//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Showdown at Sundown // Story: In Search of a Rainbow // by Aswad Zeev //------------------------------// By the time Spitfire and Daring arrived near Ahuizotl's camp, the Sun was already starting to sink low towards the horizon. Spitfire remarked. “It looks like it's going to be another beautiful sunset. They are always followed by amazing starry skies. Celestia and Luna are really putting a lot into this one.” “I can't say I've ever really noticed, between the writing and the day job, the sunset tends to be just something that happens. But this looks like it's going to be one royal sunset of a brawl. May the Princesses watch over us.” “They always do” Spitfire remarked. “That's why Luna writes to you, you know? She knows what it's like to feel like your standing alone against the world.” Daring balked at Spitfire. “How? How do you know about those letters?” Spitfire followed up. “I don't get to talk to Luna that often because we do most of our work during the daylight hours, but she tried to recruit me into the Night Guard once and she consults me by letter on various training methods. I offered to let her use our training grounds, but she felt it was wrong to mix guards and civilians, also apparently our facility didn't quite meet her “training” needs. But she did once mention she writes to the 'infamous A.K.Yearling'.” “Night Guards?” Daring scoffed, they're a myth, aren't they? Just regular guards in night armor.” “Oh they're quite real, I've only met one or two, and Luna assured me the transformation is quite painless, but it makes them allergic to sunlight. She wasn't admittedly clear on the spells reversal though.” It was at this moment, the two of them dropped down into the center of the camp and Daring yelled “AHUIZOTL, I'M HERE FOR RAINBOW DASH! HAND HER OVER AND NOONE GETS HURT!” Lightning Dust stepped out of a tent. “The hell? How did you two get here? I thought I left you back in that cage with those mangy cats?” There was a hoarse laugh as Ahuizotl plumbed down onto his throne from seemingly nowhere. It was clearly displayed near the top of the pyramid ruins that dominated the camp. Everybody turned to look at him. Rainbow Dash was hanging in a cramped cage, barely big enough for a single pony hanging several feet away from him. “Well, well, well, look what the proverbial 'cat' dragged in. You've handed yourself to me on a silver platter Daring, you make this too easy. Do you have any last words for your friends?” “Bite Me!” Spitfire retorted on Daring's behalf. Standing back to back, Daring and Spitfire were quickly surrounded by a small army of various cats. “So be it, get them!” Ahuizotl ordered. Lightning Dust hung back and circling around, while the cats assailed the duo in the heart of the camp. However, despite the numbers of cats that kept coming at them, they hoofed, bucked, kicked and butted the cats in a ferocious onslaught until most of the cats were knocked out unconscious, or fleeing. A few cats still remained like Lightning Dust, slowly trotting around the pair of ponies in the middle looking for an opening to attack. Finally, the last cat had made a reckless leap at one of them, only to be bucked into a tree by the other. That left Lightning Dust staring down at Spitfire who said to Daring. “I've got her, you go deal with Ahuizotl, this is my fight and he is yours.” By now, despite their impeccable defense and the valiant assault by the feline horde, both ponies were clearly battle worn and covered in dirt up with plenty of scars and a few bleeds. Lightning Dust and Spitfire launched at each other, just as Daring bounded up the stairs to the throne before leaping up at the cat sat upon it. The sun's last rays flashed across the sky and set and all went dark.