Sorry, forgot to mention earlier. The vengestone mentioned in Chapter 1 belongs to Ninjago; I don't own that one. Anyway, enjoy.
Outside the temple entrance, the Mane 6 and the five teenage dragons came out into the morning sun, cheering with relief. The last to come out were Rainbow Dash, Spear, Daring Do, Ahuizotl, and his cats. Rainbow wasn't' cheering but crying because Daring told her that she has to marry Ahuizotl to free them and later Discord, Garble, and Spike. Spear could only watch with a frown as the rainbow Pegasus sobbed to her hero.
"Don't do it, Daring. Don't marry Ahuizotl. Sure, I ship the pairing, but I'd rather stay a statue."
"But what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you and your friends," Daring asked sadly, "or try to free Discord, Spike, and Garble?" Rainbow only hugged her with another sob.
"I just can't let ya go through with this!"
"C'mon, dudette," Spear said, patting her sky blue back. "You're gonna get me started." He gently pulled the reluctant Rainbow away from Daring and led her back to the group.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow," Daring said with a lump in her throat and Ahuizotl's tail-hand on her shoulder for comfort.
"I am sorry as well, Daring," Ahuizotl said to her softly. "I would have asked them to stay for the wedding, but…well, you know…"
"I know," Daring sighed. "Necessary precautions." She then waved goodbye to the group before the guards closed the doors from inside.
A few yards from said group, Discord, Spike, and Garble had just emerged from the ground.
"Hey, we're no longer in the temple," Spike said, sticking his head out of the hole. "You two can fly in to help the others and stop the wedding."
"Good, because my wings are getting cramped," Garble groaned as Discord looked to the side.
"Look," he said, pointing out the freed group to the two dragons. "Twilight and the others…Ahuizotl let 'em go. And Rainbow looks pretty upset."
"You would be too if your hero's forced to marry her enemy," Spike stated. "And it looks like Daring will have to marry Ahuizotl since he kept his promise."
"Ahuizotl keeping a promise?" Garble replied with disbelief. "Ya gotta be kidding me!"
"What do we do now?" asked Fizzle, oblivious as are the others of the trio watching them.
We go in and help Daring and the guys," Twilight answered. "No way we're standing around and doing nothing."
"I am afraid, Princess, you won't have a choice," a voice said. They all turned to see Caballeron and his goons (excluding Shades) standing before them, the staff in the leader's hoof. Seeing them, Discord, Spike, and Garble ducked into their hole and watched.
"What are you doing, old timer?" Baff demanded with a growl.
"Turning you back into statues behind Ahuizotl's back, of course," Caballeron answered, holding up the staff. "Nothing personal; I just don't want you to interfere with my takeover of his rule." He then activated the staff's magic.
"Run for it!" Applejack cried, but they were too late. Discord, Spike, and Garble watched in horror as their friends were turned into statues again, this time by Caballeron.
"You won't get away with th—" Rainbow yelled before she was completely crystallized.
"Oh, I think I just did," Caballeron said with a dark laugh before turning to his hench-Ponies. "Take them to the courtyard and quickly. We cannot let Daring Do and Ahuizotl see them until after the wedding."
"But, boss," asked Fedora (the hench-Pony with the hat), "ain't that where the reception is?"
"Yes, and that is when I will strike and turn the newlyweds into statues as well. Then we'll sell them, make fortunes, and retire as the new leaders of Ahuizotl's tribe."
"But what about Princess Twilight?" asked Butch (the large hench-Pony without the hat). "We'll be in serious trouble with the royals when they find out what we did to her and her friends."
"If they do," Caballeron answered, holding up the staff, "we'll be ready for them. Now let's move."
"Why isn't Shades helping us with these things?" Fedora grumbled with Spear and Baff on his back.
"He's fixing Ahuizotl's jacket, remember?" answered Butch, who has Pinkie Pie and Clump on his back.
"Still, some of these dragons need to lay off the gems."
"That two-faced backstabber," Discord growled, referring to Caballeron after they're all inside. "He's plotting behind our backs and Ahuizotl's! Celestia's definitely going to put him away for good for this. We just gotta help the others and Ahuizotl."
"How?" asked Garble. With a smirk, Discord snapped his fingers, and all three of them turned into Ponies in a flash. Discord became a chocolate brown Unicorn with a well-groomed black/gray mane and tail, a gray mustache/beard, cinnamon brown eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a fork crossing a knife. Garble is a maroon Pegasus with an orange mane and tail, yellow eyes, and a sauté pan with a roaring flame for a Cutie Mark. And Spike is a lavender Earth Pony with light green eyes, mane, and tail and a bowl of soup with a plate of salad for a Cutie Mark. Each of the three also has a white chef's hat and uniform, a covered dish, and a covered cart.
"Just follow my lead and let me do the talking," Discord said before leading the two dragons to the entrance. Once there, he knocked on the door, and the two guards answered it.
"Who are you?" one guard demanded, pointing his spear at Discord. "State your business!"
"Greeting, sinore," Discord said with a cheerful Italian accent. "We are caterers for the wedding."
"Caterers?" the second guard replied with an arched eyebrow.
"Lord Ahuizotl never mentioned any caterers," the first guard stated suspiciously.
"Oh, we're in for it now," Spike whimpered with a gulp.
"Oh, he has hired us, sinore," Discord explained, keeping his cool. "We have even whipped up some jalapeno gumbo, special for his wedding."
"Jalapeno gumbo?" the second guard replied as the first one licked his lips. "Why didn't you say so?"
"I can't believe they fell for that one," Garble whispered.
"Never mind that," Spike whispered back before the guards opened the door for them. "We got in to help the others." The trio then entered the temple to carry out the rescue mission.
DDAZ*~*~*~*~*ZADD
In the Great Hall, Daring was listening to the musicians playing their music for the wedding. She has to admit that for warriors working for Ahuizotl, they're really good. Even her groom thinks so.
"Very good, muchachos. Remember to put some feeling into it, some romance, some—"
"Ahuizotl! Mi hermano!" He and Daring turned to see a Unicorn Pony rushing up to them happily. She is cerulean with a navy blue mane and tail, bot in ponytails like Ahuizotl's. She has golden brown eyes, jewelry like Ahuizotl's but ruby red, and a green Quetzalcoatl for a Cutie Mark.
"Ah, there's my little Zoti," Ahuizotl chuckled as she went up and hugged him.
"Oh, Ahuizotl," the Unicorn said with delight. "I'm so happy for you!"
"I'm glad, hermana," he chuckled as they broke the hug.
"What took you so long to find a nice girl to settle down with anyway?"
"Now Zoti," he teased, "remember what Padre said: 'You should never rush a relationship too quickly, or there won't be much passion in it'."
"I know, but I'm just so excited, I could just burst!" She then turned to Daring, who was watching them with interest and surprise that Ahuizotl would be such a loving brother. "So this is the lucky bride?"
"She is," he answered. "I know you've heard of Daring Do." In response, Zoti went up to the Pegasus and hugged her.
"Oh, I'm so excited about having you for a sister-in-law! I can't wait to introduce you to our friends when you come with us for your honeymoon."
"Honeymoon?" Daring asked, turning to Ahuizotl who looked away with a sheepish blush.
"Yeah, we booked ourselves a five-bungalow suite on the most gorgeous island in the Ja-Mane-ca Archipelago," Zoti answered. "Lush palm trees, white beaches, the surf…You're gonna love it, down to relaxing in a hammock and drinking out of a coconut with a little umbrella stuck in it." Daring was surprised at this news.
"Wow, just…wow…"
"Si," Ahuizotl replied, still embarrassed. "Zoti is so full of surprises."
"Oh, speaking of surprises, that reminds me," Zoti said, bringing out a redwood box with her green-aura magic and handing it to her brother. "I brought the rings for you, hermano."
"Gracias, hermana," he replied before opening it. Nestled on a royal violet silk pillow inside it is a pair of golden rings, each ring on a thin golden chain. One ring has a white diamond encrusted in it. The other is just like it but with multi-colored opals as well. Daring was in awe by their beauty as Ahuizotl took the ring with the opals.
"My father placed this ring around my mother's neck on their wedding," he said to her softly. "It would mean so much to them that you have the honor of wearing my mother's ring around your neck."
Daring was left speechless as he placed the ring into her hooves. She couldn't believe it. First he threatened Caballeron for her for insulting her. Then he kept his promise and freed Rainbow and her friends as a devoted fiancé would. Then he comforted her when they left and let his sister tell her about the honeymoon. Now he's giving her his mother's wedding ring? With Daring's birthstone on it? She's practically starting to fall for him…
"Daring, what's wrong?" Ahuizotl asked, wiping away the tear that came to her eye. "Are you alright?"
"Never better," she whimpered, throwing her front hooves around his neck and hugging him. Ahuizotl was surprised at first but gently returned the embrace with a soft smile.
"Aw, she's overcome with joy," Zoti cooed. "Muy romantico…" Daring just laughed in reply. She couldn't help but think that Zoti's right. for the first time since yesterday in front of Discord, Spike, and Garble's prison cell, she feels happy with Ahuizotl.
DDAZ*~*~*~*~*ZADD
Back with our trio of heroes, they had changed back to normal once out of sight. They then snuck their way through the temple until they reached the courtyard where their crystallized friends are.
"Ugh, finally," Garble groaned, sitting down. "I was getting to pooped to go around anymore."
"Garble, you're sitting on Fluttershy!" Discord cried. The red dragon shot up with a cry and turned to see the bright pink statue of Fluttershy behind him.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that, little dudette," he said, brushing off her back.
"This is just what we need," Discord then said. "The others might know where to find Daring, and we're gonna need all the help we can get."
"But we can't carry all of them at once," Spike stated.
"Actually, we can." Discord then snapped his fingers, and a satchel appeared on Garble's shoulder. Then the Draconequus shrunk the elven statues into eleven figurines, and they flew into the satchel.
"Now let's find that staff so we can changed them back," Discord said. "If I know Caballeron, he'll have it in his room." They then snuck their way back into the temple. After looking around for a few minutes, Spike spotted some guards pushing a lovely tropical wedding cake down the hall.
"That's the wedding cake," he said to the others. "We must be getting close."
"Stay close to me," Discord said. And with a snap of his fingers, all three of them became invisible. This way, they can sneak into Caballeron's room no problem.