The wind wiped, snowy tundra of the frozen north was as far from the jungles of the west and south that Daring Do was used to. It was also a far cry from the exotic home of her companion, Jua, who despite her protest still came with her. She was at least thankful that this time it wasn't with a crazed fan, but an experienced treasure hunter. Not that her last companion was bad, but she certainly had a lot of growing up to do.
"Well are you still happy that you came with me?" She smirked at the grimacing zebra, who was shivering in the icy winds of the frigid tundra, despite the absurd amount of cloths that he had on.
"I am not happy that we had to come here at all." The zebra rubbed one of his numb fore legs with his other fore hoof. "I much prefer the warm grass lands of the Homeland above this place, but I cannot allow you to go after Mtu Mwovu alone."
"Yeah, why not, no offence, but I've fought far worse than any zebra could ever hope to be." Daring continued through the white wasteland. She was cold but it was more of an inconvenience to her. Unlike Jua she had, had many adventures into the tundra non of which she recalled fondly. She doubted that this one would be any different.
"I have my reasons to needed to see to his recapture." Jua pushed on after the tan pony who was wearing nothing more than a single heavy fur coat and her trademark hat. The two of them pressed on toward their goal which waited patiently for them in the heart of the frozen land.
"My question is how did the Mwovu guy even hear about the Mask of the Windigo. Up until now even I just assumed that it was a legend. Heck even now I'm still not completely convinced that it's real."
"I can assure you Daring the Mask is real. Mwovu is a zebra who would not waste time on fairy tales." Jua struggled to keep up with Daring. "As for how he heard of it I've already told you."
"Yeah and I don't put a lot of stock into your star cult theory. Not that it's the weirdest thing that I've ever heard of but still it definitely ranks in the top four." She paused, and looked around, something wasn't right, before Jua could ask she turned toward him. "Jua how long have we been walking?"
"About three hours why?"
"That's what I thought." She pulled out her compass, it was still working, she sighed with relief. "Jua look over at those mountains over to the west. Do you see them." He nodded. "They've not changed the entire time that big one right there hasn't shifted its spot from our view point it's in the same spot that it was three hours ago." She sighed, and picked up something from the ground. "And this is my ice stake that I put in the ground around an hour ago. We've been going in circles."
"Then why are you smiling."
"Because my compass is working just fine." She started trotting north keeping her compass held firmly in her wing. "And I highly doubt that somepony just put up a giant magic illusion spell in the middle of the wasteland for no reason." She continued walking following the red arrow of her compass. The magical barriers magic started to mess with her head she had to correct her course every couple of steps. Jua gasped as Daring took another step and completely disappeared.
"Daring!?" Jua galloped to where he had last seen the pegasi. Only for him to slam into her on the other side. The two of them slipped and rolled on the ice tumbling over each other several times. The two of them slid into a snow bank with Jua resting on top of the adventurous pegasus. "I'm sorry." He got up looking down at the pegasus.
"Well Jua if you wanted to snuggle all you had to do was say so." The zebra's face temporarily became red and black. "Now would you please get off of me?"
"I am sorry Daring. I did not mean for that to happen it's just you suddenly disappeared." Jua got off of her and helped her back to her hooves.
"It's fine, I noticed figured that I would. It's a teleportation field around is place." He followed her gaze to the gigantic ice castle. "We're probably in a hidden cave in one of those mountains that we saw on the horizon." She looked down at the snow leading up to the castle. "And we need to hurry. It looks like Mwovu is already here."
"Right, let's go." Jua hurried into the ice castle. Daring Do flapped her wings and glided after him. The two of them headed toward the center of the castle. The two of them pushed deep into the castle. Jua skid to a halt, as he arrived in what would have been the throne room. In the middle of the room floating above a pedestal in the middle of the room. "Thank Celestia Mwovu hasn't gotten here yet."
"Thank Celsestia?" Daring raised her eyebrow.
"We also look to the Celestial Sisters, in the Homelands." Jua trotted toward the mask. Now lets get this and get out." Jua reached for the mask.
"Wait it could be a trap." Daring's warning came only a second before his hoof touched the mask. The throne rooms ambient temperature fell like a rock. Jua's legs gave out on him as the went completely numb. "Hang on I'm coming." Daring screamed as she was struck in the back. She slid on the ground toward Jua.
"A Jua it's so nice of you to come and see my corination into godhood." An inversed zebra stood at the door to the throne room. "It is a pity that you and your little pony friend will be nothing more than popsicles when I ascend." Daring moved toward the shivering Zebra, hoping that the combination of their body heat would give them enough time to figure a way out of this.
"Please tell me that you've got a plan to get out of this?" Daring asked as she pulled him close.
"Afraid not yet." Jua shivered rubbing his hooves over Daring's.
"It's almost a shame that I have to let you die in the hooves of a beautiful mare." Mtu Mwovu laughed at the entrance. "I know. Daring isn't it. Leave that idiot and come here you're free to go. It was his stupidity that killed him why should it kill you too."
"I have no intentions of letting you get your hooves on the Mask of the Windigo. And I'm not turning my back on Jua." Mwovu laughed, as he watched two struggle to stay warm enough to continue living.
"I don't want to use the Mask to conquer the world Daring just the Homelands. Now leave this fool to his fate and live."
"I will not turn my back on a friend!"
"Then you can freeze to death with your friend!" Slowly ice began to form around Daring Do and Jua. Encasing them in a tomb of ice. "So much for your friendship, stupid mare." Mwovu grabbed the Mask of the Windigo off of the floor. The room burst into blinding light causing him to stumble. "What no. How?!" He screamed as the ice incasing them melted away. The water snaked its way to him. It froze around his hooves like shackles as the ice began to spread over his body freezing him in an instant.
"Well," Jua said, "that is the closest I ever want to be to being a popsicle. What happened?"
"It's a the Mask. It's magic doesn't work against friendship." Daring grabbed it from Mwovu's frozen hoof. "It can only freeze a heart that's already cold." She put the mask into her bag. "Now Mr. Jua care to come over to my place and have a nice hot cup of tea?"
"Hot tea sounds lovely." Jua said as he put a recall talisman on the frozen zebra witch doctor. In a flash he was gone.
"Where'd he go?"
"Back to prison. Now let's get out of here. Friendship might keep magical Windigo ice from freezing us solid, but it's pretty lousy at the regular no magic kind."
"Really?" Daring pushed up against Jua so they were cheek to cheek. "I think it works fine see you're already red and sweating." She laughed as the red and black zebra ran out of the castle she flew of to join him.