Zaps Apple
Chapter 31: Set in Motion
Twilight Sparkle
“Come on Twi! You can do it!” Rainbow Dash held up the now empty chest before me, I cast my magic firing a single point beam at the top of the lid again but yet nothing happened and this time it was closed.
I sighed as Rainbow Dash put it down and we looked at the sparkling case. Nothing seems to work now... “Five days... I did everything and beyond to try and activate it magic! Why can't I!?” I picked it up with my magic and threw it across the room, but Rarity caught it in her magic in time.
“Darling! You will figure it out! You can't just destroy the last hope for Zaps and Big Macintosh!” Rarity puts the case down and open it, pulling out the orange reddish orb with the strange magical ring glowing on the surface of it. “All you have to do darling is just figure a way to relock it right?”
“That's what I've been trying to do! It's not working! Every magic that was around the lid is gone...” I sighed heavily, rubbing my head with my right front hoof. “It's as if all that amazing, overwhelming magic that was stored in protecting the chest was dispelled at the instant I solved the puzzle...”
Applejack snorted and I gulped. “Yeah and what happen to mah brothers was part of that huh? Ah don't think so sugarcube! There no hay! No way that's possible! And ah won't let this matter rest to mah brothers are back!”
“Aren't they in the way still here?” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Ya mean that stallion!” Applejack snapped at Fluttershy glaring at her. “Rarity what the hay did ya find out about that weird outfit he had on?” Applejack quickly turns to Rarity with Fluttershy shivering.
Rarity step up to the box resting on the table and open it. The brown vest with the metal bobbles of Big Mac's work collar part of it. “It's strange Applejack, I took a loose thread and found out this vest is completely impossible.”
“How so? It looks pretty normal looking even it look like some weird work vest.” Rainbow Dash took it from her taking a good look at it herself.
“That's the thing it made out of multiple different type of materials merged into one whole new piece on a level that I couldn't even get my head around.” Rarity took it out of Rainbow Dash's hooves placing it back in the box. “Wood, metal, wool, cotton and the list could go on. I wish I could create such a thing! It would be a fashion and practical statement to the world!”
Pinkie Pie giggled. “Like Golden Apple right? That stallion wouldn't be here wasn't for that spell! And Never got to know what this orb is for as well!” When Pinkie Pie said Golden Apple the look Applejack gave in silence showed it all to me...
I stared at the orb in Rarity's hoof thinking about the very moment Big Macintosh had entered the library and the spell that had caused all this mess to happen in the first place, the very moment my own selfless desire put mine and Applejack's own friendship on very thin ice...
“Maybe we are just looking at this all wrong, maybe...” Fluttershy finally spoke up and we all took a good look at her.
“How so? Sugarcube?”
Fluttershy took the orb from Rarity and place it on the table, we all looking at it now. “Do you notice something odd about the orb?”
“Not sure what you mean darling, it looks normal to me.” Rarity replied.
Rainbow Dash had her hoof place next to it and she looked at the orb, then at her hoof for some strange reason. “What the hay!? This thing not leaving a shadow!”
“Oh come on Rainbow it...” Applejack notices it too now and so the rest of us. “Ah'll be darned!”
I recalled what the stallion Golden Apple said after I, Rainbow and the crusaders first encountered him. “Sweet Celestia. The Shadowless Mines, there real...”
Applejack glanced over to me. “Shadowless Mines?”
“I heard that from the big guy himself! Didn't he said that Princess Celestia had the mines destroyed as well?” Rainbow Dash chimed in and I just rolled my eyes, she had to recall that moment.
Applejack now frowning at the two of us determined for answers. “Yer two better get talkin'! And explain what this had to do with Princess Celestia of all ponies!”
I sighed and begin to explain this. “It happened five days ago right after what happened when the box opened...”
Five Days ago
“Urg...” Scootaloo groaned with ringing in my ears and everything was blurry. I was on my back looking up at the ceiling of the library, the last thing I recalled was Big Macintosh walking in on us when casting my spell and the girls and Zaps trying to stop me.
I sat up and saw the chest was opened! “It worked!” I squealed as Scootaloo got up from under a pile of books and raced over to it.
Rainbow Dash I turn to see her pull free from books too. “That's great Twi! But geez! That thing had quite the punch!”
“I know... But the results were worth it! Look!” I using my magic lift out of the little chest a strange orange red orb with a ring of light reflective shine to it.
Scootaloo turn to the girls seeing they was getting up. “You two ok?”
“Yeah, that was crazy!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
Applebloom pushing a few of the books away with her hooves. “Ah say! Never thought some weird magic backlash thingy would open it though!”
“Great! Now I got to clean up this mess!” Spike complained hanging upside on the ladder looking down at us. “Could you help me out?”
“Sure!” Scootaloo got onto her hooves and with the girls help we got him off the ladder.
“Thanks.” Spike gratefully said to them as he patted himself down with his claws. “Twilight what is that orb thing anyway?”
I was studying it with my magic looking at the shimmering ring that look like it was on the surface of the orb. “Not a clue, I've never seen anything like it. I bet it's one of those strange artifacts from the Kingdom of Harmony.”
“Not even close Twilight, it was forged in the Shadowless Mine before Princess Celestia ordered it destruction over 800 years ago, it's in the Shadowless Temple of the Pony of Fear.” We all heard a strange new voice speak up and all turn to the source of it, it didn't even sound like anypony we knew of.
Pushing the large pile of books aside a stallion slightly taller than Big Mac emerged from it. I've never seen anypony like him in my life! He was lightly colour then Big Mac, with grey four hooves, semi long mane and tail with orange, two tones of cream and black with it being spiky.
The eyes were a really strange looking green with a strange looking vest on with two bobbles at the end of it similar to Big Mac's work collar and the cutie mark was a silver shield with a open green apple in the middle and a yellow star behind the shield.
“It's an activation orb in fact. A very powerful magical orb, she would go on and on about its but never once spoke of it location tho-” He paused looking around the room at all of us. “Is somethin' the matter?”
“Yeah, who the hay are you!? And where Big Mac and Zaps buster!?” Rainbow Dash glares at him ready for trouble, I noticed myself that they was no where to be seen!
The stallion points a hoof to himself. “Ah'm Big Mac... Zaps and Armour-” He looked over himself with curious but startled look. “McApple...”
The colours in his mane, the cutie mark and... “Whoa...”
“Maybe it be best if I should go to Ponyville Hospital...” He suggested staring at his own front hoof.
I look over to Rainbow and the look was returned. “Twi what in Celestia's name is going on here!?”
I curiously looked at the stallion. “I-I don't know, but I think we get to the hospital as he suggested...”
“Where mah brothers Twilight?” Applebloom asked.
Twilight eyes just didn't keep contact with Applebloom. “I-I... I... Applebloom I do not know... But he might know.”
“So clean up later?” Spike asked holding a pile of books up.
“Yes... Later...” I answered and with that put the orb on the table side before we all left for the hospital with the stallion.
Present
“...after that we went with him to Ponyville Hospital and where together created his name alongside a back story Applejack.” I explained about the first few moments.
Applejack heavily sighed, turning away. “And ah with Granny and Applebloom took part in since he was released from the hospital. Ah said ah wouldn't dare lie after what happened to Granny Smith and now look at me...” Applejack sat down on the steps with her front hooves over her eyes. “Ah once again lyin' to everypony. Why can't we just contact Princess Celestia and ask for her help?”
I knew this was going to come up and I had a letter prepared by Spike for this. “Twilight should I send it then?”
“Twi ah think it time to call for help.”
“Darling, I second that you have tried so hard to help them.”
“I-I do-don't know. Wh-what if she you know erm...”
“Come on Flutters spit it out already!”
“What if she destroys the orb, l-like th-the mine fr-from what Golden Apple told you Twilight...”
“Ah reckon that won't be the case she wouldn't do that, its not like Princess Celestia at all to not help if we call for her assistants, right sugarcube?” Applejack glance over to me with the girls all turning to me now.
Apart from Pinkie Pie playing around with the orb giggling. “This is fun! Even in my hooves it shows no shadow! Even my hoof on the table doesn't get a shadow when holding it! How cool is that Twilight?”
I turn to Applejack. “I haven't got an answer for you Applejack. But I have to take that chance.” I nod to Spike. “Send the letter I prepared please Spike...”
Spike pulled it out. “Sure! I'll send it right now!” He let loose a breath of flame, but at the same moment he did a arrow struck it and we all turn to see the scroll now pinned between the bookshelves with the arrow in it and the wood.
At the corner of my left eye I noticed a pony wearing a cloak stood at the doorway with a bow in one hoof with the head drew back a little. The light gold colour foreleg lowered with the girls and Spike now staring at the stranger. “That would be a big mistake calling on Celestia.” She pulled the hood back to relieve herself to be no other then...
“D-Dar-Daring DO!?” Spike wobbled and fell back fainting.
I just sighed and turn my attention back at Daring Do as she step in and with a hind leg out kick the door closed behind her. “Daring Do what the meaning of firing an arrow in a library!?”
She threw the cloak onto the table side walking by as the others stood in silence, watching this adventurer walk around looking at all the bookshelves, she stopped at a group of books looking between the gap before continuing to look again through the shelves. “Stopping you from throwing away any chance of saving three lives.”
“How long was ya spyin' on us?” Applejack instantly spoke and that ran through my mind too now.
Daring Do just took one glance. “And what says that I was?”
“Do yer need me to answer that sugercube?” Applejack raising a right eye as Daring Do took another glance at her with a smirk not saying a word and going back to scanning the bookshelves. “Sugarcube why shouldn't we?”
“Choice, one life or three lives? Which would you choose and which would Golden Apple pick? His or theirs?” Daring Do said without looking at Applejack, we were trading looks at each of them as they spoke.
Now we all were waiting for Applejack to answer, but she turned her eyes away from Daring Do without saying another word. “Erm... Darling this isn't my place in asking this, but...” Rarity decided to speak up with a hoof to her snout as she cleared her throat with a cough. “Where is your attire?”
Daring Do stopped searching and then it hit the rest of us, the question that Daring Do put forwards was already out of the window as we all now stared at Daring Do finally realizing something was amiss and it was Daring Do's jacket and pitch hat. “You had to bring that up didn't you?”
Rainbow Dash was hovering now fell flat on the ground before quickly getting up on her hooves looking up and down with a trot around Daring Do as she steps up to us. “This is soooooo weird! You 'ALWAYS' wear that jacket! I never once read a book or seen you without it on! What's up with that!?”
“I am curious too, it seems really 'STRANGE' to see you without anything at all on you Daring Do apart from that saddle bag.” It felt a bit hard to look at her now without a sense of embarrassment at the adventurers particle nakedness even we all basically are... 'Seriously that doesn't even sound better in my head or thoughts! Why do I feel like it's rude to see Daring Do without her gear on!? Seriously brain stop this!'
Daring Do grumbled “It was stolen”
“Huh? What did you say Daring?” Pinkie Pie asked with a hoof to her right ear twitching it to hear what exactly she said and I barely could make it out too but I was sure she said...
“It was stolen...” She repeated a little louder but it was still hard to make out, but this time I was sure she just said...
“She said it was stolen...” Fluttershy spoke up.
Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy. “You heard that?”
“Oh yes, when you have some small little critters it a good idea to have good hearing.” Fluttershy answered with a warm smile.
“Well, that answers that, but that doesn't answer how.” I turn to the adventuring pony. “Care to explain how?”
Daring Do looked rather angry and stomped her hoof down so hard that Spike woke up with a gasp of fright. “I got hit by a damn dart in the rump when I was asleep!” Daring Do flaring her wings open now glaring with utter rage in those eyes of hers. “That damned mare working alongside Ahuizotl got my stuff and she won't stop taunting me about how the 'oh so great Daring Do couldn't stop a simple theft of her stuff from being stolen right off her back and head!' And every step I came to getting ahead of them resulted in her being at all eight out of nine remains of the Shadowless Arches before me!!!!!!!” Daring Do screaming out all her words at the end.
Daring Do breathing heavily and panting as she lower her head to get more air into her lungs. “Better?” I asked.
She snorted. “Yes...”
Rainbow Dash rubbing her head and with a hoof up in the air she flew right out of the library. “I wonder where she going?” Spike looked out the door. Ten seconds later she was back sliding into the library to a dead stop. “That was ten seconds exactly!”
“I still got it.” Rainbow Dash chuckled and showed what she had. “Here, you wear mine.”
Daring Do stared at the vest and pitch hat and back at her. “Darling was you going to dress up as Daring Do for Nightmare Night?” Rarity asked.
“Hehe yeah... But I thought Daring Do could borrow it.”
Daring Do pushed it away. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because there not mine.” Daring Do answered. “Mine is personal and one of a kind, there be nothing like it, this is a kind offer but it's not the same.”
Rarity smiled warmly. “Darling dear, you do not need to say another word on it, I completely understand, it's like wearing horseshoes. One may fit the same but it doesn't feel the same. Correct?”
“Yeah, you can say that.” Daring Do smirked and turn to the bookshelves. “It is strange, I wasn't expecting to see any of you here at all. I followed on some leads that lead me to this library near the Everfree Forest.”
“But we all live here!” Rainbow Dash said to Daring Do. “You even posted a book to my house!”
Daring Do went back to searching. “Yes. I know you do. but I didn't expect you all to live here and didn't expect a princess to live in a library of all places.”
“Is there something wrong with me living here?” I gave her an annoyed look with wings flaring open and Spike crossing his arms with annoyance showing too by her statement.
“Not at all, I said 'I didn't expect a princess to live in a library' and that wasn't aiming towards what you are thinking Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Daring Do stops pushing the books aside. “Yes! I knew there would be a secret compartment!” Daring Do push the mark around and it opens to find it empty. “Damn! She beat...”
I coughed.
“Huh?” Turning around Daring Do glance at me and to the book floating in my magic. “Seriously?”
I smirked. “Spike found it when we were having Mirror Pool trouble with Pinkie Pie here.”
“Please! Don't remind me of that!” Rainbow Dash shuddered. “That was the most uncool experience to ever go through!”
Pinkie Pie giggled. “That makes two of us Dashy!”
Daring Do looked at each of us as she took the book from my magic. “Is what I heard about this town true?”
“Crazy”
“Never boring”
“Surprising!”
“Weird?”
“Never dull”
“Normal?” We all look to Spike before I could say anything after the girls. “What? It is isn't it?” We all laughed a little.
Daring Do sat down at the table with the book and put it by the orb. “Thought so.” She shook her head a little. “That's what I get for never checking things out near the center of Equestria.” She stops after turning a dozen or so pages. “So the journal is correct, there was a ninth arch and it's smack in the heart of the Everfree Forest at the center of the Mist of Misdirection.”
We all gasped instantly. “No!” I closed the book up instantly. “We aren't going there! At the heart of that mist is the Kingdom of Harmony!”
“That unreachable anyway, you missed that window about a month or so ago. I am talking about the night of the 'mega moon' when the northern stars a line with it every nine years.” Daring Do snatch the book away from me and showed the page. “Read before you leap to conclusions, why do you think I stopped you sending that letter?”
I took in what she said and looked at the details in this odd book, she was right. It was all there about the Shadowless Arch of the Everfree. “The guard from over 800 years ago left a journal to give to every first stallion in the family line, I pulled a fair number of strings to get the information about the location of this book and the details about what exactly happened to the first eight.”
“And?” Rainbow Dash egged her on.
“I found out that our beloved Princess Celestia destroyed them all with her own very magic and if she was able to find the remaining one in the heart of the Everfree Forst she would of.”
“You can't be serious! Princess Celestia wouldn't even...”
My protest was cut short with Daring Do head press against mine pushing me back. “She would! It's here in black and white! Read this entry from the very Wonderbolt captain that was by her side at the time!”
“Seriously from one of the legendary Wonderbolt Captains of the past!?” Rainbow Dash snatch the journal from Daring Do hooves before I could take it and read it. “Holy buck! Shes right! It says here that he and his team was personally used to be aerial support and bodyguards to Princess Celestia on her personal assault of the Shadowless Mine and the Shadowless Arches, she ignored all what the ministers at Canterlot said and went on a campaign to stop the darkness of fear to ever return from beyond the gateways to what's called the Shadowless Temple.”
Rainbow Dash summed it all up and as I took it from her and read it for myself she continued to speak. “Seriously!? What's up with that stupid name! Shadowless this and that? Couldn't they a bit more original?”
I read it three times to make sure I had read this right. “I got to ask the princess if this...”
“And the orb you find get destroyed? Do you want to risk it? It's the only way into the temple and maybe the only way to restore those three ponies.” Daring Do put forward that question myself now. I couldn't decide....
“I-I d-don't know...”
Daring Do put the journal away in her bag with the Everfree Book. “Look, I am going to the forest to find that temple, I am going to need that orb.”
“Not without us!” Daring Do groans. “Don't give me that!” Rainbow Dash gabbed her with a hoof. “That mare working with Ahuizotl got ya worked up.”
“Ah agree sugarcube, we can be of help, we've been in there before and we do have the elements.” Applejack hinted to me.
I nod.. “Indeed we can help.”
“Whoa hold up! You are the six!? THE SIX!?” We nod.
“Yep!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “And when we all get back we having a 'Welcome Daring Do' Party! I got everything set up in Sugarcube Corner!”
“Ok fair...” Daring Do quickly wide eyed Pinkie Pie. “SAY WHAT!?”
Pinkie Pie bounces out of the library. “I meet all at Sweet Apple Acres! I am getting treats for the trip!”
“How-what-that...”
“Daring Do don't bother.” Rainbow Dash chuckled putting a foreleg around her. “It Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, just go with it.”
“But she bouncing like... I... Fine! Let just go to this Sweet Apple Acres and go! The sooner we get this done the sooner I can go back to what I call normal!” Daring Do took her cloak and bow leaving the library before any of us could say anything.
Spike held out a ruby and munched on it. “She took it well.” He said with a mouthful and we just shook our heads and left the library with me carrying the orb. “Wait for me! I am not missing out on this!” Spike ran after us closing the door behind him.
I stopped for a second looking around, something didn't feel right. “Come on Twilight! We got to go! She not going to wait forever for us!”
Rainbow Dash was right, Daring Do wasn't going to wait. “Alright, I'm coming!”
Unknown
“Idiots we almost got caught!” I hissed clotting one of the stupid paint marked stallions across the head, he rubbed his head.
“So-sorry...”
I notice a flicker of light from the apple trees from the rooftop we sat on watching the ponies and dragon leave the library. “Luckily for you, your fellow lakkies done their job. Regroup at the farm. It's time for us to spring our surprise. Let Ahuizotl know we're coming and everything has gone to plan.”
“Y-Yes ma'am!” He saluted, jumping down he galloped behind the house and out of town to beat the ponies to the farm.
“Rest of you with me. It's time for a show they will never forget.” The orb around my neck flashing green and so did my eyes as I grinned.
I chuckled. “The great and powerful act of all our planing for weeks are finally coming into place.”