//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine - The Wendigo Shrine // Story: Daring Do and the Wendigo Shrine // by ThePartyCannon //------------------------------// Chaplain Tornado Winds walked up the stone stairway to his shrine. It had been completed not a month ago, and he was eager to test its capabilities. The warm sun shone brightly in the sky over the lush, green Chorda Mountains when he was greeted by his fellow pegusi. “Good morrow, Chaplain! I take it thou hast prepared a test for the Shrine today, yes?” One of the younger followers asked. The Chaplain nodded, “Correct, young one. It hath occurred to me that the hamlet at the foot of our mountains is plagued with drought. However, it is curiosity that plagues me, and I plan to test the shrine for rain.” “A wise choice, my liege.” The follower replied, bowing his head. Equestria, still in its infancy, was hardly managed properly. Scores of tiny settlements were popping up, all of them without an organized leader or government to tend to their needs. The Chaplain, seeing the disdain among ponies, resolved to fix this problem with a simple solution; weather. After all, most of these villages relied on the weather more than anything. He entered the wide shrine, looking up at its height. It was certainly the tallest building he had ever seen in the Chorda Mountains, as it reached higher than many of the trees in the area. Around its perimeter were several columns, each engraved with mystical beasts and heroic ponies. And in the center was the controlling device; a pedestal where the magical energies of the weather could be channeled. Chaplain Tornado Winds approached the shrine, setting both hooves atop its surface. He wasn’t prepared for the surge of magic that followed and nearly fell over from its intensity. But from support of his followers he managed to stay in control. A single ray of magic shot through the pedestal, straight into the middle of the rotunda’s ceiling. It gathered there, forming a bright white cloud of magic. Focusing his attention to it, the Chaplain distorted this magic into what he needed. The cloud swirled, growing darker and bluer. The slight rumbling of thunder filled the spacious shrine, and the humidity soon followed. It funneled into a metal rod atop the shrine, and accumulated in a massive cloud cluster in the sky. From there, the Chaplain was able to use the Shrine’s built-in magic to move the storm where he wished, which in this case was to the foot of the mountains. The followers watched in awe as their leader, a pegasus, was using magic, a commodity that was almost solely used by the unicorns. He stepped from the shrine, a small smile across his face, “Colleagues, thou have created a fine device, indeed.” Reinerth’s thoughts could only be described as one thing; chaotic. There wasn’t a thought in his head that wasn’t centered around the coming carnage, or of the blood that would soon follow it. The Thunder Stone’s magic had penetrated the deepest layers of his subconscious, distorting his entire inner personality. What he once thought was grotesque and disturbing now became his center of joy and wellbeing. His sunken eyes stared onward, casting their eternal reddened gaze on the foggy path ahead of him. He knew the airship was hardly a mile behind him, soaring no more than two hundred yards above the mountain path, but he didn’t care. As long as he had the Thunder Stone and its capabilities, he could never be touched. The wagon hurdled through the barren, grey mountainside. Reinerth wondered, through his insanity, if there had ever been any trees in the Chorda Mountains. In truth, the Chorda Mountains were once very fertile, and covered in foliage everywhere. However, the entire mountain range mysteriously died and turned into an arid expanse of rock shortly after the completion of the Wendigo Shrine. The dampened sound of cannon fire echoed through the cliffs shortly before the ground beside Reinerth exploded in a torrent of stones and dust. The projectiles continued to fall around Reinerth as he outran the airship. Any projectile that was lucky enough to be on target with Reinerth was shot out of the sky with massive lightning bolts before they could impact him. He was untouchable from The Onyx Corona. But he wasn’t completely untouchable. Daring Do flew as fast as her body would allow. Blood leaked and dripped off her coat into the canyons below, and her head felt light from the loss of her vital fluids. But she had her target in her sights and nothing would stand in her way until she reached it. Her keen eyes noted the cannonballs flying through the air towards Reinerth, and watched restlessly to see if any would make their mark. When none did, and the cannon’s explosions ceased, Daring raced in for the kill. Reinerth must have known she would be coming, somehow, and was completely prepared for the relatively easy fight. A net of lightning shot out at Daring at an incredible speed. Normally, Daring might have had a fair chance of barreling through the small gaps in the wall of lightning, but given her situation and her severe injuries, she was lucky enough to even fly straight. The wall of lightning passed over her, igniting every nerve in her body with burning pain. The scent of charred flesh filled her nose as she pushed onwards, closing the fifty yard gap between her and the foreign pony. “Ich werde dich toten!” his voice sounded through the wind and the fog. Daring ignored the sounds and flew closer and closer to her target. Materializing in front of her was yet another net of lightning. Luckily for Daring, she was prepared. A quick but sloppy barrel roll to the left and she managed to dodge the wall by a few inches. Without having to slow down, Daring crashed into the cart. In hindsight, it wasn’t the best plan of attack. But for the moment, running headlong into the cart worked like a charm. The back wheels buckled under the impact and fell off, taking the entire axle with them. Now dragging the cart on two wheels, the pull-team began to slow down ever so slightly. Daring, her head aching from the impact, pulled herself onto the top of the cart, consciously facing Reinerth for the first time. “Daring Do!” he exclaimed, “I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you! I knew I should’ve gutted you right there instead of letting the fire take care of you.” Daring Do stumbled on the shaky cart, nearly tipping over the edge, “You… You won’t get away with this.” She said woozily, the blood loss starting to became a violent reality. “I’ll st… stop you!” Reinerth let out a harsh cackle, chilling Daring’s burned spine, “You really think that, don’t you? Komisch…” he mumbled happily to himself before holding the Thunder Stone outwards towards Daring. The pegasus saw her opening and charged blindly towards Reinerth. Time seemed to slow as she approached the earth pony. She was inching her way towards him as the world nearly stopped around her. From her sides, Daring could see the intense light building up and the plasma forming as lightning streaked across the sky towards her. She was inches away from the stone and could feel its power lifting the hairs on the end of her legs. It would be close. The sudden cracks of electricity snapped Daring’s mind from its concentrated state. Daring’s body began to burn, and she fell back to the cart’s surface in a convulsing thud. Chaplain Tornado Winds had made a name for himself. Across the land, scores of settlements had him and him alone to thank for their good fortune. Thanks to his weather device, crops could grow anytime year-round, and the seasons were more fluent than ever. A council of ponies, each representing the individual kinds of ponies, began to talk about listing the Chaplain’s name among their ranks. But the Chaplain lived a modest life, void of accepting the massive amount of fame and renown that surrounded his character. He built a small village surrounding the shrine where he and his half-dozen followers lived. From there he mapped out as much of Equestria as he could, from the eastern edge of the Chorda Mountains, where the drop-off was met by an expansive rainforest, to the western edges of the Sahoofa Desert, an endless sea of golden sand. Using the maps he was able to coordinate weather over the largest scale of all; larger than any group of weather pegasus had ever managed before. But his map was used for other purposes as well. In the northern lands, where glaciers and tundra were abounding, lived a group of barbarians. Monstrous creatures, these half-eagle, half-lion brutes would devastate the pony settlements that bordered their lands. They never listened to reason and never saw any other option than the violent resolution of war. Tornado Winds used his massive map system to judge and predetermine the so-called ‘griffon’s’ attack patterns. During the heart of winter, when control over the weather was most important, was when the griffons were at their most aggressive. Reports out of northern villages ceased, and a single word whispered through the darkened streets of every pony settlement; griffon. A dignitary came to the Chaplain during this time, braving the fierce forests and mountains to reach him. “Chaplain, you have a traveler.” Stated a pegasus follower to the Chaplain as he entered the large map-room, leading a portly unicorn inside. The Chaplain turned around and faced the dignitary. He was a suavely dressed unicorn, obviously lavishly lived. His rotund figure opposed the Chaplain’s frail body, and his extraordinary purple robes brought life to the Chaplain’s plain grey rags he wore. “Dearest Chaplain. I have heard of your lifestyle here in the mountains, but to see it firsthand is… unique.” The dignitary spoke around his thick moustache and beard. “Have you come here to gawk at my way of life, or art thou here for a matter of importance?” the Chaplain asked tiredly. “The latter. I reign as baron over a series of villages in the north. Hath thou heard of the tales sounding from yon region?” The Chaplain nodded his head, “Aye. Griffons, thou call them?” “The very same.” He replied grimly. “As of late they have become aggressive, spreading into my lands like locust. They target thine crops.” “And what of me? What am I to do against such beasts?” asked the Chaplain, losing patience. “Thou possess a powerful machine! Can thou not use it to target the mongrels?” “Nay!” the Chaplain shouted angrily, “Thine device over yonder is not for petty warfare! I hath used it solely for utilizing weather for crops, and crops alone! To use this against another being goes against morality!” “These be desperate times, Chaplain,” the baron persisted, “Mayhap thou could make a single exception? Just once, to show the griffons that pony land is not for the taking!” The Chaplain slammed his hoof on the ground, “Nopony will use this machine; not as long as it stands in the heart of the Chorda Mountains! To use this machine for your mortal flaws would not only bring a swift end to thine enemies, but to anypony else who happen upon its wrath!” The baron lowered his head, giving up his fruitless trek into the mountains, “Then may thou burn for your selfishness.” With that, he turned and stormed out of the room. Seconds after leaving, a follower pony bound through the door and trotted to the Chaplain’s side. “Another one, my Chaplain?” The Chaplain nodded and fell into his chair with an exhausted sigh, “They never cease. The cruelty and brutality of ponies never disappoints to amaze me.” The follower patted the Chaplain on the back, “Thou do quite a superb job in warding them off.” “Aye, but how much longer will it last? When will Equestria find no use for warfare?” The follower shrugged, “Mayhap they never will. Tis a regrettable invention we hath devised…” The Chaplain sighed one last time before replying, “Well then, Brother Hail, let us pray that our children forgive us.” Daring convulsed violently on the wagon as lightning arced across her body for the countless time that day. Darkness began to invade the edges of her vision as she lay on the top of the cart, staring up at the mad pony above her. Veins bulged from his neck as he cackled into the wind, Thunder Stone in hoof. Lightning flew over its green, prismatic surface that Daring once adored. Now she loathed it, and for obvious reason. Within minutes the lightning stopped. The mad laughing died down and Reinerth approached the smoking pegasus. “You know, I was a little worried for a while there, Miss Do.” He said almost sweetly. “But now I see that I was a dummkopf. To be afraid of you is… childish.” He brought his hoof down, connecting with Daring’s stomach. The impact landed directly on her sword wound, and blood gushed from it in a quick spurt. “I remember hearing your stories when I worked in the museum. You were fearless!” he began pacing, keeping his eyes locked with Daring’s half-shut lids the entire time, “They told me about your adventures outside Equestria! In the far east, and the jungles of the west. You were… inspiring, almost.” Another kick landed higher up on Daring’s chest. Her ribs began to ache, and she was sure that a couple would be broken by the time this was over. “Where did that Daring Do go?” he asked, “That was the Daring Do I was afraid of. What I see before me is meek, and just a shadow of her former self.” He placed his hoof on the edge of Daring’s jaw, “Auf wiedersehen.” Daring felt the slightest bit of pressure before Reinerth was thrown sideways. She let out a massive sigh of relief as she stood up on shaky legs. The cart was moving at a fraction of the speed it once was, and felt as if it would collapse under the weakness in the framework. She whipped her head around, looking for Reinerth. Following the sound of a painful scream, Daring found him. He lay on the ground off the cart, along the side of the mountain path. One of his lips leaked a thin trail of blood and his knees were skinned, but aside from that he was unharmed. At his side was the dreaded Thunder Stone, still arcing small sparks despite it not being under direct control at the moment. Standing in front of Reinerth was the massive bulk of Kuwinda, still scorched and burned. On his back stood Sunny, raising her head high, proud of her assistance in dismounting the evil pony from his doomsday-bound chariot. Daring Do hobbled to their side as fast as she could. In her head she could imagine what would happen next; the duo that saved her would drop their guard and Reinerth would use the Thunder Stone. She knew full well its capabilities, and shouted out to warn them. “Sunny! Look out, he’s armed!” she shouted weakly as she slowly approached them. Sunny spun around, facing Daring Do. Her face beamed upon seeing her idol, and then turned to a mask of horror as she looked more closely at her numerous injuries. In Sunny’s mind Daring Do was invincible, and nothing could stop her. But standing before her was clear evidence that she was wrong; Daring looked about ready to die. “No, Sunny, don’t look at me! Get the stone!” Daring shouted. But Sunny was frozen. She couldn’t help but stare at Daring with shock. Kuwinda too had become momentarily distracted by the new voice and turned his head slightly to look at her. Daring’s heart raced when she saw Reinerth make his move. He fell over to one side, holding the Thunder Stone in both hooves, protecting it underneath his body. From the depths of the sky, lightning rained down on the two ponies. Kuwinda took the brunt of it, absorbing most of the electricity into his chest. His muscles contracted painfully into themselves, and his back involuntarily curled backwards, throwing Sunny off. She landed on the ground just in time; Kuwinda took the final blast of lightning to the face, appearing to consume it into his body. The lightning diminished and Kuwinda stood before Reinerth, swaying as smoke fluttered from his scorched flesh. He landed on the ground in a thud, pinning Sunny under his electrically charged body. She squirmed, trying to weasel her way out from underneath his weight. But her attempts of escape were fruitless and she gave up, deciding to try her best to hide from Reinerth under the body of his former servant. Daring Do stood and braced herself for the inevitable lightning, but nothing came. Instead, Reinerth sprinted off down the mountain path after his cart, which had apparently not noticed the absence of their leader. Daring Do watched as the middle aged earth pony clumsily ran through the mountains into the fog. After a few short seconds of bewilderment, Daring gave chase. Why’s he running? He knows I can catch him… she thought, Just as long as there’s no more lightning. It was summer now in the Chorda Mountains. The Wendigo Shrine had been functional for nearly three years now, and its effects around the immediate area had started to take shape. The trees around the shrine were growing grey and ceased to sprout any leaves. Acidity plagued the ground in the area and turned the soil into a dusty plain, void of grass. Chaplain Tornado Winds stared at the site from the doorway of his shack. Behind him, Brother Hail and a mare were sitting, obviously worried. “It’s just not natural.” Brother Hail stated for the sixth time since their conversation had started. Beside him, the pink pegasus nodded, her long hair bobbing as she did. “Aye, you’re right. There hath been enough rain for it… Why doth it die?” The Chaplain mused. “Mayhap it’s the shrine itself?” the mare suggested. She had brought up the one thing the Chaplain refused to accept. He couldn’t allow the shrine, his greatest deed to the world, to be the source of death. He sighed, trying to push the thoughts out of his head. “My Chaplain, I’m sure it’s nothing.” Brother Hail comforted, “Whether it be the shrine, or some other condition, it shouldn’t affect thou and thine weather.” The Chaplain shook his head, “Nay, thou be right. Mayhap we’re-“ From down the street a pegasus flew. He raced above the ground, one of his wings looking crippled. Stopping in front of the Chaplain’s door he shouted a single word breathlessly before falling to the ground, exhausted, “Griffons!” The Chaplain’s eyes shot open, and Brother Hail held his mare in his arms. Everypony’s heart raced as they approached the window, gazing out towards the edge of the mountains. They appeared as a wisp of clouds, black among the clear blue of the rest of the sky. “They’re here for the shrine.” The Chaplain explained grimly. “How can thou be so sure?” the mare protested. “Why else would they be so far from yonder land? Brother Hail, prepare the rest.” Brother Hail bowed to his Chaplain before kneeling next to his mare. He kissed her gently on the cheek before racing out into the village. The mare, never taking her eyes off of Brother Hail, asked the Chaplain, “What will thou do?” The Chaplain shrugged and shook his head. “What of the shrine? I know that thou protest its use for violence, but…” she looked down at her hooves, “Think about thine consequences. About thine…” By the time she looked back up, the Chaplain had already exited the house and was racing towards the shrine. His elderly joints protested his activity as he climbed the weathered stone stairs to his device. He was about to perform the procedures when a harsh voice cawed from behind him. “So then, yer the Chaplain?” it growled. He whipped around, sighting a fierce griffon. He was large, with his face painted blue. Across his back he tied a stone broadsword wrapped in leather around its hilt. Even from across the shrine, the Chaplain could smell the awful stench of blood and sweat on the brutish griffon. “Aye, and I assume that thou be one of the barbarians?” He was answered by the griffon spitting on the polished floor of the shrine. “Well then. Your demands?” he asked, trembling as the griffon walked closer. “I want yer shrine. If ya give it to me now, I won’t kill ya.” He bared his teeth, which were each sharpened to a ghastly point. Outside, the Chaplain could hear the faint cries of ponies and shouts of griffons. He eyed the pedestal, which rested just out of his reach. “Thou can try. But I assure you, yon griffons shall be dealt with most severely.” The griffon cawed harshly, “Is that a threat?” “A promise.” The Chaplain retorted before jumping to the side, grasping the pedestal with both hooves. He had to time for precautions and simply directed the pure magical energy of the weather straight towards the brutish griffon. It crashed into his body, sending him flying out the entrance from its sheer force. With the threat out of commission, the Chaplain began channeling the Wendigo Shrine. He had never tested its limits before, and chose to use this situation as proving grounds for the shrine. He conjured the magic into the surrounding mass of the mountain’s peaks. They rumbled and surged, spewing forth boulders and rocks in large landslides. It was quick, unexpected, and many griffons fell victim to the flood of rocks and dirt. Choosing a new approach, the Chaplain summoned a swath of black clouds into the sky. Huge white chunks of hail flung themselves onto the earth below. Griffons ran to shelter themselves from the watermelon sized ice-chunks, and would be slaughtered by ponies waiting within cover. Griffons fell at an immeasurable speed, being taken victim by weapons and weather alike. The Chaplain conjured one last trick to finish off the griffons. Thunder cracked the sky wide open, loosing thick lines of lightning onto the ground. They impacted houses, engulfing them in bright orange flames, and they impacted griffons, throwing them to the ground in smoking piles. Ponies watched in awe and horror as the devastating weather brought a swift end to the aggressors in a violent manner. They directed their eyes to the shrine, and could plainly see their Chaplain commanding the shrine from its pedestal. And he was laughing. Stallions of the 152nd Royal Canterlot Guard division raced through the mountain path, spears held forward with magic. They were led by two commanders; Commander Burnes, of the 58th division, and Commander Dale of the 94th division. The two spearheaded the charge, holding aloft mighty swords of gold and silver. Out of the mist ahead of them sprang forth the hordes of Reinerth’s mind controlled ponies. Turning to his regiment, Commander Burnes shouted to his ponies, “Fear no darkness, colts!” “And may the crown forgive us!” Commander Dale finished. The charging stallions remained silent as they rushed forward into the electrically charged ponies. Their roaring, snarling faces quickly approached the line of sharpened spears. The impact tore through the air as they ran headlong into the wall of blades. The ponies wise enough to not run plunging into the spears stood back, waiting for an opening. This was when the commanders were able to shine. They swung their swords savagely at the remaining ponies. Their furious blows impacted them squarely, and were able to bring them down without a problem. Blood coated their weapons as a shadow overcame them all. Without needing to look up, they knew it was the Onyx Corona, still pursuing Reinerth and Daring Do. A few ponies cheered at the airship as they were fighting, but most remained silent as they continued with the regrettable slaughter. Jackhammer stood at the bow, using a telescope to try and spot Daring. They were flying above the layer of obscuring fog, which helped their speed but lowered any chance of finding the mare. Captain Mbarka shouted across the deck from his position at the wheel to Jack, “Have you found her?” Jack didn’t answer, knowing that the zebra probably knew the answer already. He scanned the roads, stopping only to examine the Wendigo Shrine that rested on the end of the path, nearly a mile ahead. His mouth went dry, and a lump formed in his throat. It was bigger than he thought, and didn’t even look operational. Over the years its roof had deteriorated and looked ready to collapse in on itself. Jack could clearly make out the structural weakness and cracking in the columns, even from his great distance. Then he saw them; two black shapes slowly moving through the fog. Daring was moving slower than usual, and he could see that her wings lay loosely at her sides, a sign that she was tired and hurt. He waved his hoof in circles above his head, and pointed it a few degrees to the left. The ship shifted and leaned underneath him as it carefully corrected its course, heading straight for the Wendigo Shrine. From behind Jack, the Captain of the Guard approached. He cleared his throat, “Jackhammer, is it?” he asked. Jack nodded his head without looking at the stallion. He kept his eyes focused on Daring through the telescope. “Are you badly hurt? We’ve got a doctor on board, if you need one.” Jack shook his head. “Okay then. Have you found Daring Do?” Jack handed the telescope to the Captain, and pointed his hoof through the fog. The Captain turned towards the direction he was pointing in and clearly saw them. “I see them! They’re not far from the shrine…” That Captain stated, worriedly. “Do you think he’ll beat her there?” “Doubtful.” Jack answered, trying to keep his words at a minimum, both from shyness and the stress of the situation. Even without the telescope, Jack could see the shrine and the tiny black specks of his friend and the mad pony that had nearly killed him twice. But the Captain was right, Reinerth did seem to have a large lead on Daring, and was approaching the shrine at an uncomfortably fast speed. Lightning stained the clouds above them at increasingly frequent intervals. “It looks bad down there.” The Captain said, becoming more intrigued at the far-off struggle. “Do you think she can handle it?” Jack closed his eyes a moment, “I hope so.” After the battle with the griffons, the ponies circled around the Chaplain, eyeing him with varying degrees of certainty. Standing before them was their fearless leader; one who had, not an hour before, detested the shrine’s use for warfare. Now he stood among the bloodied, charred remains of the griffons he had so coldly slain with the powerful weather. A sick smile still lingered on his face as he looked over the surviving members of his village. “Beautifully well fought, my followers.” He stated before his comrades, most of which were covered in blood. “Ch-Chaplain?” Brother Hail asked, stepping forward from the crowd, “Art thou feeling quite right? Thou complexion looks rather… sickly.” Indeed, Tornado Wind’s face had become pale from lack of blood and over-consumption of magic. He hadn’t noticed, and in fact felt better than ever. The magic of the shrine still coursed through his body, seeming to rejuvenate his aching joints and pains. Pulling a hoof through his mane, he addressed the crowd again, ignoring Brother Hail’s concerns. “Thine griffons thought they could take our shrine. Alas, they have been sorely mistaken. As thou can plainly see, thine shrine over yonder is capable of defending itself, and our entire hamlet.” He pointed his hooves around at the village. Aside from a few scorched roofs, and a single burnt-down house, the entire village was relatively untouched. Unbeknownst to the Chaplain, the arid ground around the shrine had slowly grown in circumference during the shrine’s use. It crept along slowly, almost too slow for the naked eye to distinguish, and it killed everything in its path. “We, under a new title, shall use the power of this shrine to bolster this new land’s defenses!” the Chaplain announced, “Griffons will no longer encroach unto our territory, nor will they threaten the sanctity of pony’s lives.” “But… sir? Didn’t thou specifically state that yon shrine shan’t be used for warfare?” Brother Hail asked, still being the only one courageous enough to speak out. “Aye, brother, I did. That was before, however, I learned of the shrine’s limits, and of the imminent threat of outsiders. We must be ready for when aggressors attempt to breach thine defenses of our beloved shrine.” Ponies shook their heads, and a few let out gasps of surprise. Never before had the Chaplain acted so brash and immediate to resort to violence. Always being placid, and almost never starting a fight, the Chaplain was the furthest pony to have to resort to such options. But the fire in his eyes brought new life to his figure; something that chilled the spines of everypony. A few ponies in the back of the group turned around a quietly trotted away to their homes, where they would pack their few belongings and head off to a new settlement; they would have no part in the despair that the Wendigo Shrine was sure to bring. Other ponies stood their ground, curious to see what had changed the Chaplain in just a few short moments. “So… What art thou going to do now, Chaplain?” Brother Hail asked sullenly, with a hint of confusion. “Follow me, my friend, and I shall explain to you my future plans.” The Chaplain and Brother Hail walked down the dirt path side-by-side, leaving the crowd of ponies behind them. They pondered and theorized their leader’s behavior as they looked towards the shrine, which possessed an undertone of sinister nature to it. Daring Do ran blindly toward Reinerth. She was swaying side to side as she ran as a result from the lack of blood to her head. But her target was right in front of her by no more than twenty feet. She could hear his rasped breathing as she slowly gained on him. His short tail was flying in the wind behind him and Daring could nearly grab it in her mouth, if she could manage to see straight for just a few seconds. By mere circumstance, Reinerth’s tail brushed past Daring’s cheek. Acting more on reflex than on thought, Daring closed her mouth just in time to catch a bundle of hairs. She stopped her legs, letting her body fall to the ground, dragging the foreign pony with her. The sharp gravelly rocks were replaced by a fine grey dirt that when agitated threw up large clouds of obscuring dust. Out of this blinding cloud, Daring could see Reinerth’s dark shape, and his glowing eyes as he tried in vain to stand up. Daring managed to get to her hooves before Reinerth could, and stood over her would-be prisoner. As the dust settled to the ground, Daring stood in awe at the sight before her. She was standing at the foot of a large stone staircase, at least a hundred steps tall, that lead to the dreaded Wendigo Shrine. It towered above her, far larger than she had ever imagined. The ‘old mare’s tale’ that was once talked about only as a myth stood before her, in full actuality. Reinerth saw it too, and his struggling soon ceased. He lay on the ground, mouth agape, at his long sought after destination. His final step. His key to claiming the Equestrian throne. It all was in clear view, only a short walking distance away. He would have nearly forgotten about Daring Do, if he hadn’t felt the few drops of blood that landed on him from the pegasus that stood over him. He frantically whipped his head around, looking for his fallen possession. As Daring Do continued to stare at the wonder in front of her, Reinerth was able to grasp the Thunder Stone in his hooves once more. He bared his teeth, some of which had been chipped, and growled to Daring Do, “Nopony can stop me now!” he proclaimed before knocking Daring Do upside the head with the heavy gemstone. Smaller arcs of lightning were flung from its surface that, though not as bad as an actual lightning bolt, stunned Daring Do. She fell to the ground, raising another cloud of dust, and watched from her back as Reinerth slowly ascended the steps, obviously savoring his last moments before crowning himself emperor. Daring rolled over and tried to stand. Her legs wobbled under her weight, but managed to take a few precious steps toward her goal. One step. Then two. And eventually five. Each step she took she could feel herself losing more and more energy. Her vision deteriorated, and her body began to feel warm. It crept up her tired legs, and down her aching back. She fought the tiredness, working as hard as she could to stay conscious. She shook her head, fighting the darkness that crept into the edge of her vision, and she gritted her teeth as each step she took became more painful. Then she fell. Jack had been watching everything from a telescope on the bow of the Onyx Corona. His heart raced as he watched the black Daring Do speck fall to the ground and remain motionless. He dropped the telescope on the ground and turned around, sprinting down the massive deck of the airship. Shouting as he went, Jack descended below deck. “Prepare the sixteen-inch! Load the powder!” he commanded to the cannoneers below deck. They stared at him with confusion, but went ahead with his demands. They loaded a sixteen-inch circumference cannonball into a massive cannon located at the very front of the ship. It pointed straight at the Wendigo Shrine. As soon as it was loaded, Jack took it in his hooves and aimed. The crosshairs lined up perfectly. Though the harsh winds called for some minor adjustments, Jack configured the wind’s speed and trajectory of the cannonball in his head, coming up with the nearly-precise angle at which to fire. Taking a blazing torch in his mouth, Jack lit the fuse. It burned down at a horrendously slow pace, almost slow enough to give Jack second thoughts. Then, in an ear-splitting explosion, the cannon released its payload straight towards the ancient structure. Reinerth was halfway up the stairs when he heard the whistling of a cannonball. Without warning, one of the support columns to the Wendigo Shrine exploded outwards, falling down to the earth. It hit the ground in a tremendous thud, spewing debris and rocks into the air. Some rolled down the staircase, nearly flattening Reinerth as he continued to make his ascend, unmoved by the obstacles. The roof of the Wendigo Shrine buckled slightly from the lack of support, but remained firmly on top of the remaining columns. Reinerth chuckled to himself as he stepped into the large circular room. Another cannonball whistled through the air before landing on the floor, shooting wide to the right of another column. He couldn’t believe the ponies; trying to destroy ancient history was wrong enough, but trying to destroy his tool of domination filled the foreign pony with a sense of joyful rage. The pedestal stood before him, giving off a faint green mist. The Thunder Stone corresponded with it, glowing ever brighter the closer it got to the pedestal. Soon, the mist emitted from the pedestal intertwined with the Thunder Stone. It vibrated furiously as it was levitated out of Reinerth’s grasp. He watched in anxious wonder as if floated towards the pedestal, resting itself in the middle of its surface. Inside, he was beaming. All his work, all his struggles, and all his losses ended here. He balanced on his hind legs, resting his front hooves on the pedestal. He was about to test the shrine when a third cannonball careened into the shrine, striking another column. It fell slowly, filling the air with the deafening noise of crumbling stone. Reinerth looked upwards, investigating the ceiling. Small stones descended from above him, and the ceiling seemed to sway overhead. He whipped around towards the airship, which was approaching at a very fast speed. Its single forward cannon continued to fire, blasting holes in the Wendigo Shrine, and in Reinerth’s plan. He strained his mind, attempting to focus his thoughts into creating something powerful enough to bring down the floating behemoth. The earth shook and rumbled. Around him, Reinerth watched some of the mountain peaks crumble apart and descend into the depths. Wide chasms split through the mountains, devouring large swaths of land. From the crevices, fountains of lava shot out skywards hundreds of feet. The ground continued to fall apart, soon leaving the area around the Wendigo Shrine on a single island of rock amidst the sea of lava-filled canyons. Among the chaos, Reinerth cackled. Tornado funnels filled the sky, and lightning lighted the entire area in bright whiteness. Earthquakes rumbled endlessly, and massive hail descended from the pitch black clouds. Reinerth had done it. Over the past few months, the Wendigo Shrine worked endlessly. Chaplain Tornado Winds was conjuring weather in far-away lands. Reports from their villages never made it back to the Chorda Mountains, so nopony knew what it was the Chaplain was creating. Some speculated he was destroying griffons with its powers, and others assumed that he had broken his mind and had begun attacking pony settlements. Of the hundred ponies that once inhabited the village, fifteen remained, and only nine of which were actual members of the ‘Wendigo Guardians’. They weren’t sure why the Chaplain had named their organization that, as they didn’t seem to be doing any guarding. Words from the Chaplain had become scarce to the point of near nothingness, and he spent almost all of his time in the shrine, conjuring weather. The area of death around the shrine had grown tenfold. It reached through their village and continued down the path. Everything around them was dead or dying. There was no more green; all the trees had turned grey long ago. The few remaining ponies had gathered in Brother Hail’s house. They talked about the Chaplain’s condition, and how they should address it. Hail, who had been unanimously elected the group’s new leader, would be the pony to stop the Chaplain. He walked towards the shrine, leading the group of ponies to Tornado Winds. His heart raced as he climbed the stairs that another pony, several thousand years in the future, would also climb in his quest to end the world. He gazed at his leader when he reached the top. Tornado Winds had his head held towards the ceiling, watching the magic swirl around. He had large bags under his eyes that held the only color in his otherwise completely pale face. His legs were gaunt, and the edges of his hooves were blackened and charred from overworking the magic. Brother Hail approached him, “Chaplain! Cease yourself, we’re here to talk!” The magical tension in the air broke, leaving the sound of the wind the only noise. Their former leader stared at them, his tired, glazed eyes cutting Brother Hail down in their vile gaze. “Why hath everypony come? Be there a reason to this madness?” he asked, his voice dripping with venom. Brother Hail had become genuinely frightened of the Chaplain; he had never seen nor imagined his old friend to act like this. “We’re here to stop you. Thou have been using thine shrine nonstop for months! We’re here to-“ “No!” he shouted, echoing through the open shrine, “You shan’t take this from me!” The crowd cowered backwards, save for Hail who courageously took a step forwards. “What art thou even doing? Art thou using thine shrine for war? Art thou using thine shrine for what thou sought to destroy in its creation?” he asked furiously. “I am using it… for the sake of others.” He retorted, gaining a minute amount of control over himself. “There be threats over yonder that thou could hardly imagine. I’m using yon shrine to destroy them, before they destroy others.” “What are these ‘threats’ thou speakest of?” “Griffons!” he shouted again, raising his voice to an unnecessary volume, “Hydras! Manticores! Some ponies, even! Any who threaten the sanctity of thine subjects!” “Subjects?!” Hail repeated in disbelief, “Who doth thou think thou art? Thou art a mere Chaplain! Thou create weather for good, not to destroy other ponies!” “Thou think thou can control me?! I shall show thee, show thee all that I am not to be controlled!” He reached back onto the pedestal, swirling magic around the area. It spun in wide berths sparking lightning everywhere it went. It zipped through in between the columns, whirling around in the open room. Hail, ignoring the potentially lethal magic, charged forth, crashing into Tornado Winds. He disconnected from the pedestal, leaving the lightning-charged clouds without command. They flew aimlessly throughout the shrine, spitting lightning in random directions. Tornado Winds hit the floor hard, almost blacking out. Brother Hail stood above the frail body, which was too weak to provide a proper fight. Soon the Chaplain began to sob, and he quivered from fear and desolation. He looked towards his former followers and at his old friend, who stood above him with bared teeth. He shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. “I… I…” he began, not sure how to say what he was thinking, “I… killed them…” Brother Hail’s expression grew softer, becoming sorrier for the elderly pony. But his heart raced as the Chaplain continued his confession, “Villages… swallowed in fire. Buried in earth. Drowned in waves. Entire towns just… gone! From me!” he continued in disbelief of his own actions, “The shrine… It… takes… Just, consumes…” He babbled on a series of mindless thoughts, not even bothering to connect them with each other. Brother Hail took a few steps back, letting the Chaplain stand up. He continued to blather on as he slowly walked towards the staircase. A couple members of the crowd of ponies attempted to stop him from leaving, but gave up when Brother Hail took a position next to the Chaplain. “Chaplain…?” he asked worriedly. “I’m leaving, Hail… Somewhere far off, where I can pay for my sins in peace.” He explained out of breath. His thoughts had become sane enough to be understood, despite his voice wavering at an unbelievable level. “And what of the shrine? Destroy it?” The Chaplain turned to Hail, wide-eyed, “No… Destroying it would loose the magic upon the world. Find a way to render it useless without destroying it. Farewell.” He stated before turning his head forward and increasing his pace. Brother Hail stopped walking, leaving the Chaplain to wander down the road alone. He watched him slowly fade into the grey fog before disappearing completely. It wouldn’t be the last time Hail saw his friend, but for the moment, Hail was sure that he would never see the Chaplain. A small colt approached Brother Hail with the pink mare following closely behind. “Doth this mean that thou art the new Chaplain?” he asked innocently. He looked into the young colt’s eyes, “Aye, son.” He said sadly. The pink mare looked at him with worry in her eyes, “What should we do?” Chaplain Hail raised his head to the crowd, who had assembled behind the colt and mare and were eagerly awaiting the new Chaplain’s orders. An idea formulated in Hail’s mind; an idea that wasn’t guaranteed to work, but was the most solid idea any of them had. “Find me a gemstone.” Rain pattered on Daring’s face as she lay on her back in the dust, unconscious. Inside her head she was dreaming. She soared through the bright blue sky, weaving in and out of puffy white clouds. The sun was warm and the wind was refreshing as it blew through her mane and over her young body. Her body wasn’t fully grown yet, in her dream-world, and she flew as if she were just a filly. It was nothing but bliss. From every angle around her she could see brightness and happiness. The wondrous green of the fields stretched outwards for miles, creating a sea of soft, beckoning grass. Filly Daring’s flights began to die down as she slowly descended onto the bed of grass below her. A warmth rose within her as she touched her hooves down on the cool, damp ground. She lay down in the dream world, letting the softness overtake her. Even for being a dream, she was exhausted. She let her head rest on her hooves as she curled up, readying herself for a much-needed sleep. She was just dozing off when a noise brought her attention back to the waking world, interrupting the peace of the surroundings. Filly Daring Do looked around her dream landscape, trying to find the source of the noise. Leaping and bounding through the grass only a few yards away was an energetic light blue earth pony. He jumped up and down in front of Daring, wanting to play a game but not wanting to vocalize it. Reluctantly, Daring rose from her comfortable grass and trotted to the excited pony’s side. But as she approached him, he withdrew. He still beckoned Daring towards him, but never let her get within a few feet of him. Soon, he was trotting across the endless green fields, daring the young pegasus to chase him. The two playfully bounded through the dream fields, their combined laughter filling the air with their joy. Filly Daring was having so much fun with this new colt that she hadn’t even noticed the darkening of the sky, or the chilling of the wind. The sky above her began to spit a tiny drizzle of rain, much to Daring’s ignorance. She only wanted to catch this blue pony, so that he might be able to have a turn chasing her. She figured that’s how this game worked. But as the once green grass turned brown, and the sky shifted to a near black did Daring began to have second thoughts. The blue pony raced through the fields, not laughing anymore, but instead crying. His sobs echoed among the dying plains as he endlessly ran towards a dark horizon where shadows fell upon everything. Behind Daring were the cool refreshing fields of grass, under the eternal warming sun. She stopped running, and looked back, unsure of which way to go. The blue pony stopped too and gazed at filly Daring with a look of worry. His eyes were red from tears, and his face had grown older and more haggard. He motioned a hoof towards the black without a shadow of his former playful self. Reluctantly, Daring took a few steps closer to the blue pony. Above her, thunder rolled and lightning split the sky as she continued to trek into the blackness. Shadows overtook her, forcing her to strain her eyes to see. It took all of her strength and courage to march into this unforgiving land. It was dark, cold, and loud. In her peripheral vision, shapes twisted and moved through the shadows, but when Daring looked to their direction she saw nothing but dead grass. She was terrified, but pressed on, following the blue pony. He hadn’t stopped aging, and looked to be several years older. His medium length black mane whipped in the shrieking wind as he guided Daring Do to the edge. It was utter blackness, and Daring could only see minute shapes of black moving in the void. Every so often a tiny spark of light would appear and illuminate basic shapes, but disappear in an instant. The blue pony stopped at the edge, where the thunder was the loudest, and the wind was at its wildest. He pointed a hoof towards the void, and Daring looked at it with terrified anxiety. But the pony looked down at the filly with trusting eyes. Daring took a tentative step towards the shadows, wanting nothing more than to go back to her fields and sleep in the warm rays of the sun. Another step and tears began to soak her cheeks. Every step was torture to her and seemed to tear her up from the inside. Her hoof crossed over into the wall of black, and she felt the bitter cold winds on the other side. She moved it back and forth, feeling the scattered rocks and pebbles. Suddenly it all became clear to her. Her heart raced and the tears ceased instantly. Her memories rushed back to her dream self in a torrent of reminiscence. She took one final look to her side at Jack, who smiled and nodded, before jumping straight into the black void and escaping the confines of her mind. Daring Do took a shrieking gasp of air as she awoke at the foot of the Wendigo Shrine. Around her the air was filled with dust and dirt, and the depths of the earth were exposed in wide chasms, spewing forth molten magma. Cannon explosions rocked the air, followed shortly by the crumbling of stone. She rolled onto her hooves, surprised at how little pain she felt. Instead of taking this as a miracle, she took it as an omen. She knew how weak she was, and how much blood she lacked. Slowly she climbed the stairs, being careful to not strain herself any more than she needed to while also going as fast as her body would allow. She could hear the racking cackles of former-Professor Reinerth as he commanded his long sought after shrine. The familiar lightning clashed across the black clouds. Before, they would have terrified Daring, but now they seemed to offer some comfort, in a strange way. She climbed the ancient stairs, taking note of how old they were. Thousands of years ago, pegusi just like her took those exact same steps on a daily basis. And now Daring figured she would be one of the last. She reached the rotunda and faced Reinerth, who had his back turned to the mare. She cleared her throat and tasted blood. Ignoring this, she confronted Reinerth, “Move, Reinerth! I’m done playing games!” Reinerth craned his neck around, eyeing Daring Do with a fiery gaze. “Thou want Us to move? Thou realize that thou have not been the first to say this to Us.” Reinerth retorted in a voice he didn’t own. This voice sounded over his original, shrieking voice, and sounded far older. Reinerth either didn’t seem to notice, or didn’t care, as he went on controlling the chaotic weather around him. “Enlighten me.” Daring said towards the strange apparition before her. “You see, Miss Do,” Reinerth began, talking in his original voice again, “You’ve lost. Just as I thought. Game over. Goodbye.” “Game’s not over yet, Reinerth. I’m still standing!” “Not for much longer. I have destroyed many score of griffons single-handedly, and thou are far punier than thine mongrels!” his other voice said. “Who are you?” Daring asked the voice. Under different circumstances, that would have been a very outlandish thing to do. “We are Chaplain Tornado Winds. Or… we were. Our original host hath not been upon this site for thousands of years. ‘Twas not until yon friend arrived that we had a chance to come back.” The voice of the Chaplain explained. “So… You’re part of the shrine?” Daring asked. “Correct. Since the creation of the Thunder Stone, and the disband of the Wendigo Guardian, I have dwelled within the confines of my device, waiting for a pony of great caliber to wield its power once again.” “I hate to break it to you,” Daring said, feeling lightheaded again from lack of blood, “but in a few minutes your shrine won’t be standing.” “Cease your blasphemous talk. Master Reinerth, strike yon mare down and continue your work!” Reinerth chuckled as a cloud of lightning appeared in the sky. It swirled and directed itself towards Daring Do, who jumped out of the way just in time. Her stomach began to ache, and her limbs were cold as she landed on the hard stone floor of the shrine. Picking herself up off the floor, Daring ran towards Reinerth. Seconds before reaching him she lifted herself into the air, readying herself to come down onto Reinerth with all her weight. She slowly descended onto Reinerth, hind legs extended towards his head. Chaplain Hail stood inside the shrine for the last time, holding a large emerald in between his hooves. He placed it upon the channeling pedestal, and summoned as much magic as he could. Veins bulged from his neck and he felt the faintest trickle of blood oozing from his nose. His ears twitched uncontrollably as a massive misty cloud formed above his head. It swirled with untamed power, holding rain, hail, tornados and lightning all in one massive cluster of magic. It slowly descended in a tight funnel in front of him, working its way into the emerald. It managed to take its energy, absorbing it into its semi-magical surface. Crackling with energy, the stone vibrated with such intensity that it nearly fell off the pedestal. Chaplain Hail strained his mind harder than ever to force the remaining energy of the shrine into the stone. His legs buckled, breaking one of them along the tibia. He shouted in pain, sending his shrieks throughout the mountainous valley. Inside his head, his brain felt about ready to explode, and his eyes were growing sorer from the ordeal. Finally, he had to cut the magic off, leaving the minute amount of weather magic to float away into the mountains. Some of the misty cloud circled around the Wendigo Shrine, seeping in between the cracks of the stonework. Chaplain Hail lay on the floor in front of the pedestal. Lying on the ground in front of him was the giant emerald, which now arced and crackled with infinite power. It held the rest of the Wendigo Shrine’s magic inside its luminescent surface. Hail’s tiny son ran into the shrine, kneeling down at the sight of his fallen father, who breathed heavily at his recent exertion of magic. “Father! Thou have done it!” he shrieked, noticing the glowing green rock at his hooves. Hail nodded, too weak and hurt to stand. He pushed the stone towards the colt. “We’re done, son. The shrine is safe.” “Art thou going to destroy it?” he asked, “Is it not safe now?” Hail looked around at the roof above him. He gazed at the magnificent columns that lined its circumference. Slowly, he shook his head. “Nay. This shrine shan’t be taken down. This shrine must stand as a testament to all ponies; a monument to the sins of the wicked. An eternal lesson of the power of corruption, and how even the purest of us can be claimed by its grasp.” The splitting sound caused by Daring’s hooves on Reinerth’s skull broke the magical tension in the air. The two ponies went crashing onto the stone floor, sliding across its length. Around the shrine, the weather began to go out of control. Tornados barreled off of their original paths, and the exploding magma ceased its skyward flight. The Thunder Stone was out of either pony’s reach, seeming to mock them with its power. “Kill her!” The wind seemed to shriek. Reinerth quickly stood up and faced the mare. He had an advantage; he was more or less unharmed, and had most of his blood still inside of him. As for Daring, she was injured on almost every part of her body. The fight seemed to be incredibly one-sided. A quick right hook connected with Daring’s jaw. The blow was sloppy, but still had enough force to make Daring stumble back. Reinerth advanced mercilessly, wailing his hooves left and right at the mare. Some landed on Daring, and many of those were merely glancing blows. But it was the intense flurry of his attacks that stood up against Daring. In her state there was almost no way she could react fast enough to counter Reinerth. But she might not have to. She looked around the Wendigo Shrine, which seemed to sway on its few remaining support pillars. The roof had stopped buckling and was now precariously perched atop loose stone columns. If I can just hold him off… Daring thought, trying to work out an escape route. The weather made flying almost suicidal, and escaping on hoof would be too slow. There had to be another way… Reinerth turned around and kicked Daring in the chest with both of his hind legs, sending her sprawling across the floor. She slid along the stones and knocked herself into the pedestal. Widening her eyes, she formed a plan in her head. It might be dangerous, but it seemed to be the most logical course of action. Reinerth, seeing Daring’s intentions, attempted to sprint to the mare and knock her loose of the Thunder Stone, which she now held in her hooves. The air seemed to vibrate as Daring took control of the shrine for herself, trying to channel something strong enough to stop the crazed pony. “Thou are not meant for this!” The wind howled again. Daring ignored the strange sounds and closed her eyes tightly. She had no idea how magic worked or how to control it, and resorted to simply clenching her eyes shut and concentrating. It seemed to work, for the most part, as a swift gust of wind blew through the shrine, ripping at Daring’s coat. If she had been wearing her jacket, she was sure that it would have been torn off by the force of the wind. Reinerth was hit in the side by the wind and fell over before he could reach Daring Do at the pedestal. She saw his fumble and stepped up her magic a notch. Outside, the earth rumbled as the crevices expanded, working their way underneath the shrine’s base. She could feel the ground beneath her sway and move as the foundations began to shift. The shrine wouldn’t be able to withstand destabilization of that magnitude, and would soon crumble down atop the two ponies. Jack sat in the cannon room below deck, continuing to bombard the shrine. He hadn’t bothered to look out the window; if he had he would have noticed Daring Do controlling the Wendigo Shrine. Instead, he ordered the cannons to fire another round. The tremendous report caused his ears to ring, and he watched the cannonball hurdle towards its target. From outside, he could hear the impact. It struck the roof, opening a large hole in the top. Rocks and rubble rained down on Reinerth and the pegasus, intensifying their situation. Collapsing rocks collided with the ground in a cascade of shrapnel and dust. Out of the corner of her eye, Daring could see a particularly large chunk of the roof land in front of Reinerth; blocking the path to her. He quickly zipped around it, taking precious seconds to do so. Daring used the shrine to summon an ice slick in front of the foreign pony, hoping to fell him. But Reinerth had other plans. He wasn’t trying to get to Daring Do; he was just after the pedestal. Moving around the ice, Reinerth charged at the pedestal, taking it in his hooves. Now both ponies were in control of the shrine’s magic, attempting to tear it from one another. Daring felt the magic being pulled from the depths of her brain, and could see Reinerth feeling the same sensation. Neither pony let go of the pedestal, and continued to war each other mentally. The magical connection that now linked the two gave Daring a viewport into Reinerth’s mind. It wasn’t as chaotic as she thought. Reinerth’s mind showed Daring a seemingly lavish life in Canterlot filled with riches, education and plenty of mares. Reinerth seemed to have a happy life there. “Break her!” the wind shrieked, almost snapping Daring Do out of her ‘mind-reading’. It wasn’t until Daring saw Reinerth’s expeditions that she caught a glimpse of motive in his plans. He was in Hayfrica, tending to a tiny zebra tribe. They were starved; skinny and miserable. He seemed to be promising them something as he left. But what? Help? Food? Both? Daring couldn’t figure it out. He was talking to an Equestrian guard, seeming to be pleading for something; but to no avail. “Get into her mind, Master Reinerth!” He seemed distraught, trying everything in his power to aid the zebra tribe. When the local soldiers paid no attention to Reinerth, he moved back to Canterlot. From there he asked the government about the poverty in the south and pleaded them to help. But they refused, carelessly tossing Reinerth out of their establishments. Nopony was listening. “Destroy her from within!” Daring could feel the tendrils of magic poking at her mind, but she didn’t want to disengage until she saw the end of Reinerth’s thoughts. She saw him back in Hayfrica, hiring militias to rebel against the local authority. He continued his insubordinate behavior throughout Equestria, trying to irk the government into helping the zebra tribes. But no help came. Daring’s brain felt as if it was on fire, and she had to throw herself to the ground to escape the pain. The Wendigo Shrine’s magic disconnected the pony’s minds from each other, destroying the psychic link. Reinerth too looked to be in great pain as he held his hooves to his temples, gritting his teeth as he did so. He looked down at Daring Do through strained eyes. “You have it backwards, Miss Do.” He stated with a low growl in his throat, “I’m not the bad pony here. You are.” “I saw your memories! Do you think that destroying Equestria will help anypony?” Daring asked violently. “It would help more than the sacking of temples and the looting of tombs!” Reinerth accused, “I saw what you do. You go into ancient burial sites and dig up artifacts! How is that helping anything?” Daring was speechless, but thankfully Reinerth continued without giving Daring time to answer, “If I ruled - if there was a ruler who cared - I could help the poorer ponies in the world! There would be no hunger. No starvation. I would-“ He was drowned out by the sound of another cannonball making its way through the shrine. It impacted another column, sending it crashing down. The roof was now held by seven of the ten original columns, and sagged under the lack of support. “-perfection! Harmony, even! And there would be no more theft of sacred relics by the likes of you!” Daring saw that the moral tables had turned. Reinerth had a point - even if his means were outrageously flawed - Daring was just a glorified thief. Sure, she had saved ponies before, but those actions were more of a side effect of her adventuring. She stared Reinerth in the eyes, still not speaking. He broke the silence as he took the Thunder Stone in his hooves and prepared another onslaught of weather. “How do you help anypony?” he repeated, channeling weather into the sky. Daring readied her hind legs. “Like this…” she mumbled under her breath, locking her eyes on Reinerth. She sprang forward, kicking him to the ground. Using her precious energy, Daring delivered a quick kick to Reinerth’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Using the time she had just bought, she raced to the pedestal. Immediately after taking it in her hooves, the ground shook and trembled. The floor shifted sideways, and she could hear the columns losing their structural support. The roof swayed, and eventually fell. It brought many of the columns down with it in a storm of stone. Daring raced to the exit, trying to escape the hundred-ton blanket of rocks that were descending onto her head. She had her exit in sight and raced towards it with all her remaining strength. She felt herself glide along the floor, and felt herself stumble among her hooves and fall face-first into the stony floor. Behind her, Reinerth had wrapped his hooves around her legs, screaming incoherently as he did so. His sounds were covered up by the collapsing of stone. It landed around Daring and Reinerth in an endless, earsplitting roar. Daring felt the shrine sliding into one of the gaping chasms, sending loose stones scattering across the angled floor. A fierce light shone from the center of the shrine as the pedestal dislodged itself from the rest of the structure. The Thunder Stone rolled off its base, and was sent cascading across the floor. Daring could feel herself begin to slide down the angled floor, taking Reinerth with her. The ceiling had completely fallen, leaving the floor a broken pile of uneven stone. But, even though the ceiling and initial collapse had stopped, the entire shrine continued to slowly slide into canyon filled with lava. Daring had grabbed onto one of the heavier stones that remained stationary on the tilted floor. Reinerth still clung to her hooves, intent on survival. He looked around, tears in his eyes as he mumbled something too quiet for Daring’s ears to pick up. Slowly, she began to lose her grasp. Reinerth was heavy, and Daring was too weak to hold on with all the extra weight. “Please! Please don’t let go, Miss Do!” he pleaded, staring at her through tear-filled eyes. But her hoof scraped along the surface of the stone and the plummeted down into the fiery magma below. The shrine followed in a rain of debris. The once cherished structure that had been capable of the expansion and sanctity of Equestria was now destroyed, and would soon melt away in the intense heat of the earth. The two ponies were directly over the magma pit and falling fast. Daring flapped her wings as hard as her body would let her, and only managed to slow her descent, but they continued to fall to their imminent deaths. Cliffs rose from either side of the lake of lava, and went straight up to the surface of the Chorda Mountains. She aimed her wings toward the cliff-face, trying to guide her descent into the rocky surface. They were slowly getting closer to the cliff’s surface, but Daring was unsure if they would make it. From her trajectory, she was sure that she would land in the lava just before she would reach the cliff. It would be close. They were a few dozen feet above the lava when Reinerth reached his hoof out and scraped the surface of the cliff. He caught a threshold, and hung on with all his might. The intense heat of the lava rose into them, nearly burning them with its hot air. But they were safely nestled in the side of the cliff, away from the burning magma. From their little overhanging rock on the side of the cliff, Reinerth turned to Daring Do, a sinister smile on his face. “Danke, Miss Do.” He said, bowing his head slightly. Daring Do said nothing, and fell backwards onto the ground. She lay motionless on the rocks, catching her breath. Reinerth looked away towards the raining stone. It splashed into the magma, sending waves of molten rock over the lake. He felt saddened by his defeat, but it was overshadowed by the new sensation of superiority. Daring was weak. “You know, there are other ways to achieve my goal. The Wendigo Shrine was the least of them.” He explained to the tired mare. She looked up, meeting his gaze again, “You… can’t be… serious.” She replied out of breath, “There’s… no escape… For either… of us.” He chuckled as he loomed over Daring Do. His shadow blocked the light of the lava as he placed a hoof on Daring’s chest and applied pressure. “I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of dying. Within minutes, my minions shall provide me with my escape. Feel free to die if you like, Miss Do, I won’t stop you.” He looked skywards at the falling debris, which had all but ceased. Only tiny stones fell from the sky into the sea of lava. Then he saw it. The powerful stone looked like a tiny green speck from the distance above him, and was mere happenstance that he managed to spot it. It tumbled down towards the lava, falling slower than most of the other stones. It stayed along the face of the cliff, bouncing against its surface as it hurdled toward him. He smiled treacherously as the Thunder Stone landed on the ground just twenty feet from him. Daring Do saw it too, and tried to get up. It teetered on the edge of the overhanging rock, almost about to fall into the lava that bubbled several feet below them. She tried to run, but her energy was weak. It became harder for her to breath, both from exhaustion and the heat of the air. There was no way she would beat Reinerth to the Thunder Stone, and merely stood back as he took the gemstone in his hooves. “See, Miss Do? The Wendigo Shrine is expendable as long as I have the Thunder Stone. Sure, it’s not as strong, but that doesn’t matter.” “No, it doesn’t.” Daring said weakly, “You’ll always be the bloodthirsty pony you are, no matter what you do. There’s no changing that.” Reinerth snarled and held the stone forward. Daring flinched back, ready to receive the final face-full of lightning, but was relived then the air didn’t ignite. She peered through one slightly-clenched eye at Reinerth, who stared dumbstruck into the sky. The stone in his hooves gave off no light, and looked far murkier than it had before. A smile crept its way onto Daring’s face as she realized the uselessness of the stone. Reinerth swore and threw the stone away, now intent on dispatching the pesky mare with his own hooves. He dove at her, hoof-first, and aimed for the throat. He was moving almost too fast for Daring to register it, and easily collided with her. They smashed into the ground, feeling the intense heat rising from the rocks beneath them. Reinerth sat on top of Daring Do, crushing her windpipe with his front hooves. Daring’s gasps for air were the only sounds heard for an uncomfortable amount of time, until she mustered enough strength to smack Reinerth across the face with one of her bloodied hooves. It impacted him solidly in the side of the head, dazing him and forcing him off of Daring. Rolling over, Daring raised herself to her legs just in time to catch another tackle by the foreign pony. He held back no rage this time, and forced Daring across the coarse ground to the edge of the overhand, where the boiling lava waited patiently below. He grinned as he slid the mare closer and closer over the edge. Soon, half her back was hanging above the lava. The rising heat hurt her head, and she craned her neck around to see the doom waiting below her. The intense orange heat of the magma gave new incentive to Daring, who fought back ferociously. She thrashed about, throwing her hooves in wild directions in an attempt to hit something. Her hooves simply grazed Reinerth’s coat harmlessly. Occasionally she would make a forceful contact, and hear the satisfying whump of the impact, but it didn’t help. She slowly continued to slide above the lava. She could feel her hips reaching the edge of the overhang, and knew that her weight was positioned so poorly that there would be no way to pull herself back up. Then, another idea raced across her mind in an instant, almost too fast to even analyze in time. She went limp, almost falling over the overhang. Reinerth, who was now holding Daring by her back hooves, obviously enjoying the near-torture, was caught off guard and stumbled forward. He caught himself just in time, and now peered over the edge of the rocks and stared at Daring Do. He cackled and roared down at Daring, “You disappoint me! I expected more!” Daring felt this was the best time to strike. She kicked her back legs up, connecting with Reinerth’s backside. He stumbled again, lost his balance, and fell over the edge, soon followed by Daring Do. She stared down at Reinerth, who plummeted towards the blazing magma, screaming horrifically as he went. Daring’s wings sprang open with harsh pain, and she slowly began to glide over the lava; the intense heat allowing her to rise into the air without flapping her wings too hard. The last sight Daring caught of Reinerth was his flailing body as it impacted the searing magma. His screams were cut off immediately as he came into contact with it, and slowly sank below its waves. He showed no sign of horror, and his gruesome death was as painless as possible under their current conditions. Within seconds, the madman of Equestria, the pony who would have killed millions to save hundreds, was dead. Daring slowly rose back to the overhang, where she collapsed onto the hard ground with a thud. She closed her eyes, and her heart rate slowed back to normal. Her mind’s thoughts were eased as the mental checklist crossed itself off. Everything had returned back to zero. The Wendigo Shrine was destroyed and posed no threat to Equestria, nor did the late Professor Reinerth. Finally feeling accomplished, Daring Do closed her eyes to rest a moment. Still, even after the immediate threats were gone, Daring’s mind soon filled with other possible dangers. Was Sunny okay? What happened to Kuwinda? Is the Thunder Stone going to be a problem? What if- Daring shook the thoughts from her head. She emptied her mind, allowing it to be overcome with simple nothingness. She knew what was happening, and wanted her last thought to be something nice, instead of frantic worry. Slowly, a shape appeared in the blackness of Daring’s mind and formed together into a blue blob. Eventually, the shape took a sharper form, and in her mind she could clearly see Jack, standing in a sunny field of green. She could almost feel the warm sun’s rays on her coat as she lay on the ground. Grass tickled her hooves and face as her mind drifted off. She let out a deep breath as the shadow of the Onyx Corona enveloped her.