Daring Do and the Amulet of Graveeda
Part 5
Teddy wasn't sure how to react. He’d been in something of a trance ever since he’d touched Daring with the Godmother's Kiss, and he was only just now coming out of it. He remembered everything that he’d done, and none of it felt like it’d been against his will, but it was still weird. Every stroke he’d given her had felt right, and he’d been filled with an intense desire to both help and heal. The stress knots he’d felt in her had seemed more like webs of pain, and he'd tried his hardest to rid her of them.
Of course, now he realized that those ‘stress knots’ were something else entirely.
Teddy stared in awe at the spectacle before him. A giant of a mare with a mountain of a womb had grown out of the tub, easily snoozing while her full-grown foals occasionally kicked and moved about. She had to be at least twelve feet tall at the shoulder, he didn’t even want to guess what she weighed, and her womb was so large it was brushing against the ceiling with her every breath!
Teddy scratched his head. Had he done something wrong? There was magic in the Godmother’s Kiss, that much he knew, but it’d never caused a reaction like this. The most he’d seen before this was that a pregnant mare would occasionally find themselves a little farther along than when he’d started. It was a difficult thing to believe when it happened, but he’d seen it with his own eyes several times, and others had confirmed it for him.
But he'd never seen anything like this.
“This can’t be real,” he muttered. “Godmother’s Kiss is strong stuff, but it’s not supposed to—”
The realization hit him like a slap to the face.
“THE GODMOTHER! SHE’S—Eep!” He slammed his hooves over his mouth. It wouldn’t do to go waking her! His great-grandpappy’s journal had spoken of the Godmother several times, but he’d always thought it was nothing but poppycock! But now he stood before her; a goddess blooming with power and life, just as the stories foretold.
Teddy didn’t know what to do, or say. Was she older than she appeared? Was ‘Daring Do’ really her real name? Why was she here in his spa?! What did she want from him? And perhaps the great question of all…
“Would she be willing to help—huh?”
Daring had coughed. The temperature in the room plunged with a nasty chill, and her body glowed with red magic as a wisp of black smoke rose from her mouth.
Teddy paled. “Oh, no.”
He could only watch in horror as the curse did its work. In a terrifying display, her belly shrank down slightly as a foal was stolen from her womb. She coughed a second time, and a larger cloud of smoke escaped her mouth as more young were taken away.
“No… NO!” Teddy tried to run to her, but he immediately encountered a wall of brutal cold. It was like jumping into a lake in the dead of winter, and he leapt back with a shriek of pain.
He tried several more times to get to her, but he could never get more than a few feet closer. He could only watch on in horror as more black smoke rose out of Daring’s mouth, each time causing her gut to shrink that much more.
“I don’t understand!” Teddy said with a sob. “Why?! Why would it wait until now to attack her? Is it so strong that even she can’t stop it?”
The rest of Daring’s body was shrinking now, too. Little by little, Apate’s curse drained her and stole the foals away, taking them to parts unknown. A black cloud now hovered above her dwindling form that radiated a foul chill, and before long she was back to her previous size. Teddy was powerless to do anything to stop the process, and then just like he’d seen once before, the smoke disappeared from the room, leaving no trace of its presence.
Teddy stomped at the ground. It wasn’t fair. Neither he nor any of his neighbors had done anything to deserve this! A stupid sin of the past was going to rob Prodigal Point of its future, and if even the Godmother was powerless to stop it, then there wasn’t anything they could do! He tried to approach Daring again, and found that the cold had diminished along with the black cloud. She seemed to be all right, save for the obvious, and when he was close enough to see within the tub's walls, he discovered something else that made his heart skip a beat.
She was still pregnant. Daring’s girth was the size it had been when she’d first arrived, the sides of her womb occasionally distending from the unborn foal’s prodding. She was warm, too, just as warm as she’d been when he’d felt her before. He could tell there was still a great deal of magic within her, so perhaps there was still hope for whoever else had felt her touch.
Teddy was struck with realization once more.
“Touch...”
He turned and dashed out of the room.
()()()()()
Daring woke up feeling odd. She couldn't quite place it, but the first thing that came to mind was that she was rather cold. She opened her eyes, expecting to see herself as a giant with a mammoth belly towering over her like a monolith, but there was no such thing. She was a normal size, still sitting in the tub, the water turned off.
She was just wondering where Teddy was when he trotted in from a side room.
“Oh! You’re awake.” He came over, a worried look on his face. “Enjoy your nap?”
Daring blushed. “Sorry about that. Didn't mean to like... pass out on you. Heh.”
Teddy smiled. “Happens all the time. It’s a running joke in the spa business that you can tell how good a masseuse is by how many of his clients fall asleep on him.”
Daring snickered at that. Well, at least Teddy seemed to be acting normal. Maybe that whole giant avatar of fertility thing was just a dream. A pleasant dream, mind you, but a dream nonetheless.
“So, what’s next?” Daring asked.
Teddy’s face lit up. “I actually had an idea for something special. I’ll need to go grab a few things, but I think it’ll be worth it. It might even be better than the massage!”
Daring blinked several times. “Better than what you just did to me?”
Teddy put a hoof behind his head. “Uh, well… maybe. We’ll have to see if you’re up for it. It’ll take me a few minutes to get everything set up, so until then, here.” His horn lit up, and the tub was refilled with hot water. Some calm music began playing from across the room, and a few scented candles lit up, filling the room with the scent of lavender.
“Stay right there, okay?” Teddy said. “I’ll be back in a flash.”
He backpedaled a bit, then turned and hurried out of the room.
That was... sudden. She wasn't quite sure what to make of his sudden departure, but there was something in his voice that gave her pause. Did he think she’d actually leave? There wasn’t any real reason to. He’d been great so far, and if he had something even better on the way, then she was certainly interested.
Unless...
Daring looked down at the refilled tub, remembering that it’d be empty when she woke.
“Ah, jeez.” She looked at her stomach, its size still large thanks to the hefty foal within, but nowhere near what it'd been. What was with all of that? What had happened? What triggered it? Did it have something to do with Teddy? The curse? Those order idiots and their ‘plans’ for her?
All of this made no sense, and she was getting a headache trying to make sense of it.
Daring leaned back into the tub, the warm water swirling around her and soothing her tired body. She didn’t know what was she going to do about the families and their lost foals, but at the very least, she’d learned that she could hold a fair share of them. The problem was figuring out how she was going to help anypony by doing it. If the Godmother was such a significant figure, where were the ones on her side? Shouldn't she have, like, protectors or something?
A pair of voices coming from a side room snapped Daring out of her reverie, followed by two sets of hooves approaching. One of them was likely Teddy, but who was with him? She perked her ears up and listened, trying to see if she could make anything out.
If she strained, she could just hear their hushed voices whispering back and forth.
“...not in the mood for this, Teddy! She's... ...isn't coming back!”
“...is the real thing! I’m positive! All you have to do is—”
“Will you... ...to yourself! ...your fantasies anymore! Our daughter is gone!”
“We can get her back! I saw it with my own eyes! She really is the Godmother, and she can resist the curse! We can fix this!”
“Damn it, Teddy! I can’t take…”
Daring let out a heavy sigh. She could tell they were trying to be quiet, but their voices were steadily getting louder. Their emotions were rising, too, the mare’s voice already wavering.
That wouldn’t do. The curse had already tormented them enough.
Daring spoke in a loud voice. “I guess the jig is up, eh?”
The whispering stopped. There was an awkward silence, and the side door reluctantly opened. Teddy stepped out with a sheepish smile, and lagging behind him was a unicorn mare with a tan mane and tail. Her coat was a faded shade of maroon, and her hazel eyes were sparkling with tears. She met Daring’s gaze with a furious sneer, then stormed past Teddy to make her way over to her.
“Listen, bitch,” the mare spat in a venomous voice. “I don't know who you are, where you came from, or what ideas you’ve put in my husband’s head, but knock it the buck off! You’re trying to take advantage of us when we’re mourning the loss of our firstborn?! I oughta kick your teeth in!”
Teddy cringed. “Merry, you don't—”
“No,” Daring said. “It’s okay. She has every right to be suspicious. I would be too if I were in her position.”
Merry hesitated. Upon getting closer, she’d seen Daring’s massive swell of a belly. She still looked angry, but the sight of a mare apparently defying the curse seemed to have tempered her rage.
“How do you still have your foal?!” she demanded. “Every expecting mare in town lost theirs to the black smoke!”
Daring smiled. “I know you believe there's nothing that could bring your filly back, but do you really want to say that she's gone forever? Do you really want to just give up? To accept that you’ll never hold her in your arms?”
Merry narrowed her eyes. “If you think you can get what you want by pulling on my heartstrings, you’re sorely mistaken. I have to accept that she’s gone, or I’m never going to move on with my life! If this is what I can expect from some 'Godmother,' then you can cart your sorry plot right out the door!”
Daring’s eyes glittered. “I can see it, you know. How you lost her.” She felt a warm flutter course through her body, a flash of insight playing in her mind. “You were in your bedroom, napping. It came and took her while you were sleeping, and you woke up with a shriek of pain.” Daring glanced over at Teddy. “He came running when he heard you yell, and all he could do was watch your daughter disappear, powerless to stop it.”
Merry flinched like she’d been slapped. “How… how do you…” Her face twisted into a grimace, and she closed her eyes to try and stop the tears. “Damn it…”
“You can feel it, can’t you?” Daring's voice was soft and calm. “The magic I have. It’s calling you, telling you reclaim what you’ve lost. You don’t have to grieve anymore, Merry. You don’t have to close your heart. You can have your daughter back, and start the family you’ve always wanted.”
Merry’s pain was evident, but she didn’t shy away. Nor did she deny anything that Daring had said. She could feel the ambient magic in the air, tugging at her, caressing her, trying to push her towards this strange mare. It made her horn feel tingly and strange, and finally she just stared at Daring, the tears falling free down her face.
“What do you want?”
“To help you.” Daring leaned out of the jacuzzi, beckoning for her to come closer. “All you have to do is ask.”
Daring wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. It felt like instinct to do this, and while it was pretty weird, it seemed to be working. Slowly, Merry approached Daring, kneeling down beside the bubbling tub, a vulnerable look on her face. Daring took her hoof and placed it on her distended womb, coaxing her to stroke it in small circles like Clever Quill had.
Daring could feel her stomach getting warmer. A new tingle extended out across the surface, spreading to fill her entire body. Merry continued to caress Daring’s womb, and then, as if in a trance, she leaned forward and kissed the top of her navel, a name whispered under her breath.
Daring felt a spark ignite. As Merry pulled away, that spark became a small wisp of light that flew out from her mouth, flitting forward to dive down Daring’s throat. Her reaction was stymied by her womb suddenly feeling alive, gurgling and rumbling with sudden pressure, and she could feel her insides shifting as a new life began to form.
Daring’s breathing became erratic as her gut slowly swelled before her eyes, pushing higher and higher as Clever Quill’s foal was joined by Merry’s. The warmth in her body suddenly spiked, and Daring felt something surging up her throat. In an instinctual reflex she arced her head back and exhaled, and a bright shimmering aura left her mouth, floating through the air towards Merry. Merry took a step back as the tiny spark approached her face, stopping and hovering before her as if waiting for something.
Merry stared. She didn’t say anything for a long time, until finally, she breathed out a name in a quivering voice.
“M-Marigold?”
The spark dove down Merry’s throat in a flash. It surged down her body until it left a warm glow in her gut, and Merry grew woozy, swaying on her hooves until she was caught and laid gently down by Teddy. She passed out with a small groan, and as she did, Daring felt another, pleasant twitch in her womb.
Daring's stomach began to glow and throb. It seemed that the growth of Merry’s foal wasn’t quite done yet, and Daring had to do her best to control herself over the immense sensations. Her gut felt full and stretched tight, but then, it expanded a bit to accommodate the developing foal. This process repeated itself several times, each time making her more and more pregnant.
She heard a mumble from Merry and looked over, only to watch in amazement as her belly surged outward, as well. Their wombs throbbed together in sync, an immense scene of growth as the foal returned from the void. They both groaned with every spurt they both experienced, and it was several minutes before it was all over.
The glow left them both, and Daring gasped in wonder as a new set of hooves danced and bumped inside her womb. She surmised that her belly was now twice the size it had been, with Merry’s as large as Daring’s had been previously. The fluttering kicks that they could both feel roused Merry from her daze, and Daring couldn’t help but smile as a look of bemusement crossed her face. Teddy’s misty eyes were glued to the child in his wife’s womb once again, and upon seeing her awake, he took her hoof and brought it down to feel their wiggling child.
“She's back...” Merry began sobbing and laughing at the same time. She carefully stroked her belly, as though it might disappear again. “S-She’s back! She’s really b-back!” Merry hugged Teddy in a fierce embrace, and the two of them cried in each other’s arms as they watched their daughter prod the inside of her mother's womb.
Daring watched them for a while, enjoying their sounds of laughter and joy. The curse's work was undone, and she couldn’t help but feel a great swell of pride. This malady was a terrible thing, and only the Godmother could nullify it. She could do this. She could become whatever the Godmother was. She could actually do some real good in the world, instead of just scouring the world in search of adventure, fame and glory.
Daring tried to get up out of the tub, but found that the task was quite difficult. She was a good deal heavier than she had been. “Nnngh,” she grunted and pulled herself onto her haunches. “Heh, you’re a big one, ain’tcha? Gonna take some time to get used to this.”
“Need a hoof?” Teddy asked. He came over and helped her out of the tub, grabbing a few towels in his magic.
“I can’t thank you enough,” he whispered as he helped her dry off. “You’ve truly just done a miracle! If you ever need anything, you know who to call.”
“Yeah,” Daring said over a few heavy breaths. She could definitely feel the weight of the 'twins', and she’d be hard pressed to do much more than walk at this point. “No worries. Glad I could help.”
“What are you going to do now?” Teddy asked. “You could stay here, you know. We could bring other families—”
“There are ponies after me,” Daring said. “I don't know what they want, but I don't think they mean well. I’m not going to put you two in danger.”
Teddy pursed his lips. He looked like he was about to argue, but then glanced over at his wife. Merry was humming a lullaby to her swollen stomach, swaying back and forth while tears streamed down her face.
“You should know something before you go,” Teddy said finally. “I think my Godmother’s Kiss salve was what triggered your ‘episode’ earlier, but whatever it did didn’t last long. It wasn’t even five minutes before the curse appeared and took the foals from you, and I think it siphoned some of your power, as well.”
Daring's eyes went wide. “Oh, for Luna’s sake… it never can be easy, can it? The horseapples just allllllllways have to hit the fan. Never fails.”
“I read that you're supposed to be immune to it, but for some reason it still worked on you.” Teddy looked up at the ceiling, specifically at a slight wet patch where the top of Daring’s bellybutton had touched it. “I don't know what that means, but it definitely isn’t good. You have to find a way to fix it before it does something worse.”
Daring thought about that for a moment. “Look, I honestly don't know what I’m doing. This all just kinda got dumped on me, and I’m running on a combo of instinct and auto-pilot. I’ve been picking up on some things, but if you know anything about this Godmother stuff, I’d love to hear it.”
Teddy searched his brain. “...Do you have the Amulet of Graveeda?”
Daring shook her head. “I think it’s still at the museum.”
“Get it,” Teddy said immediately. “The Amulet and the Godmother are two sides of the same coin. If anything can help against the curse, it’s Graveeda’s keepsake.”
“How do you know all this?” Daring asked. “This isn’t exactly required knowledge for a spa manager.”
“I told you about my great-grandpappy’s journal,” Teddy replied. “He worked in the old palace, and he heard and saw some things. I also checked out a book about the Godmother from the library when all of this started.”
“Do you still have it?”
“No,” Teddy grumbled. “I freaking lost it somewhere, and the fines are going to be murder to pay off. Clever Quill shows no mercy to those who lose her books.”
Daring couldn't help but sigh. “I should get going. Something tells me they have a way of tracking me down whenever I do… you know, the thing.” She gave Teddy a pointed look. “And if they do show up, don't be a hero. Your wife and daughter need you. Understand?”
Teddy nodded. “I understand. Good luck.”
Daring then turned to leave, but before she could, a voice from called from behind her.
“Godmother.”
It was Merry. She waddled up to Daring, still sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. Once close, she knelt down before her in an awkward bow.
“Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...”
Daring felt a warm glow in her chest. “Hey, none of that. C’mere.” She coaxed Merry out of her stilted bow and brought her into a friendly hug. “I’m gonna fix all of this, okay? Don’t you worry. Daring Do’s on the case.”
Merry hiccuped and hugged her back. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I’ve been told from time to time.” Daring pulled back and waved farewell. “Stay safe, both you. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I could say the same to you,” Teddy replied.
Daring smirked. “Sorry, stupidity's a requirement for my line of work.”
She went out the doorway and into the alleyway, sneaking off into the shadows as best she could.
()()()()()
A While Later-
Knock, knock, knock.
“We're closed!” Teddy called out. “Come back tomorrow!”
“Teddy!” a familiar voice asked. “I need to talk to you!”
Teddy frowned. “Quick Fix? What the hay… Merry, stay in the loft, okay? I’ll be right back.”
He made his way down the stairs and to the front door. He undid a few (but not all) of the locks so he could open the door a crack.
“What're you doing… here…”
His friend Quick Fix was wearing in a black robe adorned with silver runes. Behind him was a group of ponies all clad in the same getup, none of which he’d ever seen before.
“What’s with the getup, Fix? And the posse behind you, too? Nightmare Night isn’t for six months.”
Quick Fix rolled his eyes. “Can I come in?”
“Maybe,” Teddy said evenly. “What do you want?”
“Quick Fix swished his tail. “ I don’t have a lot of time. Please, can I come in and talk?”
Teddy studied the other stallion closely. He hadn’t known Quick Fix to be deceptive, but that didn’t mean he was immediately trusting. Still, though, there was enough sincerity in his voice to merit hearing him out.
“The peanut gallery stays outside,” Teddy said.
“Fine.” Quick Fix gave a signal to his compatriots, and they stood at ease near the entrance. Teddy undid the locks and let him in.
Quick Fix didn’t waste time. He took a seat in one of the chairs nearest the door and gestured for Teddy to do the same. The two stallions sat across from each other in an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, neither one sure who should start.
“Haven't seen you in a while,” Teddy said at last. “Last I heard, you were working for old Glory Finch doing accounting or somesuch. What’s with the getup and military doctrine all of a sudden?”
Quick Fix looked his friend dead in the eyes. “Was she here?”
“She?” Teddy cocked his head. “‘She’ who?”
“Don’t play dumb.” Quick Fix gestured towards the stairs to the loft. “Pregnant mares aren’t exactly known for stealth, and your wife believes the staircase to be far more hidden than it actually is.”
Teddy did a double-take. “Merry!” He spat out a curse. “I told you not to—ugh! Damn it!”
“Calm down, Teddy.” Quick Fix hadn’t moved, nor had his voice changed at all. “Despite what you may or may not believe, I’m here to help.”
“You’re one of the ponies chasing her, aren’t you?!” Teddy demanded. “I can't believe that you of all ponies would want to stop the Godmother!”
“I just need to know if she’s still here.”
“She helped me and my wife!” Teddy shouted. “How can you expect me to rat her out to you!?”
Quick Fix shook his head. “It’s not what you think. Her life's in danger.”
“Yeah, from you and your goons!”
“No, you idiot, from the curse!” Quick Fix stopped himself and took a deep breath, letting the heat leave his voice. “It's my fault this has become a misunderstanding, but you know me. I wouldn't help a group that meant to harm others, and especially not one so sacred as the Godmother! Please, I just need to find her so I can give her something.”
Teddy held his old friend's gaze. He didn’t like any of this one bit, but the fact that Quick Fix was pleading with him rather than using threats said a lot about his motives.
“She left a while ago,” Teddy admitted. “I don’t know where. She was convinced you and your group were after her for the wrong reasons, and she didn’t want others to get caught in the crossfire. I don’t know much about what’s going on, but if you and your group really are on her side, you need to get her the Amulet of Graveeda. Something’s wrong with her, and that’s probably the only thing that’ll be able to help.”
Quick Fix clicked his teeth. “Headmaster Glory Finch was thinking the same thing. That’s why he sent me here to give it to her.”
He reached into his saddlebags and showed Teddy the Amulet of Graveeda, shining brightly with a deep, inner light.
Teddy’s jaw dropped. “Holy…”
Quick Fix got up to leave, not wanting to perturb his friend anymore than he had. “One last thing. How many foals was the Godmother bearing when she left?”
Teddy shook his head clear. “T-Two, including my wife's.” He seemed too shaken to say much else. “Why?”
“The more foals she takes on, the more times the curse is multiplied.” Quick Fix patted his friend on the shoulder. “Guard your wife well, Teddy. If things go south, she may very well give birth to one of the last children of Prodigal Point.”
And with that he left, rallying the search party outside to sweep of the area. The Godmother couldn’t have got far, but even still, she may have gotten just far enough to prevent them from finding her in time.
Quick Fix glanced at the fading Amulet before stuffing it back in his bags.
“We’ve gotta hurry.”