//------------------------------// // A Mammoth of a Problem XXXIX // Story: Rainbow Dash's Unstoppable Ego // by MagicS //------------------------------// The next morning the town was awoken in a panic. Knowledge of dozens of senators’ children being kidnapped had spread through the city like wildfire even before Bakol’s official announcement of what had happened and why. Now Rainbow Dash sat with Larkon and his family in their dining room, grave faces on all of them. Except for Samarkon, who looked like he was trying to hold back from gloating. But even he knew the only thing that would lead to was a quick path back to being locked in his bedroom. Alykon looked particularly upset after hearing that Dathon was one of those who was kidnapped. Shibu looked nervous and worried for her family but there was still a resolve in her eyes. And Larkon… Larkon stared hard at the table with a queasy expression on his face that worried Rainbow Dash more than anything. He looked like he was about to pass out. So what did Rainbow Dash say? What did they do? She wanted to immediately fly over to the slums and deck Karkona but he had hostages. And Larkon probably didn’t want that or to put the children in danger. Rainbow Dash let out a deep breath she had been holding in and looked up at the historian. “Uh, Larkon? I think we should probably talk.” She glanced at the others. “Maybe privately.” “Y-Yes,” Larkon stuttered, lifting up his trunk to wipe his brow but otherwise not moving. She raised an eyebrow at him. “I was thinking now?” “Oh...” Larkon looked up at her and after a moment of recognition he nodded. “Sorry, there’s… I just was thinking about what’s happened.” “I get it but we need to do something now,” Rainbow Dash told him. “You’re right,” Larkon nodded. “Shibu-” “I was thinking of taking Alykon to meet up with her friends and they could all go to Harrak’s house to try and cheer him up about Dathon,” Shibu interrupted with a glance down at Alykon. It seemed she had already decided on what she was going to say. Alykon nodded a few times, though shakily. “I wanted to do that too. Dathon’s one of my best friends and I heard his mom and dad were hurt too.” “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Larkon tried his best to smile but a frown soon tugged down his lips. “Just… be careful out there.” “We will be,” Shibu said, rising from her seat she walked over to her husband and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Come now, Alykon, we’ll need to get Makom and Orsal too before we go.” “Yeah...” Alykon said and hopped out of her seat. As she walked by Rainbow Dash she looked up at her, perhaps pondering to ask a question before remaining silent and walking with her mother out of the dining room. The two of them soon out of the house. That left just Samarkon sitting at the table. He stared straight ahead at the wall, clearly defying the privacy that Rainbow Dash and Larkon wanted. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure just what was going through his head either. Did he even realize how serious this kidnapping even was? Did he care? Or did he just think that Karkona was right or “cool” for taking what he wanted and showing the city how serious he was about bringing them back to their warlike ways. Honestly, she didn’t want to talk to him right now to find out. Actually dealing with Karkona was way more important right now. Larkon too soon narrowed his eyes at his son. “Samarkon, I want you to go up to your room for now.” “Pff. What do you even have to talk about? Karkona doesn’t care about the two of you,” Samarkon snorted and rolled his eyes after that. The young mammoth then left his chair and walked out of the dining room before Larkon could reprimand him. Although Larkon may not have cared to at the moment anyways. The older mammoth just shook his head and sighed. “Come with me to my den, Rainbow Dash. There are… things we need to discuss. You’re right about that.” He stood up from the table and led Rainbow Dash into the same hallway Samarkon left by. The two of them saw him going in the direction of the stairs and silently followed behind him for a minute. They caught a glimpse of him turning the corner at the top of the stairs and walking to his room, Larkon waited another moment until he heard Samarkon’s door slam shut and then the two of them headed in the direction of his den. Again pony and mammoth sat together in Larkon’s personal little sanctum, things more dire in the city than ever. Rainbow Dash lifted up a hoof and rubbed her forehead. “I didn’t know Dathon’s dad was a senator...” “Indeed. I hope he’s alright,” Larkon nodded, though he was staring off into space while he did so. “Hope Alykon’s taking it okay,” Rainbow said. “She’s tough,” Larkon sighed, and then sighed as he sunk deeper into his chair. “I’m sorry, we should—we should really be talking about something else.” “I know, Karkona.” Rainbow Dash said with a frown on her face. “I think we should-” “No,” Larkon held up his trunk to pause her. “That’s not what I meant.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head at him in confusion. He was acting weird, not just despondent after their failure to convince the senate to act, she couldn’t place what it was but he was stressed in a different way and his mind clearly going ten different directions at once. Had he broken down after these two events? No way, she knew Larkon was strong. Just in a different way from her. He was never one to shy away from the reality of the situation, he was the type who knew things needed to be done. So what was his hesitation now? “Larkon, what’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked. The historian nervously got out of his chair and began pacing behind his desk. “You heard what Karkona wants. He doesn’t care about the senate, or the hostages, or even really the city. All he wants is the location of the Sacred Spring.” “And so what?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “That doesn’t change the fact that all we need to do is stop him somehow!” “But it’s different now… if the Keeper doesn’t reveal themselves to him all those children...” Larkon paled. “It’s too much. It’s too much to bear. And then Karkona will know everything and nothing will be able to stop him from getting to the Sacred Spring.” “Well you said there was only one mammoth who knew about the Spring and their identity was a secret or whatever. Do we even know if they’ll go to Karkona to save the kids?” Rainbow asked. “They definitely will… they can’t take the idea of being responsible for those lives… those deaths.” Larkon said, darkly looking down at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash flew up from her seat, hovering before him in the air. “Do you… do you know who the mammoth that knows about the Spring is?” Larkon swallowed. His eyes shifted about as he looked back and forth across his den as if trying to find a way out but to no avail. At last he managed to steady himself and brought his foot up to his chest, breathing in a few times and closing his eyes. After a few deep breaths he opened them up again with a renewed life shining in his pupils. “It’s me, Rainbow Dash. I am the Keeper of the Sacred Spring.” Her jaw dropped. “Wait, you’re—but! Huh?” Larkon nodded. “Yes, it’s always been me. I can understand your confusion.” “My confusion?! How about anger?” She yelled. “Why didn’t you tell me!” “I wanted to!” Larkon shouted back before cringing at his own volume. The historian deflated a bit and sat back down in his chair. “I wanted to… but it is supposed to be a secret only I was trusted with by my predecessor. Not even Abalun knows my role.” Rainbow Dash grimaced and landed on his desk, giving him an apologetic look. “Yeah… sorry for exploding like that at you too. Uh, especially with what’s going on and all.” “I-I know we can’t let Karkona find out where the Spring is but I can’t let those children be hurt either. I just don’t know what we should do! I couldn’t bear the guilt if Karkona hurt any of them… but the Spring, everything he would do if he claimed it, it would be turning my back on what I’ve worked for my entire life.” Larkon squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to drip from them. “Hey, we’ll get through this,” she put a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “Like I said it doesn’t change that in the end all we need to do is stop him. It just makes things maybe a little harder. But we—you—can’t give up! Got it?” Larkon hesitated but nodded after a moment. “Yes, I got it. I know that soon I may have to make a difficult choice but I’ll face it head on.” “Good,” Dash grinned. “Now what’s the plan?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I figured after how you’ve been talking you were the one with a plan?” Rainbow Dash groaned and reached up to rub at her eyelids. “Ughhh, I am not a planner...” Larkon snorted in amusement and fought back a chuckle. Rainbow Dash looked up at him in surprise before cracking a grin. At least they still had their senses of humor. Rainbow Dash sat down on his desk and took a deep breath. “Wooh… okay. Obviously you know this by now but I’m a doer. And I know you probably still want to be a pacifist and handle this peacefully, right?” “Yes. I’m sorry if that’s naive but-” Rainbow Dash held up her hoof to cut him off. “You don’t have to justify yourself to me. You’re strong, Larkon. You’re strong for standing up for your beliefs when this is all going on. I know it’s tough, and it’s eating away at me too, but if you don’t want to compromise what you believe in I’ll still stick by your side no matter what.” “Thank you, you really are a true friend, Rainbow Dash.” Larkon smiled at her. “Yeah, yeah, we don’t have time to get sappy though. If you don’t want me flying over there and kicking Karkona in the face then I guess what we’ve gotta do is rescue his hostages somehow,” Rainbow said, rubbing her chin in thought. “Do you think that after what’s happened we might be able to get more help from some of the mammoths in the city?” Larkon nodded. “It’s a thought.” “Okay, now how do we do this...” Rainbow Dash said as she began wracking her brain. Samarkon held his mouth shut as he leaned up against the door to his father’s den. He almost let out a gasp when he had heard what his father had just said. He’s the Keeper of the Sacred Spring? Samarkon thought. It was unbelievable. His own father was the one who held the key to the past and future of the mammoths. That same key that Karkona was looking for, that Karkona had just kidnapped dozens of children to acquire. Samarkon couldn’t believe his luck, he was just curious what these two thought was so important they needed to talk about it in private and so he came to eavesdrop. Slowly, ever so slowly and quietly, Samarkon back away from the door. He took footsteps so light they didn’t make a sound on the wooden floor of the hallway. “I have to tell him...” Samarkon whispered to himself. And stealthily he left the house entirely; on his way to Karkona.