//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Night Boarders // Story: Daring Do and the City of the Dead // by sonicdash123 //------------------------------// The moon shone on the desert of Haygypt as three boats with armed warriors. One of them had a hook as he sat on the boat in the middle while the other skiffs head to the boat that is making their way through the river. On the boat, Charming Thunder, Danny, Phantom Lord, and Spike were alone playing a game of sabacc. Khem stood next to Charming Thunder as he was seated on his chair. Charming Thunder eyed Spike and showed his cards to everyone. They gasped as Charming Thunder won the pot. "That was a fair game," Phantom Lord said. "How about we make a bet. First one to the city will be rewarded one hundred bits." Danny nodded and replied, "Alright. You are on." The group then heard footsteps and turned to see a wet trail of hooves on the wooden floor. Charming Thunder looked over the railing then looks back to the trail and is now on alert. "We are boarded," Charming Thunder said. "Spike, go find Rarity and make sure she's alright. Danny check on Moondancer. Phantom, you go to Daring Do. Khem, you're with me to go check Applejack." The group then began to split up to check on their friends and hope that the boarders haven't reached them. --------------------- Applejack stood in front of the mirror as she brushed her mane. She then dropped her brush and turned to see a pony with a hook who then grabs her. "Where is the map?" he demanded. "I-it's not here," Applejack said as the hook is under her muzzle. "Then where is the key?" "What key?" The wall bursts open and Khem grabbed the hooked pony then Charming Thunder came through the door. The candle flickered and Charming Thunder turned to see a pony firing his blaster at the unicorn. Charming Thunder returned fire and shot him on the head. Khem held the hooked pony up high and waited for his master's orders. "Do what you want with him," Charming Thunder ordered Khem. "Just meet up once your done." Khem growled at the hooked pony as Charming Thunder and Applejack left and pinned him to the floor. "{With pleassure,}" Khem said. He then opened his mouth and took a bite on the pony's flesh as he screamed in pain. --------------------- Spike and Rarity raced out to the deck as blaster fire was heard. "Hold this," Spike said as he handed Rarity his weapon bag. He turned on his Plasma Repeater as blaster shots attempted to hit Spike. He then got out of cover and fired his repeater at the shooter and exchanged some gun fire. His plasma weapon hits the shooter and and puts it on his back as Rarity and him reached to the railing of the boat. "Can you swim?" "Well of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it," Rarity replied. Spike then picked her up and walked to the railing. "Don't you dare, Spike. It'll ruin my mane." "Trust me. It calls for it." Spike then threw Rarity to the water and climbed it as he readied to jump to follow her. He was suddenly grabbed by a pony and got dragged to the wall. Danny and Phantom Lord suddenly arrived and tackled the pony away from Spike and worked together as a team to beat the attacker. Darring Do and Moondancer arrived after Danny pushed the pony off the boat. "What do we do now?" Moondancer asked. "We jump to the water and swim to shore." "I'll er, fly instead," Daring Do said as she flapped her wings and flew off the boat. Danny did the same as Phantom Lord activated his jet pack and followed. Spike and Moondancer jumped into the water and began to swim to shore. Charming Thunder and Applejack arrive to a crossfire between western ponies and the boarders. Khem arrived as well as he wiped off the blood off of his face from eating the hooked pony. "{What next?}" Khem asked. "Take Applejack to safety," Charming Thunder ordered. "I'll help the rest of the passengers." Khem picked up Applejack and jumped into the water while Charming Thunder stepped into a room and turned into his Wirewolf form then burst through the wall to take out the rest of the night boarders. He grabbed one of the rifles and hits one in the face like a baseball bat. He was suddenly shot and slowly turned to see the western pony who shot him and growled. "Sorry, partner," the stallion said. Charming Thunder then transformed back to his normal form. "That was a very good show. I suggest that we jump or we will be sunk with this ship." Charming Thunder dove into the water as the others followed him. Once he reached to shore, he walked up to Daring Do and the others. "You got everything we need?" "Map is burned up, but I might know the way," Daring Do replied. "What about the others?" Applejack asked. "They looked like that they were from Appaloosa." "They made it off safely." Charming Thunder then turned to see the boat burn up. "Lets hope that something like that will never happen again." "It's unfortunate that we lost everything," Rarity said. "All our equipment, all our tools, and all of our clothes." "Sugarcube, how many times do we have to explain this to you?" Applejack said. "We. Don't. Normally. Wear. Clothes." "So what now?" Danny asked. "We find a shop and buy some raptors to ride on to go to Hamunoptrot." "{Be on your guard if anything like this happens again,}" Khem said. He then leaned down to Charming Thunder and asked, "{What's a velociraptor?}" Charming Thunder rolled his eyes and said, "You'll see."