Edited Details

by ILurvTrixie

Chapter 11 - Synchronity

A.K. Yearling got off the train into the warm sunlight filtering into Ponyville. The overnight train-ride had been phenomenally average, with only the one group of mercenaries who tried to steal the Rosetta Rock. Daring Do had made a minor appearance to assist the diamond dogs, which had also given her a pleasant rush for the night. But now she was here, and she was going to get to the bottom of things. She wasn't sure what her first step would have to be, so she'd start by visiting Rainbow Dash. It was a good thing she still had her address from when the advanced copy got sent out.

She contemplated the heavy bag with typewriter, change of clothes, and her normal Daring gear, all contained in separate luggage.

She'd visit Rainbow Dash as soon as she set up her room at the nearest inn. Or found someone to watch her stuff.

~*~

Daring woke to the penetrating sunlight filtering through Fluttershy's window again, and groaned, a twinge from her flank proving she still hadn't suddenly gained a healing factor. Fluttershy was gently spooned against the front of the adventurer, once again wrapped in an embrace of wings and hooves. Daring sighed happily, enjoying the gentle scent of her mane, and the warmth of the sunlight filtering through same pink halo.

It was a wonderful day. And it was time to feed the animals.

~*~

A.K. Yearling hadn't been entirely surprised when the pink earth pony had bounced up to her enthusiastically. She was a little annoyed when the pink pony kept calling her Daring, though, but thankfully it was early enough not many ponies were out.

"Just, please, keep an eye on my things, alright? I'll be back for them in a minute. I just need to talk to Dash."

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie saluted with her tongue sticking partway out her mouth with the sheer intensity of her focus!

Not sure if she was trusting the inmates to run the asylum, A.K. Yearling took off for Dash's cloud home.

~*~

"Mmmm" Breakfast had left Daring with a warm feeling of fullness. Of course, a thank you kiss from Fluttershy had resulted in an even warmer response, and a happy blush.

"Am I going to have to start knocking before I show up?" Discord raised an eyebrow at the pair, earning a startled flush from Fluttershy. Daring laughed.

"I don't know, will you? I don't think this would be that horrible a sight to walk in on. Good morning Discord."

"No fun at all. You're simply too at ease. I have a little message from Twilight. You're supposed to stop by for the results. And possibly a new sample." Discord leered. "So what's this I hear about your incomplete reality?"

Fluttershy blinked, looking at Daring, who was now glaring at Discord. Daring sighed, her expression softening as she turned to look at the shy pegasus. "Twilight says I may be becoming more 'real' for here. Although her usual means of explaining are a bit... long."

"And in detail." Discord and Daring both shuddered.

Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth to hide a slight smile. "And the sample?"

"Blood and tissue. Since that's the easiest way to check changes in a body over time." Daring shrugged it off, getting a surprised look from Fluttershy. "I probably lose more blood and skin in my usual adventures. Doesn't make it less painful."

Fluttershy nodded, and gave Daring a warm kiss on the side of her face, smiling. "I'll be there to kiss it all better."

Daring blushed, then laughed. "Considering the last tissue sample came from my flank..." Fluttershy flushed and squeaked.

Discord rolled his eyes. "Three days. You're not even together for three full days and you're both so stinking adorable."

~*~

A.K. Yearling facehooved. "Dash, I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, but please just calm down and get over here."

Dash looked up from where she was desperately trying to wax Tank, polish her windows, dust her cloud home, and organize the Daring Do books on her shelf. "Calm down? I'm perfectly calm! Nobody's calmer!" Her rictus grin twitched at the corners as her eyes spotted dirty dishes and some unsorted mail and she hadn't even gotten anything to serve for breakfast-

"Look, has something strange happened around here?"

Dash blinked, staring at the author dumbly. "I... strange for around here? No."

A.K. Yearling facehooved. "Strange in general. I've got a typewriter that's started writing on its own, and it mentioned you!" She leveled a hoof accusingly at the rainbow pegasus, who gasped.

"OhmygoshIswearIdidn'tdoitSweetbabyCelestiaI'minnoce-e-e-e-eeent." She sobbed out the last word in panic, staring at her beloved author in wide eyed terror.

A.K. Yearling could tell this was going to be a banner day.

~*~

"So what's the news, Princess?" Daring was in the basement with Fluttershy and the Ponyville Princess, who rolled her eyes at the honorific.

"Stick to Twilight, Daring. The good news is that the tissue sample corroborated my initial conclusions. Unfortunately the artifact is still a bit of a puzzle as to the exact mechanisms. I've sent Spike to round up the girls so we can get a full party together to handle whatever threats might be in there while I finish my research. Until then, I should probably get another sample."

Daring rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Another day, another adventure. Although this isn't really what I had in mind." Fluttershy tittered sweetly.

The door to the library knocked loudly. Twilight blinked up the stairs in confusion. "Spike could y-" She groaned. "Right, he's out. Be right there!" She yelled, heading up the stairs. Fluttershy and Daring exchanged a look and a shrug.

She walked past the library shelves, mumbling about interrupting science, and how it just wasn't done.

~*~

"If anyone can figure out what's going on with your typewriter Twilight can."

"I believed you the first three times, Dash."

A.K. Yearling rolled her eyes. Dash was... better than she had been, although there really wasn't anyplace to go but up from their first encounter. Dash nervously looked at the sky, at the ground, then knocked on the door again. Another 3 seconds of idleness, another pounding on the front door. Yearling was about ready to kick her head through the door if she didn't stop. At least her panicked energy had gotten all the luggage in one spot with celerity.

She was beaten to needing to do that when a familiar purple alicorn answered the previous round of summons, in time for Dash to bonk her on the head. "Hey! Ow!"

"Oh, sorry Twi. Hey! A.K. Yearling, the best author ever, is having some kind of magic problems, and you knowing magic and all..." Dash's attempt at a segue was neither skillful, nor subtle. Twilight settled for rubbing her head with a frown. "Anyway, let me just get this set up for you." Dash grabbed the luggage holding the typewriter and dashed into the library past the annoyed alicorn.

Twilight sighed in frustration as the rainbow blur sped down into the basement. Of course she remembers the lab.

She forced a smile at Yearling. "Won't you come in? You're already downstairs."

Yearling blinked and tilted her head at Twilight. "I assume that's going to have a lengthy explanation, isn't it?"

"I'll try to keep it short."

~*~

"Mmm?"

"Mmm."

"Mmmmm."

Daring and Fluttershy finally broke off the kiss, blushing happily, both sets of wings having pomfed up. "I'm not sure Twilight would appreciate walking in on that again, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy blushed and giggled nervously.

"Well I'm sure as hay not appreciating it." Dash was staring wide eyed at the pair from her position in midair, fresh from the basement entry. "I.. you seduced Fluttershy!" She pointed an accusing hoof at Daring, almost dropping the heavy luggage with the typewriter.

Daring and Fluttershy looked at Dash, then at each other, then blinked back at Dash. "I think it was more mutual seduction."

"Y-yes. Only less seducing."

"Mutual co-dependence? No, that's the wrong word." Daring scratched at her chin.

"Mutual indulgence?" Fluttershy flushed. "O-oh my, that even just sounds dirty."

"I... You... What?" Dash looked from Daring to Fluttershy frowning, before rolling her eyes. "Ugh, nevermind." She dashed over to the work counter where Twilight had been examining the artifact. She dropped the typewriter with a room jarring crash on the counter, opening the luggage and unpacking the massive metallic scribe. Daring raised an eyebrow.

"So what's that?"

Twilight and A.K. Yearling appeared from above, beginning their descent. "That, my alternate duplicate, would be a possibly cursed typewriter, related to the artifact you took with you. I'd suggest reading the last bit of the manuscript."

Daring blinked at the author, then nodded turning to examine the manuscript still in the grip of the typewriter. "Hm. There's me, Discord, and Dash." A small expression of horror blossomed on her face as she flipped back. Discord alone. Angel alone. Fluttershy alone. Daring Do vanishing. "I...Oh."

Twilight blinked as A.K. Yearling nodded, removing most of her disguise in favor of adding her pith helmet to her head. "I had a suspicion."

"I'm the book version of.. you." Daring the creation flinched a bit. "You'd figure I'd have been more prepared for that fact after last night."

The artifact, partially forgotten in its cook pot, and the typewriter, in contact with the false Daring, both began to glow ominously, setting everyone back a pace. Two Darings yelled out warning at the same time. "Brace yourselves!"

A wave of light passed from the typewriter, causing Daring, Yearling, Dash, and Fluttershy to shudder and collapse to the ground, orbs of radiant energy forming over their prone forms and circling towards the typewriter. Twilight looked on in vague horror, dragging the ponies over to her position telekinetically, and erecting a defensive shield. What's going on, this-! No, it's not random. These were the ponies involved with the artifact. But why the real Daring too? She ground her teeth in frustration as the artifact began feeding more energies into the spiraling vortex, punching a sizzling hole through the cookpot. As I thought, a battery. But what's it charging?

~*~

The sun was high in the sky. Two combatants stared one another down across the lonely hallway. The draconequus flexed his hands. Angel twitched his nose. They waited for the signal.

"Draw!" The draconequus' face twisted into a smile as his hand lashed for the holster, but Angel's crossdraw was quicker. With a fluid swipe of his paw he drew his pencil, and sketched a tutu on the draconequus. Discord frowned, completing his own weapon draw, his paintbrush leaving a thick mustache and oversize top hat on the rabbit in its wake. The duo considered the additions for a moment before breaking into bemused laughter.

Discord's head shot up. "Huh? Something just-"

The shockwave of light passed over them, sending them both to the ground as orbs of light were collected from them. Discord groaned, forcing himself to his feet once again, glaring in the direction of the library. He rolled his eyes with a frown. "Always interruptions." With a snap of his fingers, he vanished.

~*~

Twilight was frustrated. While the shield didn't appear to be protecting them from anything, the only thing she was getting from the vortex was that the energy was feeding somewhere. The false Daring seemed to have taken the loss worse than anyone, her breathing shallow and her shadow and body looking somewhat transparent. Like the reality energy she'd been absorbing had been sucked out of her. Something was pushing its way out of the story.

Discord appeared with an annoyed expression. "Don't tell me you're involved in this."

"Fine I won't and- Are you wearing a tutu?" Twilight blinked at the still sketch graffiti'd draconequus.

"Don't change the subject." Discord crossed his arms with a hmph. "What I wear in my time off is none of your concern." The two orbs of light that had been collected from himself and Angel sped into the vortex, which sealed itself, before forming into a massive portal. The typewriter began writing again. Although from where they were standing, there was no real way to see what was being written.

A massive form lumbered out of the similarly massive portal. It was a griffon, but almost as large as a manticore. Claws clicked as they touched the solid floor of the basement, one talon gesturing towards the almost inert artifact. It floated into the air and snapped into the waiting grip. The golden feathers and brown fur were interspersed with decorative strings of beads. The griffon appeared to be almost pure muscle, standing impossibly large. Vicious green eyes stared out at Discord and Twilight from under a full burial mask of gold, inlaid with raw turquoise and with a silver domino mask around the eyes. The beak clicked once viciously, as if tasting the air thoughtfully. As the massive griffon cleared his exit from the portal, he sat back on his haunches, looking vaguely squashed in the basement. Behind him, five jungle griffon guards stalked from the portal before it closed.

His beak twisted into the vaguest of smiles as his voice hissed out in an angry whisper. "It has been much much too long."

Author's Note:

And it only took 11 chapters to actually introduce the villain. Sheesh.

Comments

[One Winged Sin]

Eh, it's not like the reader were following along this ride for a big boss fight at the end. I'm sure our heroes will get over this hurdle in another chapter or two.

[ForSpite]

... Of course it's a gryphon, that explains why they were guarding the artifact... though given how it works I would have expected them to be handing it out to passers-by.