light of their fire.]] I'll stop with the comma-conjunction errors. It looks like you aren't completely sure of the rules for it. If the two parts it separates are individual sentences on their own, then it needs a comma. If not, then it doesn't need one. Here remove them. There is a bunch later but I'll ignore them.

[[Share your fire with any traveler that might come along, like he is your friend, and friends you shall be; and friends at any fire you will find!”]]
*Share your fire with any traveler that might come along like he is your friend, and friends you shall be, and friends at any fire you will find!”*

[[and a bashful smile found its way to his lips .]] Remove the space after lips.

[[“Heh! So, what brings you to this lonely place. Oh, and by the way: I'm Daring-Do, and this is Bulwark,” the pegasus asked, and made a quick introduction when the laughter had faded.]] *“Heh! So, what brings you to this lonely place? Oh, and, by the way, I'm Daring-Do, and this is Bulwark,” the pegasus asked and made a quick introduction when the laughter had faded.*

Okay, yeah. That took a long time anyway for just grammar/punctuation/other typos. That was maybe the first 3.5k-4k words of the chapter. In other words, MORE EDITING. That was just a first read through and some mistakes; who knows what a battle-hardened editor would find? :pinkie gasp:

I really need to become an editor.

EDIT: Yeah I found a lot of mistakes after I stopped putting them here. And also, damn your cliffhangers.

[Sebbaa]

820608
Thanks for pointing this all out. Corrected them to the best of my knowledge. Curious thing, one of them was in the FIM script but not in my open office original.

Maybe you really should become an editor. You seem to have a knack for finding the small things that got overlooked even after four times of editing. Would you like to help me with chapter 6?

But I swear English punctuation eludes me. The more I learn about it, the more I seem to be doing it wrong. Doesn't help that there are different ones for American English and British English too. Friend of mine, who is an English teacher, told me it is so hard that I shouldn’t even bother to learn it. It's really frustrating and I feel like banging my head against my desk. I need something like “The defining guide of punctuation for hopeless dummies”.

[skrav]

820671 Yeah sure I could help with some of the editing. Just not next week after the 29th, I'll be gone without a computer (OH DEAR CELESTIA WHAT WILL I DO). I hope editing this will not make me compulsively start editing things... I have my own fanfic I want to begin writing this summer before school begins again!

In regards to the British English grammar, I can't say I am not too familiar with it. I know about the different spellings of some things, such as ou's instead of o's and s's instead of z's in some cases, but other than that, nope. With you bringing that up, it made me wonder about this line:

[[“You will need a compass; water canteen; fire stone; pot; knife of course; and a blanket,”]]

That for me was a "What is this... I don't even" moment when I first read it. I never have seen semicolons used like that for lists except when there's commas in the individual items in the list. Is that a British English thing? For me, I'm just familiar with how the language is supposed to sound and when/where to use punctuation and certain words. Pft. I should be in AP English, yet I never decided to take it. Generally as a rule for me, I would avoid correcting wording in quotes *coughcoughApplejack* unless I knew they already seemed to be relatively proficient in the English Language.

[Subbro]

Awesome chapter as always keep up the great word!

[Sebbaa]

821390 Thanks!

[Alondro]

Hmm, The Doctor is canon in this story!

That can only mean the President is... the Lord President of the Time Ponies! IT'S RASSILON!!!

And he wants the cup to open the time lock and release Gallopfrey from the Time War!

This all makes perfect sense.

PS: Would you mind doing a wee lil ol' clop expansion of the encounter between Daring and the griffon back at the tavern a couple chapters ago. So hot... *Alondro is a horrible pervert...*

[Sebbaa]

822275 I have to admit, I haven’t given any thought as to what exactly happened between Daring and the Griffon in Chapter 3.
That is until today. Now my head is full of clop.
Keep your eyes peeled; I may just have to write it down.

[Alondro]

826064 *evil cackle!* Another has fallen to my evil power! >:}

I think Daring is into predator-play. She probably loves it when they say she looks good enough to eat. ;3

[Canon Fodder]

This is truly awesome. Just finished reading the fifth chapter and now I want more How dare you leave me on a cliffhanger! But I guess I'll just have to bare with it and wait until chapter 6 just like your other readers. By the way I also want to compliment you on your clop scene in chapter 3. Although I am normally turned away by clop (Because it just creeps me out), you have written it well enough that it is not uncomfortable and awkward. Where it's more humorous and shaken off. Well done! 5 stars for that! Rarely that ever happens I find. Anyways I better wrap this up...You may find this weird but I like to give the President the voice of Christopher Walken. His personality just fits his awesome voice and I can't wait to read more of him again...Keep up the great work!

[AuraBlaze]

I just finished reading chapter 5 and wanted to share some thoughts I have at this point. I'll get right to it. The one and only thing I am against in your fiction is how you went portraying the Element of Kindness. As a college student who formerly majored in Criminal Justice, I have had to do some practice with controversial topics. Your portrayal of kindness makes me think of the subject of physician-assisted suicide which I am highly against. I am not here to ask you to rewrite your fiction at all. Indeed, politics and ponies do not often mix well. Moving on with the subject though, would it have been possible for Daring and Bulwark to save the injured and have him try to return to a safe place? As I type this out, I am beginning to understand that the answer would likely be no. Still, I do believe my thoughts should at least be mentioned.

Even now there are still spelling and punctuation errors aplenty but since it has been considered complete for a while now I do not think we need to go over this. Beyond this it has been a phenomenal reading. Your use of subtly adding the Elements of Harmony feels spot on (besides what I have already mentioned) and your original characters have personalities deserving a thumbs up --in my opinion.

Only one question to ask at this point. What would Rainbow Dash say if she read this?