Daring Do and the Orb of Prophesy
Hiding was never Daring Do’s style.
But that’s what she was forced to do.
She had went before the crown, asked to desecrate a beloved tomb, only for them to find out hours later, that the tomb had been desecrated, even though the crown had refused Daring Do’s request for permission.
Likely they blamed her.
And they’d be right.
She sat there, staring at the horn in front of her.
It was a ghastly thing to consider.
She had broken into a tomb, faced off revenant royal guards and broken a horn from a unicorn’s skeletal skull.
The thought made a shiver run down the mare’s spine.
Diane Daring Danger Do sat back, looking up at the stars. She was camping out in the deep reaches of the Everfree Forest. She knew most ponies would refuse to look inside here, which made it safe for her. Even though the place was infested with monsters, Daring Do knew she was strong enough to protect herself. Besides, she had business nearby.
Ponyville nearby had a train station, she planned to use it to get to Manehatten. She had a friend there that could help her disappear.
Daring Do sighed. Unfortunately the heat of pursuit was still strong enough that she feared leaving the forest.
Upon entering the forest Daring had been forced to face off against a manticore, but that had been pretty easy compared to what she was used to. Her domination of the beast seemed to have driven off any other predators. Some growls in the darkness told her that some Timberwolves were watching her, but so long as they kept their distance, she didn’t really have a problem with them.
Daring Do curled up in her tent, still looking at the horn.
Alicorn magic was the strongest magic in Equestria, apparently. However if a horn retained its magic after being removed from the body, she didn’t know. She wasn’t a mistiquologist.
The moon above shone brightly and lit the floor with its comforting glow, and Daring Do shivered, feeling that somehow Princess Luna would find her and take her in. The princesses were powerful and when angered, dangerous.
But even they weren’t omniscient. They didn’t know everything that happened at every moment, at every time. Some ponies had to deal with things themselves, like Daring Do always had to. The mare found herself sighing again, a habit she had been doing a lot lately.
Her body felt weary, felt achy.
Closing her eyes she relaxed and tried to just sleep for a little while.
THUD!
The sound erupted nearby and had Daring Do jumping out of her tent, poised to attack or run.
Looking around for the source of the noise her eyes finally fell upon a bush, it rustled, it moved, and a dark shiver ran down the mare’s spine.
Her body tensed, her back legs poised and wound like springs, ready to either dive at the foe, or run away as fast as she could. The slightest droplet of sweat ran down the side of her muzzle before suddenly something burst from the bush!
Daring yelped as she was struck; rolling, she felt something roll with her. The clouds covered the moon darkening the area as she kicked and bucked, trying to get the weight off of her body, but it only pressed down against her, kicking and bucking back. She was blind, the darkness crouching in as the figure was above her, blocking out the moon. She kicked out and suddenly it was off her, flying away and landing in the mud with a dull groan. A groan that sounded…like a pony?
Daring Do cocked her head and waited for the clouds to clear. When they did, the moonlight shone down and glinted off of golden armour. Her eyes widened and suddenly she sprang at the pony as fast as she could.
His armour was golden, his mane white and blue, and he looked like a Pegasus. There was a star on his chest and golden armour that showed he was a Royal Guard, which therefore, right now, made him her enemy!
She grasped him and pinned him down.
“How did you find me?!” She shouted, looking into his startled blue eyes.
“Wow! Wait!” He gasped when her hoof found his throat, pressing on it firmly.
“I won’t be taken away, I’m not a bad mare, and I’m doing this to save everyone!” She said harshly, making sure he couldn’t breathe or speak. She didn’t plan on holding his throat for long, maybe enough to make him pass out. She wasn’t a murderer.
Hooves suddenly found their way on her stomach and the force of his kick sent her back and landing with a dull thud on the ground. Harsh coughing sounded out as the Royal Guard gasped and cleared his throat, taking in deep breaths.
“Are you crazy!?” He shouted hoarsely, coughing and grumbling. He turned to her and glared. “Why in Equestria would you attack me like that?” He demanded.
A question like that seemed…strange.
Why would he ask that if he was sent there to bring her in?
“I…aren’t you here to arrest me?” Daring Do asked in confusion.
The Royal Guard looked at her with a weird incredulous look.
“Why would I? What have you done?” He asked in confusion, his eyes betraying his honesty.
“Oh…erm…nothing.” Daring Do said with a smile. “Sorry I attacked you, I was…er…just spooked…yeah spooked by the forest. This IS the Everfree Forest after all, can’t be too careful!” She said with a light squeeful grin that she hoped was convincing.
The guard didn’t look like he bought it at first before he shrugged. The male Pegasus looked around confused for a moment before it seemed something occurred to him. His back straightened, he stood himself upright in a show of dignity and cleared his voice. “I...er…I am on a mission. I am sorry for diving on you like that. I thought for a moment you were someone I have been looking for.” His voice seemed to have changed and taken on a slightly more authoritive tone. Or more accurately, it sounded like he was TRYING to be more authoritive.
Daring actually found it a little cute.
“And who did you think I was?” She queried curiously.
The Guard turned away. “That’s classified.”
“Oh. Well can I at least get your name?” Daring asked curiously.
“Of course, I am Cloud Zapper. 45th Inquisitor Squadron of the EUP Royal Guard.” He said officially. “I am sorry to have startled you mada-ouch!” He yelped, holding a hoof to his jaw, stroking it as he grumbled. “That hurts…”
Daring could see a slight bruise forming where she’d hit him once during the scuffle. She blushed and bit her bottom lip. “Sorry about that.” She said, trying not to chuckle.
The guard cleared his throat and tried to brush it off. “Oh I am a royal guard; we are trained to be able to handle such minor-ouch!” He gasped, holding his cheek again. “Okay...that really-ouch!”
Daring chuckled and approached, pulling some salve from her bag with a cloth. “Come here.” She said with a smile. Dipping the salve onto the cloth she stroked it over his cheek as he winched.
“It’ll help stop the swelling.” She said with a smile, sighing softly.
Daring wasn’t a sociable pony, she was often on her own and liked it that way. But here in the darkness of the Everfree Forest, even she wasn’t going to turn away some company; especially when that company was amusing.
“So, what made you crash, you look like a strong flyer.”
Cloud Zapper shrugged. “I was actually trying to land to see who you were, but I admit, I’m not used to landing in wooded areas.” He said with a slightly bashful look. “Hit a tree branch on the way down that I didn’t see in the dark.” He sighed softly. “You hit pretty hard by the way.” He said with a light grumble.
Daring Just chuckled and finished up with his cheek before sighing. “Well I was just about to get some sleep for the night and then head into Ponyville in the morning. So if it’s okay, I’ll be hitting the hay.” She smiled. “You are welcome to stay, but when I move in the morning, I move alone.” She said, turning her head and looking at him firmly. A little company wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t going to be TRAVELING with a Royal Guard. That just spelled trouble and would be the most stupid thing she could do.
Cloud Zapper seemed to take the invite and curled up nearby on the ground, curling up under his wings in a slightly foolish way that had Daring Do chuckling before she rested for sleep herself.
A sleep that was haunted by dreams.
There was a glowing, and a dark voice that sounded out, the sound of rhyming, the sound of echoed words. She couldn’t hear the words; she couldn’t…see the words. They were there, like smoke, whispering into the wooded air like leaves blowing in the wind…so gentle to the sight, but almost impossible to catch.
There was gold there too, gold in her life and part of her future, and blackness, a darkness cast over the ground. A shadow, and a puppeteer...something above it all, something there, something threading the darkness and the events like thread through the eye of a needle, sewing the seams of a twisted plan to gain everything...to play the game.
But what game? What was the game, was it chess...a form of chess, a way that things could break and bring back, something that was lost, something that’s gone.
Something that was stolen.
A laugh pierced the darkness before Daring Do woke up, sitting bolt upright the mare found herself panting. Her body ached, she felt slightly sick, and every inch of her body told her that despite sleeping she had received no rest in the night.
The sun was high and it looked to be already nearing noon.
So a lack of a restful sleep, an over-sleep at that, and barely any time to make the train. Today seemed to be going just swell.
Daring Do grumbled and packed up her tent and things, Head down the trail. The soft patter of hooves behind her made her stop and grumble.
“I said I would be walking into Ponyville alone.”
Cloud Zapper stepped into view and shrugged. “I figured I needed to head to the train station too.” He said with a grin that wasn’t very convincing.
“Really, so where do you plan on going?” She asked in a challenging tone.
“Why? Where do you plan on going?” He asked curiously and evasively.
“Manehatten.” She said through gritted teeth.
“What a coincidence, that’s where I’m heading too.” He said, trotting past her a little gleefully.
Daring found herself growling low and stamping a hoof on the ground before she stalked after him, grumbling the entire way.
In hindsight she probably should have pestered him to tell her his destination before offering her’s. She was sort of stuck with him now as it was.
When she’d first saw the Royal Guard, she’d found him cute.
Now he was annoying.
He just kept talking.
His ramblings went constantly on about his time in the guards and Captain Sunride and the different kinds of Guard there were and how he had originally wanted to be in the Militia Guard but apparently he wasn’t good at their kind of orders and often overstepped his grounds and HE JUST DID NOT SHUT UP!
“Will you be quiet?!” She demanded from him when she’d had enough, panting heavily enough for her nostrils to flare.
Cloud Zapper seemed somewhat shocked at her outburst. “Well that was very rude. Here I am trying to just engage in conversation and there you are shouting at me. It reminds me of this mare I once knew-” He said and his words began to once again drown out into nothing but rabble.
Daring gritted her teeth, growled loudly and stalked onwards, trying her best to ignore him as he gave constant anecdotes and random information and told more stories than she thought possible for a pony of his age to even have yet.
Ponyville was a welcome sight when it came into view.
Daring turned to Cloud and shoved a hoof at his muzzle to quieten him.
“I want to get through this town without attracting attention. So I need you to do something for me, think you can do me a single favour that would help me greatly?” She asked, her voice almost seeming sweet. His nod made her smile before she yanked him closer. “Shut….up.”
Letting go of his muzzle she walked past him and into town, taking off her pith helmet and jacket, stuffing them into her saddlebags. Rummaging in the left pocket she pulled out a shroud and wrapped it around her neck, making sure it covered her rump and cutie-mark before covering her face slightly.
Daring began moving, making certain to move her left leg a little further than usual when she walked, making her gait a little awkward and different from usual.
This was all part of the disguise. Making sure her walk was different, her appearance, no cutie-mark on show meant that anypony that might be able to recognise her, would second guess themselves if they saw her, and hopefully, think she was somepony else.
Daring Do walked through the town, looking around and gritting her teeth. This was one of those boring dull towns, one where absolutely nothing happened, there was nothing special, and everyone in it was just either cheery or grumpy. She had never really been to Ponyville before, but she’d seen a hundred towns just like it.
Not bothering to focus on surroundings, she followed street signs to the train station and stood waiting.
Feeling she’d got through without drawing any attention to herself she smiled, before feeling a little confused. Despite her looking like a normal pony, and rather inconspicuous, ponies where still looking in her general direction.
Was her cutie-mark on show? Was she recognised? Did she do something to draw attention?
Looking to her right her eyes widened.
Cloud Zapper was next to her still in full glorious golden royal armour.
She face-hoofed.
“Why-” she began through gritted teeth, “are you still wearing that armour?”
He looked at her with a smile. “Because its mine silly.”
Daring felt about ready to blow. “I told you I needed to get through unnoticed. This is a small town, do you really expect they won’t notice a royal guard walking around in full armour?!” She said in a harsh whisper.
He looked confused. “But you didn’t tell me I needed to take it off.” He said in his defence.
She face-hoofed again.
“I didn’t think I had to.” She grumbled as the train arrived, climbing onto it.
This stallion would be the death of her.
The train ride was silent, thank Celestia.
It seemed Cloud Zapper figured he’d annoyed her.
“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t get it. Why are you trying to hide anyway?” He asked curiously. “Did you lie when you said you hadn’t done anything wrong?” He asked with a grumble, it didn’t seem to be a threatening way of asking her, it seemed he felt almost disappointed that she might have lied to him.
He was a very strange pony.
Daring Do sighed. “I am hiding, because everpony thinks I did something wrong and I guess I did, but I did it for the right reasons. I’m trying to save everyone.”
Cloud Zapper nodded. “Well then I won’t arrest you for it, I’ll just help you.” He smiled. “And then when you save everypony, all will be forgiven. So what you do? And what’s the danger?”
Daring Hesitated. “It’s…not that simple.” She said softly.
He might think he could handle it, but what she’d done was worse than he likely imagined. She’d desecrated the body of a long forgotten, but still extremely important member of the royal family. Not the kind of thing that gets easily overlooked.
“I probably shouldn’t say.” Daring Do turned away, avoiding his eyes, “maybe some other time.” She said dismissively.
Daring hoped that in time, he’d just forget to ask her, and by the time they made it to Manehatten, she could give him the slip, and hide from him, like she planned to from everypony else.
The problem was she had no idea what to do from there.
Hiding was never her style, but she had to. As long as she held one of the seven items, Ahuizotl couldn’t complete his plans. But that meant he’d hunt her. Hiding was the best way to keep the horn, and the world, safe. But how she would ever stop hiding wasn’t something she had a plan for.
Was this to be her life now?
In the shadows?
No. She wouldn’t let it be.
She was Daring Do!
She’d find a way!
Daring had managed to send word ahead by courier, so hopefully a certain pony would be waiting for her.
When she arrived at the station, she got off and looked around, biting her bottom lip.
“Diane!” A voice sounded out before a green and lime Pegasus speared her to the ground, pushing the air out of her as she was hugged tightly.
“M-Melody...let me breathe...Melody!” She gasped before the other pony finally let go and seemed to bounce around.
Daring gasped and stood up, coughing. “That wasn’t fun. But it’s good to see you.” She smiled.
Melody Hollow grinned at her.
Melody was a mare with a lime coloured coat, and a two tone green mane and tail. Her cutie-mark was a stylised semiquaver. Her talent was playing the Cello, and she had one more skill that Daring hoped to put to good use.
The young mare was also a nomad by nature, jumping from town to town with no real home, she had a knack for knowing places in each town or city a pony could stay and not get bothered.
She was good at hiding, which is exactly what Daring needed.
“Alright, no stuff with you? That’s fine; we can get you some new clothes. We can go now if you waaaaHHIIII.” She said, her voice sounding suddenly different, higher in pitch and her eyes wide with a silly smile on her face.
She’d just laid eyes on Cloud Zapper.
“Okay…who’s the cutie?” She asked in a hushed voice at Daring.
Daring sighed, glancing at Cloud Zapper’s big smile. “An annoyance. Can we just go?”
Melody smirked. “Is he coming with you? Are you and he-”
“NO!” Daring yelped out loudly suddenly making several ponies turn their heads. She flushed and leaned in. “N-no...certainly not, in fact, I don’t want him coming along, I want to lose him. Can we just go now?” She asked hopefully.
Melody sighed and nodded, “you take all the fun out of it.” She grumbled as she took to the air.
Daring jumped and followed behind her, but the movement of the air suggested another Pegasus was behind them. She turned and saw Cloud Zapper following. She let out a groan of frustration.
“Leave me alone! Stop stalking me or I’ll buck you to the moon!” She demanded before flying past Melody as fast as she could.
Melody yelped. “Wait up!” She called, following as fast as she could. Cloud Zapper it seemed, willingly just let them go, much to Daring Do’s delight. It felt good not to have the stallion on her tail anymore.
Well...kinda.
The company hadn’t been that bad. Yeah he’d talked a lot and was annoying, but Daring was often very alone on adventures. It didn’t feel bad to have someone there to talk to.
Shaking her head, Daring cleared her mind of such thoughts and focused on following Melody to the safe-house.
The two Pegasus flew side by side, barely speaking for about an hour before they finally reached what looked like a hotel. But it had been shut down years before. Using a fire escape they got into one of the rooms, and Daring was surprised to find it was decently furnished.
“Oh, this is better than I expected.” She said with a pleased smile.
“Don’t I always deliver?” Melody said with a chuckle. “There’re still some candles, and the shower works too.” She said, with a pride filled smiled.
Daring sighed and pulled the mare close, holding her. “Thank you for this Melody.” She smiled. “Remind me to come to a concert of yours sometime, I’d love to see you play.” She said tenderly, letting the other mare slip out of her hooves.
“Okay, well I gotta get going.” The lime mare smiled. “If you need anything, just ask.”
Daring nodded and watched Melody fly away.
Fire doth grow and the puppeteer pulls……
The strings give way and cackles sound……
From the darkness it crawls……
In the light it grins……
And you CANNOT STOP IT!
Daring Do sat bolt upright, panting and sweating as she looked into the darkness of the room.
The dreams were getting more frequent.
Were they just dreams, or were they maybe something more?
A vision?
Shaking her head she sat up and pulled up her saddlebag.
Taking out her stashed pith helmet she looked at it curiously. The scratch was gone.
The scratch on her pith helmet that she’d received from the black griffon was simply no longer there, the helmet looked pretty new actually. Had it been switched?
Shrugging she put it to the side and went back to her bag.
Rummaging through it she took out the Alicorn horn.
Slightly desensitised to where it had come from by now, Daring Do took a closer look. Horns weren’t made of bone like some uneducated ponies thought; they were a build-up of keratin over smaller bones on the inside.
Keratin was made up of the same stuff that made a pony’s mane, basically hair, compacted and pressured into a much harder point and full of nerves.
She wasn’t really sure how the magic part worked though. She ran her hoof over it gently and side, placing it beside her on the bed where it rolled and fell to the floor, spinning for a bit until it slowed to a stop.
She sighed and picked it up and put it on the bedside table instead, where it suddenly turned, span once slowly and stopped, pointing in the exact same direction it had before.
Daring Do cocked her head.
Picking up the horn she placed it on the floor, and this time she spun it with her hoof on purpose. It did at least six revolutions before it suddenly stopped, facing the exact same direction as before.
It was pointing her somewhere!
Was this the power of the Alicorn’s Horn?
Was it just something to point the right way?
That somehow didn’t seem right, like she might be missing something. Surely the removed horn of a long forgotten Alicorn Queen would do more than point a direction.
Daring Do sat back, staring at the horn.
What did this mean for her?
Should she decide to leave and follow the horn?
Or would that just lead her back to Ahuizotl and give him the chance to take the horn from her?
Daring groaned. All these questions were giving her a headache.
It was then that a thought occurred to her.
If she was having visions of the future, and was unsure of what path to take…why didn’t she just go to a prophetess, a pony with the gift of foresight, of delivering prophecies and legends of future events?
They were rare, but they were certainly out there. Many a war had been prophesised in the past.
Daring waited until Melody returned later that day before she told her of her plan, and asked if she knew of any pony that might be able to help.
Sadly, she didn’t.
But a particular someone occurred to Daring Do. She knew exactly who she could call.
“Melody, I need you to send a message.”
Swiftcall was extremely nervous.
He didn’t like large cities; he didn’t like much of anything.
He was a courier of information and often served Daring Do on her adventures.
At the speeds he could fly, he was there before nightfall, looking around the rooftop of Manehatten where he was asked to meet Daring Do.
Landing on the rooftop the stallion looked around, biting his lip awkwardly.
“I’m right here.” Said Daring’s voice from the shadows of the roof access door as her head poked out into sun slightly. “I need some information.”
Swiftcall gulped. “I…I might not be able to help.”
Daring sighed. “You never used to be like this, Swift. Before I went after the Sapphire Statue you were more confident, a little jumpy still bit never this skittish.” She said softly. “And you’d always help me. I need my friend right now, I need you and I need what you know.” She said gently, looking at him in a pleasing way.
Swiftcall gulped before slowly nodding.
“Good.” Daring said softly. “I need to find a prophetess, the best one you know of. I have some questions that I think only someone with that ability can answer.”
Swiftcall’s eyes widened. “N-No! I can’t!”
He suddenly took off. Daring gritted her teeth and flew right after him, grabbing his tail and yanking him back. “I NEED this, Swift! Please!”
He looked around, and seemed to be shaking. “R-right here…in Manehatten. On the outskirts. A hut, to the east. Edge of the forest.”
It was all he said before he shot around her faster than she could catch him and flew away.
Swiftcall had used to be one of her dearest friends, but lately he’d changed. And Daring Do found herself longing for the friend she’d once had.
But at least she now had the information she needed.
Dropping off at the hotel room to grab her bag with the horn in it, she raced to the east side of town. On the outskirts there was a wide forest, so Daring skimmed the tree-line until she found a path.
Entering it a little way she came across some smoke in the distance, from what seemed to be a chimney.
Daring Do approached cautiously, ever aware of possible traps that could erupt from the darkness, but she need not have feared, for as she came through to a clearing, she was confronted by what seemed to be a modest little hut.
Smiling at the fortune, Daring Do headed over and knocked on the door.
“Who be knocking at this hour?
And is your business sweet or sour?” Said a thick accent from the other side.
“Erm, I’m…Diane.” She said, not giving her more famed name. “I’ve come to see you with some questions and…erm…I suppose its…sweet?” She said, sounding very unsure.
The door opened a crack and Daring got the slightest glimpse of glittering gold jewellery.
“Diane be the name from a mother bestown
But not the one for which you are known.” The voice said firmly, the words bringing a lump to Daring’s throat and a little sweat glisten on her brow.
“Relax my child, you seem full of fright.
Come in and I will share your plight.”
The door opened wide and Daring entered.
The inside was strewn with animal bones and herbs and strewn masses of green.
“My place is not a sight to behold,
Or entered by those but the brave and bold.”
The thick accent rang out behind her as the door clicked shut. Daring was overcome with a bit of déjà vu. ‘Behold, bravely bold, this prophetess rhymed like the prophecy was written. She wondered if that meant anything.
It was then that her host walked into the light, and a starling white with black markings met her. This mare was a Zebra. Her mane was coloured like her body, and hung down one side of her face, covering her eyes. She had hoof bangles and neck bangles, and a spiral tribal cutie-mark offset by three dashes that might look like sun streaks.
Daring couldn’t help but ask the question that suddenly burned inside her. “Who are you?”
“A Zebra I am, and Hamara be my name.
If you’ve met a Zebra before, some say we look the same.” She said with a slight chuckle.
Daring had yet to actually meet a Zebra, but she had seen a few pictures, and she had to admit, they did look pretty much the same. Which she realised would be a horribly prejudice thing to say.
“N-no...I find you very…unique.”
Hamara chuckled. “Your lies are welcome,
But no need to flatter me,
You came with a purpose,
Now what can it be?”
Daring gulped.
“I need to know…about this.” She pulled out the Alicorn’s Horn, the Zebra’s eyes widening slightly before nodding.
“A powerful item you know this may be,
We must consult the Orb of Prophesy.”
Hamara pulled back on a cloth in the corner covering a table. The cloth had been flat on the table and the table empty, but the moment the cloth was pulled away, suddenly there was an orb on it, inset into what looked like the skeletal remains of a Griffon’s claw. And judging by the size, it might have once been a black griffon.
The ball itself wasn’t normal either, black crystal stared out and a chill ran down Daring Do’s spine just from looking at it.
“What…is…that?” She asked with her eyes wide and her hooves rooted to the ground in what felt, strangely like fear.
Fear?
Why was she afraid of a crystal ball?
“An ancient item I discovered deep,
In an ancient abandoned cities keep.
Locked and sealed away in dark,
I rescued it from its lonely hearth.
It shows the past, the present and future, things that are and what may be.
Its power is needed for us to know, what it is you wish to see.”
Daring gulped. “I’m not too sure about this anymore.”
“Do not be afraid little Daring Do.”
Daring’s eyes widened. This Zebra knew who she was. She had hinted that she knew her name earlier, but the fact that she defiantly did, didn’t ease Daring’s growing fear at all.
“No harm yet will come to you.” Hamara said softly.
“Sit.”
The word was spoken and Daring sat down automatically, staring at the ball. It had power, dark power, and Daring suddenly wanted nothing more than to get out of there.
Hamara soon began humming, and the tone seemed to reverberate within the crystal, a singular point of light began to glisten inside its murky blackness and suddenly Daring felt herself become light.
Her vision blacked out.
A rush of bright light erupted in the darkness and the voice of Hamara sounded out, and it spoke the prophecy once more.
“Seven items must entwine,
For magic to steer towards divine.
An Amulet old and full of lies,
Another that’s right, which wit divides.
A jackal found in temples greed,
Where hunters fail but prey succeed.
A golden key to unlock the way,
Within the blue at circles bay.
A goblet holder of the heart,
Great magic’s vessel with talons guard.
A bangle locked and sealed in thrice,
Follow the wit of the lonely mice.
A horn of old from bone remains,
Equestrian colours, the blue complains.
The final piece cannot be told,
But found by those of bravely bold.”
Daring’s vision was suddenly erupted in fire as she saw the entire of Equestria in darkness, there were rings, rings that were on a pedestal, and Ahuizotl, facing entire armies and destroying them. Then suddenly things began to grow old and decay around him while he remained the same, laughing and cackling as things crumbled and rusted and died and grew and died again surrounding him.
As though he were immune to time!
“If brought together at the right place and hour,
These items bestow and Alicorn’s power.” Hamara’s voice rang on.
“Immortality will be shown,
As part of what each power is known.
The world will glow in a blazing pyre,
As statue’s light creates Everfire,
The horn will always show the way,
And can fix the broken with one touch they say.
The bangle heals and the goblet extends,
And the Amulet ensures that strength meets no end.
And the key will always unlock the way,
Ensuring no obstacle can stop by the light of day.”
Each item flashed before Daring’s eyes as it was described. Things became clear.
Her pith helmet had been fixed by the horn when she’d pressed them together in the bag after she’d stashed it away in Ponyville.
The Griffon had survived so long by drinking from the goblet, extending its lifespan.
The bangle had healed her cut, and she’d seen the statue create Everfire which was why the temple’s tortures had still been lit when she’d went through it, even after a thousand years.
And the key?
Ahuizotl possessed it. That was how he had stolen everything from the safe at the university. He hadn’t needed the combination, he could unlock anything.
And the Amulet?
Bestowed strength?
That meant he was going to be an extremely dangerous foe in the future.
But when all of them were brought together, they bestowed the one thing Alicorn’s had above everypony else.
Immortality.
Daring’s mouth went dry. This was bad news.
Suddenly everything hurt and Daring screamed before she felt a hard floor beneath her.
She was standing in a hall.
“The Orb of Prophesy requires a trial,
A payment for what has been learnt.
Defeat its champion with wit and guile,
And freedom you will have earn't.” Hamara’s voice cackled in the air as suddenly a large Minotaur appeared from the shadows.
“Oh, hey.” Daring said with a shrug. Minotaur’s were big, strong, but surprisingly rather gentle at most times. “Is everything okay?”
The Minotaur looked at her, turned away for a moment as though hesitating before it roared and charged. Daring Do’s eyes went wide.
She dived out of the way as the creature attacked, its horns smashing through a rock pillar nearby. Daring raced around the ring. “Why are you attacking me?” She asked with wide eyes.
“Because I have to!” He shouted, charging again.
Daring tried to dive again, only to have her tail caught in in his large hands, throwing her hard against a pillar.
She shouted as a crack sent pain through her wing. It seemed it was broken.
Always the same wing!
He charged again, his hooves smashing down at her. She dived to the side and lashed up with her own hooves, bucking him hard in the chest. He flew back into a pillar, grunting.
Daring Do looked around, wondering what she could do. She had an idea.
“Come get me!” She taunted.
The Minotaur charged at her, and at the last second she dived. His horn’s smashing right through another pillar.
Daring Do moved further away and taunted him again. “Come on ya big lummox.”
He got enraged and charged again. When she moved she got him to smash through two pillars, dust raining from the ceiling.
“One more.” She muttered as she headed for another pillar nearby. Suddenly her foe grabbed her from behind causing her to yelp. He clenched her and her broken wing erupted in pain that had her screaming.
“I will be free!” He shouted and threw her.
His words confused her, but she didn’t have time to ponder them before she struck the pillar and went through, gasping for breath.
But as she went through, the roof lost support and suddenly caved in, and the rubble fell on the Minotaur, burying him.
Daring’s pains suddenly ended and she sat bolt upright, in perfect health, gasping and looking around. She was on outside of where the hut should be, but it was now gone, with Hamara with it.
Daring Do was panting, looking around.
She could still feel the ache of the fight, she was here, and she hadn’t dreamt that. It was some kind of Zebra Arcanum magic. There was more to Hamara than she had discovered, and she had a strong feeling that she would be seeing that Zebra again before long.
Pulling out her pith helmet, she ran her hoof over where the scratch had once been and she smiled, placing it on her head.
The moment she’d woken, information had flooded her mind.
She knew where Ahuizotl would need to go; she knew where the items had to be assembled.
Daring Do was going on another adventure.
Daring Do was going to the Tower.