//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight - Chasing Reinerth // Story: Daring Do and the Wendigo Shrine // by ThePartyCannon //------------------------------// It was midday in Canterlot as Mbarka calmly trotted down the cloudy streets. A soft rain dampened his coat as he made his way down to the authority’s station. Despite the gloomy weather, several ponies continued to partake in their everyday activities of shopping, dining in cafes, and participating in social gatherings. Mbarka had to push past several stubborn ponies that were adamant in their actions of walking at an uncomfortably slow pace. “Look at that, Reginald.” Cawed an elderly pony wearing a massive hat to her stallion companion, “It seems to me that this lowly zebra thinks his business is more important than ours.” “Quite so, Beatrice. As if he would ever be important enough to be considered equivalent to us.” “Indubitably!” stated the old mare before throwing her head back in a posh cackle. Mbarka rolled his eyes as he pressed on, “How could Jack or Daring live in such a place? This is intolerable.” He grumbled to himself. He made it through the city into the interior districts, and arrived at a high-walled courtyard filled with grand statues. Above the gate were the words, Canterlot Royal Guard Mbarka gulped and pushed his way into the building. It was built like every other building in Canterlot; unnecessarily expensive and luxurious. The inside was adorned with crystal chandeliers and costly suits of armor. The front desk, which was lavish in gold trimming, stood as one of the more humble assets to the room. Behind the desk was a small orange pony, who stared worriedly at the Captain. As he approached her she stammered out, “Can I help you?” He nodded, “My name is Captain Mbarka, and I’d like to file a potential threat against Equestria that calls for immediate action.” “Um… Okay, let me just… Uh…” She fumbled around below the desk for awhile before coming up with a large stack of papers. She tossed a quill to the zebra before continuing, “If you would just fill out this paperwork, we’ll be happy to look into your request.” Mbarka flipped through the several-score pages of bureaucratic nonsense before sighing heavily, “Look, ma’am, this is beyond dangerous. If I don’t get to speak to a guard in the next twelve hours, I can guarantee you that we’re all going to be dead.” “You’ll speak to a guard alright.” The mare stammered, attempting to retreat from what she had mistaken to be a threat on the zebra’s part. A buzzer rang from behind the desk and within seconds doors from either side of the room slammed open. The Royal Canterlot Guard swarmed into the room, their golden armor shimmering in the light. They quickly surrounded the zebra, who meagerly raised his hooves into the air. “Ponyfeathers…” he cursed. Daring Do, Jack, and Sunny had landed their flying contraption on the ground and positioned themselves at the foothills of the mountains. Overhead were enormous black thunderheads, each discharging huge amounts of lightning. Every few seconds a fresh batch of thunder would split the skies, sometimes loud enough to make their ears ring. And to make matters worse, it was raining heavily, falling from the sky in giant, fat droplets. “Daring… You’re not going in there, are you?” Sunny asked, motioning towards the mountain pass. It was covered in thick fog, and ascended into the mountains where it eventually reached into the black clouds. “Yeah, kid. That’s where I’m gonna find him.” Jack looked at Sunny, who was balancing on three legs, trying to keep her weight off of her broken leg. “Daring, I don’t think Sunny is able to follow us. Look at her.” Reluctantly Daring turned her head towards the unicorn. He was right; she would never be able to keep up without one of them having to carry her. It pained Daring to have to leave her behind, but she knew that it was necessary. “It’s okay. I’ll find someway else to be useful! I think…” Sunny chimed cheerfully. She looked around at the rolling plains behind them, and at the rocky crags in front of them. She was clueless as to how she could help and decided that it would be best if she just stayed put. She plopped down on her rump in the grass, being careful not to nudge her injured leg too much. “Sunny, we’ll be back for you, okay? Just stay here. If you get scared, you can make a tent out of the balloon there.” Daring explained, pointing to their hot air balloon that lay in the grass a few feet from them. Sunny nodded before zipping over to Daring in a flash. Before Daring could realize what happened, Sunny had already wrapped her hooves around Daring’s legs, embracing her in an affectionate hug. She stayed that way for several minutes until Jack pried her off with some effort. Daring smiled back at Sunny before turning around and heading into the mountains with Jack on her tail. Sunny watched them leave, disappearing into the foggy mountain path. Then she was all alone, in the middle of an empty field at the foot of the Chorda Mountains. She was glad that it was raining, and that Daring couldn’t tell that she had been crying. Ancient artifacts are powerful things indeed. Not only can one destroy the world with no real exertion, but they can also unhinge reality. As was the case with Professor Reinerth, who had, at one point, been a brilliant mind both in science and history fields. But with his recently discovered power in the form of the Thunder Stone, Reinerth began to lose grip with his mortal restraints. And with his once-cherished brain. He stood atop his wagon as a band of ponies pulled it upwards through the stinging rain and hail. The foreign pony carried a crazed look on his face, and cackled like a madman through the mountains, letting his voice echo deep into the range. He held aloft the stone into the sky, letting arcs of lightning shoot off its surface. Beside the caravan, Kuwinda cowered from his master. Not an hour ago, Reinerth had been as sane as could be, as far as evil masterminds go. But now, after being huddled over this stone, he had turned into something far more than an evil genius. He had become an evil genius without reasoning or morality. He would use the Thunder Stone to redirect lightning straight into the carts that once held his own companions. One such cart had been full of ponies when the lightning struck and although they all escaped, they weren’t left unharmed. His lackeys began to question their own intentions, and thought about stopping Reinerth themselves. One such pony stepped forth from the crowd and confronted Kuwinda. “Yo, what in Equestria is he doing?!” He yelled. “He’s mad!” Kuwinda responded over the howling wind. “No question! Are you gonna do anything about it?” Kuwinda shook his head. “Okay then, it’s up to me.” Boldly, the brown stallion marched in front of Reinerth’s caravan. The team pulling it stopped in their tracks, sinking into the snow. They eyed the stallion with eyes of fire. Being in such close proximity to such power had tampered their minds as well, and they weren’t about to let somepony overthrow their wondrous leader. “Yo, Reinerth! Are you gonna throw that rock away, or am I gonna have to come up there and kick your sorry flank to next Tuesday?” Reinerth gazed down at the stallion. “Who are you?” He asked. “The name’s Notes. Now, about that flank-kicking. Do you want me to-“ Notes was cut off as a blinding arc of lightning shot from the sky, impacting him straight on. The air hummed with energy as the superheated plasma rocked through the stallion’s body. He convulsed as tufts of smoke billowed from his mane and coat. After several agonizing seconds the lightning stopped, leaving a blackened, charred mass of flesh in the path. Reinerth’s cackling filled the air, mixing with the howling wind and clashing of thunder. “Leave him for the buzzards!” he shouted before laughing as if he had just made a hilarious joke. The cart moved on, running over the ashy remains of Notes with its wooden wheels. Kuwinda, for the first time since his life debt began, questioned his master. He was honor bound to Reinerth, and not the sadistic pony that stood before him. For one fleeting moment he started to hope that Daring Do would arrive. Daring Do and Jack raced up the rocky slopes of the mountain. They were still a long way behind Reinerth’s convoy, and Jack knew it. If they didn’t pick up the pace, or find a shortcut, then Reinerth would win. There was no question about it. “Daring! I recognize this place!” Jack called out ahead of him at the pegasus. She skidded to a halt, and craned her neck around to her friend. “It’s another couple miles until we get to the spot where Kuwinda kidnapped me!” “Well then hurry! There is no time to be lost!” She shouted before sprinting even harder. Jack gasped for breath as he attempted to keep up with the mare. This was one of the parts of adventuring that he loathed; the physical activities. He was always one for examining or disarming traps, or for decoding and translating ancient texts, but the running and the jumping and the swimming always made Jack bitter. Daring didn’t miss a beat, and never slowed down. She may not be the fastest runner, and was definitely slower than Kuwinda, but she knew that she had to do this. It wasn’t until the lightning started that she realized that stopping Reinerth would be more difficult than previously thought. Lightning sparked from higher in the mountains, raining down on Jack and Daring. It split rocks and threw debris into the air. Some arcs missed Daring by only a few gray hairs on her head. One particularly large arc slammed into the ground behind Jack, flinging him into the air like a ragdoll. He landed hard on his face near Daring, and slid to a halt among the jagged path. He rose as fast as he could and continued running. He ignored the blood seeping out from his legs and chest and ran through the pain. “Daring, just a quick heads up; the ground is sharp!” Daring Do turned her head around, looking at Jack. The faint red of blood was barely visible beneath his blue coat, and Daring shook her head. “Oh, Jack. Don’t be so reckless.” Ahead of Daring, the sound of clattering wood broke the consistent howling of the wind. Out of the fog, a trio of carts careened down the mountain. In their beds were nearly a dozen ponies, each brandishing blades and clubs. Daring couldn’t be certain, but she could have sworn that their eyes were glowing a fiery red. One swerved in front of Daring Do, missing her by scant inches. One of the ponies was unfortunate enough to have been grabbed by Daring in the ear and thrown to the ground. He landed among the gravel, groaning as the jagged stones pierced his back. His club fell to the ground, and Daring kicked it in Jack’s direction. “Use it, Jack!” She shouted demandingly. “Uh… You know, Daring… I’m more particular to, uh… fencing. Not baseball.” He said, picking up the hefty club in his hooves. But he ceased his arguing when one of the carts changed course and came full-speed at him. The lead pony, who was straining to pull the cart at the speed it was going, was the unlucky one to have his feet swept from underneath him by Jack’s swing. He lost his balance and rolled forward, unhitching himself from the cart and being thrown underneath it. The cart that had targeted Jack was now crippled, having only one draw-pony instead of the normal two the others had. Jack took this to his advantage and chased it down. As he ran alongside it, club in his mouth, the ponies inside began to poke and jab at Jack with their blades. They didn’t apply enough force to penetrate his skin, but it was enough to keep him at bay. Searching for a solution, Jack’s clever mind quickly saw the answer. With all his might he charged sideways into the cart. His body slammed into the wood, hardly moving the cart at all. With a mighty swing of his head, he brought the club straight into the wheel. The wood splintered and the axle snapped in half underneath the wagon. The front half fell forward and got caught on uneven ground. The back end was thrown forward by momentum, ejecting the remaining ponies onto the sharp ground, where they lay moaning in pain. Meanwhile, Daring had her own problems with the remaining two carts. They were travelling side by side with Daring Do in the middle. She remained on the ground, not trying to fly due to the strong winds, flashing lightning and the pelting hail. The carts were travelling uphill, further into the mountains. As they progressed up the trail, they emerged at a place in the path where one side opened up into a ravine. The sheer drop off the mountainside gave Daring an idea. She rammed herself into the side of one of the carts. It budged, but just barely. The ponies inside took this as a threat and slashed their weapons downward at the mare. She dodged them, easily, forcing the cart to merge closer to the second cart, and closer to the open drop. She was trapped with even less room now, but her plan would soon bear fruit. Ahead of her, the path narrowed into a width wide enough for only a single cart. On the right was the rocky mountainside, and on the left was the drop down into the ravine below. With the carts so close to each other, Daring sprinted forward, keeping pace with the draw-ponies. While running, Daring took the reigns from one cart in her mouth and reached them over to the second cart. She tied the pair of reigns together, all the while dodging attacks from the passengers. When her knot was secured, she flattened herself on the ground. The gravel burrowed into her knees, drawing blood, but also slowing her down. The cart passed harmlessly over Daring, and continued down the path at full speed. When they reached the narrower path, one of the carts attempted to come to a stop, only to be pulled forward by the second cart, due to their reigns being tied together. The two carts went down the path together, with disastrous effect. The leftmost cart’s wheels slid over the edge of the drop, and gravity ensued. It rolled down the mountainside, pulling its counterpart with it. From below the ridge, Daring could hear the massive objects splintering and crashing as they tumbled down the rocky slopes together. When the commotion died down, and only the wind could be heard, Daring stood up. Her knees her smeared with her blood and stung wildly. She spun her head around, getting her bearings. “Jack!” she shouted into the mountains. He couldn’t have gone far. Daring alone had only run two hundred yards up the path. “Jack!” she repeated frantically. From in front of her a shape appeared. “Jack, come on! We’re almost there!” She shouted, running towards the shape. She slid to a stop ten feet away from the figure. Staring at her through blood red eyes, each arcing lightning from one another, was the merciless zebra henchman; Kuwinda. He approached her and with every step he took, lightning sparked across the ground where his hooves landed. He grinned wickedly as he readied himself for the bloody onslaught. Mbarka sat on a chair, his hooves chained behind his back. A bright light shone directly into his face, forcing him to squint his eyes to avoid its intensity. In front of him stood the captain of the guard. His extravagant armor reflected even more light back into Mbarka’s face. “So, run this by me again, Captain. If you really are a captain.” The guard commanded. “Of course I am! I’ve docked in Canterlot nearly a dozen times! I remember once your guards even seized my ship!” “All the more reason for us to be wary, sir. Now, enlighten me.” He leaned back, “Professor Reinerth. He worked here in Canterlot, but resigned from the museum a while back. They found him in Stalliongrad, where he hired a ton of ponies to look for some shrine in the mountains.” “Right, this… Wendigo Shrine. I’ve never heard of it.” “It’s not supposed to exist.” Mbarka replied. “Then why would he-“ “Just listen, Captain. It doesn’t make much sense to me either.” He cleared his throat and continued, “This shrine has the potential power to destroy Equestria! It could bury Canterlot under a mile of snow, or crumble Trottingham to the ground in massive earthquakes, or drown Manehattan in tidal waves! Listen, I kid you not!” “Captain, I mean no offense, but your story sounds rubbish! How am I supposed to believe some old mare’s tale about a weather shrine coming from a zebra who smells like he just drank half the city’s cider!” the captain exclaimed, pounding a hoof on the table. “I know it’s difficult to understand, and I apologize. When Daring Do tried to explain this to me, most of it flew over my head too. I was just-“ “Wait, Daring Do?” the captain asked, his voice lifting to a more polite tone. Mbarka would have facehoofed if not for his hooves being restrained. He should have known better than to leave Daring out of this. Everypony knows Daring Do, and if he merely mentions her name in association with his own, he could get out of anything. “Yes… Daring Do. She went to stop him. And she asked me to send some guards her way so she can actually succeed. But somepony isn’t making this easy!” “Oh, I’m so sorry! I had no idea that you and Daring Do were working together!” he stammered, quickly untying Mbarka’s hooves. The light dimmed, giving Mbarka’s eyes a much needed rest. “I’ll send a battalion of guards to her as quickly as I can. They’ll travel by airship; it’s the fastest way.” The captain led Mbarka outside into the courtyard. The weather had intensified, and now rained heavily everywhere. The wind blew hard enough to send the rain flying sideways. As they made their way to the barracks, the captain turned to Mbarka, “As I said, an entire battalion will be dispatched. If Daring Do is in on this, then it must be serious. But we need a captain to get us there as fast as possible. What do you say, Captain?” Mbarka swiftly shook his head, “No! My flying days are over!” The pair turned the corner, revealing a large section of the sky. “Even for this?” He asked, pointing his hoof at a marvelous airship. She was nearly four times as long as the Onyx Wind, and twice as wide. Three decks were stacked; each deck brimmed with cannons and harpoons. Two balloons held it aloft, and two giant propellers powered it from behind. Mbarka nearly shed a tear. “It’s… mine?” “If you can fly us there and prove to us that what you said is true, we’ll work something out.” Mbarka stammered, looking for something to say. “What… Name? What’s the name?” “The Glory Eternal.” “No.” Mbarka quickly argued. “That’s a stupid name.” The captain was taken aback, “Well… What would you have named it?” Mbarka thought a moment before tapping his hoof on the ground. “I’d name it The Corona. Or, if I were to captain it, The Onyx Corona.” The captain chuckled and rested his hoof on the zebra’s shoulder. “Then The Onyx Corona it shall be called.” Mbarka smiled from ear to ear, “Raise the sails!” Blood trickled from Daring’s nose as she took another hit. She lay in the gravel, underneath Kuwinda’s rage. He was swinging wildly, not even worrying about technique or precision; he just swung as hard as he could in the general direction of Daring Do. As she took another shot to the ribs, Daring began to fade. Her vision was blurry, and her thoughts were inconsistent and erratic. Kuwinda laughed maniacally, almost cackling, and raised his hooves. He was ready to bring them down onto Daring’s skull, crushing it under his might, when he was struck in the back by a large club. Daring heard the impact, and her heart soared when she saw the blue legs of Jackhammer. Kuwinda was only mildly deterred by Jack’s surprise attack. The club had splintered over Kuwinda’s muscular back, and now lay strewn across the path, useless. Without a weapon Jack was at a major disadvantage. He timidly swung his hoof at Kuwinda, who easily blocked it and returned it with a similar strike of his own. Jack felt a sharp pain in his lower chest, but continued to fight. “Daring! Run! I’ll…” he paused to duck underneath Kuwinda’s right hook, “…Hold him off!” Daring shook her head, causing more pain but clearing her vision. She had been beaten badly, and worried that she wouldn’t be able to finish this. She stood, with difficulty, and walked slowly up the path. Her legs were aching from the sharp gravel and her chest and back were bloodied and bruised from Kuwinda’s onslaught. Still, she brought all the willpower she had into catching Reinerth. She didn’t look behind her, but could clearly hear the struggle between Jack and Kuwinda. There was grunting from both ends, both of pain and exertion of strength. Occasionally she could hear the impact of a blow, and she winced every time she did. Her head was clear enough to start jogging, and as she did she looked back at Jack. He too was losing badly to Kuwinda. The zebra had floored Jack and now stood above him, ready to finish him with his powerful hooves. Daring quickly changed course and sprinted towards the zebra, flapping her wings to add extra speed. She reached him and tackled him to the ground. The impact shook the immediate area and threw pebbles and rocks into the air. Jack groaned and rolled over. He was stained with blood, akin to Daring Do and even Kuwinda, who appeared to not be as invincible as they thought. Daring Do flew straight up into the air as much as her sore wings allowed her to, and came back down, flying hoof first. She landed on Kuwinda’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to stay on the ground. But she knew it was only temporary. She ran over to Jack, who remained on the ground. “Jack, come on! We gotta hurry!” He shook his head, still lying on the ground. He was clutching his stomach with both hooves. “Jack, don’t be so stubborn!” She shouted, grabbing him by his front hooves. She picked him up, using her wings for support, and stood him up. The two started to trot slowly up the mountain. Their bruised bodies were tired beyond belief, and their injuries slowed them down to just a fraction of their previous speed. “Daring… This is the last place I can remember. This is where Kuwinda and I left.” Jack looked around, it was all so familiar. Even in the thick white fog it was easy to tell. Lightning flashed again, bringing Jack’s attention back to the mission at hand. But… the lightning wasn’t coming from overhead. It came from directly behind Daring Do and Jack. They spun around, confronting Kuwinda yet again. He bellowed a battle cry, arcing lightning from his mouth as he roared. One of his eyes had burned a dark ring around his eye socket from the lightning it emitted, and his hooves were charred and blistered from the heat. He approached Daring, but not in a threatening manner. “K-Kuwinda…?” Daring asked gently. He nodded, seeming to be struggling with his inner self. “What’s happening?” she asked. “Reinerth… The Stone…” as he spoke, the lightning crackled inside his mouth, distorting the words. His face contorted with each word, as if it pained him to talk. “What about it? What’s he doing with the stone?” Jack asked assertively. “He’s… C… Co-“ he shouted into the sky again as the lightning in his body intensified. Gritting his teeth, he finished, “Control.” “He’s using the Thunder Stone to control ponies now?” Jack asked, bewildered. “It is magic, Jack. We don’t know its limits.” Daring said, never taking her eyes off of Kuwinda. “You… Gotta stop…” Kuwinda struggled. “Leave… me. I’ll give ya… time.” Daring Do and Jack watched as he struggled against the stone’s will. He brought himself to the edge of the path and looked down at the drop. Looking back at Daring and Jack, he was struck with an epiphany. He felt genuinely sorry for both the ponies, and actually loathed himself for being so uncouth to Jack. He realized that Reinerth, no matter what debt he owed him, wasn’t the pony he needed to serve. The couple standing in front of him, covered in blood and staring wide-eyed, were the ones that really needed his help. He took a deep breath. “Kuwinda… get away from the edge!” “Sorry, Jack.” He said before stepping down the slope. The rocks slipped, and Kuwinda tumbled down the mountainside with expert skill. The descent wouldn’t kill him, but would give the ponies enough time to get to Reinerth without having to fight him again. Or at least, fight the ‘possessed’ Kuwinda. For the first time in his entire life, Kuwinda felt as if he had actually accomplished some good towards a pony, instead of some menial task that was asked of him. Back on the path, Daring and Jack stared at the edge with mouths agape. They had no idea of Kuwinda’s survival as he slid down the mountainside, and had only assumed him to have just killed himself. Jack stammered with surprise, “He just… Just…” He threw his hooves forward, motioning the act of falling. Daring nodded slowly, “And he did it for us, Jack; to make sure that we get to Reinerth before he finds the shrine. Don’t let him die in vain!” Jack continued to stare down at the ravine, not daring to look over the edge. Daring walked past him, progressing up the path further. Her wounds still plagued her with weakness and fragility, and she could only assume that Jack’s condition was the same, if not worse. She kicked the loose gravel with her hoof, gritting her teeth while doing so. She was furious. Every fiber of her being was raging at her situation, and she felt as if nothing would bring her mind to ease as long as Reinerth was still alive. Her heart jolted as she realized what she was thinking. Killing a pony in cold blood was never in Daring’s forte. She looked a Jack, hoping for a comforting word, but only saw him slowly trudging up the path with the wind whipping at his mane. He looked up through weary eyes, “Are you okay, Daring?’ “Yeah.” She said, but she knew she was lying. She had never felt so low and down before in her career, not even on her worst adventure. Not even after she was bound, gagged, and nearly burnt at the pyre in Boarneo. She had been tortured in Stalliongrad, and imprisoned in Istanfoal, but she always knew that there would be an upside eventually. However her mind failed to realize any positive outcome of her current situation. “Let’s just keep going.” She said sullenly before plodding on through the hail to her certain doom. Reinerth’s crew had halted on their path; even though they knew full well that Daring was on their heels. The entire party had gathered in front of Reinerth, who stood a madman among the silent crew. His mane was frayed and loose, flying wildly in the harsh winds. His eyes were wide and bloodshot as he looked over his slaves. He held out the Thunder Stone, feeling its mystical power course through his limbs. It vibrated and hummed with energy as he focused it on his minions. Glowing blood red lightning shot from its surface, combining itself with the natural lightning in the clouds to make a harsh purple web of plasma. It flew down, striking multiple ponies at once. The victims arched their backs and groaned as the painful electricity racked their brains. It arced from their open mouths, harmlessly discharging itself onto the rocky ground. As soon as their cries of agony ceased, they fell to the ground in a heap. Their breathing increased to hyperventilation and their heart-rate raced to dangerous levels. As they opened their burnt eyes, they saw the world in a new perspective. Everything was new to them, and everything was dangerous. Their hooves were prepared to fight anything in their way, just for a sense of security. The only thing they were certain about was the gray pony standing madly before them. Their brains had been rewired through a cognitive reboot to be eternally loyal to their insane leader, as long as the Thunder Stone was in his control. “It is time!” Reinerth shouted over the wind to his army of slaves, “Daring Do makes her way to us now, not far down the mountainside! Bring me her head!” he commanded. The ponies obeyed without question, and nearly all of them marched down the pathway, some even galloping eagerly. The remaining ponies, few though they were, hitched themselves to Reinerth’s wagon and pulled him along the mountain, on his way to the Wendigo Shrine. Atop his vehicle, he let loose another series of cackles as he admired his new brainwashed ponies. Everything was falling into place for him now, and soon he would be granted the biggest prize of all. Equestria. The newly named Onyx Corona made its way out of the Canterlot docks with Mbarka at the wheel. Across the massive deck, three groups of guards were formed in tight formation. Mbarka guessed that, in all, there were at least a hundred guards on the airship. Each one of them was clad in shining silver armor, led by a lieutenant wearing more extravagant golden armor. In front of the three groups was the Captain of the Guard, signified by his cape and plumed helmet. He made his way to the helm of the ship, facing Mbarka. “Captain, how much longer until we arrive?” he asked formally to the zebra. Mbarka shrugged his shoulders, still grasping the wheel in both hooves. “It’s gonna take a while, sir. There’s a big storm between us and the mountains, and we might have to go around it.” The Captain of the Guard nodded before adding, “Do you think you could fly through that? It would save us time, wouldn’t it?” Mbarka sighed, “Flying through storms isn’t that easy, sir. Especially in an airship this big, we’re bound to get hit by lightning. And unless you like your steaks well-done, I suggest we move around it.” To be honest, Mbarka wasn’t worried about lightning or about the storm at all. He knew full well that the ship would be able to handle it without a problem. He felt incredibly guilty at his selfishness, and even though it was dangerous, but he just wanted to fly the ship for as long as possible. Risking all of Equestria was a small price to pay for flying one of Canterlot’s finest ships. “What if we flew over it?” The Captain asked. Mbarka sighed. The pony sure was persistent, and why shouldn’t he be? He supposed that, since he lived in the heart of Equestria, he was permitted entitlement to its safety. Reluctantly, Mbarka turned around and faced a series of levers and pulleys at the back of the ship. He flipped a few switches and tugged at some ropes, and soon the twin engines in the back came to life. The blades spun through the air almost silently. Mbarka was impressed by their efficiency; they were far larger than The Onyx Wind’s engine, and only made a fraction of the noise. He presumed that they were far more powerful, and was proven right as the ship began to move forward at an unprecedented acceleration. It slowly raised skywards, breaking through the low cloud layer. The ship was enveloped in the puffy whiteness of the clouds as it slowly rose into the atmosphere. When they broke the cloud layer and emerged above them, they were greeted by a sight of awe. In front of them were the peaks of the Chorda Mountains, reaching above the clouds enough to be seen, even from scores of miles away. But the mere sight of the mountains didn’t impress them, nor did the sea of white that they soared over. What caught everypony’s eye was the massive vortex of lightning that was forming over the Chorda Mountains. It spun upwards miles into the sky, and probably went outside of the atmosphere into the vacuum of space. It flashed ceaselessly, making arcs that measured miles long. They all funneled into a single spot on the mountains, where they impacted the ground with fierce vigor. Mbarka fearlessly turned the wheel in its direction and sailed straight towards the anomaly. “That’s what you were talking about?” asked the Captain, his words drenched in fear. Mbarka nodded, “And that’s where we’ll find Daring Do and Jack.” “What about Professor Reinerth? Will he be there to?” The Captain asked, squinting his eyes toward their target. “If we’re lucky, no.” “And if we’re not?” Mbarka turned to look at the Captain, noting his obvious panic of the situation. “Well Captain, I doubt we’ll be alive along enough to find out.” Reinerth’s ponies cascaded down the mountain in an avalanche of electric fury. Nearly twenty ponies ran in a stampede down a steep slope, heading straight for the pegasus and her stallion companion. Their mouths frothed with unbridled rage, and their hooves raised the sharp rocks into the air. Every trace of intelligence was gone, replaced by primal instincts of the hunt. Daring and Jack could hear the trampling of their hooves and their howls before they could see them. Visibly frightened, Jack nearly turned and ran down the slope, leaving Daring alone to face the horde, but thought twice about it and planted his hooves firmly on the ground next to the pegasus. Daring, flattered by her friend’s loyalty, stood her ground and waited for the swarm to reach her. The first of the mindless ponies sprinted out of the fog, and as he caught sight of Daring Do, howled madly into the air. Lightning shot from the sky, and arced into his mouth and eyes as he flew into the air, aiming to tackle Daring to the ground. She sidestepped him, allowing him to fall to the gravelly ground where Jack delivered a swift kick to the side of the head, knocking out the babbling pony. He investigated the pony while he still had time to. He recognized him from his time as a spy, and his heart sank as he investigated his wounds. His face was burnt from the constant lightning, and was pale from lack of blood. Jack felt his heart-rate, which rattled in his chest at nearly three beats a second. The lightning charged heart never slowed, and Jack feared that it would collapse onto itself from over-exertion. His fears were heightened when more ponies careened down the mountainside. He took a position next to Daring, being careful to give her the much needed fighting space. The fastest ponies were the first ones on the scene, their legs were a blur with their blinding speed. They crashed into Daring Do at a bone-cracking speed, sending her falling to the ground with a harsh thud. They appeared to ignore Jack, who quickly ran to Daring’s aid. The attacking ponies never used their hooves in the assault. They cried and bared their teeth at the mare, attempting to bite her and tear into her hide. She fought a few off, hooking a few across the face and throwing them into the gravel beside her. But still more swarmed from the path in a seemingly endless horde of electrically fueled monsters. Jack stood over Daring and the mind-slave ponies, hesitating to attack. On top of Daring were two mares that Jack recognized from earlier; he remembered that he had shared a cart with them. They had seemed nice then, even friendly. But now they filled the air with shrill cries and buried their teeth into Daring’s skin. As they bit down, lightning arced over Daring’s body, burning her coat and creating small billows of smoke. Jack closed his eyes and shot his hoof out as hard as he could. It impacted one of the mares in the back of the head, stunning her and knocking her off Daring Do. As she recovered on the ground, Jack took the second mare underneath the arms and picked her up off Daring. He threw her to the side and attempted to kick her away when she redirected an arc of lightning into Jack’s face. He tried to shield himself, but to no avail. He sailed backwards, landing among the stones with his face smoldering. Daring Do, now standing on her hooves, watched as her friend fell to the ground, limp. She raised her wings and flew to his side, clipping the mare across her jaw as she went. Jack was barely conscious when Daring scooped him up in her hooves and flew off down the path, high above the vicious minions. They screeched and raced after Daring, propelling themselves off the ground in an attempt to grab at Daring’s heels. Expertly weaving her way through them, the pegasus out-flew the group and rocketed up the mountainside, leaving the wild ponies behind her. Hail tore at her face and stung her wings. Jack’s weight slowed her down too much, and she feared that she would lose strength and be forced to run. Which would mean she would have to leave Jack behind. She shook her head, forcing her thoughts of abandonment away and focused on the path in front of her. The fog had lifted slightly, but only enough to see an extra thirty feet in front of her. She had no idea if she was following Reinerth’s trail, and the fog added to her uncertainty. Jack stirred in Daring’s hooves, and mumbled something incoherent, “What was that?” Daring asked urgently. “I said ‘thanks’.” Jack mumbled. Daring looked down at him and remained silent. He had his eyes forced shut from the lightning strike. Half his face was blackened, and Daring was nearly positive it would scar. She looked back up at the path ahead, tears rolling down her cheeks, both from her emotions and the wind in her eyes. As she rounded a bend in the mountain, something flashed before her eyes before she tumbled to the ground, a burning knot in her stomach. Her vision went bright white when she hit the ground, tossing Jack aside. Her ears had shut off, silencing everything in the world. At first she took it as relief, but as the bright light of her eyes eventually faded, she came face to face with Reinerth. Under normal circumstances, Daring would have compared him to his old self, when he worked in the museum. But considering how she had just taken a massive lightning bolt to the stomach, she didn’t bother with little details. She only noted the glowing red in his eyes as he kneeled over Daring, sword in hoof. He said something in his foreign language, something which Daring couldn’t hear nor interpret. He smirked as he drew his sword back, placing it in the middle of Daring’s stomach and applying sharp pressure. There was barely any pain as the metal buried itself inside her, missing her vital organs by mere centimeters. She passed out shortly after that. Sunny sat at the bottom of the mountain, watching the lightning fly across the sky. She had built a ramshackle lean-to from their balloon and his underneath that, shielding herself from the rain. Thunder constantly rumbled around her, vibrating the ground with its intensity. Sunny was scared, and wished for nothing more than Daring Do to be at her side. She trembled from fright and cold when something rustled the grass behind her. She whipped around, nearly screaming in fright at the sight before her. The bloodied zebra with lightning sparking across his body stood silently, his mohawk flat and plastered against his head from the rain. He tilted his head to Sunny, “Is there any room for me under there?” he asked slowly, exhausted from the lightning’s pain. Sunny nodded apprehensively. She scooted her way to the side, leaving enough room for Kuwinda to lie down. He noisily fell to the ground underneath the lean-to and sniffed the air. “Dis storm ain’t natural.” He said, “You know dat, right?” Sunny nodded again, too timid to speak outright. “But don’t you worry. Daring Do’ll stop it, I’m sure.” He comforted, turning his head to the mountain path. “Did you see her?” Sunny asked quietly, not making eye contact with the zebra and his grotesque injuries. “Yeah. She was doin’ alright.” “Good.” Sunny said almost immediately. She mustered the courage to look at the zebra’s face and said, “Why are you being nice? I thought you were the bad guy?” Kuwinda sighed, “I don’t know what I am. Maybe I’m good, maybe I’m bad. Maybe I’m just…” he paused, watching the lightning race across his hooves and down his limbs. “Maybe I’m just a monster now.” “You don’t seem like a monster.” Sunny replied, trying her best to be comforting to the zebra who had murdered a helpless, elderly pony right in front of her. “I mean, you had to do whatever whats-his-name told you to do, right? The Cap’n explained how life-debts worked, and he-“ “Don’t talk about my brothah.” Kuwinda nearly roared. Sunny recoiled in terror, nearly squirming out from underneath the lean-to into the cold rain. “S-sorry!” She muttered. “He still be a blight on my family, and I won’t rest until my ancestors are given peace.” He explained, ignoring Sunny’s apology. “And you’re not much better den him!” Sunny tried her best not to cry, and as Kuwinda saw her condition he sighed and swore in Zebrani. “Listen, little pony, I’m sorry. It’s just… You can’t understand what it’s like to have a brothah, someone who be close to ya, betray you and yer entire family with dishonor.” Sunny remained silent, forcing Kuwinda to continue. “And I’m sorry about shoutin’ at ya.” Sunny turned her head to look at Kuwinda in her peripheral vision, “And…?” “And? Uh…” He put a hoof to his chin, scratching it as he thought. Lightning sparked between his hoof and mouth, jolting him out of his concentration, “Sorry about bein’ mean to yer friend?” “What about the Chaplain?” Sunny asked, tired of the guessing game. “Do you even feel sorry for him?” Kuwinda was lost for a moment, trying to remember who the Chaplain was. Suddenly it hit him, and his cheeks flushed red. “Ah… yeah… I didn’t realize that-“ “I forgive you.” Sunny interrupted. “What?” “Everypony deserves forgiveness. That’s what the Cap’n taught me!” Sunny explained, brightening her mood slightly, “I’m surprised he never taught you that when you two were little.” Kuwinda didn’t say anything after that, and remained silent through the night. Sunny would eventually ask a few questions, but never receive an answer. After a few hours, she gazed back up at the mountain, wondering how Daring Do was faring. Jack awoke tied to a chair. Again. He immediately took in his surroundings. He was in a cold, dilapidated warehouse. The roof was abundant in holes, and the musty glass windows were nearly all broken. He shifted in his chair and felt additionally weight tied to his back. He craned his neck painfully around and saw the grayscale mane of Daring Do behind him. She was unconscious, and Jack could hear her shallow breathing, accompanied by a faster paced, harsher breathing. He turned his head around frantically, trying to find its source. “How many times are we going to be in this situation, Herr Jack?” Reinerth said from an unknown location. “As many as it takes, Reinerth.” “That… doesn’t make sense. Do you still remember my offer?” he asked eagerly. Jack nodded, adding, “Do you really think that I’ll accept it?” “I was hoping so, ja.” He said delightfully, “And now you have new incentive! You see, before I strapped you to a chair - just like old times - I stabbed Daring Do straight through the gut.” Jack’s heart leapt into his throat and he tried to turn around to check Daring’s condition. “She’ll be fine. If, that is, you accept.” He flew out of the shadows, and emerged right in front of Jack’s face. His red eyes glimmered with insanity, and he sprayed spittle over Jack as he croaked, “Destroy Canterlot, Jack! Do it, and save your friend!” Jack squirmed under the foreign pony. He had no idea what to do; deny the offer and have Daring die, or accept it, killing thousands but saving Daring Do’s life. “Which is it, Jack? One-thousand deaths, or one murder?” Reinerth asked savagely. Jack spat in Reinerth’s face, causing the pony to withdraw backwards. He reached for Jack’s throat, but his rage flowed through the Thunder Stone, causing lightning to stream down from the sky. It struck the ground around Jack, and arced to the wooden walls and roofing. Sparks flew as the wood ignited, sending the building up in flames. Reinerth ceased his advance and smiled to Jack, “I take it you choose ‘nein’ then, correct?” Reinerth chuckled, “Auf wiedersehen, Jack. For the last time.” He exited through the wide door as the wooden beams began to splinter from the advancing fire. It spread along the walls, and across the ceiling. It creaked and groaned, and soon parts of it began to fall to the ground, cluttering the floor in its flaming debris. Jack turned around to Daring Do as far as he could and shouted, “Daring! Wake up! Wake up! We’re in trouble!” She stirred slightly, but remained unconnected to the world. Jack began to get desperate, and rocked the chairs back and forth. With an unusual amount of strength, he managed to tip them over and they came crashing down onto the ground. During the impact Daring had hit her head on the floor, raising her from her woozy state. “What’s going on?” she asked, seeming to not be entirely aware of her situation. “Oh, Daring. It’s nice of you to join me. We gotta get out of here, I just talked to Reinerth.” “How was he?” she asked groggily. “He’s fine. Just fine. He seems to be enjoying his stone. Come on, Daring, quit fooling around!” he shouted. She shook her head before noticing the pain in her stomach and the warm blood that slowly oozed out. She looked down; her entire coat was stained red and she felt nauseous just looking at her own wound. She struggled against the ropes that bound her to the chair. “Daring, I think we lost.” Jack said sourly. The flames had reached the ground, and now completely encircled them. They slowly inched their way closer to the duo, bringing their intense heat with them. “Don’t be so down, Jack.” Daring replied, a new touch of vigor in her voice. She scanned the area, looking for an escape. From their position on the floor, there weren’t many options. She saw one way; a discarded spear from one of Reinerth’s minions. It lay by the doorway, on the other side of the wall of fire. “Daring, listen. We lost, I’m sorry. But-“ “Not now, Jack!” she shouted, trying to squirm out of the ropes. It seemed that the more she struggled, the tighter they got. “How’s your stomach doing? If you hadn’t been stabbed, I bet-“ Daring Do quickly shut him up with a roundabout kick to the leg. She was trying to concentrate on escaping with her life, and Jack’s consistent blabbering didn’t help her much. If only we could get to that spear! She thought. The building creaked from a sudden bombardment of wind. The flames began to flow in a single direction, away from the entrance as the winds continued to increase. “What in Equestria…” Jack said, dumbfounded. From beyond the noise of the crackling flames and the crumbling building, Jack could hear a series of… chopping sounds. He looked around, and through one of the holes in the ceiling he could clearly see a massive black shape in the sky. The smoke billowed around its edges at it slowly descended towards the two ponies. It was an airship; that much was clear. “Mbarka!” Daring exclaimed from behind Jack. Ropes dropped down from the airship’s sides, and several dozen ponies slid down their lengths. As the figures landed, she could clearly make them out as Canterlot Royal Guards. They quickly grabbed Jack and Daring by the chairs, not bothering to untie them, and attached them to their ropes. The two ponies rapidly ascended into the airship from the ground level, watching the huge shape slowly engulf them. They were pulled over the side and immediately surrounded by similar guard ponies. Mbarka pushed past them, wearing a fancy blue vest and tricorn hat. He immediately saw the battered, bloodied bodies of his two friends, and fell down to their side, untidily untying their restraining ropes. “Turn about! Chase down that wagon!” Mbarka commanded to a lanky navigator, who raced off towards the wheel. “Daring, Jack, how are you doing?” As soon as Daring was untied, she shook her head. She stood, forcing the pain in her stomach to skyrocket. She unfolded her wings and prepared to leap off the side of the ship without saying a word. However, Jack grabbed her from behind and stopped her from leaving. “What are you doing, Daring? You don’t need to chase Reinerth anymore; the guards can handle it.” Daring shook her head, “As long as that pony is still alive, it’s my job to bring him in.” she said boldly, facing the entire crew as she did so. The Captain of the Guard approached her, his cape billowing in the wind. “Miss Do, I’ll respect your decision to take on Reinerth alone. But I insist that my guards give you support! Is there anything we can do?” he asked, almost brown-nosing the mare. “Deploy them on the ground; Reinerth has a small group of mind controlled ponies. There may not be many, but they’re vicious.” The Captain nodded and saluted to the pegasus before motioning for two legions of ponies to descend onto the ground. Jack and Mbarka faced Daring, looking over her wounds. She was cut across her chest, legs and neck, not to mention the large gash through her stomach that continued to slowly bleed. She must have lost a lot of blood since her adventure began. “Daring, stay here, I beg you!” Mbarka pleaded, fruitlessly. She just looked between the zebra and her friend and bowed to them both before turning towards the edge, leaning over it. Below her the mountains expanded outward, giving Daring a clear view of everything ahead of her. She could see the tiny black specks of Reinerth’s cart and his mind-slaves. And ahead of him, down the path, Daring saw it. It stood as a tall structure in the middle of the rocky slopes. It rest on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a massive canyon between two giant mountains. She couldn’t make out the details, but she could clearly tell that it was in fact, the Wendigo Shrine. Her heart raced as she saw the ending point to her journey, and possibly the ending point of all of Equestria. She turned back around to Jack and wrapped her hooves around his neck. Before he was able to hug back, she had disengaged from the pony and was flying over the side of the ship. Guards descended on ropes over the side, racing to catch up with Reinerth. The wind whipped through her mane as she tiredly flew towards the mad pony. A thought burst through Daring’s mind. She could easily die here. The mare had already been broken, and Reinerth was no simple foe. She regretted leaving her friends as quickly as she had, and her heart dropped into her stomach when she thought about how abruptly she had left Sunny. Silently, as she flew, she promised to herself to try her best to survive. But still, the dangers were clearly present; lightning, mindless mind-controlled minions, and Reinerth himself could easily end her. Daring sighed, To Hell, she thought, closing her eyes, One last time.