Daring Do flew over the packed airship docks built into the side of a cliff outside of Canterlot. She admired the beautifully crafted ships and wonderfully painted hulls as she scanned the docks for her designated ride. She figured it would be a commercial flight, and not a merchant or military vessel. After flying had failed to produce results, she came in for a landing at the farthest dock, where a large purple hot-air balloon was unloading packages.
She trotted down the line, observing the working ponies on the ships and the eager passengers on the side. The passengers all seemed to be Canterlot unicorns, by the way they were dressed and the way they held their heads up high. But the workers on the ships seemed to be from all over Equestria. Among numerous ponies there were zebras working in the rigging and griffons maintaining propellers and other mechanical equipment. Daring even spotted a diamond dog or two among the crowd.
Too distracted by the view of exotic travelers to see where she was going, Daring bumped into the back of a zebra. She began to apologize when he turned around and gave a smile that was so disturbing that it left Daring at a loss for words.
“Daring Do! I recognize you, I can’t believe you’re actually here! Jack sent me.”
Daring Do tried not to look directly into the zebra’s frighteningly friendly face, and instead looked to the side at one of the airships,
“Yeah, he told me about a ship to Istanfoal. Which one is yours?”
The zebra finally relaxed his expression, no longer flaunting the insane grin. He turned around on his long, lanky legs, looking curiously at the numerous ships. He scratched his shaved head, and ran his hoof down the back of his neck nervously. After a long moment, his brown eyes shot open and he pointed his hoof into the distance,
“It’s over there! Nearly forgot where I docked her.” He let out a hearty laugh.
Daring Do followed the zebra, who appeared to skip everywhere he went. He didn’t seem like the normal zebra, that was for sure. To begin with, his accent was nothing like that of the traditional zebra accent. His accent sounded much more Equestrian, and by his dialect, Daring suspected he was from Trottingham. His attire contradicted this fact, as he had ceremonial golden medallions and trinkets hanging from his neck, and a bright blue ribbon tied to the base of his tail. Daring knew that colored ribbons were used to mark what tribe you belonged to in their native land.
They walked down further across the long dock, and ended up near the end. Around her, Daring saw several pastel colored airships and hot-air balloons. They were huge and extravagant, with masterfully carved hulls. She was hoping he would lead her to one of the larger, fancier ships, but instead he led her down to a small overhanging pier. At the end was a dainty little ship. Its hull was splintered and missing boards in several places, and its balloon sagged on the back end. The paint-job was only on the underside, and consisted of a sloppy, unevenly spread black coat. The bladed propeller in the back looked as if it had never been cleaned in all its years of service. The crew was composed of numerous races; griffons, zebras, donkeys and ponies all worked together on the small deck, cleaning it with mops and sponges. The zebra led Daring Do to the small boarding ramp.
“This here is ‘The Onyx Wind’! She’s not pretty, that’s for sure, but she’ll get you from here to Istanfoal faster than any commercial flight you can find. Now, let me introduce you-”
“There! Stop her!”
Daring Do spun around and stared down the pier. At the airship docks, galloping towards them, were the three henchmen. Daring hadn’t seen them since roughly midnight.
How did they find me? she thought as she gazed at her once-defeated foes.
They were approaching fast, each brandishing a look of pure rage on their faces. Daring Do turned to the zebra,
“We need to leave, now!”
The zebra brought a hoof to his mouth and whistled sharply, making Daring’s ears ring. Aboard the Onyx Wind, the crew members began running around in seemingly random directions. They untied ropes to the dock and began to fire up the propeller in the back. The blades slowly churned as the machine let out mechanical coughs, spewing out thick black smoke. The three thugs were nearly at the boarding plank where the zebra stood to meet them. Daring used her wings to fly over him and stood on the deck as she watched the scene in front of her unfold.
“Run him over, we just want the pegasus!” one of the smaller ponies shouted through broken teeth. Daring assumed that this was the pony who had taken a flying hoof straight to the face earlier.
The ponies gained speed, intent on tackling the zebra blocking their path. But instead of plowing through him, they were each thrown back down the pier as the zebra jumped into the air, delivering a spinning kick that connected with each of their faces. He landed flawlessly back onto the foot-wide boarding plank, keeping an eye on the thugs to see if there would be more trouble. Inevitably, there was.
“How much longer until we shove off?!” The zebra shouted over his shoulder.
“Give us another minute or two, captain!” yelled a young donkey from over the railing. Crew members rushed faster to perform the necessary takeoff tasks.
The zebra captain walked onto the pier He kickee the boarding plank into the canyon below as he went, leaving a six foot wide gap of open space between the pier and the airship. The henchmen stood up, two of them with bloodied noses.
“Oh, you’re gonna regret that, you son of a-”
The lead pony was unable to finish his insult as he was hit in the knees by a small metal ball. Not four seconds after his knee was crippled was he hit in the back by the same metal ball. He looked up through tear-filled eyes to see the zebra standing on his hind legs, concentrating on his balancing act. In his mouth he waved a long rope in circles above his head. The wounded pony could only assume that the metal ball was tied to the end of this rope, which had to have measured fifteen feet long and moved at an uncanny speed.
After seeing their leader felled by this exotic fighting style, the two other ponies hobbled back towards the main dock, leaving the third to lie in the dust. The zebra slowed the spinning of his rope, letting the weighted end fall to the ground. He wrapped the rope around his front leg, and turned around, making his way towards his ship. His ear perked up as he heard the rapid clopping of hooves on the wooden pier.
He was hit with all of the pony’s weight as he was tackled from behind. The two tumbled over the edge of the pier, falling towards the ground hundreds of feet below them. Wind tore at their faces as they looked down at their rapidly approaching doom. Even in the face of death, the thug pony was intent on teaching the captain some manners. In the middle of the free-fall, he continued to throw punches and kicks in the direction of the zebra. A few of them made contact, forcing him away from the falling pony.
The zebra unwound the rope and held it by the weighted end, letting it trail upwards above him. He continued to endure the blows of the flailing pony next to him as he watched the airships above him shrink. Then he saw it; a single black dot coming over the side of the airship. It slowly grew as it approached them.
Daring could see the two soon-to-be victims of gravity as she plummeted down along the side of the cliff. Her ears popped, adjusting themselves to the rapidly changing pressure as she hurdled towards the captain and the pony. She kept her wings folded in, making the descent faster. It was going to be close.
Daring was twenty feet above them when her wings shot open. Her entire body was jerked as her speed was drastically reduced. The rope whipped in the wind just a foot or so in front of her, and she reached for it with her hoof. She swung, hoping to catch it, only to have it brush against the tip of her hoof. They were one-hundred yards above the ground now; Daring was going to have to make a move.
She brought her wings back in for a moment, and bulleted through the air and smashed into the zebra, wrapping her hooves around him. She spread her wings, and once again, was rocked by the change of speed. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the flailing pony frantically trying to attack the duo. As much as it pained her to do so, she had to save him.
“Grab the rope!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, pointing her head to the trailing rope behind them.
The stallion looked at it, then back at Daring Do. He drew his arms back, shouting loudly, “I’d rather die than be saved by-”
The rest of his sentence was lost as Daring Do started to pull up, just fifteen yards above the ground. They heard the audible ‘whump of the impact, and dared not look back. As she leveled out, Daring was a mere four feet above the grass and travelling at an unimaginable speed. She slowed down, using her feet as brakes in the grass. Dirt flew up as she slid to a stop with the zebra clinging onto her back. When they were finally stationary, he fell off to one side. He lay on his back, staring up at his savior,
“Mother of Discord... That was incredible!”
Daring Do blushed at the praise. Her legs wobbled and her heart beat faster and faster in her throat. She hadn’t been in a life-or-death situation in months, and had nearly forgotten the thrill of the flight. She smiled back to the zebra,
“Thanks. I don’t think I’ve flown that fast in years.”
“Well, it it’s any consolidation, I don’t think I have either.” The zebra chuckled as he motioned to the crater behind him. He didn’t look directly at it but he knew what he would have seen, and just the thought of it made his stomach churn. “An old friend?”
Daring shrugged, “I couldn’t tell you they were, but they wanted something from me. Come on, I’ll give you the whole story when we’re airborne.” She knelt down, letting the zebra cling onto her back once again. He was heavy, but not unbearable. She would still be able to make the several hundred foot flight upward back to the docks.
As Daring Do began her ascent, she turned her head back to the clutching zebra, “By the way, I didn’t catch your name; you were too busy almost dying.”
The zebra cocked his head, “I’m sorry, I must have lost my manners in that fight. My name is Mbarka. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Do.”
“Likewise.”
-----
The two reached the top of the docks after a fit of rigorous flying. Daring’s wings ached from the trek, and she was more than relieved to see the comfort of an airship in front of her. She stumbled behind the zebra, who seemed to have enjoyed his free ride skywards. He led her to the middle of the deck.
The airship was still stationary on the end of the pier. Alongside, several ponies gazed at the mismatched crew of misfits, and at the zebra captain who had nearly gotten himself killed. Luckily, nopony was around to see the brawl between Mbarka and the three ponies, and the boss’s death wouldn’t be discovered for several more days. Daring Do still felt sick to her stomach having to leave a pony to die like that, especially inside Canterlot. But that was in the past, and it was his choice to die. Daring couldn’t do anything to change that.
Coming out of the cabin and from the rigging above, the crew of the Onyx Wind quickly surrounded Daring Do. They mercilessly bombarded her with questions about her travels, and if the rumors of her adventures were true. She was overwhelmed b the massive amount of attention she was getting from such a diverse crew. Mbarka tried to settle down the crowd as best he could,
“Now, now, calm down! Miss Do will tell us about all her adventures as soon as we’ve set sail.” He turned and shouted towards the closed cabin doors, “Navigator Borealis, we’re ready!”
Out of the cabin, a young white unicorn galloped out. She was younger than Daring, but still looked old enough to live on her own. She was shorter, coming up to Daring’s eyes, and her long, dark grey hair cascaded around her shoulders as she queried the crowd on the deck. Around her waist she had tied a belt, and on it she fastened a shining cutlass. Daring’s keen vision distinguished that it was dull, and most likely just for show.
The young unicorn stumbled for a moment when she saw Daring Do, but focused her attention to her duties. She ran up to the helm of the ship and pulled a series of levers and ropes, creating a ruckus of coughing and wheezing sounds. In the back, the mechanical rotary blades began slowly churning the air, squeaking ever so slightly as they went. The unicorn leaned over the railing, looking down at the motor. She pointed her horn directly at the machine, and let loose a series of magical energies. The blades were given new life, and spun at a blazing speed.
She turned herself to the wheel, and taking it in her hooves, turned it completely around. Slowly, the ship began to bank into the open space of the canyon. It sluggishly made its way away from the docks, past the other extravagant ships and excited ponies. Daring could see several ponies waving as their ship floated past at a lazy speed. Below her, the deck’s boards began to creak and shift under the stress of flying. She turned to Mbarka,
“Are you sure this can actually fly?” She asked, shifting her hooves nervously as the motor choked, spitting out a fairly large cloud of black smoke.
Mbarka laughed, “That is the same question I ask myself every time we shove off. We’ll find out, I suppose.”
Daring Do couldn’t have felt less comforted.She had been on worse rides, that was for sure. She reminisced at one in particular; it was in the desert, and she had almost been caught by a group of marauding bandits. The only way she escaped was by hiding inside of a horse-drawn cart, stuffing herself under piles of woolen blankets. The heat was unbearable, and the trip lasted two days across the arid desert. Yet, despite her sweltering cart ride, this airship felt more dangerous; mostly due to the fact that the ship was, to put it lightly, falling apart at every possible location.
Mbarka approached Daring Do before the crowd could drown her in questions again. He put a hoof around her shoulders and led her below deck.
“Let me show you were you’ll be staying. Since you’re a mare I’ll give you the room where the other mares stay. There’s only one, Navigator Borealis, but that just means there’s more room for you, right? Anyway, it’s just below deck.” He explained.
The pegasus was surprised that a ship this small even had a ‘below deck’. The hallway leading to the four rooms was very narrow, barely wide enough for Daring Do to pass, and was completely impossible for two ponies to stand side by side. After squeezing down the entire hallway, the duo ended up at the final room. Mbarka nudged the door open with his snout.
Inside was cramped, not to Daring’s surprise, but felt very charming. The entire room was lit by a single lantern, which hung from the low ceiling and burned dimly. Books were scattered around the floor, most of which were concentrated next to a bundle of blankets in the corner. There were quills and parchments scattered around messily, leaving little floor space. On one wall, a large blueprint of an airship was hung up, sparing no details in its design. Upon seeing the mess, Mbarka sighed and cursed to himself in his native tongue,
“I told that filly to clean up after herself... Don’t mind the mess; Navigator Borealis is a generally sweet mare, despite her shortcomings in interior decorating. Well, make yourself at home. There are extra blankets in...” He thought for a moment, “Nevermind, we threw out the blankets to make room for the whiskey. Just borrow the Navigator’s.”
Daring Do nodded and stepped into the room. She slowly shut the door behind her. Mbarka quickly trotted off to instruct his crew on the flight, leaving Daring Do in the strange, dark room alone. She discarded her helmet in the cleanest corner, and lay down there. She wondered how Jack had gotten into relations with this mix of mercenaries. Jack wasn’t really considered a ‘social’ pony, and to converse with these strange characters seemed to be a struggle for any pony.
“You can ask him when you see him.” She said to herself. Just saying that turned Daring’s stomach around. It was odd to her that she would be nervous about seeing her old friend, and not nervous about the whole ‘end of the world doomsday plot’ that he had carried on about.
-----
Jack sat in the back of the wagon. It was nighttime, and the caravan continued to push through the foothills. It was still going to take them a full day to reach the base of the mountains.
Plenty of time for Daring to catch up.
He stared up at the night sky trying to recognize the constellations he had learned as a young colt. He could see Ursa, the bear, but that was about it. There was a reason he was an archaeologist and not an astronomer. He preferred to work with things he could get his hooves on. Tangible things.
He stopped looking at the stars and turned his attention to the passengers in the cart with him. Notes had his head hung back and was snoring loudly. On the other side, the two mares were leaning against each other, silently sleeping soundly. The driver of the wagon, a grumpy old pony who refused to socialize, continued to walk on tirelessly. Jack shifted his weight as he sat in the back; he hadn’t been able to sleep since they started moving.
He was nervous. Any second someone could figure him out. He had nearly blown his cover once already, and refused to make a similar mistake. He had to be on the tips of his hooves, ready to make up a lie at any moment, about anything. He was going over his alternite reality life in his head when a strange noise caught his attention. It was the rustling of a cart. But not just any cart; a Canterlot cart. Jack recognized it immediately, as he had lived in Canterlot nearly all of his life, and could recognize the jingling noise of the cart’s bells anywhere.
He looked behind him and saw it. It was a Canterlot cart, he was right about that, but those weren’t Canterlot ponies in it. In the dark, it was difficult to make out who was in the vehicle, but they were in a hurry and moving to Reinerth’s covered wagon. Jack decided that this would be the perfect time to gather some answers.
He slumped out of the cart, barely making a sound. He crept through the convoy, making his way to the wagon. The two ponies had discarded their Canterlot cart and had entered the extravagant wagon. Jack crept up to the back and flattened his ear against the wall, hoping nopony could see him. He strained to hear the conversation inside,
“Reinerth... We’re so sorry to wake you, but...”
The voice of the new pony sounded scared, almost sad in fact. It wavered with what Jack assumed to be tears, and he began to choke up,
“He’s dead. She killed him! Threw him off the pier!”
Through the wall, Jack could hear the distinctive accent of the foreign leader of the expedition,
“What? You mean, she killed one of my people? One of your friends?!” He sighed, “Now you see why she must be stopped. Daring Do is a danger to this mission and we all know it! If we could-”
Jack moved away from the wall after hearing them mention Daring Do’s name. He rejoiced on the inside, she would have no choice but to get involved now! He began to giggle like a little school filly, but caught himself before someone heard. He got up against the wall again. On of the thugs was talking,
“-got away on some ship.”
“What kind of ship? Did it have a name?”
“We checked the docking logs. It’s filed under the name ‘The Onyx Wind’. It was a mercenary ship, someone probably hired it to pick her up.”
The wagon came to a sudden stop, forcing Jack to run into the back of it. He backed up, shaking his head to clear the fuzziness of the impact. He peeked around the side and saw the zebra, Kuwinda, enter the cart as well. With four voices in the cart, it became much more difficult to distinguish who was talking.
“What about the ship? What was it like?”
“A piece of-” A cart passed by the stationary wagon very close to Jack, who nonchalantly leaned against the wall and attempted to whistle. The driver of the cart merely looked at Jack with one raised eyebrow, clearly confused. As soon as he was out of eyesight, he pressed his face against the wall yet again.
“-kicked us and that’s when we had to run off. He and the boss stayed after that for a while, but the zebra had some kind of a metal ball on a rope that he used to fight with.”
“Mbarka...” the deep, baritone voice of Kuwinda sounded through the wall.
“Your brother?” Reinerth asked, bewildered.
There was silence as the zebra made a response too quiet for Jack to hear. The conversation continued;
“Anyway, that’s when Daring Do kicked him off the dock and flew away. I don’t know where they’re headed.”
“Well, if she didn’t have the stone, than she’ll be heading to Istanfoal to get it. She’ll undoubtedly get there before we do! Verdammt! No matter... I want you to get some rest. There’s an empty wagon near-”
Jack pulled away and trotted to get back to his own cart, which had already passed Reinerth’s motionless wagon. While he tried to catch up, he thought to himself,
Daring Do couldn’t have killed him! I mean... She might not have. Sure, she’s killed ponies before but they were all bad! And she had good reason! The way he described it sounded like she killed him in cold blood... That’s not the Daring Do I know. A second part of his mind interjected, He’s lying, just like you do! It’s just a way to get Reinerth’s favor! He pushed these thoughts away. No, I can’t jump to conclusions. For now, I have to believe the thug, no matter how outlandish it is, it’s the only story I have to go on. I’ll find out what really happened when Daring Do catches up with us.
He reached the cart and climbed inside. As he settled himself on the bench next to Notes, another thought came across his mind,
IF she catches up.