//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 - Crusading Canterlot // Story: Zaps Apple // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Zaps Apple Chapter 36: Crusading Canterlot Daring Do Another book landed on an ever growing pile of books filled with vague answers or foal tales about the Pony of Fear: encountered at the very heart of fear itself, in the once temple that had been vaporized by her own fury with Harmony Rose. It was also a good side track to what going to be happening today... I adjusted the red glasses on my snout and flipped through another page in another book about the ancient ruins of a kingdom of ponies before the three pony tribes. The teams that dug them up and done their research found the carvings of the final days of the kingdom, showing a pony through the shadows swallowing it all up. Looking at the details of this new find, it depicted that she targeted the strongest parts of the kingdom, and brought fear and rage into it. Through the coming years the kingdom collapsed and whatever happened during those darkest years was never written. Another fell into silence because of her. All these books piled up around me. All this history of fallen empires, kingdoms and countries all because of the Pony of Fear. “She's older than anything we ever came across... Older than Equestria... Older then Discord. She's more ancient...” It hit me when I recalled that fury in her. She lost to the smallest, out of the way kingdom. “Wow, that thing has it out for Harmony Rose... No wonder she was blinded with fury when the very plan of escape was her greatest weakness. Harmony Rose put a trap within an trap.” I saw why she became so reckless and unleashed all that magical might. “A form of magic that brings fear to the Pony of Fear herself... Incredible...” I rose my head, realising I wasn't alone. I didn't hear it, but felt it. With a heavy sigh I spoke. “Celestia, I know you're there. No pony radiates magic quite like you do.” I turned around to see her come into view. “And also how the hay is an Earth Pony like you radiating magic almost on par with the princesses?” I glance over to the stallion. Armour McApple was the husband of the Princess and husband-to-be again in Equestrian light. “I did eat nothing but Zap Apples for over 1000 years with a magical barrier protecting me from Tris and her fear within those said trees,” he answered. I knew he was being sarcastic about it, but he was telling the truth as well. Somehow in a kingdom with no time he lived off the fruit of the trees that protected me. Magic that held off the Pony of Fear. An Earth Pony, son of Harmony Rose. This pony had answers which I seek about the Kingdom of Harmony and the Pony of Fear. If I could just get him to open up and tell me every little detail about it. Not only will it do me good for the next book but it also shows- Pause that thought... How the buck am I suppose to write about foals defeating the Pony of Fear using her own fear against her!? How can I even write that!? It's insane! I, Daring Do as A.K. Yearling, writing a book where I underestimated and let my own temper get the better of me and used against me!? It took children with magic of light from the Shadowless Orb to beat her! And I am not even getting started with Discord popping up and that fused pony giving up the very last strains of his temporary life for us all... A hoof waved in front of my face and I blinked a few times. “Are you okay? You're staring at where I stood.” Armour spoke to me; I was staring into space. I turned away, back to the book before me. “I was thinking about something. Nothing to concern yourself, oldy.” “Oldy?” he instantly responded to my words. “I am, aren't I? But I do look good for my age.” I slowly turned my head, looking at him smirking. I didn't smile, just looked him in the eyes. He was in pain and what he was doing was trying to avoid it. “Well here's something to bring that smirk crashing down, Armour McApple. You're hurting because of what happened. You are freed and they are not. You're blaming yourself for being set free.” Celestia didn't even try to counter me. She just stood as calm as ever. I could never get a read off the Princess, it was impossible. “Wow Sunny you were right, the adventurer is amazing, she read me like a book.” “Indeed Armour. She is good at what she does: writing and adventuring.” Celestia's smile gave me a chill. Oh no, she's not going to put me on the spot. “Well this is where I pack up and be on my way. I got everything I can find about the Pony of Fear and the adventure we had is enough to work on for my book. So I bid you all a good day.” I picked up my notes, putting them away in the saddle bag under my cloak. As I did this Celestia spoke again. “A shame you won't stay around to find out more about my sweet love.” “Yeah, a shame,” I replied, putting the last of my notes away. Fluttering my wings in my cloak a little, I start to leave. “Indeed Sunny. It's a shame that she had to go. But at least she could do us a favour in return for everything about my home and Tris.” Armour's now playing this game, great! Now I got two of them! I knew they were playing a game of me do something for them and give me something I want in return. I turned to them as I stopped walking away. “Not going to work, much as I'd love to get a gold mine of information from you. It would be an Daring Do dream come true, since you are an living artefact itself.” I put a hoof up. “I am not going to play your game. So good day.” I turned around and walked away. “So you're running away from the greatest challenge an adventurer like yourself ever faced? One that's a far greater challenge then a temple, traps or maniacs.” Celestia said so ever calmly. This got my back up: she pushed one of my bucking buttons! Armour pushed the next one and it got me. “The Kingdom of Harmony was founded by ponies three generations ago, my great great grandpa and grandma was one of them. They and other ponies from the three tribes had enough of the bickering and mistrust between Pegasus, Unicorn and Earth Ponies that they choose to live all their tribes together as one unified group. They were ponies and the types never mattered. They searched for a new land.” He paused and that was all he was going to give me. I gritted my teeth. “I am sooo going to regret this!” I turned around facing the pair. “Fine! You win! What the hay do you want the great adventurer to do that is going to be sooooo challenging?” Both of them glanced at each other with a smile. “Oh it's nothing too troubling. We need you only to foalsit the Crusaders.” Celestia replied. “Children!? Oh no! I am not doing foalsitting! Forget the history on the Kingdom of Harmony! I am not doing this! It's not worth finding out why Harmony Rose got the Pony of Fear's back up and why it took only the magic from the Kingdom of Harmony to end the nightmares that came to every end of a kingdom because of her and...” I slowly didn't finish off what I was saying. I was in an corner and my rambling for answers just got to me and they played me into it. “Gah! Fine! I will foalsit the Crusaders! I better not be doing so alone!” “Oh you're not. Night Spark.” Celestia called out and I turned to the sound of hooves. “I'll be helping.” I stared at the bat pony that came out of the shadows. “Why do I have the feeling I just jumped into a blazing inferno with my wings tied to my sides?” I turned to counter this and get away, but before I could both Celestia and Armour McApple were gone. “BUCK!” Night Spark just chuckled, closing up his leathery wings. “Sounds like the great Daring Do is afraid to foalsit.” I stomped my hoof on the ground with a heavy snort. “From the name of Crusaders, yes!” He walked up beside me. “Cutie Mark Crusaders to be exact.” With that the great and almighty adventurer Daring Do had lost. She was about to face the foals that were not only called the CMC, but those that saved my rump and the Element bearers. How the buck am I suppose to foalsit and do the Daring Do panel!? WHAT HAVE I GOT MYSELF INTO!? I quickly turned and had to ask. “They're all related or very close to Rainbow Dash and the others aren't they?” “Yes they are.” “Oh pony feathers...” And that how the great Daring Do met her match... Zaps I felt so strange. The costume I was wearing covered almost all of my body up, and it felt a little too tight on the legs when I moved my forelegs or hind legs. There was a cape attached to it as well that rested past my rump and down the sides. Scootaloo said it was some sort of super hero costume from a comic she had read and went well with this convention. I had blackish grey boots on each of my hooves with a lighter shade on the body suit, and a pair of bat wings and a yellow and black symbol on the chest. The cape was blackish grey too,and the weird hood had pony bat ears attached to it that would go over my ears and cover over my mane and part of my upper face. “Why do these super heroes hide in weird suits? If they're super why not show it?” I asked, trying to understand these super heroes. “It's to protect the ones we care about.” We all turned to Daring Do entering the room with Night Spark. “I am a writer to those here in the north of Equestria. And my true self is no more then fiction.” I rubbed my head. “So this hero that looks like an wingless bat pony is real some place else?” Scootaloo giggled. “No silly, it's a special case with Daring Do.” “She's real and the Batstallion is not?” I was confused. Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Yes, let get suited and go on out, fillies and colts. Me and Night here will be keeping an eye on you.” Applebloom raised an eye. “What the catch? Yer not thrilled by it.” “I got cornered by Celestia and her husband. I will never play a hoof of poker against those two, I be broke by dawn's light.” Daring Do answered, walking up to me and pulling the hood up over my head and around my eyes. “Hmm, not too shabby. Rarity knows how to work fast, doesn't she?” Sweetie Belle beamed in delight with a squee. “I like mine! She's an amazing sister! Maybe annoying at times but amazing! Mine is of Vinguard the watcher of the green!” Sweetie Belle showed off her costume with vines around parts of the suit, and flowers and leaves placed perfectly to make her suit really shine. “Mine is Zaps! The master of the storms!” Scootaloo whirled around on one hind leg showing it off before landing on all fours again. I blinked when she said my name. Was there a hero by that name too in a comic book? “And I am Filly Second, the speedy and super fast earth pony!” Applebloom did a quick trot on the spot. Daring Do looked to each of us. “Got to admit that you four are pulling me towards reading a comic or two of the power ponies and Batstallion.” She put an wing out to the door. “Shall we go? Or just stare at the hoof work of Rarity? Either fine by me till two in the afternoon.” “What happening at two?” I asked. “Just a panel I'll be running as my novel counterpart A.K. Yearling.” “We're burning morning daylight, foals let move!” Night Spark said firmly, pointing to the door. “Lets hoof it!” We all saluted. “Yes sir!” and laughed afterwards before rushing out of the door with the adults in tow. We all were soon out of the castle grounds and onto the streets of Canterlot. It wasn't the same as I first seen the city. There were banners, decorations, stalls, some strange things ponies were riding on and screaming out or laughing on, and finally almost everywhere ponies from our ages to adults wearing costumes of all kinds. Scootaloo turned around facing all of us. “How do we even begin to choose what we do first? There's so much going on already!” Sweetie Belle rubbed the underside of her snout. “I'm not sure, I don't want to miss anything that could get our cutie marks, but I want to have fun too!” “Why not just forget about gettin' our marks today and have fun! Not everyday we get to go to one of these conventions!” Applebloom stated, pointing a hoof around everything before us, moving it from left to right. “So let crusader on havin' fun!” “Yeah!” We raised our right front hooves up and clapped together. I noticed ponies walking up to a stand, getting a folded up piece of paper and opening it up. I noticed it had pictures of places and boxes with lines of writing on it. “Ponies are getting those things, maybe they will help?” I suggested, pointing to the stand with my hoof. Night Spark patted me with a hoof gently. “Good work Batstallion, the map will lead our way to adventure.” He winked to Daring Do. She rolled her eyes as I turned my head to her. “Yeah it will. A map leads to treasures, but in this case many paths of adventure. Which way we go is where you little heroes pick.” Daring Do walked up to the stand with a hoof out to it. “One map if you may.” The stallion handing out the maps looked at her with a slight tilt of the head. “That's one impressive cosplay you got there ma'am. It almost looks real.” Daring Do shrugs. “What can I say? I am to be the best.” She took the map from him. “Thanks for the map!” She turned and walked back to us. “It's a pleasure, have fun!” He waved a hoof. Daring Do placed the map on the ground between us. “So let's have a see.” Scootaloo pointed a hoof to the rides. “Look at these rides! There's even a roller-coaster!” I heard some screams, and turning my head looking to my right I could see metal tracks that bend around in the air supported by beams of metal. A cart came around with ponies in it and disappeared from view. “Is that the roller-coaster?” “Sure is!” Scootaloo rapidly flapped her wings, hovering a little before landing on her hooves again. “What you say girls? Shall we?” “Sure!” “Ah'm in!” “I'd like to try it,” I also agreed. Night Spark took the map, rolling it up and putting it back under his wing. “We've been out voted Daring.” “It seems we have. Let's make a move.” We cheered and headed over to the roller-coaster. While we were moving through the crowds of ponies I noticed something with a paw peer out of the alleyway. The yellow eyes with black pupils seemed to follow us, the weird sharp teeth sticking out of his mouth reminded me of that villain character from the Daring Do books. “Scootaloo, I think I see-” I turned to her and back to the alleyway, pointing to it and finding the figure was gone. “See what? Zaps?” “I thought I saw-” “Come on you two! There's not much of a queue! If we don't hurry there will be!” Sweetie Belle called out to us. “We're coming!” Scootaloo rushed off to them. I rubbed my head a little with my hoof. “Guess I'm seeing things.” I ran after Scootaloo. We got in line and followed other ponies. Joining into the line were three stallions all wearing weird bands and necklace things with feathers and leaves on them. One had green ear bits with yellow feathers hanging from it. “Ah like what yer wearin'. Darin' Do readers?” The stallions looked at each other and nodded. “Yes yes. We are,” one said. “Guess we see some looking like villains from the book, as well dressing up as Daring Do.” Sweetie Belle stated. “Like the one in the alleyway?” I asked. “Most likely. Just trying to give a scare for fun,” Night stated with a chuckle. “You get all kinds.” Daring Do looked around. “Not surprising, and blending in is easy,” she whispered. “Now lets get on, it's our turn.” “YAY!” Daring shook her head. “You four are really loud!” “Hehe. Sorry!” we laughed and said together. “Come get on, you four.” She helped us into our seats and then she and Night took their seats behind us. The three stallions talking to each other nodded and got on the next cart down. The unicorn at the controls used her magic to cause the bars to lower over our heads and lock against our chests. I put my forelegs around it, holding onto it as others did too. With a hoof raised, the pegasus that pulled on our harness bars waved her wing back to the unicorn. With a jolt the carts moved away from the station, and went up with a click and clank till it got very high up. We could see the rest of the tracks, which bended, twisted and looped around the big open area of the city. I gulped at the way the track went around. It was all held by metal pillars supported by really thick and heavy platforms on the ground. “Here we go!” Scootalo raised her forelegs up, and I turn to look in front of us as the clicking and clanking stopped. We started to go down and faster we got. “Whoohooo!” “Ahhh!” I heard others scream as we went really fast around a turn, then went up, upside and back right side up before twisting around going upside down again. I was pinned back against my seat, not sure to scream or what. I never felt anything like this with me being pushed and pulled around in this harness bar. I held on with my eyes darting left and right as things blurred by us. Soon it slowed again, and the twists and turns with ups and downs came to an end. We were back where we begun. “Oh yeah that was awesome! Don't you think Zaps?” I turned to Scootaloo as the cart came to a stop and the bars rose. “I never felt anything like it! It was really wild, scary and fun! It is suppose to be like that?” She nodded eagerly. “I liked it! Can we go again?” “Ah'm up for more!” “Same! What ride should we go on next?” I pointed a hoof toward the ponies spinning in cups going around a big tea pot. “What about that one?” “Yeah!” the girls agreed. We ran to it by passing three very green-faced stallions. We heard Night Spark speak as we ran to the spinning tea cup ride we saw. “Daring, they're on the move!” “What!? Seriously!? Come on! We just got off this ride! Don't say they're going on another already!” Daring Do darted through the many ponies we managed to get through to catch up with Night Spark. We gave a bit each to get on the ride, and the adults did too for a few ponies after us. They climbed into their own cups, looking over to us as we waited for the music to play and the ride to start like we just saw moments ago. “All we do is pull this wheel in the middle one way and we spin?” “Yeah!” Applebloom answered. “We gonna make it go really fast!” She looked to each of us. “Right Crusaders?” “Right!” We rose a hoof up each with a cheer. A pony went around, putting a clip on over the opening we climbed in. Daring Do and Night looked over at us from their cup, and we looked over to them waving at them happily. They returned a wave with their hooves. “Are we ready for some fun?” We all cheered out. “Alrighty! Let get those cups turning! Have fun!” the mare spoke out from the box. She flipped a switch, turning on the ride. Three cups on each of the three big circles started spinning around, with the biggest circle moving the other way round. We pulled the wheel around causing our cup to spin, and the force started to pull us into one side of the cup, squishing us against each other as we slid from our seat. We laughed and tried to make it spin faster. The forces we felt made us a bit dizzy but it was a lot of fun! I never thought those weird machine rides would be so much fun to play on! The music was really up beat too! “Wooohooo!” Scootaloo cheered. “Keep pulling! We can go faster!” “Hehehe we're trying!” Sweetie Belle replied as she laughed. I wasn't sure how much time passed while we were spinning on the ride, but it was getting slower and the music slowly came to an end. The ride was over but it was a lot of fun. “Wow that was amazing! What other rides like this are here?” Sweetie Belle got out walking funny. Her four hooves weren't moving the way they should with her swaying to the right and to the left. “Everything's spinning!” she giggled. “We can go on the Ferris Wheel next!” She got her sense of balance back, turning around to us. “I guess we can go on something for the view then the thrill.” Scootaloo didn't seem too thrilled at this idea. “Ah know where it is! Come on Crusaders!” Applebloom waved at us to follow and we did. Night and Daring ran after us once more. “How much energy do they have!?” “From what I've seen, too much,” came Night's reply as they caught up with us, passing ponies wondering around chatting among each other in their small groups or heading to other rides too. It was really packed! We arrived at the wheel, and I looked up at how high it was. “Wow! I bet you can see more of Canterlot from there!” “I think we can!” Scootaloo answered. “Come on!” She took my hoof with hers and pulled me into one of the pods, giving two bits to the pony holding the door open. It closed and started to move again. We watched Sweetie Belle and Applebloom get into the next one. After that as we got a little higher, Daring and Night got into the next one. We got higher and higher as it slowly moved, it was continuously moving. “It's slower than the other two we were on, but the view is really cool! We can see like Pegasi can see!” I put my hooves against the glass, looking at the view we were getting. The city of Canterlot from here looked so different from the castle. Scootaloo's wings were buzzing as she flapped them, taking a good look around herself. “Wow! This is awesome! We can see almost everything! I have no idea how they got this wheel in the middle of the city!.” “Could it be with unicorns or the Pegasi?” I asked. She tapped a hoof on her snout a few times. “Maybe. It would be easier to lift over things or maybe they use magic to fold it away or make it smaller! I heard there were spells out there that could make objects small!” “Or make something bigger on the inside? Like we in the library?” I recalled seeing things look bigger from inside then outside. Scootaloo thought for a moment and nodded. “Yeah why not!” Scootaloo quickly moved over to my side next to me with her hoof slightly touching mine as we looked outside. “Look! It's Rainbow Dash!” “She dressed up like a guard pony but with light blue armour, how come?” I asked curiously. “That's the armour she wore when showing the Crystal Ponies one of their events when she and the others took out that evil King Sombra! Rainbow Dash told me she still had hold of it as a thank you from the Crystal Ponies!” Scootaloo explained to me. I was curious about her costume, turning my head to her directly. “Why is there a comic book hero by the same name as me?” Scootaloo quickly turned. “What? I-” Her end of the snout touched mine, she backed up a little removing her hoof rubbing her snout. “Sorry Zaps!” Under her eyes turned pinkish red quickly. “For what?” I tilted my head. “Erm... Forget it.” She waved her hoof dismissing it and the pink faded. “I didn't even think of that Zaps. I didn't realise at all till you mentioned it to me.” I looked around a bit puzzled by it. “Is it ok for me to have the same name as a super hero from a comic book?” “Don't know.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Does it bother you?” I couldn't think of how to answer it since I knew little of the character part from how Scootaloo dressed up as that character. “I don't know Scootaloo. Never seen one of those comic books. What exactly do they look like?” “When we get off this ride we'll go to the vendors that sell all kinds of cool stuff! I can even show you a Power Ponies comic book!” she grinned. I nodded happily. “That would be great!” I raiseed my hoof up and she clapped her hoof against mine. Scootaloo pointed to a part of the convention. “Look, there are the vendors!” I noticed it when she pointed to it. There was all kind of stands, shelves and a lot of ponies and some griffins around it. “Whoa, it looks really packed! Guessing on a Saturday it would be.” “Does a day mean it's more crowded then it is on another day?” “It sure does Zaps. Tomorrow there will be less ponies around cause many only can come for one day.” Scootaloo explained. As the ride came full circle, we were getting close to exiting the ride. “What do you think Big Mac and the others are up to?” “Having a great time like we are!” Scootaloo stepped off the ride and so did I. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom soon got off too. “Come on Crusaders! Let go to the vendors!” “We're gonna go to the comic vendor, right?” “Yeah we are!” Scootaloo replied to Applebloom. “Come on!” Sweetie Belle turned for a second. “What about the adults?” “We'll be fine! There are plenty of guards!” Scootaloo waved her hoof and ran off. “Come on!” “Coming!” we called out and ran after her. “Not again!” I heard from Daring Do, not sure where she was as she and Night Spark got off the ride, but I was sure they followed the direction we were going. We rounded a corner getting close to the vendors, and we could see them through the crowd of ponies, but all the sudden out of the blue three paws came out and grabbed us all, pulling us out of sight. We tried to scream out but no one seemed to notice, since there was the loud muffling of talking by all the ponies along with the loud music. “Ow...” I moaned, feeling the rough landing I had with the girls. We looked up to see no other than Ahuizotl from the Daring Do books. If she's real then... “What throw-” Scootaloo didn't get to finish when I turned her head. “Ahuizotl!?” she gasped. He laughed at us with those three tribal-dress ponies beside him, the ones that looked sick and still did. “Muhahahaha! I have you little pests now!” “What are ya doin' here!? In the heart of Canterlot!” Applebloom yelled at him. “Oh getting my revenge on you brats! I saw what happened to the temple! You are the cause of it!” “How do you know we were?” Sweetie Belle asked. He pointed the tail paw at us. “Because I know! Now I am going to take you all to her and claim my reward! Muhahahaha! Ponies, take them!” The three ponies closed in on us as we backed away from them, but we were trapped against a wall with nowhere to go. Suddenly a box hit one on the back of the head, knocking him down and out cold. “I have no idea what's going on here but no one picks on foals!” It was that unicorn from the trade fair. “Girls it's her! The one that lost to us for the chest!” I pointed to her. Ahuizotl turn to face her. “Oh a unicorn wanting to go against me? Ahuizotl? How charming.” She glared at him. “Look buster, quit pretending and get out of that costume!” “It's not a costume!” we screamed out to her. “He's the REAL Ahuizotl!” She looked to us and back at him. “What?” Ahuizotl grabbed her with his right front paw, so she was face to face with him. “Am I a fake?” he grinned, showing off his teeth to her. She gulped loudly, trying to break free. “Y-you're real!?” “Hehehe... I am.” That's when we saw him holding a necklace with a green jewel in it in his other paw. The girls gasped, seeing as he put it on around the unicorn's neck. “Now Shadowless has you.” “W-” Her eyes shrunk, then closed a second later. Her head dropped down as if she just passed out. Scootaloo gulped. “It's the same thing that was controlling Trixie!” “Big Mac said something about somepony called that leaving Canterlot. What does this have to do with what's happening now?” I was confused by what was going on right this moment, seeing the weird green gem glowing on the necklace on the unicorn that Ahuizotl put down on her hooves. Applebloom gulped, looking around for a way out. “That necklace had somepony control Trixie before, and now it's controllin' that pony!” The eyes opened and shimmered with green for a few seconds. She grinned and glanced over to us as she spoke. “It's the return of Shadowless! Welcome me!” she chuckled. “No? You youngsters caused a number of problems for us.” She approached us and poked my snout with her hoof. I wiggled my snout a little. “Leave him alone!” Scootaloo quickly got in front of me. “Well isn't this charming.” Shadowless turned around to Ahuizotl. “Now all we need is to bait the fish into the trap. Send your ponies to drag this unconscious one to the warehouse as planned at the Airship port.” Ahuizotl chuckled. “Of course!” He turned to the two stallions. “Just as planned with a twist my faithful followers. Take him back to the warehouse and make sure that incursed Daring Do and that guard pony follow you.” “Yes Ahuizotl!” They bowed and took their fellow stallion. With one foreleg over the back of one and the other the same, they used the outer foreleg to the stallion between them to hold the forelegs. They soon dragged him away, leaving us alone with the unicorn now under the control of somepony called Shadowless. Shadowless turned around to us. “As for you four, we're going to take a shortcut. Ahuizotl, grab them.” Ahuizotl laughed as he lunged his three paws at us. We had little time to react, but it didn't matter he as he was too quick and grabbed us all, lifting us off the ground. Scootaloo pulled and kicked to try and break free. “Let go of us you freak!” Shadowless chuckled lightly. “This unicorn knows teleportation, now that's useful. Tris is her name, interesting. She's running a vendor table with her cousin Teddie Safari. You were heading there when she saw Ahuizotl take you. Oh!” She dance-trot over to Ahuizotl with her horn glowing. “I wish I could keep controlling this pony as a puppet, but there would be too many questions asked.” With a flash from her horn we was suddenly inside some sort of large building with crates all around us. “Welcome to Warehouse Three of the Airship Yard,” she giggled, using her magic to open up a large cage. “Place the little heroes in there. Don't throw!” Ahuizotl cringed as her eyes glowed, and he slowly placed us all inside the cage. He let go of all of us in a instant and withdrew. When he did the cage closed on us, locked in place with a padlock clicking in on the door slot. “What of the Pony of Fear, Shadowless?” “What of her? She's trapped now and never getting out. What we're doing is for our own benefits! I go for what I want and I got what you want. So after we deal with the problem at hoof to come, we will part ways for good.” Shadowless turned to Ahuizotl, walking over to a large chest. With a tap of the hind hoof it opened up. “Like I said, I know how to make deals with the worst and get what I want.” We watched Ahuizotl's eyes glue on whatever was in the chest. “What make you think I would double cross you now?” he chuckled, his tail paw raised up, pressing two of the paw ends together. Shadowless closed the chest and jumped onto a chair, putting her hind legs up on the crate before her, with forelegs behind her head. “Because we can deal a defeat to the great Daring Do, and give you a chance to get your blue freakish butt with your minions out of Canterlot.” She was very calm as she spoke to him. “Or you can double cross me, and Daring arrives and kicks your sorry paw tail into a Canterlot dungeon, cause you know she will.” He lowered the tail paw with a smile of his own. “You are correct Shadowless. Very well, I won't betray you. But if we cross paths again I will make you sorry.” “Yeah yeah I know. So relax.” She waved the hoof dismissively at him. “Now before the fun really begins, we can't let these heroes be telling now, can we?” She cast a spell over the cage we were in. I looked around as a weird wall of light formed above us and moved over the edges of the cage on all sides. “Wh-what is this?” “Oh, it's a sound proof spell. I stole this right from under her own snout,” she chuckled. “Let's say I kinda follow the Pony of Fear, but when she messed up like that I had to make sure I got something from it. Like this from that little old kingdom. I saw it thanks to her, a door on one side can be opened so can another.” Shadowless waved at us. “Time for you to not hear us or us to he-” We didn't get to hear what else she said and silence came from outside the weird energy field around us. “Wow, she double crossed the Pony of Fear!” Applebloom said, looking around. “She must not think highly of her anymore.” “Maybe... But why go to all the trouble and take us?” Sweetie Belle asked, putting a hoof through the cage bar and passing it through the field of energy. “Wow, it's not a barrier at all, it's just stopping sound.” Scootaloo walked back and forwards. “That doesn't help us Sweetie Belle. We're trapped in here and can't warn Daring Do or Night Spark that they're walking into a trap!” She threw her forelegs up with a scream afterwards. “How did we not see this coming!?” “I didn't...” I answered, I did notice Shadowless was reading something. “Is that a comic book?” Applebloom hit the cage with her hind legs. “It's not even denting!” Applebloom hit it again and again, with it clinging with each hit. “Zaps, let's try!” “Okay. I'll try.” We both bucked it as hard as we could but nothing happened to the bars. “Why are the bars not getting damaged?” Sweetie Belle took a good look at where we hit the bars hard with each buck. “I've seen this metal. It's used on the roller-coasters to hold up the tracks. They reinforced Maginite.” “What exactly is that?” Scootaloo asked in frustration. “It's a form of metal that's light and enhanced with a form of magic that infused right to it. Only intense heat, focused beam magic or a really sharp sword can cut through it.” Sweetie Belle explained to us. Applebloom tapped it with her front hoof. “So brute force won't do anythin'?” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, not even magic being absorbed can do anything to it. It's made to absorb impact.” Scootaloo sighed heavily. “Other words, it's weak to being cut but very resistant to being hit?” “Maybe if we keep kicking the same spot-” Suddenly me and Applebloom felt something put around our hind legs and forelegs. I looked down to see chains attached to braces that were tightly put on. Applebloom tried to get them off but failed, we both failed. “Yer kinddin' me! Y'all not gonna get away with this!” Applebloom glared at Ahuizotl who had placed them on us. He shrugged and walked back to Shadowless, now waiting for Daring Do and Night Spark to show up. Scootaloo tried to get my legs free from the braces. “They're not budging!” She stomped her hoof. “Why the hay did this have to happen today of all days?” “I don't know...” We turned to see the two tribal stallions carrying the other quickly enter. The one being carried soon was back on his hooves. He looked dazed still, but he was ready and we knew what was coming. Smashing through a window, Daring Do came in with Night Spark. They stood ready for a fight and that's what we saw. We watched as Daring flew, in kicking a stallion into a crate, breaking it apart. Ahuizotl rose his tail paw, and with a push of the paw ends five cats suddenly came out from behind different crates in all directions. He laughed at her and she said something back at him. Night Spark joined in on the fight using a staff that I saw him take from the ground, and struck a spotted cat, sending it flying into some crates. He and Daring exchanged words and parted from each other, fighting the cats and stallions. While this happened, Ahuizotl and Shadowless just watched with such confidence in their expressions. We were glad and cheering on Daring Do and Night Spark as they fought the foes they faced. They were winning from what it looked like. Soon it came to facing Ahuizotl and Shadowless. They stood face to face looking into each other eyes, both sides talking one after the other. We didn't know what they were saying, but when Shadowless pointed a hoof to us they looked to us and back at them. Shadowless dropped the sound proof spell around us. “Here are your options. Surrender and the little heroes are unharmed or fight us and well I can't say I'd be responsible for what happens next.” With a nod Ahuizotl took hold of a lever and pulled it down. That's when we heard something click and clack. We looked down to see the bottom of our cage open up. Below was nothing but the green fields below the mountain itself. “Oh sweet Celestia!” Scootaloo screamed out, pressing her back against the bars, but a field of magic stopped her and us. We couldn't hold on to anything as the floor opened up. “We're going to fall!” Sweetie Belle stood up on her hind legs, pressed against the magical field. Ahuizotl stopped pulling down the lever and the floor was on the hoof tips of our hind legs. We pressed against the magical barrier, staring right down at ground so far away. “Do-don't move!” Applebloom gulped. I glanced over to see Daring Do and Night Spark making a move to us, but they stopped. “Don't try it, Daring Do and Lunar Guard. We got you where we want you.” Shadowless stared right at me with pulsing green shades of energy through her eyes. “How does it feel Zaps? How does it feel to be one slip from falling to your doom?” I gulped with sweat falling from my head running down my snout. “I-I'm sc-scared...” “Yes you are. Now what happens is up to them. What do you four say? Should they give up? Or fight us with the cost of your very lives?” “You monster!” Daring Do sneered at her. Shadowless just rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I am doing what it takes to win. If you can't handle the fact I am willing to let the young heroes blood be spilled to get what I want, it means I am willing to do anything. In fact this pony I have as host, hmmm... Yes.” She walked up to the cage and opened it, stepping in and passing through the barrier. “I can drop this pony and still follow through my plans too. Now you have five souls on the line.” Scootaloo shakily slipped and gasped, she was falling and I reached my hooves to her. “Don't let me drop! Pl-please!” “I won't!” I held firm on her hoof, pulling to keep myself and her too from falling. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom couldn't do anything but watch as I held onto Scootaloo. “Tick tock,” she laughed. “You have ten seconds, Daring. Ten-” “Don't! We give up!” Night Spark put down the spear and sat there with his forelegs rose up. “Daring please!” Daring growled and sat down with her own forelegs up. “You win... Now put that floor back!” The stallions bound Daring Do and Night Spark with chains and rope. The floor was returned and they were placed in the cage with us. “See, what did I tell you Ahuizotl?” “Hehehe. You were right. Now we can drop them.” “No.” Shadowless turn to the lever and snapped it off. “No, we need them alive for the next phase.” “What phase?” Daring stared at her. The stallions wheeled in a cage with six weird looking bug-like ponies all in some sort of trance, all wearing purple gem necklaces. “Changelings!” Night Spark gasped. “You have changelings!?” “Oh I do.” Shadowless purred, walking up to the cage and tapping it with a hoof. “It wasn't easy to get them in such a short time, but I managed with help of my partner in crime here.” Ahuizotl looked over each of them. “Still not sure why you wanted to capture them.” Shadowless brought out from the create she had her hind legs on a blue gem. “It's simple in fact. I plan to copy all the memories of these six lovely ponies, and implant them into these Changelings. They will change into exact copies of our fallen heroes. They will think they are them but will not interfere with our plans, and after a set time make their disguises shift slightly to show their true-selves.” “Why copy us?” I asked. “What are you going to do?” “Not saying that part. But we need you to stay alive so they can keep believing they are you. But to get rid of you for a time is a perfect matter.” Shadowless brought up a comic book she had been reading. “I made this myself, it's amazing in its glory!” She cast her magic on the gem, its beams going over us, and then fired a beam of magic into each of the Changelings' gems. before us the six turned into exact doubles of us but still not responsive. “Now go back to the convention, forget what happened when Ahuizotl attacked you and go on your day as if nothing happened at all.” They nodded and with the cage open, the six that were us walked out the warehouse. “You're not going to get away with this!” “Oh please, Daring Do. I already have. Ahuizotl will his prize and be long gone by the time you return and this mare will be found dazed and confused carrying this very comic. If you're lucky you might find yourself on return in some part of Equestria in some foals room.” She chuckled. “Oh how to explain that hmm?” Ahuizotl burst into laughter holding his chest. “Oh oh Hahahahah! This is better then finishing her off! This is great! My revenge on you, Daring Do for ruining all my plans! And I... No, we win!” “Now to take care of you six. Have a nice adventure Daring Do and friends! You will need to work together to end the story that now you will be part of.” The comic book opened up with her magic. “Upon reading this adventure you shall enter and only once the task is fulfilled you will return.” Suddenly the cage opened and the book pages exploded with light. We were lifted up and pulled right towards it. “Ahhhhhhh!”