Previous Chapters Next
Close
Chapter One - A letter from Jack2,883 words
Chapter Two - The Henchmen Visit3,764 words
Chapter Three - The Onyx Wind4,090 words
Chapter Four - The Griffons5,876 words
Chapter Five - Prisonbreak6,786 words
Chapter Six - The Thunder Stone8,078 words
Chapter Seven - Reunion With Jack8,266 words
Chapter Eight - Chasing Reinerth9,046 words
Chapter Nine - The Wendigo Shrine12,662 words
Epilogue923 words

Chapter Seven - Reunion With Jack

It was a little after midnight when Daring Do broke through the smog layer above the Istanfoal skyline. The sandstone buildings below her were illuminated with dim lights from nearby fires and lampposts. and the streets were nearly empty compared to earlier in the day with only a few scattered ponies milling about. The noise had drastically decreased from the frantic shouting to a gentler tone of almost complete silence.

Daring Do wheeled around in the sky and landed softly on top of a several-story apartment building. She began down the stairs on the side of the building, looking for where the Chaplain had hidden. She found him on the third floor, slumbering soundly in front of a dwindling fireplace, snoring contently. As softly as she could, Daring climbed through the open window and walked down the hallway and into the spare bedroom.

Sunny and Captain Mbarka were sharing one of the two beds in the room, and left the other one for Daring Do. The confined room felt very homely, but was able to put Daring’s mind to ease. She set the Thunder Stone down on the small end table, and just as she was about to fall into the bed, Sunny’s voice chirped from behind her.

“You’re back!” she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible under her excitement. “What happened?”

Daring Do motioned her hoof towards the large emerald gemstone sitting next to the bed. “I got what I was looking for.” She whispered.

Sunny trotted to the stone, wide-eyed at its magnificence. It was half the size of Sunny’s head, adding an almost comical sight to the room. She craned her head around the gem, investigating every side of the powerful artifact.

“What’s it do?” she asked quizzically.

“You know… I’m not entirely sure. It’s supposed to work with the Wendigo Shrine, but I have no idea how.” Daring tried to explain.

“Well, I like it. Can we keep it?”

“We’ll see, kid.”

Daring turned back to the bed, longing to rest herself on its softness. She hadn’t slept in a decent bed since her adventure began, and didn’t want to pass on an opportunity. She hovered herself slightly in the air, ready to fall down onto the bed when,

“Miss Do!” the Chaplain exclaimed from the doorway loud enough to wake Mbarka and cause Sunny to jump three feet in the air. “I’ve already heard about the mess you caused in the tombs! Did you even try to be subtle?” he shouted.

“I’m sorry.” Daring said meekly, “But I had to do something fast. I might not have made it if I hadn’t!”

“That’s fine, Miss Do. But thanks to you, we have to move again. It’s not safe here now that everyone is talking about you!”

“Daring got back?” Mbarka managed to mumble as he shook the sleep from his head.

“Unfortunately. I’m not repeating myself for you, Captain. Allow your companions to fill you in on the details; I need to go arrange for new quarters.” The Chaplain stormed out of the room with a huff.

Mbarka turned to Daring, raising an eyebrow above his sleepy eyes.

“The Chaplain wants us to move again. He’s just being cautious is all. I don’t blame him.” Daring replied.

“Yeah, but he was a jerk about it. You did just what he wanted and he still raised his voice.” Sunny added from Daring’s side.

“He’s probably just stressed out, Sunny. He’s got a lot to deal with, being a leader and all.” Mbarka clarified.

“But I never saw you get stressed. And you were a Cap’n, which is sorta like a leader.”

“True. But my job was a lot easier. The crew was always drunk.” Sunny tried to stifle a giggle, “Now go get our things from the front room, Sunny. Apparently we’re leaving.”

Sunny bounded out of the room, waving her hoof ‘goodbye’ to Daring. Mbarka watched the joyous filly and smiled.

“She likes you.” Mbarka said as he rolled out of his bed.

“I can tell. Is she this way with every new pony?”

Mbarka shook his head, “No. Only with you. She wasn’t even this excited with Jack, and she actually liked Jack.”

Daring Do didn’t reply, and Mbarka began to worry that he hit the wrong chord with the pegasus. He searched her expression, a mixture of fear and annoyance. Quickly he thought of something to say to comfort her.

“Jacks gonna be alright. He’s a capable pony, for the most part.”

Daring Do laughed, “I’m not worried about Jack.”

She lied.

Dawn rose over the dunes as Kuwinda and Jack continued their tireless trek to Istanfoal. They were halfway across the Sahoofa desert, moving along a cobblestone path through the sands. At the rate Kuwinda was going they would reach Istanfoal by midday. During the journey, Jack couldn’t help but worry about the Thunder Stone and their imminent trade with his old friend.

If she gives up the Thunder Stone, we all lose. She can’t do it!

But you know she will. She won’t let you die, even if it means risking the world.

We’ll find a way! Just like in Boarneo, we’ll make the trade, then loop it around and get both prizes in the end. Everyone wins! Except Reinerth.

Is that really how it’ll work out? Boarneo natives are one thing, but highly educated and deadly madmen are a completely different matter.

Jack shook his head, clearing both sides of his conscience. He closed his eyes, trying to bring his thoughts to a complete halt, and close his mind entirely. He just hoped that everything would work itself out in the end.

Kuwinda snorted in front of him. Jack looked up, investigating the zebra. He was still sprinting, after nearly twelve hours. Sweat flew off of his body in fat droplets, and his white tongue lolled out of one side of his mouth. Veins bulged out from his legs, and his mohawk was plastered against his head from the sweat and the consistent force of the wind.

“Are you doing alright? Do you need some water?” Jack asked, genuinely worried.

He shook his head hard, spraying sweat everywhere. “No. Reinerth said to get ya to Istanfoal as quickly as I could. And dat’s what I’m doin’.”

“Just stop for a moment, get some fluid in you. If you keep up at this pace you’re going to kill yourself.”

“If I die, then my debt to Reinerth will be paid.”

Jack fell back, not understanding his zebra logic.

This could be a good thing. If he collapses from exhaustion when we get to Istanfoal then the trade will go swimmingly for Daring and I.

Jack took in the situation, analyzing the pros and cons of every point. He was excited to a part of something again, instead of just sitting in a dig site looking through dirt and dust. On the other hoof, he couldn’t help but feel anxious about seeing not only Daring Do, but his other friends as well. He hadn’t seen Mbarka for quite some time, though they had exchanged letters often. As for Sunny, his last contact with her was months ago.

Suddenly, Jack remembered the relation between Kuwinda and Mbarka, and tried to get the zebra captain out of his head too, worried that it might somehow upset his travelling companion. In the distance the thin grey smog of Istanfoal was barely reaching over the horizon. Jack swallowed a lump in his throat as his destination slowly inched its way towards him.

By morning Daring Do and her party had made it to their newest safe house. It seemed that Istanfoal was in no short supply of hiding places, and the Chaplain knew about each and every one of them. Their newest one was in the top floor of the inn, four stories above the street. It was a private suite, given only to dignitaries and political officers. Or, in this case, fellow members of a secret society of guardians of ancient artifacts.

Sunny had sprawled out on the wooden floor of the inn, stretching her leg. Despite the miniature fracture along its length, she had still managed to put weight on it and even walked about a bit.

“It’s funny how that works,” Mbarka said, “How one minute a child can be tortured and beaten within an inch of death, and the next minute she’s her happy-go-lucky self again. That’s probably how you were, Miss Do.”

Daring slowly nodded. Though she would never talk about her childhood with someone she had only met a few days ago, she had to admit that Sunny reminded her of herself as a young filly. They were both energetic, adventurous and always faced danger with a hint of lightheartedness. She wondered about her future. She might make a good treasure hunter, and Daring occasionally thought about teaching her the ropes of it.

Brother Hail politely walked into the room, bowing his head at his companions. He cleared his throat,

“Congratulations, Miss Do! The governor sure is gonna blow a fuse when he finds out the Thunder Stone is missing.”

“Thanks. What do we do now?”

“Well, we have a variety of hiding places; none of which are anywhere near here. We’ll probably send it to Saddle Arabia, where we have a contingent branch of our chapter. It’ll be safe there. We’ll have someone come pick it up sometime this evening. In the meantime, just sit back and rest. You’ve earned it, Miss Do.”

He bowed his head again before turned around clumsily and walking out the door. He trotted down the flight of stairs and emerged in the front office, greeted by a yellow mare. As he was about to walk into the harsh sunlight of the Istanfoal streets, the Chaplain grabbed him from behind.

“Where are you going?” He asked, worried.

“Just out. I need to send a letter to the Chaplain in Saddle Arabia and let him know that we’re sending the Thunder Stone his way.” He explained, stuttering.

“No. It’s too risky. The guards are all over the street, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re checking the mail too.”

“That seems a little extreme, don’t you-“

The Chaplain forcefully manhandled him against a wall, out of view of the front desk. He whispered harshly, projecting spittle as he did so.

“Listen, Hail. Maybe you don’t understand the gravity of the situation. If you screw this up, even a little, tiny step, we all die! This isn’t something to take lightly, and I want you to carefully think through your each and every step before you do anything. We can’t risk Equestria just because we wanted to mail a letter!”

The Chaplain broke off in a series of hacking coughs. He held his hoof to his mouth, stifling the assault, and brought his hoof back bloodied.

“Just… Be careful. We can’t have you making bad decisions when you’re the Chaplain. You’re free to go, just don’t mail anything.”

Brother Hail squirmed past the Chaplain and rushed outside, not saying a word. The Chaplain, still coughing slightly, worked his way up the four flights of stairs to their hiding spot. He was winded when he reached the top, and as he gasped for air he listened in on the laughter of the trio. He rolled his eyes.

Inside, Mbarka and Sunny were playing a form of wrestling, only they were using their front hooves only. The idea puzzled the Chaplain, but that didn’t stop him from interrupting it all the same.

“Good morning.” He declared through a scratchy throat.

The trio looked up from their wrestling match. Shortly thereafter, Sunny, taking advantage of Mbarka’s distraction, slammed his hoof against the table. She smiled childishly at her victory, and then turned half of her attention to the Chaplain.

“Good morning.” Daring replied as politely as she could.

“Morning.” Mbarka declared quickly before adding, “Do you have any idea when we’re going to be able to get out of here? Your city is nice and all, but it gets tiring having to run from the guards all the time.”

“In fact, Captain, you’re leaving tonight. We’ve arranged a caravan to take you to Canterlot. After that you’re free to go about with whatever you please; our organization won’t bother you anymore.”

“Fair enough.” Daring said, “It's been an honor working with you and your organization, Chaplain. But you never told us the name of your group.”

“We are called the Wendigo Repentant, named after the shrine that we once created, thousands of years ago.” The Chaplain croaked.

“Interesting. Well, we have a few hours until your friends from Saddle Arabia get here. Would you like to try hoof-wrestling?”

The Chaplain sat down at the table, propping his elbow on the surface as the others did.

“Explain to me, what is the purpose of such a game?”

“Fun!” Sunny chimed.

“Or just to pass the time.” Mbarka added.

“Just try to force your opponent’s hoof onto the table.” Daring explained.

“Like this!” Sunny exclaimed before throwing all her weight into Mbarka’s hoof. The zebra allowed it to move a few inches before stopping it with no real effort.

“I see.” Mumbled the Chaplain before wrapping his own weathered hoof around Daring’s.

“Ready?” Asked Daring from across the table.

Reluctantly, the Chaplain nodded.

Within hours, the Chaplain was grinning from ear to ear. He was on a winning streak, never having lost a single hoof-wrestling match. He even challenged Brother Hail to a match when he stopped by to check in, much to the apprentice’s confusion. They had been at their game for hours, until the sun’s rays grew softer and the air outside became cooler as evening approached.

Sunny was resting her head on the windowsill at the side of the table. They opened it as the air become cooler, and now had a splendid view of the palace from their little hiding spot. The Chaplain explained how, since there were so many ponies in Istanfoal, that nopony would ever look into somepony’s window. Especially on the fourth floor.

Sunny became more distant from the group as they began to talk about more adult things. Politics, laws, and other boring stuff that an adventurous young filly would have no interest in. Eventually she took to just looking out the window at the hundreds of ponies that passed by below her. Through the crowd she could see zebras balancing huge clay pots on their heads, and teams of ponies that pulled carts of fruits or chickens. Once, she had seen a top-hat-wearing pony pulling a live manticore by a leash. She wondered if he was in the circus, and thought about asking the Chaplain, but he seemed distracted by talking about some kind of ‘inflation’. She had no idea what it was, but he was listing numbers and percentages, which immediately bored Sunny.

There were a lot of ponies that looked familiar to Sunny. She figured that, with this many ponies that some of them had to look similar. She saw a donkey that looked a bit like the chef on the Onyx Wind. Across the street she saw a zebra that looked an awful lot like the zebra in the pictures that Mbarka keeps in his captain’s quarters. He even had the mohawk and everything, but Sunny knew that it couldn’t be him. Mbarka said how he lived in… some far off country that she could never remember the name of. There was another pony that caught her eye. He was blue, and stumbled through the crowd awkwardly. He reminded her a bit of Jackhammer, which she found a bit funny. She always thought that Jackhammer was a silly pony.

“Hey Daring, do you think Jack is silly too?” she asked over her shoulder.

Daring either didn’t hear her, or was ignoring her. At either rate, the lack of attention drew Sunny’s interest back to the window. She found the blue pony again, with some searching. The more and more she watched him, the more he seemed like Jack. Eventually, a pony on four stilts caught her eye, and she watched the entertainer make his way above the crowds of ponies. She forgot about the blue pony, and the zebra, and all the other ponies she had seen as she picked new ponies to spy on. From behind her, Mbarka broke into a fit of laughter, followed shortly by the other two. The mere sound of the comforting noise began to make Sunny want to laugh, but she held it in. She didn’t even know what they were laughing at.

Minutes later, Sunny heard the door swing open. She figured it was Brother Hail, but she had her back turned to the door and wasn’t able to tell for sure. It wasn’t until the room went completely silent that she turned around.

Daring and Mbarka both had their mouths agape, staring at Jackhammer. His mane was windswept and untidy, and his eyes were wide open, shifting between Daring Do and Captain Mbarka. Sunny, immediately seeing her friend, jumped up gasping loudly.

“Jack!” she shouted as she clumsily ran on her broken leg to greet him.

But as Sunny reached him, she felt that something was wrong. Jack looked and smelled like he hadn’t had a bath in weeks, which was a completely foreign concept for the tidy pony. He was trembling slightly, and his nigh-silent breathing was erratic. Daring Do noticed to, and as she stood she asked, bewildered,

“Jack? Is… everything alright?”

Behind Jack, the broad shape of Kuwinda appeared. Sunny cowered back, unaware of whom the zebra was. Mbarka sprang to his feet, nearly knocking the table over.

“Kuwinda?”

The new zebra nodded slowly before walking past Jack and into the room.

“What the hay are you doing here?!”

“Repayin’ my debt, jus’ as ya should’ve done, brothah!”

“What? Are you still on that? I told you, Kuwinda, there’s no-“

He ignored his brother, and turned to face Daring Do. The orange pegasus stood her ground and extended her wings, making herself look larger than she actually was.

“Daring Do? I want the Thunder Stone. In return, I’ll give ya this sap’s life. If ya refuse, then he's dead.”

Jack, still remaining silent, shook his head.

Daring was stuck at a crossroads. She looked to the Chaplain for assistance, but he looked as if he still had yet to transition to his former self, and was stuck in his ‘social form’. The Thunder Stone was sitting on the foot of the bed, wrapped in packing paper and tied with twine. Slowly, she inched her way to the stone and took it in her mouth. She approached the zebra, and as she did so the Chaplain shouted,

“Miss Do, what on earth do you think you’re doing?! You’ll kill us! You’ll-“

He was silenced as he was struck upside the head by one of Kuwinda’s powerful legs. The snapping and crunching of bones was painfully loud in the quiet room. He fell onto the table, hitting his head a second time, before falling to the ground.

“Now, are ya gonna hand it over, or not?”

Daring quickly laid the parcel at his feet. He nudged it slightly with his large hoof, and the stone rolled out of its confinement. The zebra’s eyes widened as he stared at the gem.

“Good. Take yer friend before I change my mind and kill ‘im.”

Taking the stone in his mouth he pushed past Jack again and exited down the stairs. Jack, now free for the first time in days, fell to the ground. Sunny and Daring rushed to his side and Mbarka tended to the Chaplain.

He looks so much more… different. Daring thought as she looked at her old friend, now lying on the floor. He was breathing heavily, his eyes shut, and his hooves were involuntarily shaking. He was obviously terrified, despite probably having prepared himself for his encounter.

Mbarka got up from the Chaplain’s side and rushed out the door, leaping over Jack and Daring. He flew down the stairs, pursuing his brother into the streets. Outside, Mbarka had difficulty finding the zebra in the crowd. Instead, he chose a single direction and sprinted down its length, hoping to come across Kuwinda’s trail in the process. He raced down the streets; his natural zebra legs giving him the added boost he needed. Suddenly he spotted something!

A thick cast-iron skillet crashed into Mbarka’s face, smashing his nose and drawing blood. From behind a market stall, Kuwinda stepped out. His large size and aggressive behavior caused the ponies around him to back away, clearing a space for him and Mbarka. He spat on the body of his brother,

“It pains me that it’s gotta come to dis, brothah. But you deserved it.”

Kuwinda grabbed a butcher’s knife from the stall next to him, and wildly slashed downwards. The knife landed between Mbarka’s legs, missing him by inches. He pushed himself backwards, and getting to his feet, assumed a fighting position. Kuwinda, who was a foot taller than Mbarka and might have doubled his weight, kicked the dust with his hoof and began to charge. Mbarka expertly sidestepped his brother’s awkward attack, and countered with a swift kick to the ribs. Kuwinda, undeterred by Mbarka’s efforts, swung around and knocked Mbarka down with the side of his neck.

Again in the dirt, Mbarka scrambled to make use of his situation. Around him, ponies began to cheer and chant, but for who was a mystery. They just wanted a show. Kuwinda quickly got above Mbarka, and reared onto his hind legs. He was about ready to drop his hooves onto Mbarka’s head when the Captain brought his leg up into Kuwinda’s crotch. His brother’s hooves landed loudly at the sides of Mbarka’s head, splashing dust into his face.

“Jus’ like when we were young… Ya never fought fair…” Kuwinda growled through clenched teeth, panting as pain coursed through his lower body.

Kuwinda roared as he leapt at Mbarka, delivering a crushing right hook to Mbarka’s jaw. His head snapped to the side, sending deep spikes of pain down Mbarka’s neck. The large zebra reached for his discarded knife, and plunged it downward. Mbarka rolled to his side, only allowing the knife to clip the end of one ear. He stood, dizzy, and faced his opponent. He would have to do something quick; there was no way he could beat his brother in a straight on fight.

He looked to his left at the chef’s stall and noticed a frying pan over an open fire. As Kuwinda made another sweeping attack with his bulky hooves, Mbarka rolled out of the way, landing next to the heated fire. He grabbed the skillet in his hooves, and buried it deep in the coals of the fire. As Kuwinda approached him with blood in his eyes he raised the skillet with all his might. Burning coals and embers bombarded his face and eyes, bringing the large zebra to his knees. He clawed at his face with his hooves, swearing in Zebrani.

Kuwinda got to his feet, still sweeping the burning embers off his face. As Mbarka saw his determination, he tried a new tactic,

“If you’re so dedicated to your silly little debt, then you’d take that stone to Reinerth! You’ll always have a chance to kill me, especially if you’re ruling the world with that freak. But if you fail him here, think about what he’d do to you!”

Kuwinda growled, and spat at his brother’s feet.

“You disgrace our family.” He said, turning his back to his brother. He pushed through the sea of ponies and eventually drew his speed to a gallop. Within seconds he was out of eyesight.

Mbarka turned and made his way back to the inn, followed by scores of ponies who were all talking about his brawl.

Jack had awoken in the inn and now sat in the corner, collecting his lost nerves. Beneath his blue coat his cheeks began to glow red with embarrassment as Daring Do and Sunny ceaselessly stared at him. He just smiled awkwardly at them both, unsure of what to say. He had hoped that their reunion would go over a bit smoother, but for now he was just happy to be safe. For the moment everything that had just happened seemed to fade away. There was never a Thunder Stone, and the Wendigo Shrine didn't exist. Jack was at ease, for the most part.

“Jack? Are you going to say something, or just sit there with that grin all day?” Daring asked, a touch of amusement in her voice.

Jack silently nodded and wiped the grin off his face. He stood up, shaky at first, and managed to walk over to the Chaplain, who lay motionless on the floor. Gazing at the body forced Jack back into reality. His hooves went cold and a lump formed in his throat. He lifted one of the Chaplain's hooves and held it between his own. After a while, he let it fall to the ground.

“Who is he?” Jack finally asked. The sound of his voice caused both the mares’ hearts to race.

“He was-“Sunny began.

“He was a Chaplain to a society; the ‘Wendigo Repentant’. He helped us find the Thunder Stone.” Daring interrupted. Sunny glared at her.

“Was he a friend?” Jack asked, his voice wavering.

“Sort of… Why?” Daring said hesitantly.

Jack gulped, “I’m not sure if he’ll live. Kuwinda broke his neck pretty severely with that blow. Is there a hospital we can get him to?”

Daring shook her head, “Not one where the guards won’t find us. We’re all wanted for treason.”

Sunny’s stare ventured between the two ponies, and eventually landed on the Chaplain. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she looked at the unconscious, dying pony. She may not have known him much, and might even have thought he was grumpy all the time, but the fact that he was dying forced a lump in Sunny’s throat. She started to shiver, and huddled up against Daring’s leg, shielding her eyes away from the scene.

What do we do with him? Daring mouthed, sparing Sunny’s ears the conversation.

Jack shrugged. Does he have a family? Jack immediately thought that was a silly question as soon as he asked it, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. But Daring nodded all the same.

Neither of them asked any more questions, and they let the silence fall over them. They stared at each other, and at the Chaplain, and at Sunny. Five minutes might have passed before Mbarka barged into the room, gasping for air. Sunny removed her face from Daring’s leg and stared at Mbarka through red, puffy eyes. Her cheeks were soggy and grey from her shed tears.

Mbarka spotted the motionless Chaplain, and looked to Jack, who merely nodded. The zebra approached the elderly pegasus and grabbed him by the waist. Awkwardly hoisting him onto his back, Mbarka took the Chaplain out into the hall, leaving the three ponies in a room void of a dying pony. He remained in the hall and waited for Brother Hail to return.

Kuwinda was outside the city now, and raced down the desert path. Without the chariot slowing him down he was able to move much faster. He was a dark blur across the golden sands. At his pace he would be back to Reinerth by morning. Clenching the Thunder Stone in between his teeth he sprinted forward to bring about the end of Equestria.

Later that evening, Brother Hail ascended the stairs with a warm smile on his face. Behind him a muscular red pegasus followed, wearing green and gold robes signifying his role in the Saddle Arabian chapter of the Wendigo Repentant. They were both chatting away about business, and of how their fellow members were doing. It wasn’t until they reached the top of the stairs and came face to face with Mbarka that their demeanor switched.

Mbarka took Brother Hail aside, away from the Chaplain’s body and explained the situation. Daring and Jack watched from the doorway, only managing to make out what they were saying by their lips. At first, Hail appeared distraught, and possibly even hysterical. But as the conversation went on his attitude appeared more intensified, and his expression became that of stone. Daring and Jack withdrew back into the room.

Sunny was asleep on one of the beds, exhausted of tears. Jack, who was also exhausted from the day’s travels and events, sat down on the ground by the window. From the dimming sunset Jack looked out across the desert.
“I’m sorry about your loss, Daring.” He said, staring out the window.

Daring didn’t say anything, and sat opposite of Jack at the window. She sighed,

“Well, things happen. But we can’t keep focused on them when we’ve got more important things to deal with. Jack, what did you learn about Professor Reinerth?”

“Right down to business then? Not even a proper ‘hello’?” Jack asked, smirking.

Daring sighed and gave a tiny wave of her hoof. She was still hesitant of Jack and his abrupt arrival, but it was at least nice to see him.

“That’s better.” Jack continued, “For one, Reinerth is completely mad! I’ve never seen a pony as bonkers as he is. There’s no doubt he’s gonna follow through on his threat to destroy Equestria.”

“How can we stop him? What’s his weakness?”

Jack brought a hoof to his chin and thought, “His pride. He’s so insistent that he’ll win that he doesn’t worry about his well-being. As long as you can get past his lackeys, he shouldn’t be too hard to take down.”

“The last time you were there, how close were you to the shrine?”

Jack shrugged, “Daring, nopony knows where the shrine is. We could’ve been right next to it, or a hundred miles away. I have no way of knowing.”

“But if we went back, you could lead us to the exact spot you were at?”

Jack nodded slowly, “As long as we do it fast, before the memory fades.”

“I plan to make this fast, Jack. We don’t have any time. Do you have any plans on how to get back?”

Jack scoffed, “Unless you can run sixty miles an hour, then no. You could fly, but that would leave me behind.”

“No, you’re right. We’ll fly.” Daring said, her eyes brightening as a plan formulated in her head. She galloped to the hallway, where Brother Hail and Mbarka were engaged in a conversation. The Chaplain’s body had been moved, presumably by the Saddle Arabian pony.

“Captain, do you think the Onyx Wind can be salvaged?”

Mbarka turned around suddenly, caught off-guard by Daring’s presence. “M-maybe. But good luck trying to get me to fly it!”

“You won’t have to. We’re short on time, Mbarka, we need your help.”

Mbarka turned back to Hail and bowed his head, whispering something too quiet for Daring to hear. Brother Hail returned his bow and headed down the stairs. As soon as he was gone, Mbarka trotted back and forth across the wooden floor.

“We could salvage enough parts from my airship-“ he stopped pacing and looked to Jack, “Former airship, mind you. I’ll explain later. But we could get enough parts to create a balloon of some sort. Or maybe even a miniature airship. But you’ll need a navigator; somepony who can judge direction.”

Jack looked back towards the room, thinking about Sunny. But Daring Do asked the question that was on Jack’s mind,

“What about Sunny? She’s flown before, she can do it again.”

“She’s just a filly, Daring. Are you sure you want to get her involved in this?” Mbarka asked.

“She’s already involved, Mbarka.” Daring added, with more of a grim tone than she would have liked.

“But… how’s she feeling? She doesn’t deal with death well, you know. What if… What if one of you two… You know… Imagine how she’d react then!”

Jack trotted over to Mbarka and threw his hoof around his neck. “Captain, you do realize who you’re talking about? You’re talking about Jackhammer and Daring Do here.”

Mbarka rolled his eyes, “The same Jackhammer that cowered in the corner during a wee thunderstorm?”

Jack blushed and ran a hoof through his black mane. Mbarka sighed, and hung his head.

“Fine. You can take her. Just… keep her safe, please?”

“What about you, Captain?” Jack asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

He shook his head, “I’ve had enough dealings with the end of the world. I’m going to Canterlot, and I’ll warn the guards about Reinerth’s plan. Hopefully that’ll give you the help you need.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Daring politely said, bowing her head. Jack turned and gave Mbarka a crushing hug. Mbarka reluctantly hugged back.

“It’s nice seeing you again, Captain.”

“You too, Jack. Now you two get a move on, you gotta beat the apocalypse.”

Daring Do, Jack and Sunny ran through the darkened streets as night descended across the Sahoofa Desert. Sunny was riding on Jack’s back now, who appeared to be struggling under the weight. But despite his handicaps, they still managed to make it out of the city and to the Onyx Wind’s crash-site in commendable time. In the dark, the Onyx Wind only appeared as a bulky dark shape, with black shrapnel scattered across the sands. Jack gently set Sunny down near the wreckage.

“Okay, Jack. We’ve got an hour to build something skyworthy. Think you can do it?”

Jack scoffed, “Daring, I read the twelve volume History of Equestria in a week; something that everypony said couldn’t be done! I’m sure I could build a simple little balloon in an hour.”

Sunny laughed at Jack from her position by the wreckage.

“We’ll see, Jack.” Daring replied before turning to Sunny, “Do you mind giving us some light, kid?”

Sunny nodded excitedly before straining her magic. Soon her horn glowed a mystical silver color and bathed the area in its intense light. Now with adequate light, Daring and Jack rushed around the crash-site, gathering ropes, planks, and pieces of cloth. They laid down a series of planks about ten feet across and fifteen feet long. It wasn’t big, but it would have to do.

Jack laid extra planks crosswise on their original setup, and used scavenged nails to hold them in place. Meanwhile, Daring Do lashed a series of ropes to the sides and prepared to tie a small balloon to them. Sunny watched from the sidelines as the two ponies hurried about their construction. Her horn was getting tired as thirty minutes passed. As the night progressed, the project began to slowly take shape.

It had no walls, and was merely a large wooden board held together by rusted nails and ropes. Above it, Daring attached a small balloon that she fashioned from the ship’s original balloon. It would have to be filled with hot air in order for it to float, but Jack had thought ahead. He soaked several torches in oil, and had them ready to be burned during the flight. He also filled several leather sacks with oil, both for ballast and in case they ran out. Sunny suggested that they could also use them as firebombs, an idea that Jack appreciated, but Daring found unnecessarily violent.

With the contraption made up, Jack and Sunny boarded. With only the two of them it was rather roomy, and had enough space for one of them to sprawl out and sleep comfortably. Daring took position at the front of their vessel, tied to a few ropes. As soon as they were airborne, Daring would pull them along using her wing-power.

Daring gave the signal, and Jack lit two of their torches, generating a large amount of hot air. The balloon slowly inflated, and began to ever-so-slightly lift their makeshift airship off of the ground. It was arduously slow at first, taking nearly ten minutes to raise itself to Daring’s height. But as soon as Jack lit two more torches and added them to the preexisting two, the balloon quickly ascended. It was no more than fifty yards into the air when Daring took off.

Slowly, the balloon gained speed. For the first few minutes of the flight it travelled at a speed that could be matched by a slow cart, or even a pony running at a leisurely pace. However, the wind was to their backs, something that Daring couldn’t be happier about, and they were soon off at a blazing speed. Well, blazing in terms of a do-it-yourself hot air balloon. From the front of the balloon Sunny gave coordinating directions, making minute changes to Daring’s path to keep them on course with the Chorda Mountains.

Jack lay down next to the torches, warming himself up as he prepared to sleep. He had hoped that he could have used this time to catch up with Daring Do, or maybe even Sunny. But as he could plainly see, they were both busy. Jack thought it was a shame, but could clearly understand Daring’s persistence in saving countless millions of innocent lives. He closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him as Daring Do and Sunny endlessly toiled through the night.

Morning rose over the horizon and Jack awoke to find Sunny curled up against him. He looked around at the scenery, trying to grasp his location. It appeared that they had passed Canterlot sometime in the early morning, and were now flying towards the Chorda Mountains far off in the distance. Three of the four torches were still burning, and Daring continued to fly at the head of the ship, though her speed had diminished greatly. The wind was still strong, and pushed them along, giving them more than enough power to fly without Daring’s help.

“Daring, you can take a break. We’re making good time as it is.”

Slowly, she stopped flapping her wings and gently landed on the ship. It started to sink, but not enough to make a big difference; they were still a couple hundred yards above the plains below. Daring sat down across from Jack, her wings still erect from the long flight. Jack didn’t know what to say, despite him wanting to talk to her for the past week. Luckily for him, Daring broke the ice,

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Jack nodded, “I take it you’ve stayed with the museum?”

“Yeah. There are so many new exhibits. You’d love it.” She explained excitedly.

“I’m sure. But how did you come across those artifacts? Pillage and plunder?”

“Jack, let’s not get into this. They’re better off in a museum.” Daring said, facehoofing.

“No, Daring. They belong in their temples and their tombs. They belong exactly where their ancestors put them.”

“Forget it, Jack. The point is they’re safe. Let’s change the subject.”

Jack nodded, but remained silent. He wasn’t sure what to say, and felt a little sorry for snapping at Daring.

“How did you like the spy business?” Daring asked jokingly.

“I don’t think I could get into it. Its fun and all, up until they tie you to a chair and beat the snot out of you.” Jack turned his head, pointing underneath his right eye, “Is there still a mark there.”

Daring scooted closer, investigating his blue coat. Indeed, there was a mark; it was a tiny little scrape, no larger than a paper cut running across his cheek under his eye.

“Looks painful.” Daring deadpanned.

“Yeah, Reinerth hit me upside the face with this… giant club-thing.” He held his hooves apart, almost as wide as he could, “It was huge and must’ve weighed a half a ton. I wondered how he was able to hold something that big, but I figured that wasn’t important after he knocked me in the head with it. I tried to fight back, but he was vicious. I managed to get off one or two good hits, but he eventually called in his zebra servant, and the two of them managed to get me. I could’ve taken ‘em, you know.”

Daring laughed, “I’m sure you could, Jack.”

“Yeah. What about you? How was the ride to Istanfoal?”

“It wasn’t bad. There were these griffons though,” Daring explained the griffon battle, sparing several details and being rather humble about the entire thing. After she was done with that, she talked about how she broke out of prison, and how she got the Thunder Stone from the tomb. Jack looked as if he was going to detest Daring’s plunder of the tomb, but kept his mouth shut.

“It sounds like you had a blast.” Jack said before looking down at Sunny, who was still sleeping soundly against Jack. “I see that you two have become good friends in the past couple days.”

Daring nodded, “She talked a lot about you though.”

“She and I worked in the same area on the ship back when I rode on the Onyx Wind. I’d tell her about our early adventures, and how we’d get chased by natives, and how we’d find all these ancient temples and stuff. She seemed to really enjoy them, and now she’s sort of living the stories.”

“She’s strong, I’ll give her that.”

“She reminds me of you, back in the day.”

Daring nodded before looking ahead of them. The mountains in the distance were slowly approaching, rising out of the landscape and reaching into the clouds. In front of them was a large, expansive forest. It was covered in mist and fog, and looked like it could hold forgotten treasures. Behind them, the faint view of Canterlot slowly diminished, leaving behind them their only source of help.

“The Captain is sending the royal guard. How long do you think they’ll take before they can get to the mountains?”

Jack looked to Canterlot and back to the mountains, judging the distance in his head.

“Mbarka said he’d get there by midday today, and if he hurries through the administration, I’d say they’d get there in… two days. That’s too long; Reinerth will have the Thunder Stone and probably be at the Shrine by then.”

Daring didn't know what to say. Under normal circumstances she would have been able to deal with impending danger just fine. But she'd never had to work under the shadow of the end of the world.

“I had a dream a while back, when I first left Canterlot.” Daring said, changing the subject. “I was in the Amarezon jungle; you know, where we found that temple. But all of a sudden, it all changed into Manehattan. Then there was this rumbling and I looked behind me. These tidal waves came crashing through the streets, destroying the city.” Jack looked at her with increasing interest, “I survived, and somehow flew over to the Wendigo Shrine. At least, that’s what I think it was. I don’t remember much of it, but I think I died after that.”

Jack nodded, “We all have weird dreams, Daring. It probably doesn’t mean anything.”

“But it was so vivid. And so relevant. What if it does mean something? What if that’s what’ll happen if we lose?” Daring asked.

Sunny’s voice broke the silence, just barely awake enough to talk, “You can’t lose. You’re Daring Do!” she said, smiling.

Daring laughed, followed by Jack. Sunny, who was still dazed from her sleep, couldn’t decide whether to laugh or not and just sat there, staring between the two ponies. Her gaze landed on the mountains ahead of them, causing her eyes to widen in horror and in amazement. She pointed a hoof in its direction,

“That’s not good.” She said sleepily.

Daring looked up. At the crest of the mountains, contrasting the white fluffy clouds were giant, swirling vortexes of black thunderheads. Their maws were spewing lightning, and the distant rolling of thunder could be heard. They had materialized in only a few short minutes since the last time Daring had looked in their direction, and she could only assume that it was related to the Wendigo Shrine.

Without saying anything, Daring flew over and positioned herself at the front of the balloon. She flapped her wings as hard as she could and raced towards the maw of black on the mountain’s edge.

Kuwinda raced up the mountain, lightning clashing at his heels. From overhead, the black clouds spit forth hail, snow and rain, all pelting against his untidy coat. He held the Thunder Stone in his jaws, and its immense power channeled into the environment the closer it got to the Wendigo Shrine. That being so, the weather around Kuwinda became so intense that he began to fear for his life.

But hope was ahead of him as he caught up with the wagons at the back of the convoy. Ponies cowered underneath tents and shades as Kuwinda galloped past them at full speed. Lightning struck a nearby cart, engulfing it in flames. Ponies ran frantically to and fro, trying to put out the fires and remain safe from the elements at the same time.

Kuwinda reached the head of the group where Reinerth’s caravan was. The thin atmosphere at this height was taking a toll on Kuwinda, who was taking ragged, deep breaths trying to supply his lungs with the much needed oxygen. As Reinerth opened his cart’s door, Kuwinda came face to face with the familiar pony.

He had tidied up since Kuwinda left, and looked much more presentable than earlier. He had carefully trimmed his goatee to its regular sharp edges, and pressed his bowtie and straightened it on his neck. His glasses had been shined and sat comfortably on his nose.

“Kuwinda? Is… that-?”

The zebra nodded, too out of breath to answer vocally. He presented it to the foreign pony.

“Wunderbar! I knew you could do it, Kuwinda! Come in, come in, rest up! You’ve deserved it, mein freund.”

Kuwinda sorely stepped into the wagon and found a spot in the corner, covered in soft pillows and blankets. He threw himself on the ground, resting his tired body. Meanwhile, Reinerth took the Thunder Stone to his desk and placed it in the center. It was glowing a light green and made a quiet humming noise. Reinerth touched it with his hoof, and was immediately followed by a ear-splitting crack of thunder from outside.

He laughed, “This is magnificent! And perfect timing too; my scouts say that the Wendigo Shrine is only a day away, if we hurry.”

Kuwinda slowly rose from the pillows and made his way towards the door.

“No, no. There’s no need for you to pull the cart. You deserve your rest.” Reinerth interrupted, pushing the zebra back into the corner. “You brought me this stone, the one thing that I need to complete my plan. You don’t need to do any more work for me. For now.”

Kuwinda nodded and rested his head back on the soft heaven of the pillows.

“You saw Daring Do, yes?”

“Ya.” Kuwinda replied, nearly asleep already.

“How was she?”

“She looked tired. Her unicorn friend was hurt. And Mbarka got away.”

“Gut…” Reinerth rolled the Thunder Stone in his hooves, accompanied by the howling of the wind, and the pelting of hail. “Do you think they’ll reach us before we get to the shrine?” Reinerth asked, genuinely worried.

Kuwinda shook his head, “No one can run faster than me. It’ll take ‘em days to get here.”

“And by that time we’ll already be in control of the shrine. Gut…” Reinerth repeated the final word several times under his breath. In front of him, in his hooves was probably the single most powerful artifact in Equestria. It hummed with unbridled power, just yearning to be harnessed.

I will be the one to harness it… Reinerth thought sinisterly, I’ll use it to crush this world. All that time waiting… All that time studying and biding my time… It’s finally paid off. By tomorrow’s end, I shall be the new ruler of Equestria, and all will bow before the power of Emperor Reinerth!

1,070 views

Previous Chapters Next

Daring Do and the Wendigo Shrine - ThePartyCannon

Stats

FIMFiction

Follow & Support Us