//------------------------------// // Betrayal // Story: Daring Do and the Trials of Zenith // by Fedora //------------------------------// Daring placed her torch down in a stone trough, and the powder it contained erupted in a blazing inferno. The chamber she had entered was spacious, but it was dark. The light from the burning trough spread throughout the chamber, making lines of fire along the walls and down the center as the flames spread down the system of troughs. The chamber glowed bright red from the fire's light, and Daring's eyes gleamed as she saw what was in the chamber. To her surprise, the entire chamber was lined with artifacts, valuable antiques and items of cultural significance to the area. Some were made out of gold, some were merely scrolls and documents, but the massive quantity of history contained in this room made Daring's archaeologist side jump inwardly in delight. She referred to the story once more. The booklet was at its last page, and Daring read. "Ikan made a goal during the ball game, and was allowed to proceed. However, the one last contestant facing against him was not as lucky. The stallion (who was the same to have helped him earlier) found himself injured. In a show of compassion, Ikan went back and helped him out from the ball court, risking his own life to help another. Together, the two went on the the chamber of the treasures, where Ikan was received as a hero. The young colt had done it! He was installed as the newest king, and the other stallion became a very high ranking advisor to Ikan. Both lived a very, very long time and-" CRASH Something clattered down from the ball court, into the corridor Daring had been in earlier. Wary, Daring looked back to poke her head around the corner and see what it was. She was fully expecting to come face-to-beak with an angry Gryphon, but instead she saw who else but Elise Stiflehock! "Daring, you're alive!" Elise exclaimed, grabbing the pony in a gripping hug. Daring smiled back, greeting Elise just as warmly. "Elise, what's this? How are- how did you?" Daring sputtered, but Elise held a hoof up. "I'll explain it in detail in a moment. For now, rest assured that we have a way of getting out. Trenchoofand I escaped from the camp, and we got rid of the last of the guards outside this... temple building," explained Elise, "We've got a ten minute window to vacate the area, if we hurry we can get you out with us before some reinforcements show up." "Sounds like a plan to me," Daring said. She gave the treasure chamber one last glance. "We've got to make sure that we come back for this before the Gryphons raid the chamber and take it all back to their homeland overseas. There's so much history here..." "That's great, Daring," Elise said, "We'll make a point of that. Here, you're a pegasus, fly up to that hole and then send something down for me- don't you have a rope?" "A whip, yeah," responded Daring, nodding. She bent her back hooves, and kicked off, flying up from the ground of the now-still ball court to the hole that had been created in the ceiling. She landed on the stone floor, and sure enough, there were no gryphons around. Elise seemed to be right. "Alright, I'm gonna send it down, grab on tightly," called Daring, taking her whip out and placing the chain over her hoof. She didn't crack it, but rather allowed the end to fall down into the hole. She got closer and closer to the edge, allowing the whip to extend and reach down into the chamber, close enough to the ground to allow Elise to grab on. She did, and the burden of the whip increased dramatically. "I've got you," Daring grunted, squinting her eyes and pulling back. She grabbed her right hoof with her left for more support, and tugged backwards. Her legs dug into the ground, scraping the dirt and the dust, and sure enough Elise's head emerged from the hole, followed by the rest of the pony herself. "Ok, now where did you say was the best way out?"asked Daring, coiling the whip up and placing it back where it had come from. Elise was panting, despite her having not done most of the work. She pointed out through the hole that had been blown in the wall earlier by a tank round. "Wait for me, though," Elise said, "I've got to find Trenchoof and make sure we still have a clear shot from here to the river." "Alright, just give me a signal when it's alright to make a run for it, ok?" saked Daring. Elsie nodded, and walked out through the hole in the wall. The other side of the hole in the wall saw Daring step out into the crisp afternoon air. It was as humid as ever, and not a sound could be heard except for the ambience of the creatures that inhabited the rainforest. The buzz of the mosquitos, the chirping of birds, the far-off howling of monkeys seemed to fade into the background. "We have to be very quiet, and quick," Elise whispered. "You think there's gryphons around?" Daring responded, and Elise shook her head. "No, but on the offchance there is, keep a low profile. Stand against that tree over there while I confirm that the coast is clear with threnchoof," Elsie whispered, "He's in the bushes." Daring nodded, and took a few steps backwards, leaning against a nearby tree that Elise had pointed out. The grayish mare dissappeared into the bushes, and Daring waited. And waited. The background chirping did little to distract Daring from small noises. A twig snapped, and her ears perked up. That wasn't an animal. Something felt very wrong about the situation, and Elise's drawn out disappearance made Daring feel uncomfortable being left alone where there had been enemies not very long ago. Daring scanned the trees, lookign for some motion. Perhaps Elsie would make a hoof motion from the bushes. There wasn't much to see apart from some flowers, vines, and shrubs. A macaw took flight from somewhere to Daring's left, and then perched on something to her left that was protruding from the trees. What was it? It was long, and it had a hollow center. With a sinking realization Daring realized that the barrel was fixed on her. With a yelp, Daring jumped backwards and flapped her wings just as the cannon erupted in a blaze of fire and smoke. The shell blasted where the pony had been just moments before, sending a shockwave tearing through her and slamming her violently up against the stone wall. Daring heard the crunch of broken rib bones, and her wings failed her. The world looked different from this position. She was laying on her side, unable to get up. Her ears rang, and she couldn't hear anything else other thasn the steady, monotonous whine. The vibrant colors of the rainforest seemed dulled and gray. She could barely make out the motion of a tank emerging from its camoflague, and of Elise hopping inside. The sound was coming back now, and Daring could make out some speech. "Daring, no!" "Shut up, your friend is dead. Wailing won't bring her back." "Not only are you a traitor, but you're an accomplice to murder!" "Shut up, Trenchoof. I'd have the gryphons kick you out of this tank and do the same thing to you in a hearbeat." That was Elise's voice. That meant that she.... she had set this whole thing up purposely. She had betrayed her, and now she would benefit from having killed her. I'm not dead, though, thought Daring, why is everypony acting like I've been blown to bits? "She hasn't moved at all, Herr Gwindor. I think our work here is done." "Very well, roll out!" The tank's engines roared to life, and the massive machine of war turned on its treads, disappearing out of sight down the trail. After a few seconds, Daring released her breath. Her vision was slowly returning to normal, and the shock from the blast was wearing off. She was able to stand up, and shake her head in an attempt to clear the headache. Oof. Her chest hurt. She had broken something real bad. She couldn't stop, though. Trenchoof was in that tank, and Elise was a traitor. Perhaps Daring was not in her best state of mind, for the idea in her head at that moment was brash, and would be suicidal for anypony to attempt. Anypony except Daring Do, that is. She was going after them.