//------------------------------//
// Tailspin's Facade 
// Story: The Do Dilemma 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 4:
Tailspin's Facade


"WHAT?!" Scootaloo shrieked, gripping Tailspin's shoulders and shaking her violently. "What do you mean you have no idea how to get out of here?!"

"L-let g-go of m-m-me!" Tailspin snapped, shaking the frightened filly off. "Look, I'm not any happier about this than you are, mate.  Daring would probably know how to get out, but she's not here right now.  So, we have to figure this out ourselves."

"Oh, is that all?" said Scootaloo, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, that's a relief.  I thought we were going to be trapped here forever."

"We're not going to be trapped here forever," Tailspin growled through gritted teeth. "Now stop your bellyaching and let me think for a moment."

"You're a real jerk, you know that?" huffed Scootaloo.

"At least I'm not a crybaby," Tailspin shot back.

"Hey!  I am not a crybaby!" yelled Scootaloo, her voice cracking. "I'm just scared!  And lonely.  And cold.  And hungry..."

"Good grief, mate!  Don't you ever shut up?!" Tailspin barked, flying straight into Scootaloo's face. "I'm not going to figure this out if you keep whining!"

Tears formed in Scootaloo's eyes as she was frightened by Tailspin's harsh demeanor.  The older pegasus breathed an exasperated sigh.

"Why me?" she groaned, rolling her eyes.  Her expression then softened as she turned back to Scootaloo. "Listen, mate.  I know you're scared and confused, but that's no excuse for tears.  Now just turn off the waterworks, and I'll..."

She was interrupted by a tremor beneath her feet.  Slowly, the serrated shutters sealing off the wind tunnel began to open.  Wasting no time, she quickly picked up Scootaloo in her mouth and flew her away from the opening.  Using her wings, she shielded them both from the powerful vortex of the wind tunnel.  After a few moments, she heard the shutters close and felt the wind die down.

"Now that was curious," she mused. "What do you suppose that...?"

She trailed off as she heard a flapping of wings behind her.  She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a bright red pegasus with a sinister gleam in her icy blue eyes.  She was dressed in a black military uniform, and held a riding crop in her sleek, silver tail.

"So, this is the great Daring Do," she said, looking over the two pegasi. "Or, is she the one cowering behind you?  Either way, you look nothing like I pictured you."

"And who might you be?" asked Tailspin.

"Ah, you're right.  How rude of me," said the pegasus, clearing her throat. "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am the Crimson Baroness, Mistress of the Skies.  Everything that's ten thousand feet above sea level and beyond is officially mine."  She then leered at Tailspin with hungry eyes. "That includes the map to Das Reingold's treasure."

"I-I'm not afraid of you," Tailspin spat.

"I didn't figure you'd be," said the Crimson Baroness, folding her forelegs. "After all, I've heard many a tale about you, Ms. Do.  Nothing seems to scare you in the slightest, does it?"

"Th-that's right," said Tailspin, trying her best to stand tall.

The Crimson Baroness chuckled. "Well, aren't you adorable?" she said. "You think you can stand up to me?  I assure you, I can be quite nasty.  Now, unless you want to see just how nasty I can get, I suggest you give me the map like a good little filly."

"And why should I?" said Tailspin. "I did all the work to get it.  Therefore, it's mine."

"And I commend you for that," said the Crimson Baroness. "Nevertheless, it is in my domain, and therefore, it belongs to me."

"Then why didn't you get it yourself, huh?" Tailspin countered. "Why did you have to wait for me to do all the heavy lifting?"

"Um, Tailspin?  What the hay are you doing?!" Scootaloo hissed.

"Relax, mate.  Daring says she does this all the time," Tailspin whispered back. "I gotta show her who's boss."

"But you're not Daring Do!" said Scootaloo.

"Shh!  Do you want her to know that?" Tailspin said in a harsh whisper. "Just leave this to me."

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" asked the Crimson Baroness, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, believe me.  Whatever my partner here had to say was way more interesting than anything coming out of your mouth," said Tailspin.

The Crimson Baroness snorted. "Getting a bit cheeky, are we?" said she. "I heard you were quite feisty."

"You got that right," said Tailspin. "And I'm still not giving you the map."

"Oh, really?  And why is that?"

"Because Daring would get cross with me if I—  Oops!"

Scootaloo smacked her face with her hoof while the Crimson Baroness chortled.

"Ha!  I knew it!" she laughed. "You can't be Daring Do!  You don't even have her Cutie Mark!"

Tailspin blushed, feeling more than a bit humiliated.  However, she still stood her ground.

"I don't care how much you claim to know about Professor Daring!" she snarled. "I'm still not afraid of you!"

"I know enough to know that she wouldn't be so careless as to abandon two fillies to their doom," said the Crimson Baroness. "Now, tell me.  Where is she, and where is the map?"

"If you want to map, you'll have to take it from me!" Tailspin proclaimed.

Scooatloo's eyes widened. She did not just...

"Alright then," said the Crimson Baroness. "You have yourself a deal."

Scootaloo gulped. She did.

The Crimson Baroness cracked her riding crop against the ground, and two griffons appeared from the shadows.  They were both dressed in matching brown military uniforms, and each of them wore a monocle on a different eye.

"Dorsal!  Ventral!" the Crimson Baroness ordered. "These two are on my blacklist.  Do me a favor and, check them off for me while I prepare the airship for departure, would you?  Oh, and one of them probably has the map.  Be sure it remains unharmed."

"It'll be our pleasure, Commander," said one of the griffons as they both saluted their mistress.  The pegasus saluted them back before turning to Tailspin and Scootaloo.

"Well then, it was nice meeting you," she said with a sneer. "I'd ask you to give my regards to Ms. Do, but that would be a tad insensitive on my part.  Ah well, c'est la guerre."

She then took out a small radio and tapped it on with her hoof. "Fire."

There was a loud explosion from below, and the serrated shutters jerked open slightly.  With a mocking salute, the Crimson Baroness flew down the opening before it closed again.  Tailspin swallowed.

"Okay, that didn't go as planned," she said, sweat dripping down her face.

"Gee, you think?" said Scootaloo, rolling her eyes.

"H-hey, I panicked!" Tailspin protested. "M-my mind doesn't work well when I'm p-panicking!  Oh, this is terrible!"

"I thought you said we shouldn't lose our heads," said Scootaloo.

"That was before I screwed up," said Tailspin, sounding genuinely worried. "Oh, what are we going to do?"

"What can we do?" whimpered Scootaloo, hiding behind Tailspin as the griffons closed in. "We're trapped!"

Tailspin's eyes darted around the room, her mind and heart racing in unison.  Finally, she found a small crack in the wall caused by the explosion from before.

"Alright, I think I've got an idea," said she.

"I'm afraid to ask," said Scootaloo.

"Listen, if we're going to get out of this alive, you have to trust me."

"And why should I?"

"Do you want to be torn apart by griffons?"

"Well, no.  But..."

"Then RUN!"

With that, Tailspin dashed past the griffons and rammed into the fissure with all her might.  The wall gave way, creating a strong vacuum that sucked her, Scootaloo, and the two griffons out of the temple.  She spun through the air for a moment before correcting her trajectory.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," she said. "See, mate?  I told you..."

But Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen.  Frantically, Tailspin looked around before she spotted the little orange filly crash into a thick cloud.  The two griffons saw her as well, and began to swoop in.

"Well, that's just ducky," Tailspin muttered to herself. "I'm never going to here the end of this."  She then dove into a swoop of her own. "Hang in there, mate!  I'm coming!"