Daring Do and the Throne of Ouroboros

by Tolerance

11: The Throne of Ouroboros

"So, did you see anything out of the ordinary?" Aaron asked.

"Really you’re going to do this now?” Daring complained as she struggled against the ropes tying her down. "This is the second time I've been tied up underground this month!"

"Just answer the question, please."

"Yeah okay. I didn't see Ahuizotle's cats. They're super loyal, and never leave his side, so it’s a little odd that they aren't here now."

"Alright then, I suppose you should just leave him to me."

Lifting her head up until she could see Aaron and asked him a question under her breath. "Why, what are you going to do, use some of your freaky geomancy to break us out of here?"

"Nope." came Aaron's simple reply.

"What do you mean no? You're supposed to be a living god, or something, and yet you don't have the magic necessary to get us out of here?"

"Well, for one thing it's not yet time for us to act." He whispered, nodding towards the queen, who was carrying the third star towards the platform. "Then there's the fact that I don't know of a geomancy spell that can untie knots. Besides, why would I resort to magic when these guys forgot two very important things?"

The artifact now in place, Ahuizotle bellowed an order for his minions to find the final piece. "Like what?" Daring asked.

"Oh, like the fact that they tied my paws up with rope far too close to my claws, which I remind you can cut through stone like a warm knife through butter."

"And the other thing?" Daring asked while chanting and magic filled the air. It was only a matter of time before they discovered where Sunny was hiding.

Aaron simply dangled the rope between his recently freed paws. "It must be really hard to tie a decent knot with just hooves and teeth."

With a great surge of power, the entire chamber floor erupted at a slope, sending most of the inhabitants flailing towards the wall opposite the platform.

Untying Daring, Aaron directed her towards the queen, "I think that one's yours." he said, before leaving to deal with the recovering blue menace.

"Yeah, whatever, just watch out for his- " Daring started before Aaron was forced to dodge out of the way of Ahuizotle's third hand, "-tail..." she finished.

"Shouldn't you worry more about yourself,?" the queen yelled as she charged directly at Daring Do.

Ducking below the first assault, Daring remembered what the purpose of the engagement was. Keeping everyone away from the platform until Sunny could steal the Artifacts was her top priority. "Why? Is that all you've got. Queen Chrysalis almost captured Canterlot, but you can't even hit a single pegasus!" She taunted.

The only reply from the Queen was an angry screech before she threw herself into the fray once more. "You should not mention that wretch's name in the presence of Queen Copiphorinae!" she yelled out in third-person. "What we will accomplish here will make that assault look like a walk in the park!"

Daring just kept her distance. The queen was surprisingly agile, but not more so than a pegasus as active as herself. She glanced at Aaron in time to see him summon cloud of dust to surround her former nemesis in, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sunny approach the platform from the newly formed hole beneath it. All she had to do now was keep the chase up until the heist was complete. "Aww what's the matter, does Queen Copy Cat feel left out? You'll never be as strong or as powerful as Chrysalis at this rate!"

At this, the queen quickened her pace, actually forcing Daring to focus on the fight. Dodge, buck, roll, dodge. They kept pace with each other for a while, but the other changelings were starting to wake up. A battle of attrition was not one that Daring expected she would win.

Then, something changed. The entire cavern filled with a bright blue light, it's source centered on the stone ring. Sunny held the amulet to the second platform, which Daring suspected was the control console for the structure.

"What are you doing Sunny!?" exclaimed the pegasus.

"Heh, your friends aren't as smart as you think. With the throne active, we can finally break through the magic that keeps the entirety of Tartarus at bay. I don't know what you and your idiotic friends were trying to do, but with the gateway opened, you have all failed!"

"Aaron!?" Daring asked in alarm. "What do we do?"

"Daring, I've got my hands full. You'll have to stop Sunny!"

"But what about-"

"Just fly straight, I'll take care of the others." Aaron shouted as more dust sprouted from every surface, quickly filling every portion of the room except the narrow passage between Daring's position and Sunny's.

Without hesitation, Daring charged. She wasn't sure what the dog was up to, but she'd worked too hard to see their work fail now.

Colliding into the Sunny at full speed, the pair went flying, the amulet skidding to a stop between them. Sunny was the first to rise, seemingly uninjured, and she simply continued towards the amulet to pick it up as though nothing had happened.

Shaking the impact off with a grunt, Daring dove towards the canine once more. "Sunny, stop. What are you-!?" she started to shout before getting a look at her friends face.

Sunny's eyes were dull, vacant. The canis was unconscious.

In addition to her odd behavior, the pegasus found that she couldn't loosen her friend's grip on the amulet. Even as the struggle continued, Sunny inched forward, getting closer and closer towards the gateway.

"Aaron! Something's wrong, I can't stop Sunny, and she's not responding to anything. What do I do?"

Aaron's answer cut through the dust, barely audible through the strain he was experiencing. "Think, Daring. It's up to you!"

Answer's however, were not so forthcoming. The only ability she had over the canis was the ability to fly, but there was no way she'd be able to carry Sunny anywhere. With the dust filling most of the room, there wasn't enough space to get up to speed for another tackle, so what else could she do.

Out of options, a tiny voice sprang into mind. '-only when they respect the one doing it.' It was a silly idea, but what else did she have? The gate was getting closer by the moment.

Daring pushed herself into her friend's line of sight, inching close enough that their snouts nearly touched. "Sunny. Look at me. I need you to wake up, Sunny. Please."

She was missing something again. It wasn't just the attention she needed, or the words. She needed to use her own influence. "Sunny. Stop this at once. I order you to snap out of it! Wake. Up. Sahni!" Daring screamed with every ounce of might she could summon.

Just a few feet from the gate's event horizon, Sunny stopped.

Comments

[Royal7]

At this, the queen quickened her pace, actually forcing Daring to focus on the fight. Dodge, buck, roll, dodge. They kept pace with each other for a while, but the other changelings were starting to wake up. A battle of attrition was not won that Daring expected she would win.

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