//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: To the Rescue! 
// Story: The Witch of Darkness (#10) 
// by LightningStar626 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 6: To the Rescue!

~Pinkie Pie had given up trying to keep awake and was slumped fast asleep in an armchair. The other Rainbooms, for their part, could barely keep their eyes open; they kept on yawning in spite of trying not to.~

"I...I can't go to sleep at a time like this…" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Me neither…" Rarity sighed.

Tad smiled. "There is nothing we can do until the three sprites return, and that could take all night. We might as well get some sleep while we can.

"Well, we've plenty of spare beds." said Mrs Tad, bustling to her feet. "Come on, girls, I'll show you yours, though it looks like Pinkie has already found hers! It seems a shame to wake her."

"Knowin' Pinkie Pie, she'll be fine." Applejack yawned. "She can sleep anywhere. We should leave her."

~A few minutes later found the girls and Argie snuggling down into a sweet-smelling bed of hay and sheep's wool. Fluttershy gave a deep sigh. It had been an exciting and disturbing day, and a very long one. Exhausted by the events, she soon fell asleep.~





~Fluttershy awoke with a start. She lay for a while breathing softly in the pale light of early morning. A piece of straw tickled her nose and she brushed it away. Applejack awoke also.~

"Ya alright, Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm just a little worried about our friends."

"Do you wanna take a walk outside? Granny always told me it's good for takin' ya mind off thin's."

~Quietly, they got up and crept from the house. Pinkie was still curled up in the armchair and fast asleep. The grey dawn made the forest look even more mournful and Fluttershy shivered with the cold. Suddenly, they saw someone move through the trees. They turned right to follow them, then a left, under this branch, across these rocks; without faltering, until they reached a mysterious splendour of the enchanted glade. The air around tingled with life and mystery. Now there was no mistaking the sweet and exotic tropical scents that carried on a warm breeze. It was so different from the rest of the forest.~

"Wow!" Applejack gasped.

Fluttershy was entranced. "This is...wonderful!"

~Looking forward, they spot Swift White approaching the bowl, her heart thudding uncomfortably. Steeling herself, she peered into the shining water and saw- just her own reflection. A mixture of relief mingled with disappointment flooded over her.~

"Uh- Howdy, Swift." Applejack called.

~Her voice from behind Swift made her jump with fright, so much so that she almost fell into the water. The back of her neck tingled and her shoulders hunched as slowly she turned to face them.~

"Applejack! Fluttershy!" She gasped their names with relief. "Oh, you frightened me! I didn't hear you coming."

Fluttershy smiled her apologises. "We're sorry, but we followed you here."

"What are ya doin'?" Applejack questioned.

"I…I had a vision." she said. She glanced back down at the pool. "And I wondered if it was trying to tell me something. I guess not."

Applejack gazed down at the water. "Hmm…" Her face was pale and ghostlike in its limpid light.

"You don't have to worry about it." Swift sighed. "Let's just head back. I believe those brave sprites should be back by now."





"More toast anyone?"

"Pass the marmalade, will you?"

~Applejack, Fluttershy and Swift arrived back to find breakfast in full swing with Mrs Tad busily supplying pots of nettle tea and platefuls of hot toast and marmalade to hungry mouths. The three sprites began eagerly to report their good news as soon as everyone joined them at the table.~

"We found a way into the castle through a drainway." said Grumble. "Though it was a miracle that we found our way to the castle in the first place with these two idiots."

"Now, now, Grumble." Tad cautioned. "Enough of your complaining if you please. We want to know how everyone is."

"They're all ok." said Fumble. "Well, better for seeing us, I think. Found them tied to the wall and we chewed through their bonds."

Rarity was furious. "Excuse me? That evil old bat!"

"Just wait till we get a chance…" Applejack exclaimed, punching her fist into her hand.

But before Applejack could say what she would do, Mumble tried to explain how Fumble found the dungeon. "Funnels lips and handles geese and eases din gin."

Grumble took a deep breath but then let it out again when he caught Tad's warning eye. "Um...could you repeat that, please?" Fluttershy asked Mumble.

"Um, Perhaps it would be better if Fumble told us how we can get into the castle." Alaxe suggested hurriedly.

Fumble obliged. "Ok. There's a side entrance." he said. "Its up a small sloping tunnel and barred with a couple of gates, but it's the best way in that we could see."

"Excellent." Tad said. "A good nights work all round, I think." He glanced in Mrs Tad's direction. "Is there any more toast, my dear?" he asked.

~Everyone was very excited and cheered by the news. So, as soon as breakfast was over and the crockery cleared away, they prepared to launch Operation Breakout, as Pinkie called it.~

"I don't think we should send too many." Tad said. "There's no sense in drawing attention to ourselves more than we have to."

"I want to go." Swift said firmly.

"So do I." Argie added. "I'll put on Joskye's armour."

"Us too." Twilight and the others nodded.

~Tad nodded his agreement. After further discussion, it was agreed that The Rainbooms, Swift and Argie would make up the rescue party, while Tad, Alaxe, Tig and the sprites would station themselves outside the castle to deal with any pursuers once Lightning, Joskye, Sunset and Rainbow were out.~





~They all agreed that Swift and Argie were the quietest, so they led the way. Within the hour, they had brought the Rainbooms to within sight of the crone's castle. The fortress stood in a broad clearing but gorse bushes grew quite thickly to a distance of about seventy-five metres from the wall on the eastern side and this provided good cover for the five girls and their two companions. They stared at the high turrets and battlemented stone walls with their dark and watchful windows.~

"I don't like this place." Fluttershy whispered.

"Me neither." Swift replied. "I bet it's even worse inside."

"Quiet now, y'all." cautioned Applejack. "There are bound to be guards about."

They crept through the undergrowth until Pinkie raised a hand for them to stop."There's the entrance the sprites told us about!" she whispered.

~She pointed to an arched doorway that was obviously the opening to an upward sloping corridor.~

"We'll have to break through the two gates once were inside but at least we'll be undercover." Twilight said.

Applejack eyed up their situation. "We'll have to take a chance and run across that open space."

"I'll go first." Argie said.

~They all nodded and he shot out from the undergrowth, scampering towards the tunnel mouth as fast as he could. However, he had crossed no more than halfway when there was a loud roar and a huge and fearsome Croper stepped out from the shadow of the walls. This was the first time the girls saw a Croper much more clearly and they were horrified. The creature looked like some two-legged prehistoric reptile. It had shallow green scaly skin and body armour made out of steel bands set with long, sharp spikes. He carried a long spear in his claw and ran towards Argie.~

"Stop where you are!" He commanded, aiming his spear at Argie's heart. "One move and you're dead, vermin scum." Argie had no real choice but to obey him. The Croper prodded him in the throat with the spear. "What are you up to, you filth, and who else is with you?"

Before Argie could attempt a reply, Applejack stepped boldly from the bushes. "Hey! Over here!" She cried.

The Croper spun round to face her. "Well now, here's a pretty catch and no mistake. Mistress Hexia will be interested."

~The Croper took a pace towards her. At that very moment, Applejack swung her fist and knocked the Croper out in a single blow.~

Pinkie laughed and jumped out of the bushes. "Nice work, Applejack!"

"Amazing, darling!" Rarity complimented.

"Thank you, Applejack." Swift breathed.

Argie smiled. "That was brilliant!"

~With no further opposition, they quickly gained the shadowy entrance to the tunnel that led into the castle. At once, they flew the door open and they passed through unhindered. Nothing more was said at the matter and the second gate opened just as easily. They came across no further obstacles until they reached an iron-studded wooden door. Argie drew his sword in case there was anyone waiting for them on the other side. Applejack swung the door noiselessly open for a third time. Before them lay a dark corridor lit by just one smoking torch set in a wall bracket halfway down. Steel-barred cell doors stretched along both sides of the corridor and inside they could make creatures cowering in the corners of their prisons. The stench was awful. They followed one another until they came to a cell that housed Lightning, Joskye and the others. Thinking it might be the guards coming, they leapt to their feet and pretending that they were still tied to the rings on the wall.~

"Joskye, it's us." said Argie.

At once, Joskye rushed to the gate and clutched the bars. "Swift, Argie! You've made it!" He gasped. "Thank goodness."

There was little time to lose. "Step back, y'all!" Applejack commanded.

~Applejack stretches herself before secretly activating her power and smashing the lock open and the door with her bare hands, unknown to Joskye, Swift and Argie.~

"Whoa…she's strong." Argie blinked.

~Moments later, everyone was out of their cell and giving their friends and siblings a big, thankful hug.~

"Nice to see you, Joskye. This is Operation Breakout." Argie said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to the sprites."

"Yeah, otherwise we'd have been very uncomfortable by now." Rainbow rubbed her neck.

"She tied us up to those rings on the wall, you know?" Lightning pointed in the cell.

"Wicked hag! She's not going to get away with this!" Rarity declared.

"Definitely, but not just yet. Can we get out of here first?" Lightning inquired.

"What about the other prisoners here- the forest folk?" Fluttershy asked. "Can we get them out?"

~Joskye was just about to say that he wondered if there would be enough time when their questions were answered for them. A key grated in the lock of the main door at the top of the stairs.~

"Afraid not...Quick! Run for your lives!" shouted Joskye.





~Hexia had not slept that night. All through the dark hours, she had paced to and from in her den, muttering to herself, planning and plotting. These strange creatures in her dungeon were difficult problems; they were obviously from outside. True, she had worked out that something was up and very cleverly she had caught them. The question was, what to do now?~

"Do I kill them? But then, they'll die with their secrets. Well, I'll get those out of them in the morning. Then I'll kill them!"

~But that still left the possibility of others. And would they be the only ones? Muttering that there was more to this than met the eye, she brooded over the matter for many long hours. As soon as it was light, she hurried to her spell-room. The place smelt evil, but it was Hexia's favourite room. She cast her eye over the many jars that contained mysterious and horrible substances, many of them looking like bits of living creatures. Shelf upon shelf was lined with dusty brown books of magic. With a swirl, she turned to the bookshelves and removed an old volume. Hastily, she turned the pages.~

Hexia spat and screeched. "I must question the prisoners. They must know about this. Guards!" A sleepy Croper came running at her cry. He stood shakily to attention. "Fetch the prisoners at once. And be quick about it or I shall turn you into a toad and boil you alive!"

~She paced up and down waiting his return, twisting her fingers and smacking the palm of her hand with a clenched fist. At length, the guard returned and burst breathlessly through the door.~

"E's gone, yer 'ighness. I don't know 'ow it could 'ave 'appened."

"What!?"

"I think they've only just gone, ma'am. Shall we get after them?"

Hexia was beside herself with rage and her shape wavered menacingly before the guard. "No, you fool. I shall handle this!"

~She strode grim-faced from the room and began to climb the steps that led to the top of a tower from where she could view the surrounding forest. The rescue squad had fled for the tunnel in the wall. Rainbow Dash could have sped off easily, but she was weak and her muscles were cramped and stiff from her ordeal. Lightning was about to shout an order, but she was interrupted by a shrill shriek from high on the castle walls. They turned to see Hexia standing on a towering battlement with her arms stretched out to the sky. She was a terrifying sight, rising up into the sky like a dark, brooding storm cloud and swaying in the breeze like belching smoke. In her hands she held two long, black wands.~

"Oh no! Run for it!" shouted Lightning. "Run!"

"We have to make it!" Sunset yelled.

~A chilling blast hit them before they reached the undergrowth. Thunder crashed and black lightning crackled from Hexia's wands. Snow began to fall heavily; the wind blew up and moments later Joskye, Swift, Argie and the Rainbooms were caught in the midst of the fierce blizzard that numbed them to the bone. It was as though they had been plunged into an instant Arctic winter. Struggling knee-deep through the snow and half-blinded, they lost all sense of direction and grew wearier and wearier, until it was almost impossible to lift their leaden limbs through the biting cold.~

"I don't think I can go on." Rarity gasped.

"No, we've got to stick together!" Applejack cried over the howl of the wind.

"Yeah! Or she will bury us alive in freezing snow!" Lightning added.

Fluttershy groaned. "I feel so sleepy...so sleepy...must rest…"

~With that, Fluttershy collapsed in a heap in the driving snow. The last thing she heard was a shrill shriek of maddened laughter echoing across the snow from the castle tower. Then everything went black.~