> Deltora Quest: Mark 2
>  by Booker Longlegs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A New Plan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It had not been a good year in the Shadowlands. If you were only looking at the landscape, you wouldn’t know. It was as bleak, dark, and colorless as ever. Grey Guards, lizard monsters, and other things roamed the otherwise lifeless world. However, you could see it in the nervous tilt of the Guards heads, the lack of roaring from the monsters, and the fact that the Ak-Baba no longer patrolled the skies. The master of the land was angry, all of its carefully constructed plans lay in shambles.
The Shadow Lord stood on the mountain overlooking Deltora, just as it had every day for the last year. It fumed over the loss of its land. It raged at the Deltorans in their homes. Most of all, it felt deep, burning hatred for the three who had cost it so much. Lief, Barda, Jasmine, it thought, I will have my revenge. I will cut out your tongues and drag you through burning coals! I will make you rue the day you crossed the Shadow Lord! Deep in its mind, it knew they were futile thoughts. The trio would have long since expired before the day came when the Enemy could once again threaten Deltora.
As it nursed these bitter thoughts, the Shadow Lord decided it was done brooding. This wasn’t the first time its plans had been thwarted, and if it would retake Deltora, it would need a plan. The Shadow Lord turned away to begin plotting new ways to invade the land it both despised and desired. The creatures of the Shadowlands sagged in relief, sensing their master was finished with its anger.
The Shadow Lord swept into its personal library. When it had first conquered Deltora, its spies had sent him any books that had useful information, burning the rest. The Shadow Lord, confident in its vast and many layered plan, hadn’t read them yet, saving them for the occasion when it would most need them. Picking up a book on rare magic, it began to skim. The Shadow Lord was arrogant in assuming that it knew all there was to know on black magic. Still, the Shadow Lord knew that great things came from unexpected places. It was remembering finding the first Ak-Baba, and how its mistake in thinking the Ak-Baba egg was a dragon’s led to the creation of his most potent killing machines. While the Shadow Lord was having this thought, it found a very interesting spell.
The spell, according to the book, would allow the caster to reverse time to any point in the past, while the caster himself would retain full memory of the events. A cruel smile played upon the Shadow Lord’s lips. The book cautioned that the spell was only to be attempted by very advanced wizards, and also warned against interfering with the past. The Shadow Lord cared for none of that, though. All it wanted was to go back to before Lief, Barda, and Jasmine have overthrown it, find them, and make them suffer for what they had done. Or is it will do? the Shadow Lord thought before pushing the irrelevant thought from its mind. It read over the spell three times before casting it, feeling the flow of time slow, stop, and then begin to reverse.



The Shadow Lord felt time going backwards, and marveled at the feeling of total control. The spell, though taxing, still only felt like a slight drain on its magic. It maintained the spell, intending to go back to a time before Lief had ever left Del and take him from then. Suddenly, a power other than its own took control. This other power wrenched time from the Shadow Lord’s hands, settling it on just after Lief had set out on his quest. 
The Shadow Lord felt a wave of anger at this unknown power. It had thwarted the Enemy’s newest plan before it had even begun. With time, though, the Shadow Lord’s rage cooled. The plan could still be implemented, it just needed a slight revision. The Shadow Lord estimated that the trio were now in the Forests of Silence, so it sent all seven Ak-Baba to Mid-Wood. In the glory of triumph, the Enemy never considered that the power stopping his magic had done anything else to make sure this new plan failed.



Lief reclined in Jasmine’s nest. Despite being in the Forests of Silence, the ultimate symbol of fear for him, and the fact that tomorrow he would face a dangerous and deadly opponent, he felt content. Perhaps it was the unexpected arrival of Jasmine, a semi-friendly face living in a place of evil, which gave him hope. As he looked up at the stars, he remembered a pastime his mother had taught him. He picked out constellations, and he drew further comfort from their familiar faces. He sighed, about to close his eyes and drift to sleep, when something gave him pause.
He wasn’t exactly sure what it was, a barely audible keening. He sat up and spotted Jasmine scanning the forest below. “What is that?” Lief asked.
“I don’t know,” Jasmine said, “It isn’t natural to the Forests.” Turning to her black bird, Jasmine asked, “Which way is it coming from, Kree?” Kree cawed. Jasmine blinked. “Inside the nest?” Kree cawed again. “Kree says the noise is coming from in the nest.”
“I’m sure he is,” Barda said sarcastically, “And I’m sure the trees agree.”
Jasmine turned on him angrily. “Well, if you know so much, why don’t you tell us what this is and where it’s coming from?”
“Actually,” Lief said, “I think Kree is right. It does seem to be all around us.”
“Alright,” Barda said, “but what is it?”
“I don’t know,” Lief began carefully scanning the interior of the nest. The noise picked up in volume and pitch, and Lief just barely saw a slight distortion in the air toward the back of the nest. “Look!” Lief pointed out the strange sight, “What is it, do you think?”
“Nothing that happens naturally,” Jasmine said, “I’ll tell you that much.” A slight whimpering could be heard in her collar, and she pulled out a small creature, crooning, “It’s all right, Filli.”
Barda drew his sword. “Whatever it is, ready yourselves.” Lief nodded, drawing his own weapon. Jasmine drew her dagger, and the three of them stood, ready. Lief felt a lump in his throat, and he tried to swallow past it. Noticing this, Barda gave a confident smile. “Whatever comes through, we can handle it.” Lief nodded, though the words did nothing for the lump in his throat.
The noise continued to grow, as did the distortion. Eventually, the noise hit a peak, and the distortion shifted into a bright light. Out of the light flew some sort of creature, with another creature clutching its back. It looked as if it was unceremoniously flung into the nest. It slammed into the other wall, and lay there making small noises. Looking closer, the trio could see that the creature was equine, with four legs ending in hooves and a horse’s head. It also had wings, and a spiraled horn jutting from its head. It was lavender in color, with a dark purple mane and tail. A mark of a large star surrounded by five other stars could be seen on its flank. The creature that came with it was much smaller in size. It had a reptilian look about it, and was purple and green in color.
The three of them carefully approached, and they were shocked that the noises were actually words. “Ow, ow, ow,” said the equine, “That hurt. Are you okay, Spike?”
“Yeah, I’ve had worse,” the reptile named Spike said, “Even so, that was quite a spill.”
Lief decided to try diplomacy before Barda had the chance to attack, or worse, scare the creatures. Who knew how dangerous they were? “Greetings, strange creatures,” The equine jumped up with a yelp, shielding Spike. Lief held his arms out to the sides. “We mean you no harm, unless you mean the same. My name is Lief.”
The equine slowly straitened, looking around warily. “Hello there. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Could you tell me where in Equestria we are?”
Lief looked confused. “Equestria? I’ve never heard of it.”
It was Twilight’s turn to look confused. “Then, where are we?”
“Our land is called Deltora,” Lief said.
“Deltora?” Twilight said, “I’ve never heard of Deltora.”
“Perhaps we should all sit down,” Barda said, lowering his sword, “and figure out what’s going on here.”

Twilight’s story was almost unbelievable. She came from a place called Equestria, which is a land populated by talking ponies who controlled the weather, the sun and moon, and all natural occurrences. If Deltora didn’t have its own fair share of strangeness, Lief doubted he would have believed her.
“So,” Twilight said after sharing her story, “did you call me here?”
“What?” Lief said.
“Did you call me here?” Twilight repeated, “This sort of magic doesn’t just happen, someone had to have sent me here, because I didn’t do it myself.”
“We didn’t call you,” Barda said.
“Well…” Spike said.
“What is it, Spike?” Twilight asked.
“In my comic books, anytime something like this happens, the new player is supposed to help the original crew on their journey,” Spike said, “So maybe we’re here to help these guys.”
“Well, we aren’t exactly in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth,” Lief said, wincing at the unintentional pun, “Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.”
“If Spike’s right, then helping you is the only way back home,” Twilight said, “Besides, I don’t think it’s a good idea to wander in a place we don’t know.”
“Especially not here,” Barda said, “The Forests of Silence are very dangerous.”
“So why are you here?” Twilight asked. Lief explained the history of the Belt of Deltora as briefly as possible, its power and its significance, as well as the Shadow Lord’s takeover and their quest to restore the Belt.
“In a nutshell, we need to go to the seven most dangerous places in the land, find the gemstones, and restore peace,” Lief concluded.
“Sounds like a tall order,” Twilight looked up at the moon. “Assuming your moon is at least similar to mine, I’d say it’s late. We should get some sleep if we’re going after the first gem tomorrow.”
“Agreed,” Barda said. They all stretched out in the nest, with the humans quickly falling asleep. Twilight, though, was kept awake for some time. What had she be thrust into? How were her friends doing right now? What dangers would she face in this strange new land? She kept turning these questions over in her mind before finally nodding off.

> The Forests of Silence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dawn came bright and early, as it always does. Lief stirred from sleep, opening his eyes to the new day. Jasmine was already awake, gathering supplies and other necessities for the dangers ahead. Occasionally, she stole a glance at the new arrivals. Lief looked at them as well. Twilight was sleeping, with Spike curled up next to her. She was smiling peacefully, as if dreaming of better times. This was further confirmed when Lief stood and stretched. Twilight jolted awake, and Lief saw confusion, despair, and regret flash on her face before it was quickly masked. Lief felt a stab of pity for her; no matter how homesick he felt, at least he knew where he was and how to get back.
“Good morning, Twilight,” Lief said, pretending not to notice Twilight’s reactions, “Did you sleep well?”
Twilight smiled ruefully. “About as well as I expected.” Lief glanced at Jasmine, but her face was a mask of calm. Twilight stood up, stretching her wings. “So, when are we leaving?”
“As soon as we’re all ready,” Barda said, startling everyone.
“Spike and I can’t really prepare anything,” Twilight said, “The only thing that came through the portal was us.”
“So we can leave,” Barda said. He caught sight of Spike’s still sleeping form. “Or at least, we can when he wakes up.”
Twilight laughed. “It might be a while. Spike’s still a baby dragon, and he did have a very late night.”
“Time is of the essence,” jasmine exclaimed, “We cannot wait for him.” Lief looked at Jasmine curiously. If anyone would be aware of an animal’s needs, it’d be her.
“Jasmine has a point,” Barda said grimly, “Besides, our journey will not be one that gives us the luxury of unlimited sleeping time. Spike had best get used to that now.” Barda strode over to Spike and roughly shook him awake.
“Whuzzat,” Spike said, blearily opening his eyes.
“Time to wake up, Spike,” Barda said. But Spike had already rolled over and went back to sleep. Barda groaned.
“What’s wrong?” Lief asked.
“One young person was bad enough,” Barda said in dismay, “Two was pushing it. Now, I’ve got a third to worry about.” Lief and Jasmine looked away, trying to preserve some dignity. Twilight, however, laughed.
“Ah, Barda, I think we’re going to get along nicely.”



The group pushed through the undergrowth, with Jasmine leading the way. As they drew closer to their goal, Lief noticed a change come over Jasmine. She became more irritable and grim, and with a start Lief realized that she was afraid. Somehow, the ideas of Jasmine and fear didn’t coincide. And yet, as Lief thought about it, it made sense. Jasmine may not have been afraid of the Forests, but the Forests were afraid of whatever awaited them in the place Jasmine called the Dark.
These thoughts were whirling through Lief’s mind when the trees began to thin around him. He was about to rush forward and see what was ahead, but Jasmine abruptly turned and pushed him back. “What is it?” Lief asked.
“I hear something up ahead,” Jasmine said, “Something that shouldn’t be there.”
“What?” Barda asked.
“I can’t tell exactly, but they sound like large birds,” Jasmine said.
Lief and Barda looked at each other. “Ak-Baba,” they said in unison.
“That’s what I feared,” Jasmine said grimly.
“Sorry,” Twilight said, “but what are Ak-Baba?” In answer, Jasmine went ahead a bit. Giving an all-clear sign, the group came to the edge of the wood and Twilight could see the Ak-Baba. They were huge, with mutated looking yellow skin. They resembled vultures, and even from this distance Twilight could see the points of their teeth. They were up in the air, circling Mid-Wood.
“Seven?” Lief whispered in horror, “The Shadow Lord sent all seven?!”
“That can’t be,” Barda whispered, “The Enemy couldn’t possibly know we were coming.”
“We can’t fight them,” Jasmine said, “We may as well turn back.” Lief and Barda looked at her, then back to the Ak-Baba.
“No, we can’t turn back,” Barda said, “Our quest is too important to simply give up.”
“What do you plan to do,” Jasmine said furiously, “Go out there and get yourselves killed? Or worse, captured?” Lief and Barda only stared at the empty field. Already, Lief was studying the land, trying to find a way to combat or bypass the Ak-Baba. Before he could come up with anything, though, he sensed movement beside him. Turning, he saw Twilight step up.
“Twilight,” Lief said, “What are you doing?!”
“You might not be able to fight them,” Twilight said, “but I can,” She spread her wings
“No,” Barda said immediately, “It’s too dangerous for you to fight all seven Ak-Baba alone.”
“She won’t be alone.” Spike hopped onto Twilights back, “I’ll be there to help her.” Lief noted with interest a change that had come over Spike. On the way here, he’d been bleary eyed and stumbling, barely awake. Now, he looked ready for action, and fiercely determined to protect his friend.
Barda noticed it too. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “I don’t like it, but it’s the best plan we’ve got. We’ll make a run for the Dark while you distract the Ak-Baba,” Twilight crouched, ready to take off. “Wait,” Barda added, “Whatever happens, stay safe. This is your fight only by circumstance, and I don’t want you to die because of it. If things look grim, fall back. Promise me.”
Twilight smiled at him. “We promise. Don’t worry, though. This is hardly my first fight.” With that, she swept into the sky. She engaged the Ak-Baba, and after a few moments the companions made a dash for Mid-Wood. None of the Ak Baba troubled them.



The first of the Ak-Baba sighted her almost as soon as she left the safety of the trees. Angling herself toward it, Twilight charged up her horn. When it was almost upon her, she shot a bolt of fire at it. The fire caught it squarely in the chest, and the beast began to fall. Twilight refused to believe it was dead; if her friend’s reactions were anything to go by, these things were the stuff of nightmares.
By now, the other six Ak-Baba had noticed her, and were charging. Twilight reluctantly took focus off the one she’d shot and flew to meet them in the air. Dodging around the Ak-Baba, she positioned herself so that her horn would cut across one of the bird’s throats. The Ak-Baba’s skin was like iron, but Twilight’s horn, charged as it was with magic, cut through like it was paper. Her target screeched, falling from the sky. Twilight felt confident that it was dead.
She broke through the cloud of foes and turned around. As she expected, the one she’d hit with fire had rejoined the fight. There were now six Ak-Baba facing her. Three of the charged, screaming, at her. She gave ground (or air, whatever), keeping them at bay with fireballs. She was watching for a moment when she could break through and again dispatch one of them. 
So it was that she didn’t notice the other three Ak-Baba, who had quietly snuck up behind her. Just before they lunged, though, Twilight felt a blast of heat against her back. Risking a quick glance over her shoulder, Twilight saw the three enemies falling back as Spike breathed fire at them. “Great job Spike!” Twilight yelled as she returned attention to the enemies in front of her.
“Nothing to it, Twilight.” Spike called back. There was a grin in his voice. Together, they easily dispatched the Ak-Baba. The Ak-Baba were the Shadow Lord’s killing machines, it was true. However, their minds weren’t built to adapt. They had one strategy; distract the opponent while flanking them. When that failed, they were helpless. Soon the skies were clear, and Twilight wiped sweat from her forehead. 
“We did it, Spike!” Twilight said.
“Yeah,” Spike laughed, “We sure showed them!”
“Let’s go check on the others,” Twilight said. They flew over Mid-Wood, searching for the Dark. Twilight quickly spotted a large dome of black vines. “I bet that’s where they are.”
Spike grinned. “Well, let’s make a grand entrance!”



Lief, Barda, and Jasmine entered the black dome. Despite their promise, the trio felt sure that Twilight and Spike were doomed. Grimly, they strode forward. “Halt!” a voice echoed. Immediately, they felt themselves freeze.
“Gah,” Barda grunted, “What sorcery is this?” Stepping into their view, the three caught sight of a large warrior in shining golden armor. Barda gasped. “A Jalis warrior!?”
“Yes,” the warrior said, “I am indeed one of the proud Jalis. My name is Gorl, and I will destroy all who seek to take my treasure.”
Lief’s heartbeat increased. “You mean a great gem?”
“Great gem?” Gorl growled, “No, I refer to the Lilies of Life!” He gestured behind him, and the trio could see some withered up flowers. “I have built this fortress to guard them, to wait for the day when they bloom! Then, I will drink the nectar and become immortal! I will unite the seven tribes, and become king of this land.” Gorl laughed, and Lief and Barda exchanged glances. The seven tribes had been united long ago by Adin. Either Gorl was mad, or…
Gorl interrupted their thoughts. “Now, you who seek my treasure, perish! I will kill you, and feed you to my vines! The Lilies are mine, and mine alone!”
“We do not seek the Lilies, Gorl!” Lief shouted desperately, “We seek a great gemstone!”
“A story I have heard a thousand times,” Gorl said, “It matters not why you are here! Nobody may know of the Lilies and be allowed to live!” Gorl drew his sword, and Lief’s breath caught at what he saw embedded in the hilt.
The topaz!
Gorl approached them, sword in hand. Barda drew breath, no doubt to try one last attempt at fighting. However, at that moment, a great hole was blasted in the vines. Sunlight streamed through, shining down on the black vines that had crushed Gorl. And the Lilies of Life, they were now blooming in the sunlight. Jasmine leapt forward to collect the nectar, even as Twilight and Spike came in through the hole they’d created.
“Twilight!” Lief cried, “You’re alright!”
Twilight grinned. “It’ll take more than that to stop me.”
“What of the Ak-Baba?” Barda asked.
“Dead,” Twilight said, her smile widening, “All dead.”
As Lief and Barda regarded Twilight with awe, Jasmine came up, tucking the nectar away in her pockets. “All well and good,” she said, “but let us not forget why we’re here.” Lief nodded, and made his way over to where Gorl’s sword lay embedded in the ground. He prized the topaz from the hilt, and his mind cleared. Words from The Belt of Deltora, a book detailing the history and power of the Belt, came to him.
The topaz, symbol of faith, protects its wearer from the terrors of the night. It has the power to open doors to the spirit world. It strengthens and clears the mind.
As he recalled the words, a woman appeared before them. She was beautiful, but transparent, and Lief knew that she was a ghost. Jasmine choked a bit, and then she managed to say, “Mama…”
The woman smiled. “You have done well, Jasmine. Listen, for time is short. This quest is of the utmost importance. You must help Lief and Barda. Besides,” the woman turned to Twilight, smile widening, “I feel that interesting things are bound to happen on this journey.”
“Mama,” Jasmine said, “What about Papa? Where is he?”
A pained look crossed the woman’s face. “He is not dead.”
Jasmine nodded. “Then he must be in the Shadowlands.” The woman didn’t answer, and Jasmine said, “Well, then he is beyond our help. It is better to think of him as dead.”
“You are strong, Jasmine,” The woman whispered. She was beginning to fade. “So strong. Know, Little One, that I am very proud of you. I know your father would agree.” The woman vanished.
“Goodbye, Mama.” Jasmine said. She was silent for a moment, and Lief began to go to comfort her. Jasmine turned to him before he could, however, and said, “Well, what’s our next destination?”
“T-The Lake of Tears.” Lief blurted out in surprise.
“The Lake of Tears, huh,” Twilight said, “Definitely sounds pleasant.” As Lief refastened the Belt around his waist, he regarded their unexpected allies. Somehow, the two of them had become five. One gem was found, and the next was located at the Lake of Tears. Remembering how Twilight had beaten all of the Ak-Baba, Lief found himself wondering how sarcastic her remark about it sounding pleasant had been.