//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Spear of the Windigos (Daring Do #2) // by BookeCypher //------------------------------// She was a brilliant white, her coat seeming to shine even in the dim light of the hall. Her mane and tail were an equally brilliant golden yellow as they danced in their own intangible breeze. She gave Daring and her group a quick wink before turning to face the approaching Raptorians, giving Daring a clear view of her cutie mark – a rainbow arcing over a unicorn silhouette, “Griffons of the Raptorian forces!” she bellowed, “I am Banizacherla. These ponies – and griffon – are under my protection!” There was a moment of stunned silence from the griffon's before one summarized the general feeling one often felt when the focus of an alicorn's ire, “Oh, horseapples.” A brief glow from the alicorn's horn was the only warning any of them received before a wall of kinetic force plowed through the gathered griffon forces, before turning and shouting at the group behind her, “Go! This is no longer your fight!” “Wha-” Daring started to say before Storm Talon grabbed her and started dashing across the now clear path out of the hall. “Don't look a gift Alicorn in the mouth!” he shouted as they all started to move. Behind them, the griffon's were slowly getting back up. They gave the running ponies and griffon a quick glance before turning to the Alicorn. The Alicorn was blocking their way to the spear. The spear was what was gong to get them paid. So all they needed to do was take out an Alicorn. Right. A couple of the bravest – or, perhaps, dumbest – griffon's charged the Alicorn with piercing shrieks, their comrades joining in moments later. If the Alicorn was worried about the approaching mass of fur and feathers, she didn't show it. She just gave them all a little smirk before flaring her wings and alighting her horn before letting loose a blinding flash of light. The mass of griffon's converged where the Alicorn had been, crashing into each other as they found the space empty. They bounced off each other with a collection of 'oofs' and squawks, falling back onto their rumps as they started to blink the stars from their eyes. "That Alicorn left us some sort of clock,” one one of the mooks said as he rubbed at his eyes, pointing at something sitting on the floor a few steps from the griffon pile. Another mook managed to clear his vision enough to see what his cohort was point at, and it did indeed seem to be some sort of chronometer. A round clock face set into a heavy brown bundle, one of the two arms slowly moving around the dial. The second mooks' beak fell open as he realized what it was, "That's not a clock, dumbplot, that's a b--" Daring and company just cleared the first turn as the detonation rocked the entire building. A quick glance back and Daring's eyes went wide a she saw a burning fire roll around the corner after them, “Run faster!” Up ahead, she could see the faint light from where the passage opened up into a larger hall. Apparently, the president saw it too, “Move, move, move!” Masra shouted, as if the burning wall of fiery death behind them wasn't motivation enough. To her other side, Rasa was struggling to keep up and stay ahead of the fire. Without skipping a step, Daring flared out one wing, slipping it out under the librarian. Tabula Rasa gave a small squeak of surprise as she found herself tossed skyward before landing on Daring's back, “Hold on, Rasa!” Daring warned her before flaring her wings. She couldn't fly in spaces this tight, but she could sure a hell give herself a boost. A few seconds behind her she could here the sound of professor Talon's wings pulling a similar stunt, a roaring woosh that was intermingled with a shark crack of smashed stone from what she could only assume was the president. The four of them didn't so much as dash through the archway so much as launch, all of them tumbling across the ground as they moved to get out of the way of the coming inferno. Daring felt Tabula slip off her back, reaching out with a hoof as she rolled and pulling her back close before the burst of flames finally caught up with them with a bellowing roar as it rolled into the hall. Daring squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the wave of heat roll over her, the acrid scent of burned fur wafting to her nose as her coat singed. After a few moments, the heat and sound subsided, leaving them once again in an eerie silence, save for a slow cracking of stone as the blocks of the archway cooled in the winter air. Slowly, Daring cracked an eye open. Storm Talon and Masra were pulling themselves back up on the other side of the archway, a few of the griffon's feathers smoking slightly, “Well,” Storm said after a moment, “That fekking sucked.” “Stop whining, you old feather-duster,” Masra muttered back as she got back on her hooves. “Shut up, its proof that I'm still alive,” Talon shot back as he dusted himself off. “Lets see how long that lasts.” All four of them jumped, spinning around at Ahuizotl's voice. He was grinning at them maliciously, his earlier self-assured gait marred by a slight limp as he held one shoulder, a thin line of blood trickling own the side of his head from a cut above an eye, “Congradulations – you've saved Equestria. None you are leaving here alive.” “You sounds pretty sure of yourself for somebody who just lost, Ahuizotl!” Daring shot back, wings flaring as she planted herself, hooves spread wide while she glared at the purple villain. “But thats the beauty of things, Daring,” Ahuizotl gave her a disturbingly friendly smile, “I have nothing to lose!” Ahuizotl moved faster then anything his size had any right to, especially with a banged up limb. Daring threw herself to the side as she ducked under a slash that looked like it could of ripped her head clean off. Ahuizotl pivoted around on the balls of his hind feet as he moves to follow Daring, but a charging sword-armed mare proved to be highly distracting from that goal. Unarmed, Ahuizotl was forced to dodge lest he was gutted by the steel blade and the pony wielding it, “So much anger – upset about what happened to the blue one?” “Being upset would be unprofessional,” Masra replied calmly around the hilt in her mouth, “killing you is just business.” “Oh?” Ahuizotl replied, still grinning, “and what business is that?” “Killing monsters!” Masra charged again, but this time Ahuizotl was ready. One limb came around in a flash, his paw hitting the flat side of her blade with a dull ring before his tail snuck around and upper-cut her, sending her stumbling back as Storm Talon closed from behind. “So the old griffon wants in as well?” Ahuizotl shouted as he spun around, side-stepping Storm and grabbing him by his hind leg, “I'm happy to oblidge!” Ahuizotl heaved Storm Talon around, sending him flying toward Masra. The president had just enough time to register what was coming toward her before the griffon crashed into her and both went reeling back, “...ow,” Talon muttered after a moment, “that bucking sucked. So – tag team?” “Tag team,” Masra agreed as they pulled themselves back up. The president gave Daring a quick look as she retrieved her blade, “Daring – protect Miss Rasa. Professor Talon and I will handle the brute.” “But-” Daring didn't get the chance to finish her reply as Storm Talon and Masra dashed toward Ahuizotl again. The entire castle was slowly crumbling around them as the professor and the president charged in again. Every fiber in Daring was screaming at her to follow them, but she had her orders – and, as the more rational part of her brain pointed out, pretty much zero combat training. That she had gotten by so far simply by whaling on her opponents so far spoke more to pegasus reflexes and her own luck then anything. A hoof on her shoulder brought Daring out of her thoughts as she turned to Tabula, “We need to move, Daring...” th unicorn pointed toward the ceiling, and Daring followed her hoof, turning her gaze up. Dust was pouring down nearly constantly now, smaller stones falling loose and clattering to the floor below, “This whole place is coming down.” “What about the professor and the president?” Daring asked, “We can't just leave them here!” “T-thats the idea, Daring,” Tabula replied slowly, eyes downcast, “They're buying us time.” Daring stared at Tabula for a second before glancing toward her professor and the president. One she had known for her entire life, the other for less then a day. And now they were risking everything for her? “Buck that,” She wasn't going to leave anypony behind, not now, “We've got to...” Daring paused as she glanced to the ceiling again, “...Tabula, how much do you know about how this place was built?” Tabula looked at Daring, confused, “not much...” Daring spun around to face Tabula, “enough to pull the place down?” Tabula blinked, “uh... that doesn't take much...” “I'll take that as a 'yes',” Daring said before turning and charging for Ahuizotl, “Do what you need to get ready!” “When am I supposed to do it?” Tabula shouted back. “Don't worry, you'll know!” Daring yelled back before focusing her attention on the purple figure before her. Her professor's had abandoned the head-on approach and opted instead for the hit-and-run approach. Masra's sword kicked up a shower of sparks as it glanced off the piece of metal Ahuizotl was swinging around – had that fallen from the roof? There were similar twisted pieces scattered among some of the rubble – before she leapt back. His back was still turned as Storm Talon charged in, forgoing any form of artificial weaponry as he drove a metal hind leg into Ahuizotl's back. The sound Ahuizotl made has all the air was forced from his lungs was somewhere between a cry and a gasp, but he managed to maintain enough self-control to dodge Masra's next charge as he back-pedaled from the pair before greedily sucking in air, “You-” The only warning Ahuizotl got was the sound of rapid hoof falls on stone as Daring slammed into him head-on like tan cannonball. The force was enough to send him falling backward, Daring following after him as she brought her hooves down in a dizzying barrage of punches, “No more traps! No more chases! No more dead ponies!” Daring pulled back as she took aim square at the center of his face, “No more games!” She brought her hooves down... ...And her eyes went wide as Ahuitotl's tail caught them, the feline-like creature glaring up at her, “Agreed,” Daring felt herself lurch forward before suddenly flying backward, crashing into the stone a half-dozen meters away near the others as Ahuizotl rose to his full height, “It's time to end this.” “O-okay!” There was a surge of magic, and the stones over Ahuizotl briefly glowed with an amber light before seemingly exploding, the roof cascading down onto Ahuizotl. Daring, Masra, and Storm Talon all stared at the pile of rubble as it went still before all turning the Tabula. The unicorn fidgeted under the attention, “What? You said I'd know...” “Where the buck-” Talon started before the castle shook around them, “...you know what? Never mind – Leaving now!” The castle gave another thundering shake a if to punctuate his statement, the quartet taking a wary glance around before turning to each other and, as if on cue, shot toward the door, “Miss Rasa!” Masra shouted as the belted around a corner, floor shaking under their hooves, “What in Celestia's name were you thinking?” “It worked, didn't it?” Tabula quickly replied. “It also destabilized the entire castle!” Masra said back. “It was my idea!” Daring cut in, “So if you want to yell at somepony, yell at me.” “That was incredibly reckless,” Masra said as they finally emerged back into the main entry hall, now empty of griffons. Weapons stands were overturned and the formerly orderly rows of equipment were now in dissaray from the Raptorians rapid departure. “So was coming here for me,” Daring replied, “you can reprimand me when we all get out of here.” “Indeed,” Masra replied, taking a deep breath as she composed her self, “Miss Do, I -” The castle decided to cut in with another low groan at that point, a long, drawn-out rumbling sound of untold amounts of stone shifting drew their attention the the back wall. Stone began to fall loose from it as it rumbled, the gaps in the stone work showing glimpses of the castle outside. The sole remaining spire of the fortress rocked back and forth slowly before lurching with a heavy crash before slowly toppling toward the entry hall. Storm Talon gave a sigh as he shoulders dropped, “buck me.” The hall began to cave in as they ran for the door. The president was completely silent, while professor Strom Talon was a near-endless stream of curses as he urged Tabula to go faster. Roofs and walls started to collapse behind them even as the columns ahead of them began to collapse, “We aren't going to make it!” Tabula shouted. “Buck that!” Daring shouted back before flaring her wings, surging into the air before scooping up the librarian. Storm Talon followed suite, snatching up the president before giving his wings a massive beat. The president seemed to take it in stride, tucking her legs in as the griffon took wing. “Fucking dammit girl!” Storm shouted over the thundering crashes of falling stone around them, “I'm too old for this shit!” “Better then dead!” Daring shouted back as she pressed forward through the air as fast as she could. Just the other end of the hall – fifteen, twenty seconds tops and then they were- Daring nearly screamed as a stone column came crashing down toward her. Her wing twisted and she rolled out of the way, dodging up and over the column just as a massive chunk of the roof came tumbling down. Daring found herself dodging and weaving as everything literally came crashing down around her, clouds of dust choking the air as the castle crumbled, “This was a really bad idea!” Tabula shouted from under Daring as she dodged through the rain of debris. “Tell me about it!” Daring shouted as she twisted, ducking low before swinging over a collapsed wall, gray-scale mane wiping around her as she glanced behind her. Storm Talon was a tails-length behind her, his beak clicking almost constantly as he twisted through the falling stonework. Held in his claws, the president gave each dodged piece of rock only the briefest glances as they passed, her face otherwise completely passive. Only the way her legs tensed with every roll and dodge betrayed her otherwise flawless facade. Daring could only spare the two behind her a moment of her attention before another crash drew her eyes forward again. The collapse had managed to surge ahead of them while they were in the air – the far end of the hall was already starting to collapse even as they drew closer, the stone archway of the door already starting to buckle. Daring poured on even more speed. They weren't going to die here! Outside, the sound of the crumbling castle echoed off the valley walls. With the blizzard gone, the sounds of crumbling stonework carried through the mountain air with crystal clarity, the chorus of cracks and snaps and rumbles sounding more akin to fracturing ice then a falling castle. Birds and timberwolves looked up as the valley's skyline changed more drastically then it had in centuries, the ruined towers of the castle teetering over like felled trees, massive clouds of dust billowing out as the ancient structure fell. After a few minutes, silence descended on the valley as the castle vanished into a cloud of dust. For a moment, the air was completely still. Then their was a thundering crash and the sound of splintering wood before two blurred shapes shot out of the dust cloud near where the main doorway had once stood, the shapes flying a few dozen paces beyond the threshold before crashing to the snow. Two blurs became four as the figures tumbled to a stop in the freshly fallen snow. Daring simply laid their for a moment in the snow, before bolting upright, “I... that... woo...” Daring fell backward with small puff of powder, “Okay – who's not dead?” “Think my leg needs re-alignment,” Storm Talon groaned from somewhere nearby, “thats gonna hurt like a bitch...” “Do try to mind the cursing, professor,” Masra said as she pulled herself out of a snow-bank, “I find in unprofessional.” “Kiss my feathered ass, President,” Storm Talon growled back. “Can we not do that again?” Tabula chimed in from somewhere to Daring's left, “because I would really, really love to never do that again,” The librarian sat up with a groan, one hoof rubbing at her head as she looked around, “...what happened?” “We won,” Daring replied as she took in the now ruined remains of the once imposing fortress. And they had one, hadn't they? The world was saved, the evil artifact returned to the dark pit from whence it came, and the evil mastermind was soundly defeated. All it had cost her was one best friend. A single pony for the whole of Equestria? Most would call that a fair price. Daring found that to be little solace, “...yeah, we won.” Daring felt a hoof settle across her back, and she looked up to see Tabula staring back at her, a tired smile on her face, “Thanks for the save, Daring.” “Had to save somepony today,” Daring replied with a half-hearted shrug and a weak smile, “at least we didn't... didn't...” Daring's smile faltered as her shoulders hitched, “...dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!” Daring didn't lean so much as collapse against the unicorn as everything finally came crashing down the way things only can once you finally safe again, “...I left her! I bucking left her out there and she bucking froze to death because of me!” “It's alright,” Tabula replied softly as the pegasus started to sob, “It's all going to be alright...” “...Not likely,” Daring said in barely a whisper, “Dammit... it should have been me and-” “I will have absolutely none of that,” the two younger mares looked up as Masra approached, the president's gaze locked on Daring, “You are here now because of what Zapapple Tock did – I will not have you throw that away by second-guessing it.” Daring pulled away from Tabula as she shook her head, “We both could have gone down to the castle – Zapapple knew more about this field stuff then me! She-” “She knew exactly what she was doing,” Masra cut in, “As you said – she had far more experience in the field then you; if anypony would have been able to survive in this, it would have been her. So she did what was best for both of you – sent you to the castle, out of the storm, where you would actually stand a chance.” Daring stared down at her hooves, “...she wanted to see the world...” “Not as much as she wanted to make sure you were alright,” Masra replied as she knelt down in front of Daring, “I know this is hard, but I need you to stop feeling sorry for yourself so we can all get off of this Celestia-forsaken mountain.” Daring's head snapped up , as she glared at the president, “What do you know about-” “Plenty!” Masra shot back, “I've lost more friends then anypony ever should – several because of my own mistakes,” Masra rose back to her hooves, “be thankful that you don't have to carry that sort of burden. As guilty as you feel about surviving, you can at least take solace in the fact that Zapapple wanted you to live. Some of us don't have that luxury.” Daring didn't move for a moment before simply slumping back down into the snow, “...I don't care – the world's safe, just leave me here.” “Unacceptable,” Masra replied, “I've lost enough ponies today.” “You didn't even know her,” Daring muttered, “You'd barely met her...” “She was still one of mine,” Masra replied, “and I know she wouldn't want you to die here along with her so, Get. Up!” Daring slowly pulled herself up onto her hooves, head still downcast as Masra slipped a hoof under her chin, lifting it until they were staring at each other, “If anypony is to blame, its me. I never should have let the two of you come up here.” Daring shook her head, “No – it was my idea.” “And you are my responsibility,” Masra shot back, “This is how a chain of command works,” Masra sighed as she gave Daring a sad smile, “Nopony your age should have a look like that – I am sorry I couldn't protect you like I should have.” “This isn't your fault!” Daring was nearly shouting now as she stomped forward a few steps toward the president, “You didn't-” Daring was cut off as Masra held a hoof against her lips, “If I cannot blame myself, then you cannot blame yourself,” her hoof dropped back to the ground as she continued, “We can run around in circles until the summer thaw trying to decide blame – me, for letting you come up her or you for having the idea in the first place? Perhaps we should find whoever left the doors to the tunnels open and hold them accountable? Every effect has a dozen causes that could have changed the outcome. The only absolute is that Zapapple Tock died in that blizzard, and you and I both know who was responsible for that.” Daring felt herself tensing as she nodded. “So, do you still want us to leave you up here?” Masra asked, “Do you still want to throw everything away – to throw away what Zapapple did?” That, more then anything, struck a nerve with Daring, “No!” Daring all but shouted back. Masra considered her for another moment before giving a nod, “...Good. Hold onto that feeling,” with that, Masra turned to Storm Talon, “keep an eye on her for a while – she should be alright, given time.” “What the buck was all of that?” Storm Talon muttered back in a hushed tone. “Hopefully?” Masra replied, “Making sure she wasn't going to blame herself for this. And, maybe, reminding her of what she has to live for now,” the president considered Daring as Tabula started to dust excess snow off the pegasus, “She's doing better then I expected, to be honest.” “Then you...” Storm Talon replied in surprise before hissing, “She isn't some grunt in the guard! She was never prepared for something like this!” “Nopony is ever prepared for something like this, Storm,” Masra replied, “You can warn them and train them all you want, but nopony is ever prepared for something like this. All we can do is help her through it.” Storm gave his head a little tilt that was the avian equivalent of a raised eyebrow, “Speaking from experience?” “Yes,” Masra said with a tired sigh, “Far, far too much experience,” she glanced at the griffon, “You?” “I've seen this usually go two ways,” Storm Talon replied, “Either they get stupidly risky or stupidly drunk.” “Well, only time will tell how she'll fair,” Masra said before turning to the two younger mares and saying more loudly, “Good to see you moving, Tabula – nothing broken?” “No ma'am,” Tabula replied with a shake of her head before turning to the pegasus, “but Daring...” “I'm fine,” Daring said, “I'm... fine,” she flared her wings out, preening a few feathers that had c0me out of place before giving them a few experimental flexes. Apparently satisfied, she gave a small nod before refurling them and turning to the president, “If it's alright with you, I'd like to get off this mountain now.” Masra considered her for a moment before nodding, “You're mobile, which is what counts right now,” she turned to the unicorn, “Miss Rasa, do you remember the way?” Tabula nodded, “Yes ma'am,” “Then lead the way,” Masra ordered, “Daring, stay on the ground for now; we don't know if any of the minions of that Ahuizotl character are still about. Professor Talon and I will bring up the rear.” Daring gave a sharp nod before following after the librarian. Storm Talon watched her walk off before turning to Masra, “So, now what?” “Now?” Masra replied, “Now we get the buck off this mountain.” “About fucking time.” Storm Talon said with a nod as the pair followed after Daring. Without the blizzard raging around them, Daring found the mountain now eerily silent. The only sound to carry through the woods was the crunching of snow under their hooves and their own breathing. Even the sound of the wind had vanished, leaving them to walk through an motionless white and gray forest as Tabula led them to... Actually, she wasn't sure where they were going. “Our means of transportation,” Masra replied simply, “Unfortunately, we had to squirrel it away in one of the caves to keep it safe from the storm.” “Could still be buried by an avalanche,” Storm Talon groused, “Then we're all out of bucking luck.” “Always the optimist, eh Professor?” Daring commented as she glanced back at the old griffon. His artificial leg was moving stiffly, and his annoyance at the dusting of snow that was currently melting into his feathers meant he had a look in his eyes that suggested he was half a heart-beat from biting somebody's head off, possibly literally. Then again, Daring realized, professor Storm Talon tended to look like that horrible death-mountain or no. It was comforting that some things never changed. Back in the present, Daring gave the president another glance, “You haven't actually said how you got here,” Though given it was in a cave, Daring assumed it was some sort of airship. That, or they'd payed a bunch of giant eagles for a lift. Daring doubted that though. “You're a smart mare, Miss Do,” the president replied, “I'm sure you can figure it out.” “Oh, stop beating around the gorram bush, Masra,” Storm snapped before turning to Daring, “President Crazy here stole Sunbutt's new toy.” It took Daring a moment to parse that out, and she ground to a halt when she did, leaving the president to unceremoniously run into her rump, “Miss Do, I would appreciate some warning before-” “You stole an airship!?” Daring nearly shouted as she spun around the face Masra, “A Royal Guard airship!?” Masra glanced away, her expression carefully schooled as she pointedly did not make eye-contact with Daring. It took the pegasus a moment to place the expression, “I was pressed for time and forced to requisition resources. I had little choice in the matter.” The president justifying herself settled it for Daring. “You're embarrassed that you stole a ship for me,” Daring said with a groan as she brought a hoof up to her face. “Embarrassed that I perhaps acted more rashly then I should have, perhaps,” Masra replied, before gently pulling Daring's hoof down and looking her in the eye, “But embarrassed that I did it for you and Miss Tock? Never. As I've said, you are one of my ponies.” Daring chuckled at that, “We've talked, what? Once before this Ma'am?” “You're still one of mine,” The president replied as she let Daring's hoof fall to the ground, “Now – we need to get moving. We have one more pony to pick up.” Daring nodded, and the whole group began to move again until something occurred to Daring, “wait,” She said as she turned back to Masra, “who else is up here?” Masra just raised an eyebrow as she gave the pegasus an nonchalant look, “Really, Miss Do – I'd have thought you'd understand at this point. You're friend is still somewhere on this mountain.” Daring froze at the president's words, “You mean...” “As I said, Miss Do,” Masra said simply as she continued past Daring, leaving Storm Talon to prod the pegasus back into movement, “I do not leave my ponies behind.”