An indeterminate amount of time passes. Daring Do slowly sits up and looks around groggily.
āUghā¦ whatā¦ happened?ā
Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she feels something soft under her.
āWhatās thisā¦?ā
Poking it with a hoof, Daring Do suddenly feels something sharp take hold of her fetlock. Instinctively she lashes out. A cry rings out in response.
āHEY! STOP!ā
Gasping, Daring Do squints as she is suddenly blinded by a Light Spell.
āWhat theā¦?! Princess?!ā
Auriel glares at her as she rubs her breast. āWhatās the big idea?!ā
āIā¦ didnāt know what was happening! Then when you grabbed me with your claws, I just kindaā¦ reacted!ā
Auriel sighs. āFine. But where are we?ā
Daring Do looks around as her eyes adjust to the lighting. āI remember Caballeron dropping us down here.ā
āAnd Arc?!ā
āHe probably wasnāt lying when he said the Hero of Light had fallen into some kind of internal dungeon.ā
Auriel gasps. āWe need to find him!ā
Daring Do shakes her head. āNo, we need to find Caballeron and stop him!ā
āArcās life could be in danger!ā
āIf Caballeron finds whatever is in here all of EQUESTRIA will be in danger!ā
āButā¦!ā
āLook, princessā¦ the Hero of Light is sworn to protect and defend the realm, or whatever. If he were here right now what would he want you to do?ā
Auriel bows her head. āSave Equestria before saving him probably.ā
āRight. Now then, letās get moving.ā
Auriel moves to stand but suddenly doubles over in pain. Daring Do frowns.
āDonāt tell me youāre hurt!ā
āI think my wing is broken.ā
Daring Do groans as she points a hoof behind her. āThen that makes two of us.ā
āHow did YOU break a wing! After all, you landed on ME!ā
āYeah. But you were the one who went NUCLEAR and slammed me into a wall after I dropped your stallionfriend!ā
Auriel glares at Daring Do as she moves to stand, albeit weakly. āWell, YOU were the one whom told him to put the orb in its holder without knowing what would happen!ā
āIt was an educated guess, okay?! Even Iām not always right!ā
āYeah, that I can see!ā
Daring Do sighs. āLook, we can sit here arguing all night or we can get moving and see if we can find Caballeron.ā
āFine. Letās get this over with.ā
āAgreed.ā
Daring Do moves to stand up but suddenly cries out in pain. Auriel turns to her and rolls her eyes.
āCome on! Itās a broken wing, not a crushed spine!ā
Daring Do gasps in pain. āNot my spine! My back hoof!ā
Auriel sighs and walks toward the mare.
āFine, so you twisted it. Still we need toā¦!ā
She suddenly stops talking and frowns. Daring Do raises an eyebrow, confused.
āWhat?!ā
āYour leg.ā
āOh?ā
āIt looks broken from here.ā
āWHAT?! NO WAY!ā
Jumping up, the mareās pupils shrink as she screams out in agony. Falling back to the floor she glares at Auriel as she points an accusatory hoof at her.
āYou did this to me!ā
Auriel points to her own injured wing. āAnd YOU did this to ME!ā
āAt least you can still walk!ā
āGive me a second.ā
Looking around, Auriel spots several large branches that fell down with them. Picking one up she looks it over a moment before turning back to Daring Do.
āGoing to finish me off, huh?ā
Auriel frowns as she breaks the branch in half. āI wish I could after what you did to Arc. But I need your help to resolve this situation right now.ā
Walking over to the mare, Auriel kneels down and runs a claw up and down her leg. The mare pulls it away with a shriek.
āWhat are you DOING?!ā
āTrying to set your leg.ā
āI donāt need your help!ā
āWell, Iām not carrying you around. So youād better let me set the bone so you can walk under your own power.ā
Groaning, Daring Do nods. Auriel feels the bone and sighs.
āOkay, hereās the break. I can set this, but itāll hurt like nothing else.ā
āI can take it. Go ahead.ā
Auriel puts one claw on the mareās thigh and other just above her knee. With a quick motion she sets the bone as Daring Do screams. Putting the branch on the leg to help support it, Auriel grabs some vines and ties them to the wood before looking the leg over again.
āThat should do it. Try putting some weight on it now.ā
Daring Do carefully stands and moves her leg tenderly.
āIā¦ think I can make this work for now.ā
Auriel frowns. āIt should last until we can get back to The Equinox. Then Nurse Redheart can do it properly.ā
āFine. Letās go.ā
āWhich way though?ā
Daring Do points a hoof. āThis way.ā
Auriel raises an eyebrow. āHow do you know?!ā
āIntuition.ā
āThat same thing that got Arc dropped into the dungeon?ā
Daring Do shrugs. āNoponyās perfect.ā
Auriel glares at her. āWell, itād better improve and quick!ā
āCome on, princess, or Iāll leave you behind!ā
Walking on, they come to a room full of stairs and corridors leading in numerous different directions. Auriel frowns.
āThis doesnāt look good.ā
Daring Do sighs. āIt isnāt. This is whatās known as a ālabyrinthā.ā
āA maze?!ā
āPerfect for keeping out intruders like Caballeron.ā
Auriel looks around as she moves her Light Spell. āAnd us too I might add.ā
āNo design is perfect though.ā
āWhich way then?ā
Daring Do groans. āNo idea.ā
āThatās not reassuring.ā
āJust being honest.ā
āWell, we canāt just sit here doing nothing!ā
āNormally I would fly around and check each of the corridors the stairs lead to for traps.ā
Auriel raises an eyebrow. āWhat would that accomplish?ā
āBecause it stands to reason that the path without traps would be the right one.ā
Auriel shakes her head. āDemons donāt really think like that though.ā
āHuh?ā
āWe would trap everything with the understanding that an authorized visitor would either be accompanied by a guide or be given a map showing the trapās locations.ā
āClever. Well then, which way do YOU think we should go, princess?ā
Auriel shrugs. āNo way to know. We just have to pick a path and start walking.ā
Daring Do rolls her eyes. āI couldāve come up with that.ā
āFine. You can pick the first path then.ā
āAlright.ā
Pointing a hoof, the mare looks to the highest stairway.
āThis one.ā
āLead the way.ā
Heading up the stairs, they peek down the darkened corridor. Spotting an unlit torch nearby, Daring Do picks it up and turns to Auriel.
āCan you give me a spark?ā
Nodding, Auriel casts a weak Fire Spell on the torch. Its end bursts into flames as Daring Do grins.
āThere. That should save your mana.ā
Auriel frowns. āHow nice of you.ā
Daring Do chuckles. āDonāt thank me. We may need it later to get out of here.ā
As they walk slowly down the corridor before them Daring Do holds the torch low and scans the stones carefully.
āLook out for anything that looks like it doesnāt belong.ā
āLike what?ā
Daring Do stops and points a hoof. āLike that stone in the floor there.ā
āWhatās so special about it anyways?ā
āItās too perfect. Like it was made to go right there.ā
āI donāt understand.ā
Daring Do rolls her eyes. āThat means itās probably a button or switch that sets off a trap, so go around it.ā
Doing so the pair continue on their way. Daring Do frowns.
āThereās another switch and a tripwire ahead.ā
āLot of traps this way.ā
āThat could be good.ā
āHow?ā
āIf what you told me is true, then the demons might have put lots of traps here to protect the right path and its treasures.ā
Auriel sighs. āTime will tell, I suppose.ā
A few minutes later they emerge into a large room filled with stairs. Daring Do groans as she looks around.
āWeāre back here again?!ā
Auriel sighs. āI didnāt feel the corridors turning THAT much though.ā
Daring Do points a hoof. āOne way to find out. Thereās the stairs we supposedly took earlier. Letās check them out.ā
Walking up the stairs again they arrive at the entrance to the corridor at the top. Daring Do looks to one side as she gestures to her torch.
āThereās the empty torch holder I got this thing from.ā
Auriel points a claw. āAnd thereās our footprints leading down it.ā
āGuess itās your turn now.ā
āUmā¦ what?ā
āTo pick a path.ā
āWhy me? Youāre supposed to be the expert.ā
āWell, it appears to be random. So I guess I can afford to let a novice like you give it a shot.ā
Auriel frowns. āGeeā¦ thanks.ā
She looks around a few moments before pointing to a lower path.
āThere.ā
āAlright. Iāll take the lead though.ā
āFine.ā
As they set off down the corridor Daring Do turns to her.
āSoā¦ why this path?ā
Auriel shrugs. āNo real reason I can base in scientific fact. I suppose you could say it was just an impulse.ā
āA lot of exploring is done using oneās knowledge of whatās worked in the past to figure things out in the here and now.ā
āAnd if that doesnāt work?ā
āIntuition.ā
Auriel sighs. āI was afraid youād say that.ā
āWell, you just used it yourself.ā
āOnly due to lack of options.ā
Daring Do grins slyly. āAnd thatās āAdventuring 101ā.ā
āWhat is?ā
āThere are never zero options.ā
āNever?ā
Daring Do shakes her head. āNever. The choices at hoof may not be what one would consider ideal. However sometimes you have to do something really outside the box.ā
āLike what?ā
āWellā¦ one time I tried to retrieve an artifact from a group of thieves by disguising myself as a wealthy collector. I made a beard out of dried leaves to help convince them of my legitimacy.ā
āBut why THAT?!ā
Daring Do shrugs. āLike I said, it wasnāt my first choice. But since it was all that was available to me at the timeā¦ā
āI donāt think Iād make a very good adventurer.ā
āWhy not?ā
āBecause I couldnāt have thought up something like that.ā
āLook, we all do what weāre good at, princess. Iām an expert in archeology and spelunking. Youāre an expertā¦ royal, I guess.ā
āIām actually pretty good with machines.ā
Daring Do raises an eyebrow. āYou are?ā
Auriel nods. āYes. In fact I used to build all kinds of things to try and help the demons in Tartarus escape.ā
āā¦what?ā
Auriel sighs. āProbably shouldnāt have said that.ā
Daring Do frowns. āDoes the Hero of Light know about that?ā
āOh yes. In fact he took me in after I was banished from Tartarus for taking my last inventionās power supply.ā
āAnd what did you do with it?ā
āTurned it over to the princesses.ā
Daring Do sighs. āI would have loved to study it.ā
āTrust me when I say itās too dangerous to be let out ofā¦ā
āWait!ā
āWhat is it?ā
āListen!ā
They are silent for a time. Auriel gasps.
āIs thatā¦ Kerbelrelian?ā
Daring Do nods. āYes. And itās āCaballeronā. Follow me closely and keep quiet!ā
The pair hurry forward as quietly as they are able. Coming to the end of the corridor they find themselves back in the large room with stairs and doorways. Looking up they spot Caballeron and his group of thugs walking along a caged stone walkway high overhead. Caballeron calls out to the others as they walk.
āAnd below us is an example of the ancient demonās handiwork in designing inescapable tunnels.ā
One of the thugs calls out. āWith all those doors?ā
Caballeron laughs. āMore doors and passageways than one could explore before collapsing from exhaustion! However it isnāt the number of options thatās important, but the layout.ā
āI donāt get it.ā
Caballeron sighs. āHow about I show you then?ā
Stopping, he gestures to an old chest nearby. Opening it, he motions for the stallion to approach.
āStep inside.ā
The stallion does so. Caballeron closes the lid and fastens the hatch before calling out.
āNow then, try getting out by going left.ā
āBut itās just a wall, sir.ā
āHow about right then?ā
āJust another wall.ā
āFront and back?ā
āNothing, sir.ā
āDown?ā
āThe only way out is through the top, sir. Just like I got in.ā
āAh, there you are wrong.ā
āSir?ā
āTry the top.ā
The stallion pushes against the lid with all his might but cannot budge it due to the latch being fastened.
āItā¦ seems to be stuck, sir.ā
Caballeron nods. āRight. Now then, even if you were to push in any direction as hard as you could you still would not be able to escape before passing out from exhaustion. The reason beingā¦ is because there really isnāt a way out.ā
āThat makes sense.ā
āIn any case, letās be off.ā
Another of the thugs calls out. āS-sir?! Arenāt you forgetting something?!ā
āNo, I donāt think so. Why?ā
The stallion in the chest calls out. āMe!ā
Caballeron chuckles. āDonāt worry about that. I didnāt forget you.ā
āThatās good.ā
āI just donāt want to let you out.ā
āW-what?!ā
Caballeron laughs throatily as he turns to walk away with the others.
āIf you canāt understand such a simple concept, then I donāt see any reason to keep you around.ā
They continue on their way, leaving the stallion to pound at the inside of the chest. Daring Do and Auriel grit their teeth.
āDid you hear THAT?!ā
āQuite clearly.ā
āWhat do we do now?!ā
Daring Do frowns as she puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. āHe was going to have us wandering around down here until we starved to death.ā
āActually dehydration would occur first.ā
āNot helping.ā
Auriel points up to the stone walkway high above them. āWe need to get up there where they are then!ā
āYeah. But those bars protecting it arenāt making that any easier.ā
āThe designers of this place mustāve not wanted anyone with wings circumventing this trap weāre in.ā
Daring Do points a hoof. āYeah. But thereās our ticket inside.ā
Auriel looks up to see a large hole in the bars where a rock from above smashed into them some time ago. Sighing, she shakes her head.
āWe still canāt reach it with broken wings.ā
Daring Do looks around and grins. āI think I might have an idea.ā
āHow can I help?ā
āGrab me three unlit torches and all the vines you can find.ā
āBut how will that help usā¦?ā
Daring Do winces as she sits down on her flank. āTrust me on this one. Iād help, but I really need to rest my leg.ā
Nodding, Auriel does as she is told. Grabbing the torches and a number of vines she returns to Daring Do. Dropping the goods on the ground in front of her she watches as the mare looks over the torches before tying them together with the shortest piece of vine. Auriel raises an eyebrow skeptically.
āAre you trying to make us a ladder?ā
Daring Do nods as she continues to work. āIn a manner of speaking.ā
Auriel frowns. āBut even if youāre successful, we could never attach it to anything all the way up there.ā
āIāve already got that worked out too. Just let me do what Iām best at, princess.ā
āFine. Anything else I can do?ā
āGrab a few more torches while I work on this.ā
Auriel turns to do so as Daring Do continues working on her own project. A short time later she returns to the mareās side with the unlit torches.
āThese are the only ones that werenāt rotted or otherwise unusable.ā
Daring Do winces in pain. āTheyāllā¦ theyāll do.ā
āYou okay?ā
āKinda.ā
āWing or leg?ā
āLeg!ā
āWant me to take a look at it?ā
Daring Do bows her head. āProbably should.ā
Auriel kneels down next to the pegasus. Looking the leg over she checks the splint as well.
āLooks like the bone is still in alignment and the splint is holding up nicely.ā
āThen why does this hurt so bad?!ā
Auriel sighs. āProbably because weāve been walking for hours. The splint just holds the bone in place while forcing you to keep it straight.ā
āAre you sure you know what youāre doing?!ā
āNot really. After all, I donāt actually have any real medical training.ā
Daring Do raises an eyebrow. āCome again?ā
āIām a scientist, not a doctor.ā
āWHAT?!ā
āTrust me. That splint is the best thing for you right now. Itās all the walking thatās causing the inflammation.ā
āInflammation?!ā
āAnd the unsanitary conditions down here are leading to infection too.ā
āWill I be okay?!ā
Auriel nods. āYes. If we can get you back to the ship in a day or two.ā
Daring Do groans. āWhy am I asking you ANYTHING?! You donāt know for sure anyways!ā
āIāve read up on the subject. Itās pretty light reading to learn some basic first aid. Frankly Iām surprised you donāt know some yourself.ā
āWell, I prefer to just avoid injuries altogether whenever possible.ā
āAs this proves, thatās not always possible.ā
Daring Do looks away. āThank you, doctor.ā
āI donāt need to be a doctor to know that sometimes getting hurt isnāt avoidable!ā
āYeah wellā¦ thereās also the āskillā factor.ā
āEven the best donāt always escape harm.ā
āWell I beg to differ.ā
Auriel points a claw. āThen explain your wings and leg?ā
āThat was YOUR fault!ā
āAnd it was YOUR fault that Arc fell into that trap!ā
āWell, Iā¦!ā
Daring Do sighs and bows her head before continuing.
āā¦I guess thatās somewhat accurate.ā
āYes, it is!ā
āI said āsomewhatā!ā
Auriel groans. āItās a step in the right direction.ā
Daring Do holds up her finished project. āSo is this.ā
āWhat is it?ā
āOur ticket out of here if we play our cards right.ā
āCards?ā
Daring Do rolls her eyes. āIt meansā¦ aw, skip it.ā
Auriel points to the item is Daring Dooās hooves. āSo what are we supposed to do with that?ā
āWatch.ā
Getting to her hooves unsteadily, Daring Do grabs a vine and holds it up as she speaks.
āI tied all these vines together to make a rope. With this we can climb up to and through that hole in the bars overhead.ā
āBut neither of us can get up there to tie it for the other.ā
Daring Do holds up three of the unlit torches. āThatās what these are for. Watch!ā
Tying them to the end of the makeshift rope, Daring Do twirls them about her head for a moment before launching them at the hole in the bars. Missing, she tries again. This time adding more power behind the throw. As the mare fails again, Auriel looks down at her injured leg.
āThat looks painful.ā
āIt is!ā
āIām noticing that you hesitate before each throw.ā
āBecause it hurts!ā
āHowever if you continue you may do serious damage to your leg.ā
Daring Do scoffs as she prepares to throw it again. āAnd if I donāt do this weāll be stuck down here forever!ā
Throwing the torches with all her might, Daring Do cries out in agony as she releases. It flies straight up as the mare falls onto her side gasping in pain. Lunging forward, Auriel grabs the torches before they smash into the injured mare.
āTh-thanks.ā
Auriel frowns. āLike it or not, we need each other right now.ā
Setting the torches down, she kneels next to Daring Do. Putting a claw on her leg Auriel frowns.
āItās becoming inflamed.ā
āWhat does THAT mean?!ā
āThat you need to take it easy.ā
āWell, our only other option is for YOU to do this!ā
āI might be able to.ā
Daring Do shakes her head. āNothing personal, princess, but thatās rather unlikely.ā
āWhat else can we do?ā
There is a long silence. Eventually Daring Do sighs and pushes the torches toward Auriel.
āFineā¦ go ahead.ā
āJust a moment.ā
āWhat is it now? Do you want some pointers, or something?ā
Auriel folds her arms over her chest as she smiles slyly. āIf I can do thisā¦ I want something from you in return.ā
She doesn't wish to face that if she hadn't tried to steal something from him and lied about it he wouldn't have been with her to get in trouble. For someone who retrieve items of the past she doesn't seem to understand how valuable facts are. If she had gotten the facts on arc she would have realized not the monster Celestia thinks he is.
And I thought 400K was too many words.
I like the premise but damn this is really long...
I'll add to read it later and take a peak. Glad your wife loved it.
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There are currently five untranslated volumes that are waiting to be posted as well.
11343799
5 volumes O.O your a mad writer you know that ?
it really shows the passion to keep going, at this point it would look like a unending story
and the readers are just as addicted
Ps: you have no idea how much glee i got out of it when auriel thrash'd daring do
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The wife has to read everything with me and approve of it before I can even think about translating it. She helps me find typos and sometimes points out plot holes which I can then close up long before it's posted.
Not to worry. This will eventually come to an end, as the wife insists on cloture.
Five Volumes?
Any relation to Skirts at all?
Thats a really intresting metatrap build, but if the builders went this far, did they go the next step and make the traps a Combination Lock?
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No real need to I was just using it as a parallel to Arc' relationship with his girls is sll
For some reason, I read this in a thick Scottish accent... but not before adding " Confound it Jim..." to the beginning
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Wife missed that one. Good catch.