Daring Do and The Reign of King Caballeron

by Zee The Freeman

Banishment

King Caballeron grinned at the entrapped pony standing beside him. "I shall regale you with a tale of yesteryear. Well, more like yester-week." A snide chuckle preluded his speech. The King adjusted his night-black crown and spoke, "After our little...predicament with Ahuizotl, I ran for my life, with a nice supply of coins. Thanks to you, Daring Do. At first I despised your meddling, but it kept Ahuizotl busy. The temple destroyed, you ran off to write your book, and Ahui disappeared to plan his revenge. He's still in the stage of figuring out how to properly kill you."

"You give him any pointers? He doesn't seem very good at it." Daring interrupted.

"Well, considering now that I can send my changelings to give him a message..actually, now that I think of it," he looked up at a few of his subjects, "Go and find Ahuizotl, tell him I have Daring Do. He may come to our Kingdom if he wishes to see the final fall of his greatest enemy."

"Well, I suppose it would be fitting he be present to watch you fail. It'll be quite the show, a whole Kingdom falling down on your head."

A golden scepter manifested in The King's grasp, possibly previously hidden within his silken garments. Caballeron bludgeoned his prisoner with the scepter, leaving a large bruise emerging above her eye. "My apologies, Daring Do. I don't take threats kindly. Now if you would let me finish-"

"You messed with the wrong mare, Caballeron." Daring seethed, grinding her teeth.

He chuckled, "Then allow me to mess with the right mare." A simple tap of his hooves brought more insectoid subjects. "Bring me Daring Do's little friend. We'll let her choose the punishment." He motioned towards his captive. Daring sat silent, her guts tied into a knot. She thought to herself, a punishment for Rainbow that she would have to choose? Perhaps he means between the two of them, since one is a changeling? What if the wrong, or right, one is chosen for the punishment? "For now, my subjects, you shall listen to Miss Do. Only answer the correct requests. Punish the wrong ones."

"You're finished now, Caballeron. Keeping Daring Do that close to you is sure to lead to your defeat!" A small chorus erupted, as all were dragged into the hall. There before her stood six Rainbow Dashes, all identically planted in the changeling goo. One pleaded to Daring, "I'm the real Rainbow Dash, Daring! Please, get rid of these impostors!" The rest joined into the pleading, dragging down Daring's confidence.

"That one's a fake, I'm the real Rainbow Dash!"

"No you're not, I am!"

"Please Daring, help me!"

Entirely, the hall pronounced its chaos. Its ruler reveled in it, knowing the torment it brought upon his captive. Hysterical laughter echoed through the hall, all merriment emanating from Caballeron. Happiness felt short-lived, he glared at the subjects. His minions joined in his laughter, fear rather than joy pervaded their stance. He wished to play more with his food, and waved his hoof for silence. "She shall choose." The servants swarmed Daring, and released one small part of her cage. Her hoof freed, she now held the responsibility of whom to prosecute.

Each replicate quivered in fear, except one. This individual sat silent and stared at her. She pointed at said Rainbow, "Bring her up to me." The silent Rainbow's eyes widened, and struggled to stay in her position. The effort came to no avail, the changelings dragged her up to the personal prisoner of The King. Nervous eyes darted around to dodge Daring's gaze. She brought her mouth close to Rainbow's ear, and asked, "Where did we sleep last night?" She awaited a response. Sweat poured from Rainbow, she quivered silently. The questioned remained unanswered. "Then get out of my sight!" She barked at the nervous wreck. That one dragged outside, there remained five panicked and desperate Dashes for Daring to interrogate. Looking to the throne, she saw her enemy glance at her. Caballeron said nothing, the grin on his face speaking for him. Another caught her eye. Identical in appearance to the last, she carried more confidence in her panic. Caballeron shouted for attention, his prisoner suspended a hoof in the air.

The room fell silent, the prisoner judge surveying the pony she desired on the chopping block. Hoof pointed to her target, she beckoned her approach. This new Rainbow stood stalwart in the face of her persecutors. Another slimy grin from the King sent a shiver through Daring's spine. She motioned her subject closer, and whispered, "Find out the true problem here." A quick wave off meant a drag back to the ranks by the changeling guards. "I have made my decision." Daring announced, rising her head as much as the goo shackles would allow. She motioned towards the previous Rainbow, "Her. Send her away to the dungeons. Release the rest."

The King giggled in delight. "Oh I do enjoy the dungeons!" He contorted his face and thought for a moment, "Wait, how did you know I have a dungeon?" A royal glare studied Daring.

"Lucky guess. Besides, I know you're into the whole bondage thing. A dungeon goes well with that." The goo around her wiggled to prove her point.

"Very well, Daring Do. I do wish to speak to you in private as it is." He turned to his subjects and 'prisoners', and rose his voice, "You heard me. Begone!" The rabble scattered like cockroaches, chaotically going about their duties. At long last the hall cleared, leaving only the friends of the past together. "So, Daring Do. I must ask, how are you? I haven't been the most gracious of hosts, have I?"

Hyena laughter echoed inside, followed by a few muffled yelps and thuds. Rainbow hopes slumped upon hearing it, she feared for her hero's safety. Too far away to help, she decided to stick to Daring's plan. Rainbow thought to herself, 'Whatever's in the dungeons must be the true problem. Daring's never wrong. There's always more to the adventures. I just hope her inkling is right. Can't say I'm a fan of the whole bondage dungeon thing.' Dragged through the streets toward the inner city, some of the goo crusted off. Unable to break free regardless, she decided to watch the city on the journey. Rainbow got a disturbing scene of its inhabitants. Many changelings roamed aimlessly about the streets, groaning and clutching each other occasionally. Some lay upon the bricks. A few weren't moving. Nearby stragglers stared hungrily at her saddlebag. Her apple, uh...things were still in there. Either the changelings possessed a strong sense of smell, or Rainbow's sense clogged with all their damned goo. The inner city matched their previous tour, the buildings a trashed and poster-ridden mess. Same dirty streets, same miserable citizens. The only thing that increased appeared to be the poster count. The deeper they dragged her in, posters piled up, only some stuck on the walls. The rest blew abound in the wind, though she examined them, since the sheer amount of them spoke to their proported importance.

Caballeron's face grinned from the paper, the words 'True Ruler' stamped upon the bottom. The city she partook in an involuntary tour of stuffed every square it owned with pounds of propaganda. 'These changelings didn't want this. They're miserable.' Rainbow thought, watching painfully as a skeletal changeling attempted to walk, only to fall upon its side. It didn't move as she passed it by. The scenery blended together so well that time itself shifted, and before she recognized it, she stopped moving.

"Here we are, pony." The lead changeling buzzed, waving the rest away. As they shuffled out of sight, he broke her bonds. "I know of your plan. Just don't screw it up." He gave her a wink, and unlocked a heavy iron door. Rainbow descended the stairs, an echo of, "Good luck!" followed her through the heartless stone tunnel. Misery lived within the bricks, sapping hope from those foolish enough to gaze into their monotonous villainy. Doubtful Caballeron ever stepped hoof in here, much too depressing for his lavish taste. She passed several floors of empty chambers, her echoing hooves a reminder of the dungeon's crippling loneliness. A soft cry whisked past Rainbow's ears.

Upon arriving at the very bottom floor, she heard the cry once more. Spiders crawled about the walls, weaving their homes between the worn stone. They only clustered around the archway, as the rest of the dungeon sat barren of any life. All the cell doors hung open, except one. Upon closer inspection, the door waved slightly in the dank air, it held no lock. The shuddering creature inside sat in a hazy shadow, its quivering ceasing only to breathe in order to repeat the process.

"Hello?" Rainbow whispered inside, her voiced echoed through the cell.

"What do you want?" The creature cloaked in shadow replied.

"You're the only one I've found in here, and-"

"The usurper sent you down here too, hmm? Good. If anyone deserves this fate, it's you."

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, you didn't," Eyes revealed themselves within the darkness, they belonged to an old enemy of Equestria, "Twilight told you to do it. You and the rest of them. Cast us out from taking over Canterlot."

Rainbow's eyes widened upon her revelation. "You mean, you're-"

"The rightful queen of this land? Yes. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure out. All my minions are loyal to him, who else would he throw in the dungeon?"

"Not all of them. I doubt I'd be walking freely otherwise."

"Can you describe them? The one who freed you?"

"Well, he looked kinda like the rest do." An awkward pause hung in the air.

The fallen queen stood up, quickly wiping her eyes. Her horn illuminated the air around her in a green hue. Green magic enchanted the cell door, it opened for its advancing queen. The Queen looked down upon Rainbow. "So you're my knight in rainbow armor, hmm? Ironic." Notes of disgust floated in her speech.

Rainbow's jaw swung open when Chrysalis entered the light. She appeared mostly herself, apart from one detail. Her skin just above her horn, leading down to the base of her neck was completely torn off. Scar tissue formed over most of it, though dark green blood occasionally cried from the wounds. "What in the wide world of-" She stammered, aghast at the horrific sight.

"There was a reason I stayed in the shadows this entire time."

"Why did he do that? That's disgusting!"

"It's part of The Rite. Well, kind of."

"The Rite? What's that, some kind of initiation?"

"Somewhat. It's a royal test if the wearer of the crown is fit to stand as ruler of the Changelings. The crown embeds itself into the skin of the subject, so very few attempt it. Those unworthy, it's got a way of dealing with them," a devious glare flashed in her eyes as she spoke, "He knew this. I'm not quite sure how, I've never seen him here before this. Nevertheless, he and his goons ambushed me when I took my nightly lone walk through the streets. Funny how it works, I could call my minions whenever need be. Though when I get knocked into oblivion, it makes things difficult. I woke to a pain I've never experienced before. I called who I could, which were few before I-" She paused and stared blankly into nothingness. Finally she awoke herself and continued, "Before I was separated from my crown. The ones who arrived attacked, but he put on my skin before they could reach him. I should be proud, they would've killed him had I woken up only a few moments earlier. Can't say the same for his friends. Their corpses were swept up by the very ones who killed them. On the orders of their new king. Though to them, he looks indistinguishable to me, only his voice sounds different. I had to watch him do his trial, it seems that even I cannot escape my roots."

Rainbow stood silent as she absorbed what the Queen told her. She wondered how an entire kingdom could be dictated by the will of a crown. "Then let's go get your crown back. Would rather have you in power than him." She shuddered after she spoke, memories of the royal wedding flashed in her mind.

"How kind of you to say," The Queen retorted dryly, "It's not going to be that easy. His guards will be at his call."

"That's why we have Daring Do. She's with Caballeron right now, I just hope she's alright."

Chrysalis gave a short look of questioning, but shrugged it off. "I suppose I'll meet her soon enough. Nowhere else to go but up, I guess. That or be killed."

"Not really helping." Rainbow chided, only to be ignored as Chrysalis headed for the steps. They both quickly exited the dungeon, escaping its depressive grasp. The shadows of the alleyways hid them while they wove closer to the main hall.

"Your highness! This way." A whisper caught their attention as they sneaked to the city square. They approached the whisperer, he looked as most of the changelings do. The only distinguishable difference laid upon his visible ribs.

"When was the last time you at, my dear subject?" Chrysalis questioned, stooping down to his level.

"It matters not," He avoided looking at his Queen's head, "Myself and the others who freed themselves from Caballeron's control are ready for your plan."

"First off, how did you get 'free' in the first place? How do we know you're not one of his spies?"

"Are the others also the ones-"

"That killed his thugs? Most of them. Some enjoy the delusion," He sighed, and turned his attention to Rainbow. "I see you don't disappoint. We'd like if the Queen did as little as possible, considering her condition."

"I am right here, you know."

He bowed his head, "I'm sorry, your highness. We wish for you to be in as little pain as possible." A shout of pain interrupted their conversation. "We need to hurry. I'm not sure how long she'll last, he's been merciless."

Rainbow approached the changeling rebel, fury burning in her eyes. "He's been doing this the entire time?!" She roared, scraping her hoof on the ground.

"Let's all stay calm here, if we can hit him all at-" The Rebel couldn't quell Rainbow, who rose in the air. She breathed in the soggy and lifeless air around her, fondly recalling the crisp gentle breeze of home. A window in Caballeron's hall swung ajar, allowing Rainbow a vantage point. She muttered a slight farewell to Chrysalis and the Rebel, and took off. "What should we do now, your majesty?" The Rebel asked, looking up in Rainbow's direction.

"Gather the others. She's blunt, but she's useful." Chrysalis grinned, turning her attention to the main square as her minion buzzed away upon his insectoid wings.

Rainbow glared into the hall, eyes unblinking. Caballeron sputtered out hoarse laughter with each vicious strike he inflicted on Daring Do. She, still encased in her goo prison, clung limply to consciousness. Her left eye swelled shut, and blood trickled out of her nose and leaked from several wounds on her face. The King gave his scepter a rest, allowing his victim to recover.

"Don't get too comfortable, Daring Do. This is just until I get the cramp out of my hoof." He whimpered, flexing his upper leg.

Opening her eye, she blinked to clear the beating from her mind. She caught a glimpse of Rainbow in her periphery, and grinned. "Is-is that all you got...?" Daring coughed out, and looked at Caballeron. Her red smile dribbled blood, the King boiled in fury behind his usual confident smirk.

"You think this is humorous, no?" He gripped his scepter once more, "Then tell me what you think of this!" Winding up his strike, the rage in his heart affected his scepter, sticky black goo trickled from it.

"Don't you dare!" Rainbow screamed, and shot herself directly at Caballeron. The King hadn't a moment to react before he was catapulted across the hall, face-planting the ground. His scepter flung a few droplets of goo in its flight, and clanged down upon the tile. After her successful king toss, Rainbow quickly shattered Daring's confinements. Daring wobbled as if to fall on the floor, but Rainbow pulled her close, allowing her hero to lean for support. Caballeron quickly stood, his smooth facade broken in favor of rage. The crown atop his head glowed, his eyes followed suit.

"You think to defy me?! I am the rightful King!" His voice contained a strange echo, as if parroted by something else feeding him power. He raised a hoof, and changelings appeared from naught, manifesting clouds of black haze. He hovered in the air, summoning more minions to surround the helpless pair. "I never had a plan to kill you, Daring Do. I guess now I'll have to." He spoke behind grinding teeth. "Well, go on! Kill them!"

The changelings rested from their battle positions, most sat and stared at their King. Two of them stepped away from the circle, and opened the door to the royal hall. They led the way for their Queen, opening the circle as she approached.

"My crown, horseman." She declared. The hovering Caballeron glared at Chrysalis. "Now!" He made no motion. "My minions, go fetch the crown for the real ruler around here!" The changeling circle broke formation and charged for him. A blinding flash of light encapsulated the hall, tossing a few changelings aside. When the light faded, the three uncovered their eyes to reveal nothing. No Caballeron stood against them, the black skin and crown of Chrysalis took his place.

"Where did he go?" Rainbow asked, helping Daring towards the crown as they investigated. Chrysalis swiftly retrieved her crown, and placed it upon her head. The skin around it stitched with the removed section, reattaching any severed parts to their rightful place. The Queen stood proud once more, her crown reclaimed, she waved her minions away to their posts. Upon inspection, the scene looked to be just another section of the hall. No scorch marks, no magical 'runoff', just an empty spot where a tyrant once stood.

"It doesn't quite matter, does it? He's gone." Chrysalis shrugged, and sat upon her throne. "And it's thanks to you."

"Well, to be fair, we really didn't do that much." Rainbow said, adjusting her grip upon Daring.

"You distracted him long enough for me to tap into my stolen power. How else do you think the loyal minions poofed in?" A changeling approached her throne, and whispered something to her. "Oh yes, and it seems that scepter of his served as a magical barrier. Doesn't do much against physical attacks, though." She giggled gleefully.

"Speaking of that scepter, I'm not feeling too-" Daring said as she fell unconscious. Rainbow struggled to keep her standing. A quick flash of magic from Chrysalis, and changelings appeared to aid in Daring's descent. They laid her on the ground, and waved Rainbow away. She glared at the minions. One sighed and shoved her out of their way, they picked up Daring and took her out of the hall. Rainbow followed the group, only halted by the door slamming in her face. Teary eyes glanced back at Chrysalis, who sighed and beckoned her back to the throne.

"I'll show you where they're taking her. They'll fix her up, don't you worry. For now, why don't you take a rest?"

"Why should I trust you? You've got your power back, what do you care about us?"

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "You really think I'm still vengeful about the whole 'Canterlot thing'? You two helped me reclaim my land. This is the least I can do for you." Her horn shimmered, dragging a pillow from behind the throne. It stopped next to it, the fluffy feathers settling onto the tile. "Please, sit. We have time to catch up before your friend is well enough." Rainbow reluctantly sat next to Chrysalis. The Queen asked about Twilight, "Why do you think she relayed you my message?"

Rainbow shrugged, "Probably cause Daring and I were the right ones for the job."

Chrysalis chuckled, "That you were, Rainbow Dash."

Author's Note:

And thus ends this Daring Do adventure. Caballeron sure was a dick to the very end. At least the right ruler now has her Kingdom back. Things should be fine from here on out...right?