Chasing Treasures

by Yukito

29 - The Cornered Rat

Sunset Shimmer and Daring Do chased after Tirek's freighter, keeping at a safe distance to avoid being shot at without falling too far behind that they would lose sight of it. Eventually, the freighter stopped at an island.

"That's the island Bon Bon told us about," Daring Do said.

Sunset gritted her teeth. Her fist trembled. "Bon Bon… I swear I'll avenge her!"

"We'll get off over there," Daring Do said, pointing some distance away from where the freighter landed. "We'll sneak around and see if we can ambush him."

As the two disembarked, Sunset felt a chill descend her spine. She turned around as Daring Do secured the boat, looking over the barren landscape. In the distance, she saw something on the ground, but it was too dark to see what. Grabbing her flashlight, she cautiously approached whatever it was.

Sunset found the bodies of Sombra and Radiant Hope on the ground, coated in some sort of purple goop. She knelt down and checked their pulses, before hearing footsteps behind her. "They're alive," she told Daring Do. "What happened here?"

"I found the Dazzlings just over that hill," Daring Do said, motioning to her right. "Looks like they were hiding from something. There's this purple stuff everywhere!"

"Wait, didn't Shining Armor mention this? He said it was…" Sunset's face paled. "Oh no!" As she looked up, a large, dancing mass of purple rose over her. Its many faces looked down at the two girls, and it sang as it descended towards them.

Daring Do fell back, whilst Sunset teleported some distance away and threw a ball of fire at the beast. The Smooze didn't even feel the blast, and as it hit the ground, it began to spread. Daring Do noticed Chrysalis and Blueblood trapped within the creature and shouted, "It's got our friends!"

Sunset saw Cadance's head barely sticking out of the Smooze's side. She fired a magical chain and tried to pull her out, but found the task too difficult. "This is bad! I don't think I can stop this thing!"

"Forget Tirek! We have to stop this thing, before it eats the whole world!"

Sunset used her magic to push the Smooze back, but it only came at her again, faster than before. Daring Do's shotgun proved useless, and as she ran, she could feel it on her heels the entire time.

Then, a gust of wind brought the Smooze to a halt. Its song, too, ended, replaced by a groan of distaste as it retreated slightly, and looked up to the air.

"Sorry we are late," Princess Celestia said as she descended, landing beside Daring Do. "We've come to back you up. To think that the Smooze would exist in this land, too."

Daring Do's jaw dropped. Before her stood a large, majestic-looking pony, a grand horn atop her head and a large, elegant pair of wings spouting from each side. And it talked. It really talked. "Awe. Some."

Sunset ran to Celestia, keeping her eyes on the Smooze and watching as Celestia blew back its advances each time. "Y-You… What took you so long?" she asked with a grin.

Celestia simply smiled. Luna descended seconds later. "We have located Tirek, Sister, Sunset," she said. "He is headed towards a large tower, northwest from this location."

"There are two now!" Daring Do cried. "SO. COOL!"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Is she okay?"

"This is new to her," Sunset explained. "And she's… kind of a fan of magic."

"TWO talking horses! Oh, this is so great! I HAVE to interview you at some point!"

Luna cleared her throat. "Yes, well, for now, how about we focus on the task-at-hoof."

"'HOOF'! AAAHHHH this is so cool!"

"You go after Tirek," Celestia said when Daring Do calmed down. "Get the Sage's Stone back. As long as he has it, he can potentially force the portal open from other locations."

Sunset gasped. "You mean it's not just this one spot?"

Celestia shook her head. "The Sage's Stone was a gift from our world, given a long time ago to the hero Megan. It has the power to open the portal, but it is so powerful that it could even create portals. Doing so could cause irreparable damage to our worlds, but…"

"I don't think Tirek will care much about that," Sunset surmised. "We'll go. How long d'you think it'll take you to beat this guy?"

Celestia and Luna exchanged smiles. "Not long. We'll exercise the Smooze and tend to the injured, then join you when we can."

Sunset nodded. "Alright. Daring Do, come-" Sunset frowned. Daring Do was still starstruck over the two alicorn princesses.

"Oh, and a thesis! I gotta write a thesis on you two!"

Sunset grabbed Daring Do's wrist. "Come on, already!" she shouted as she pulled the other girl away.

The Smooze saw the two girls fleeing the area, and it extended a purple appendage to stop them. However, a powerful gust of wind swept the appendage away, and it roared from the pain.

"Now then, Sister," Celestia began, "Shall I take the left, and let you have the right?"

Luna grinned. "Come now. Where's the fun in that?"

"Then, whoever cleans up most of it gets the other's desert for a week?"

"If I win, you have to present your speeches in a bridle for one week."

Celestia gasped, but she still smiled. "Then, when I, you hoof wash the Royal Guards' uniforms for a month. I warn you, they sweat a lot in summer."

The two shook on it, enraging the Smooze as it saw how they were ignoring it, and took to the air. As the Smooze closed-in on them, they flapped their wings, blowing it back.

---

As the two girls raced across the island, the lack of armed forces concerned them both. Daring Do had told Sunset how she and Caballeron had to flee the ship when they had been found and outnumbered, and how there were still many sailors left alive on that ship.

The tower neared them, and the two stopped at the top of a hill to survey the area. "Only a few guards," Sunset noted. "Where are the rest?"

"They have fled the island," a voice told them from behind. The two turned around to find Doctor Caballeron standing there, a serious look on his face. "They are leading the military away."

"Well, that works out for us, then!" Daring Do said.

"Not quite," Caballeron disagreed. "Tirek is waiting for his transport, and he's not willing to let anybody catch him. The warhead is still here, on this island, and it has been rigged to detonate in fifteen minutes."

Sunset and Daring Do paled. "… What?!" Sunset yelled. "We have to get out of here!"

"But the stone!" Daring Do argued. "We have to get it back!"

"Indeed," Caballeron said. "You had managed to push him back once, but now that he's failed, his second attempt will be much harder to crush. Trust me, I know from experience. We must stop him now, before he can recover and launch another invasion."

"But we don't have enough time to get the stone and leave the island," Sunset said. "We have to get the others out, too! Our boat's not big enough for everyone."

"Then, you two focus on getting the stone back," Caballeron said. "I will find the warhead and disarm it."

"Can you do it?" Daring Do asked.

"Do I have much choice?" Caballeron returned. "Or rather, do you?"

"… Alright then," Daring Do said, handing Caballeron a small radio. "Let us know if you have any problems, preferably in good time."

Nodding to each other, Sunset and Daring Do approached the tower. Sunset's magic dispatched the guards standing outside quickly. Caballeron simply chuckled as he looked down at the radio in his hand. "Now then, what was the frequency again?" He twisted the dials on it, praying that the signal would be strong enough.

"Doc', we ready?"

He grinned. "Not yet. Be ready for extraction in twenty minutes. Look for the large tower at the northwest corner of the island."