Danny and Molly sat with the ponies around the campfire Paradise has started. They were deep in the forest planning their strategies to get their captured friends and foals back.
“I wish Megan were here,” sighed Danny. “She always knows what to do.” Molly just nodded sadly.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them,” sighed Peach Blossom. “I was more worried they were going to take me too, and then who could go to get help? Maybe I should have stayed and fought them? I don’t know, I’ve never been any good at fighting. Arguing, sure, but fighting? Never.”
Molly hugged Peach Blossom. “It’s okay, Peach Blossom. You’ll see. Megan will be okay.”
“You don’t know that,” challenged Danny crossly.
“None of that!” interrupted Paradise. “This is not the time to argue and fight. We need to focus on a plan to rescue our foals, Megan, and the mages. No arguing.” Paradise looked at everypony, getting a nod from them all.
“Sorry Molly,” said Danny sadly. Molly gave him a hug as well, which Danny eventually reciprocated hugging his sister back.
“Okay then,” continued Paradise. “The floor is open. Anypony have any ideas?”
“There must be a way to defeat Grogar,” Danny commented.
“I noticed when Grogar does his magic, the bell around his neck glows,” replied Peach Blossom.
“Maybe that’s the source of his magic,” speculated Wind Whistle, a light blue Pegasus with a pink mane. “If we could take that, maybe he would lose his power.”
“Oh! So, we get the bell and we win!” smiled Molly.
“So, how would we get the bell?” asked Paradise.
“I have an idea. We can lure him out! We just need to pretend to be someone he listens to, and get him to follow us into the forest. Then we take the bell away and free all our friends!” suggested Danny.
“And how do you propose to do this, Danny?” asked Paradise.
“We can get Masquerade to help! She can disguise herself as Bray! Then she can lure him out into the forest and we take the bell!” suggested Molly.
“A bold plan,” acknowledged Paradise. “But, how is Masquerade going to sound like Bray to lure Grogar out? She is very good at her masquerades, but not so much at affecting other creatures' voices.”
“That’s the beauty of it, she doesn’t have to!” smiled Danny. “I got an idea for that! We’ll use Bray's voice to do it. All Masquerade has to do is act!”
“Okay, I’m pretty sure Bray’s voice is not going to help us, as Bray would have something to say about that,” commented Peach Blossoms.
Paradise smirked. “Well said, Peach Blossoms.”
“What?” asked Peach Blossoms in surprise.
“Never mind dear. So Mr. Danny, how do you intend to get Bray to say what we need said?” continued Paradise.
“That’s the beauty of it! He doesn’t even need to be there, just his voice!” said Danny excitedly.
“Now I am thoroughly confused,” added Peach Blossom. “I don’t think voices work apart from the ones voicing them.”
“No, they work when we use my tape recorder!” said Danny excitedly. “I’ll just record Bray saying a bunch of stuff, then make my tape recorder put them in the right order to say what we want him to say. And when Masquerade is ready, we just play that, and it sounds like Bray is saying it for us!”
“Ah, that does indeed have promise!” agreed Paradise. “Very well, we should start that immediately. Where is this tape recorder so we can begin?”
Danny’s face fell. “Well, you see, that’s the thing…” he hedged. “I don’t have it. But I know where we left it. We just need to go get it.”
“Excellent! And where is that?” continued Paradise.
“Uh, back at the estates. I left it in my room,” said Danny, crestfallen.
“You mean the estates that we barely escaped from when those horrid creatures overwhelmed us?” asked Wind Whistle, surprised.
“Yeah, that,” agreed Danny, looking down sadly. “We’d have to sneak in and get it.”
“Well if that's what we’re doing, no time like the present,” noted Paradise. Come on, let’s sneak in and get your tape recorder, Danny. Then we can start on this plan of yours.”
Everypony agreed, so they formed teams to get started.
Danny and Molly were with the team fetching Danny’s tape recorder. They could see the house from where they were hiding under heavy Troggle guard. They had discovered the name for the draconic creatures as they snuck through the camp, listening to what was said by them.
“So, how do we get in there?” asked Paradise.
“Leave that to me!” said an excited white pegasus pony. “I can take care of that.”
“How?” asked Danny. “We have to get the guards away from the door so I can get in.”
“Don’t worry! It will be a Surprise!” laughed Surprise, shooting away from them and disappearing into a row of tents. A few moments later they heard a ruckus by the estate as a pony started taunting the guards.
Looking through the tents they were hiding behind, they could see Surprise jumping around tormenting the guards as they tried to fire on her. When she had their full attention, she ran off towards the forest continuing to call out taunts. To the complete surprise of Paradise, every one of the guards ran off after her.
“Well that just happened,” noted Paradise, shocked.
“Come on! Let’s go. Get on, Danny!” called out Cherry Blossom, a cherry light pink adult Earth Pony with orange mane. Sliding under Danny, who grabbed her mane as she started off, Cherry Blossom ran into the estate.
“Yee-haw!” yelled Danny at the top of his lungs, waving his free arm overhead. Paradise facehooved as the guards turned on hearing that running back to the estate.
Cherry Blossom, with Danny on her back, ran through the doors and into his bedroom. Grabbing the satchel holding his tape player off the table, they raced back towards the door, only to be confronted by the returned guards.
Cherry Blossom came to an abrupt stop, nearly toppling Danny off as she wheeled about and headed the other way.
“Where did they come from?” asked Danny in surprise.
Cherry Blossom whickered. “Maybe we should have waited on the celebratory yell,” she suggested as they ducked down a hall.
“Oh,” said Danny, crestfallen. They could hear the Troggles gaining on them, but Cherry Blossom spied an open window as she ran by a room.
“Hold on!” she called out to Danny, pivoting into the room and running for the window at a sprint. “Duck!” she called, jumping for the open window.
Danny ducked down, holding tightly to her neck as she leapt through the open window and out into the gardens outside. The Troggles raced back to the door, tripping over themselves to pursue them. Seeing them coming at full speed, the rest of the group faded back into the forest to meet up after Danny, Cherry Blossom, and Surprise shook off their respective pursuers.
Back together at the campfire Danny examined the tape player. “It still works,” he announced.
‘That’s good,” acknowledged Paradise. “Now we just need to capture Bray’s voice.”
Danny and Cherry Blossom snuck into the encampment where Bray was currently. They could hear him shouting orders and bossing the Troggles around as they got closer. Danny took out his tape recorder, turning it on as they approached the tent Bray was in front of, belittling the Troggles of the camp.
“So, you call yourself guards?” Bray brayed. “This is your last chance! Grogar didn't capture all those ponies just so you could let them escape!”
The player reached the end of the tape and clicked off with an audible snap. Danny and Cherry Blossom looked at each other in shock.
“What was that?!” called out Bray. “Go find who that was and capture them!”
The Troggles ran from the front of the tent as Cherry Blossom bolted away, Danny holding tightly to her to stay on and not drop his tape player as they raced back into the forest.
Back safely at the campfire, Danny worked on splicing the tape together to make a believable message to trick Grogar. Spinning the tape back, he hit the play button to listen to his efforts.
“Grogar! This is your last chance to capture all those ponies!” Bray’s voice yelled from the tape player.
“It just might work, if Masquerade can fool Grogar,” nodded Cherry Blossom on hearing the final result.
“Where is Masquerade?” asked Danny.
Masquerade emerged from the woods, wearing a costume that made her look just like Bray from a bit of distance.
“All right! We have this!” celebrated Danny.
Danny, Molly and the ponies hid among the tents pitched in the forest just outside one of the gates of Tambelon. They had seen Grogar walking the walls earlier so they knew this was their chance. His tape recorder ready, Danny watched as Masquerade marched out into the middle of the camp facing the wall in her disguise.
Danny queued up the tape and played it.
“Grogar!” Bray’s voice boomed out, Masquerade playing the part flawlessly miming the words. Danny stopped the tape and quickly respooled it back.
“Grogar!” boomed out Bray’s voice again, Masquerade again miming the voice flawlessly.
Danny stopped and respooled the tape again, waiting to see if Grogar would respond. He was ready to play it again when Grogar appeared on the wall.
Grogar looked down from the wall, annoyed and confused. “Bray, I thought you were in the dungeon!” he thundered.
“Go time!” whispered Danny, playing the tape again, this time the complete message.
“Grogar!” the tape played, Masquerade again playing her part. “This is your last chance to capture all those ponies!”
Stopping the tape, Danny and the others hightailed it back into the forest. Still acting as Bray, Masquerade turned and ran into the forest following the trail behind her companions.
Grogar stood on the wall, thoroughly annoyed. “Bray!” he called out to the retreating form. “Bray!” Bray continued his run into the forest.
“Ugh!” growled Grogar. He leapt from the wall, his bell flaring to life as he fell, landing gently on the field below and trotting after his confusing and annoying second.
Seeing Bray enter the forest, Grogar stepped up his pace racing after Bray. Entering a clearing, Danny, Molly and the ponies emerged from around him, completely surrounding him.
“Give it up, Grogar! We've got you surrounded!” Danny called out.
Grogar laughed. “You've got me surrounded? You're wrong, boy! I've got you surrounded!” Grinning maliciously, he charged at Danny. Danny, Molly and the ponies scattered.
Thoroughly enjoying himself, Grogar turned and charged a group of ponies. They ran in every direction, but while running and laughing at them he slammed into a tree getting his horns caught in the branches. He lit up his bell to blast the tree off his horns just as Spike the lizard ran up to him and grabbed onto the bell, canceling the spell.
“Now’s our chance!” called out Spike as he hung from Grogar’s neck, swinging back and forth as Grogar twisted and pulled to get his horns free.
Stopping for a moment, Grogar looked down at the little lizard hanging from his neck. “Really?” he asked, eyebrow cocked.
Spike just grinned and held on tighter. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Grogar grumbled, wrenching his horns free at last.
Now free, Grogar whipped his head around, launching Spike off the bell and into a nearby bush. Paradise and Forget Me Not ran to aid him but were both caught by a blast of magic from Grogar, knocking them senseless.
Danny, Molly and the other ponies fled for their lives.
Watching them fade into the woods, Grogar shook his head. “I hate ponies,” he growled to himself, picking up Paradise and Forget Me Not in his magic as he trotted back to Tambelon.
The real Bray led a group of guards carrying their master’s latest captives into the dungeon. Opening the door to the cell Megan and the others were in, they tossed the two into the dungeon while Bray laughed, then locked the door behind them as they left.
Megan and the others gathered around the two new additions unbinding them and brushing them off.
“Are you okay?” she asked them both as they shook their heads to clear the cobwebs.
Paradise grinned at Megan. “I’ve had better days.”
“You and me both,” agreed Megan with a laugh, pulling her friend in for a hug. “So, what happened to you two?”
“We came up with a plan to steal Grogar’s magic. Danny used his tape recorder to copy and manipulate Bray’s voice, and Masquerade pretended to be Bray so we could lure Grogar into the forest and steal his bell and magic. Except once we got him into the forest, he kicked our flanks and caught Forget Me Not and I while the rest ran for their lives. We clearly didn’t think that plan through completely,” admitted Paradise.
“Well I certainly have to respect the initiative, if not the outcome,” smiled Megan. “And you said the others, Molly and Danny and the rest all escaped unharmed?”
“Yes, just Forget Me Not and I were captured. The rest made good their escape,” nodded Paradise.
“We’ll find a way out of here, then we’ll join up with them and stop Grogar. We aren’t done yet,” insisted Megan.
“I do admire your enthusiasm, Megan,” smiled Paradise.
“Actually, getting out of here is the easy part,” smirked Aiko from the corner of the cell. “The hard part is getting out of town with this herd of easily distracted foals.”
Sunset laughed. “And dealing with our admittedly rotten luck when it comes to running into patrols. I could go hoof to hoof with them but once they get a hostage it’s all over.
“So, ready to get out of here?” she asked.
While Danny and Molly were planning with the ponies on how to get into Tambelon to rescue Megan, the mages, and their foals and defeat Grogar, several of the Pegasus ponies were busily setting traps in the forest surrounding their encampment to keep them safe.
They were heading back to join the discussion when they noticed a Troggle hanging upside down from his foot in one of their traps. Rather than looking irritated, or thrashing around to get free, he was looking around pensively.
Upside down, he waved at them when he saw them looking out from the shrubs in the forest.
“Hello ponies! Can you help me?” he called out.
Surprised, the ponies faded back from the bushes and flew back to the campfire.
“Danny! Molly! We caught a Troggle!” they cried together as they landed before them. “He’s caught in our rope trap and he’s asking for help.”
“What? That doesn’t sound right!” stated Danny emphatically. “Take me to him.”
Together Danny, Molly and the ponies raced back to where the Troggle was suspended, still hanging upside down by his foot in the tree trap.
‘Hello!” he called out cheerfully, waving as they approached.
“Alright Troggle, or whatever you are!” demanded Danny. “No funny stuff or we will have to hurt you!”
“You don’t need to hurt me,” explained the Troggle with a smile. “There is no need to keep me prisoner either! I have deserted Tambelon. I want to join you.”
“He’s lying!” said Molly in her loudest stage whisper.
“No! I am not lying. I am telling the truth! Many Troggles like me do not like Grogar, and we want to escape. We were taken prisoner by Grogar too and now we are made to do his will. We want to escape too, but we have nowhere to go. You can help us!”
“I still think he’s lying!” insisted Molly.
“Let’s give him a chance, Molly,” insisted Danny. “He seems nice, not like those other ones that were blasting everypony.” He turned to Spike. “Spike, help him down please!”
“Okay!” Spike said happily. He launched a wave of dragon fire at the rope. It burned through instantly, dropping the hapless Troggle on his face.
“Ohfff!” the Troggle let out as he dropped down into the dirt face first. He scrambled up to his feet then turned to face his captors.
“My name is Drog. Thank you for setting me free,” he introduced himself.
"I should warn you. Grogar plans to exile the ponies he has already captured to the realm of darkness at midnight tonight," Drog continued. “If you want to save your friends and help me set all the Troggles free, we have to hurry!”
Drog led Danny, Molly and the ponies to a small dark doorway under the walls of Tambelon, hidden by shrubs and bushes along the side away from the gates and encampments of Grogar’s army.
“We go in here, and it will take us to the dungeons where your friends are being kept,” explained Drog.
“I’m not going in there!” said one of the pegasus ponies. “It’s dark! And it’s really cramped. What if we need to escape? How can we fly in a tunnel so small?”
“We can’t,” agreed Danny. “We’ll just have to crawl through, and trust Drog. It’s worth it to rescue Megan and the others.”
“I know! I can help!” said Spike.
“Really Spike? What can you do?” asked Molly.
“Watch this!” Spike picked up a dried branch from the dirt and breathed his dragon fire on it. The stick caught fire, burning brightly as Spike raced into the tunnel.
“Well, I guess we follow Spike,” said Danny, preparing to enter the tunnel.
“I will go first! I can show the way,” replied Drog. He pushed ahead, entering the tunnel after Spike. “Spike! Wait up! I will show you the way so you don’t get lost!” he called out as he crawled down the tunnel. Molly ducked into the tunnel and raced after them.
“Come on! Let’s go find Megan!” called out Danny, crouching down and following Molly. The others entered behind him following after the light from Spike's flaming branch.
Grogar sat on his throne watching as Bray groveled before him "All is in readiness master, just as you ordered!”
“Good!” acknowledged Grogar. “Very soon now, there will be no more annoying ponies in ponyland. I will begin the spell shortly, and at midnight, we will be free from annoying ponies forever!”
Drog led them through the catacombs and into the dungeons by which point Spike’s flaming branch had long gone out.
They were racing through the hallways. They came to the stairway up into the castle and were racing past just as Grogar, Bray and their guards were almost to the bottom of the stairs.
Seeing them, Grogar called out. “Seize them! Do not let them escape!”
The Troggle guards raced down the stairs surrounding them, cutting them off completely.
Two of the guards took Drog by the arms.
“You lied to us!” shouted Danny at Drog. “You betrayed us!”
Above them, Grogar laughed loudly. “My little ponies! What a pity you can't stay for long. For in a few short hours you and the rest of your kind will be banished to the realm of darkness! Forever!”
The guards quickly overpowered and subdued them.