The Quest for the Sapphire Stone (Daring Do #1)

Chapters

Foreword
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Ten
Chapter Nine

Foreword

Few stories in the history of contemporary Equestrian literature have managed to achieve the level of success and acclaim, as the venerated Daring Do series.

First published fifty years ago, the adventures of the intrepid archeologist's pegasus across the world have captured the imaginations of ponies and non-ponies alike with little regard for age. Its stories have become one of the most widely translated documents in history and its characters a part of the public consciousness. It, almost single hoofed, defined a genre. For its publisher, Polo House, it has become a franchise juggernaut and spawned countless adaptations, versions and most notably spin-offs. From Twilight Velvet's critically acclaimed and award-winning Nachtlicht Saga to A.K. Yearling's 'Tenochtitlan Cycle' – the only spin-off series to even approach the success of the original books, to the point that they are often referred to as simply 'the Yearling Canon'.

The question is though – why are they so popular?

Some ponies attribute it the period in which they are set – the years just after the Third Griffon-Diamond Dog War, a time when Equestria as a nation had yet to settle into its modern stance of careful neutrality, when the sight of non-ponies was a more regular occurrence in the cities of the land. Others attribute it to the varied locales – the depths Hayan jungles, the remote Himineighen Mountains, the far-off plains of the Marengetti. Of course, some argue that none of it matters without the characters that many of us have now grown up knowing. Daring Do and her brother Darrin or her sister Derring, Storm Talon – possibly the single most famous griffon in all of Equestria – Ghoul S. Dachshund, Bravado, and of course Ahuizotl among others. All arguments have their good points, and in a sense all are right. But what might be the greatest attribute of the stories is how they treat the reader. They do not coddle them, they do not shield them from anything. Perhaps that is why they prove so popular among the younger readers – they remain accessible to them, but do not treat them like children. It gives them a real story to be pulled into. As for the older readers – well, adults are only foal's grown up, as the saying goes.

Of course, every great series has to start somewhere. For Daring Do, that starting point has always been the quest for the Sapphire Stone. Often retold, regularly rewritten and rarely told the same way twice, The Sapphire Stone has become something of a traditional starting point for many of the side series. It is the single most often re-imagined entry in the series, with numerous authors changing protagonists, settings, perspectives and styles, but each telling their own version of the story. But one author has yet to reimagine it – Teal Roper themselves.

Possibly one of the greatest mysteries in all of literature – if not Equestria – is that of the creator of Daring Do. Named for the rope used to bind the first few manuscripts, discussion of his or her true identity is a common pass time among fans and theories are numerous – some suggest that she is Celestia, or Luna. Or Nightmare Moon. Others suggest that she's a griffon. A common theory these days is that the name is simply passed down and that Roper is in fact multiple ponies – a handy way to explain still writing after half a century. Whoever they are, it seems that they are in a reflective mood. The story you now have in front of you arrived at Polo House with a simple note – a plain piece of paper with one sentence on it and a signature;

'Once more, from the top – Teal Roper'

Despite being a rewrite, much remains the same from the original version – including many of its most oft cited shortcomings. But, many would argue, these are as much part of the story as the plot and the characters. And this is not to say nothing has been changed. Along with the most common edits from prior versions being included, some of the more out-dated terminology has been updated, and attempts to improve the story's flow are apparent. Deciding how successful these changes are is an exercise left to the readers.

So, with that, I shall leave the reader to his reading. For some it will be a return to familiar ground. For others, the first steps into a new world. To the latter I simply say welcome.

Booke Cypher, Editor, Polo House Publishing

Chapter One

Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. Few days... it might as well be a few months, or a few years!

The mosquitoes buzzed loudly. The macaws cried from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step.

The tan pegasus’ ears pivoted about, twitching as they tried to track the soft footfalls of her would-be stalkers as she pulled herself over another fallen tree. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to catch me.” She said, grinning as she finally got a feel for where they all were as she brushed a grey-scaled lock of her mane back under her trusty pith helmet. Whoever - or whatever - they were, they were spread out in a rough semi-circle in front of her, slowly advancing on her current position as they drew closer to the downed plane. Any other pony might have walked right into the trap.

Daring Do wasn’t any other pony.

“Good, but not good enough!” chirped, her confidence leaking into her voice as she brushed off of her olivine vest and turned to slip further into the Hayan jungle and leave her pursuers in her metaphorical dust.

Which was when she found herself suddenly snout-to-snout with a very large, and very angry, black-and-orange striped tiger.

“Okay, better than I thought.” Daring admitted as she and the tiger stared at each other for a moment. Dark pink eyes stared into their yellow feline counterpart’s until the Tiger let out a thundering roar, likely meant to inform the rest of his compatriots of his find as much as it was meant to leave the archaeologist in stunned terror at the prospect of suddenly being eaten.

The tiger was likely of the opinion that it worked too well, as Daring was quickly ducking as the massive pair of feline jaws snapped shut where her head had been a moment ago. Tumbling back, she found herself galloping through the forest in the opposite direction from the striped feline before she could even realize what she was doing. It was only when she found herself drawing to a sudden stop that she thought the big cat might have actually thought this whole thing out.

The Tiger slinked around to join its friends, completing the formation before her. The tiger slowly crouched, its body a massive spring ready to launch its mass after the hapless pony at the slightest provocation. Next to it, a black panther flexed its claws, slit pupils boring into her as it calmly waited for a chance to strike. A cheetah was hanging back slightly from the rest, and Daring got the impression that it found this whole situation amusing. The Lynx bared its fangs, letting out an angry hiss as it flexed and seemed to fidget, seemingly anxious to have a chance to finally tear into Daring. At the end, seemingly out of place, was a single small, fluffy white house cat that mewled nervously, eyes darting from Daring back to its friends, apparently trying to decide which ones it was more terrified of.

It was certainly a strange ensemble to come across in the middle of the Hayan jungle. Daring wasn’t as surprised as she thought she’d be - it was just shaping up to be one of those days.

Suppressing her urge to simply turn tail and run, she flashed them a self-confident grin she only mostly felt before she charged the line of angry felines. The quintet was caught off-guard by the sudden charge as Daring made a bee-line for the house cat. The small white kitten’s eyes widened in terror before curling into a ball, any impulse to run out of the way smashed to pieces as it simply braced itself for whatever was about to hit it.

Daring leapt over the cowering feline and continued onward into the jungle, four of the felines in hot pursuit. The near constant buzz of the rainforest echoed in her ears along with the pounding of her pulse and the steady rhythm of her breathing. The soft forest floor of fallen and decaying leaves crackled with every hoof fall as she bounded over and around trees both fallen and standing. Behind her, the angry snarls of her pursuers let her know just how close they still were. Overhead, a troop of monkeys paused in there bickering over a jungle fruit to watch the unfolding spectacle pass under their perch. The Lynx was now out in front, slowly but surely gaining ground on Daring, drawing to within paw’s reach of her. The over-eager cat lashed out with its claws, making Daring add a little more zip to her step as she felt the razor-sharp claws pass within a hair-breath of her compass cutie-mark.

“Way to close!” Daring said, heart hammering in her chest as the sudden burst of adrenaline helped her put a little distance between herself and the Lynx, which simply snarled in indignation at losing his chance. “Better luck next time, pal!” Daring said over her shoulder. Truth be told, she probably shouldn’t be mocking them, but sometimes she couldn’t help herself. It wasn’t like any of this was actually new to her anyway.

This only seemed to enrage the cat’s further as they stepped up their efforts to take down the taunting pegasus, but to no avail as the terrain finally started to let Daring open a proper lead before leaping over another fallen tree, the cat’s following moments after.

Back up above, the troop of monkeys turned to each other, shrugged, and returned to their squabble over the fruit.

On the forest floor, Daring continued to dodge through the jungle, the snarl of cats chasing her hoofsteps. She spied a chasm quickly approaching, and on reflex tried to spread her wings.

Big mistake.

A jolt of pain shot through her right wing, and Daring gave out a choked cry of pain as her vision swam for a moment. Her hooves stumbled as they spasmed, the jolt of pain causing her whole body to seemingly flinch as what felt like a dozen hot knives stabbed into her right wing joint. Her hooves flew out from under her as she tumbled, skidding across the ground until coming to a slow halt at the precipice of the chasm.

Daring shook her head quickly, trying to clear it of the stars that had started to fill her vision. She was facing in the opposite direction now, the felines quickly closing the gap now that their target was no longer moving. She didn’t have time to start running again - not without delaying them. Still reeling from the attempt to fly, she shakily rose to her hooves, taking a deep breath as the Tiger closed the distance. The striped cat leapt at Daring Do as she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled.

Her front hooves drew curving arcs in the soft loam of the forest floor as she shifted her weight onto them completely, hindlegs rising completely off the ground as her whole form twisted, turning a full 180 degrees. Her hindlegs pulled back as she spun, A pair of kicks chambered as her half-spin stopped, leaving her rear hooves pointed square at the tiger who was now in a descending arc.

The tiger had just enough time to realize what was about to happen before both hooves shot out at him, slamming with stone-shattering force into his chin. The big cat went flying back; arcing over his comrades who skidded to a stop at the sudden defeat of what Daring could only assume was their leader.

Daring slowly opened her eyes and turned to face the remaining cats. The house cat was absent, but the other three were still there, staring dumbfounded at the small pony that had sent a predator several times her size tail over teakettle. Daring gave them a small grin. “Come on - I haven’t got all day.”

All three scowled at that, but the Lynx was the first off the starting blocks. It covered the intervening distance in three strides before leaping at Daring, its left claw swinging through the air like a bizarre left hook.

Daring ducked the telegraphed claw swipe, once again spinning on her hooves as she swept the Lynx’s legs out from under it. It was at that moment the Cheetah quite literally leapt into fray, its entire body acting as a spotted yellow projectile as it barreled into Daring.

The pair of them tumbled over the edge into the chasm. For a brief moment the pair tumbled through the air, hooves meeting claws as Daring tried to prevent the cat from tearing her to shreds, before she extended her left wing. She couldn’t fly with just one wing, let alone while she had the oversized fur ball clinging to her, but it was more than enough to give her some control. With a quick flick of the extended wing, she twisted them over, positioning the snarling cat on the bottom a split second before they crashed into the chasm floor.

Daring stumbled to her hooves, seeing stars for the second time in less than ten minutes. Her head was so scrambled at this point that she almost missed the low growl from behind her.

The whistle of claws through air was her only warning and Daring reacted on reflex, dropping so fast the her hat hung in the air for a split second as the massive black paw swung through the space where her head had just been before. Already crouched, Daring retaliated with another kick from her hind legs, her hooves making contact with their second feline skull of the day. There was a yowl followed shortly by a dull thud as the black cat came to a crash landing.

Daring’s breathing was coming in in ragged gasps now, reminding her that while her wing was the largest injury she had endured from the crash. Her tan coat was now caked with mud and dirt as well as a few small speckles of red from several small cuts. Her vest was torn in at least three places and at this rate probably wasn’t going to survive long enough to get back to a tailor. At least her pith helmet was still in good shape.

She was pulled out of her self-assessment when she heard stones shifting somewhere above her head. She looked up to see the tiger slowly climbing down the chasm, apparently still feeling that last kick. A quick look around her confirmed that several of the other cats were also starting to slowly recover from their own injuries. Well, she had wanted to delay them, and from the looks of things it would take a few minutes for them to regroup. If she was going to run, now was the time.

“If you’ll all excuse me….” Daring managed between heavy breaths before she turned and headed further down the chasm. Her hoof falls echoed off the stone, turning her into what sounded like a one-mare stampede. Overhead, what little light reached down into the chasm was mottled by the canopy of vines and leaves that hung far overhead. Every rock and tree and bush cast long shadows that left her path as patchwork of light and darkness. Lizards basked in the narrow beams of sunlight until they skittered away into crevices and holes to hide from the passing pony. Exotic birds watched the outsider pass with only mild interest, taking her as no threat to them in their lofty perches and quickly dismissing her. The occasional small mammal peeked out from the holes they hid in - as much from the sun as from predators - to wearily watch her trot pass, none of them bold enough to do more than peek out of their holes at the passing mare.

Daring finally began to slow down as the chasm widened before her, before finally coming to a stop as she stepped back into the full light of the jungle. Before her was a waterfall, its thunderous roar dampened by the foliage that pressed in around it. A shallow pool spread out from it, shored with smooth grey stones around its edge as the mist hanging in the air cooled the entire clearing. To one side, between the chasm and the fall, a single stream flowed, disappearing over a short fall before snaking deeper into the jungle. She took in the sight, for a moment simply enjoying the scenery until something about the falls caught her eye. Daring slowly made where way around the pool until she was right next to the falls. It was hard to tell, but she was certain that there was something back there. Curiosity getting the better of her, she plunged through the falls.

Sure enough, on the other side was a small cavern. It was well hidden - only really visible by the slight change of light behind the falls - but there none the less. Finally finding an opportunity to catch her breath, Daring collapsed onto the cave floor as all of her exertion finally caught up with her. The stone around her was slick with condensation from the billowing mist of the waterfall that gave it a strange sheen under the filtered light that managed to leak through the cascading waters.

Daring flexed her limbs gingerly - first her forelegs, then the hind ones - checking herself to make sure her break-neck pace hadn’t broken anything. She let out a sigh of relief as she determined that, cuts and bruises aside, she was in one piece. Well, except for the busted wing. But that had been broken already, so it didn’t count.

It was only now that Daring finally took a moment to take a better look at the cave she was taking shelter in. It was a shallow cave, the back wall visible even in the dimmed waterfall-filtered light. Vines and plant roots crisscrossed the ceiling, hanging from it like organic stalactites. Water ran down the sides of the cave, the steady stream of condensed moisture over the decades and centuries carving curving, twisting lines across the rock face. The curving lines drew her gaze across the surface as she found her eyes following the carved gouges as they crossed the rock, drawing out what almost looked like…

Daring’s eyes widened as she realized what they actually were. She clamored back onto her hooves as she trotted over to the wall. Sure enough, the lines were not the result of slow erosion - At least, not entirely. The water had eaten away at the carvings, but there was still enough left for what it is to be apparent. It had once been an elaborate relief, but the ravages of age and water had worn away most of the details. There was still enough detail to date it to the pre-classical Hayan period, which matched with the script that bordered the whole piece as well as accompanied several of the designs. Daring was certain that the information written in the pictographs would have been useful, but with all of her notes lost in the crash she had little hope of deciphering the script at the moment. Luckily, the illustrations were much easier to figure out.

The relief looked like a stylized map of the jungle basin. On the left most edge was some sort of massive stone edifice, a single slash bisecting it. Daring was willing to bet her bottom bit that it was supposed to be the chasm she and her feline friends had tumbled into. A little further to the right was the worn image of a pool of water, ripples crossing its surface, emanating from the waterfall emptying into it. Flowing from the pool and further to the right was a stylized ribbon of a stream, undulating like a snake as it flowed through jungle before terminating at yet another chasm. The design continued to the right, the map compressing to the top as it went as the bottom became dominated by a second set of images, some sort of battle or cataclysm - the effigy was too worn to tell for sure. And there, at the far right, sitting inside the image of a temple, was a two-headed statue of an Anubis and nestled inside was the multi-faced shape of a gem.

“Whoa.” Daring whispered to herself, eyes wide as she stared at the map. It was patently ridiculous. The whole concept of a treasure map was bunk. They simply didn’t exist. On the rare occasion that the intrepid archaeologist found themselves with the chance for field work, it was usually several long weeks slowly digging holes across a grid to finds a few pieces of pottery. If you were lucky, you might uncover a piece of jewelry; or better yet, a piece of writing. You never, ever, found something that basically said ‘treasure is this way’.

Obviously, nobody had told that to the Hayan’s.

She conceded it was possible that it was some sort of route marker - something designed to tell those traveling to the temple which way to go, embellished with additional iconography so as to double as a shrine of worship for those…

A growl from somewhere outside the waterfall reminded Daring that now probably was not a good time to get absorbed in her work.

Daring skirted toward the edge of the falls, peering past the curtain of water to look out onto the pool beyond. The quintet of cats had returned, the fluffy white house cat having caught up with them and was now shaking at the edge of the pool, jumping at every little ripple of water that lapped to close for the little feline’s comfort. The Tiger nearby gave the white fur ball a disdainful stare before turning to the others and growling something at them the Daring couldn’t understand. The other cats seemed to however, as they spread out and started sweeping through the clearing. Claws swiped through bushes as they began working their way closer to the waterfall - and Daring. “Darn it.” She cursed as she watched the panther slowly pad its way around one edge toward her little alcove. As quickly and as quietly as she could, she scooted across the small cavern, peering around the opposite edge of the falls in hopes of seeing an escape route. Daring cursed again when she saw the cheetah looping around the other side of the pool. Well, so much for that escape route.

Daring took a quick stock of her situation. She was cornered inside a cave, with no escape routes, and enemies on every side. Still not the worst situation she had ever found herself in. It was getting there though.

Thinking fast as the cats drew closer, she started to try and think of her next move. Several ideas were considered and dismissed in rapid succession until one idea took root and failed to go away. It was, without a doubt, a bad plan. Unlike the others, however, it actually had a slim chance of working. The sound of shifting pebbles brought her impromptu strategy session to a close. She was out of time.

Daring quickly made her way to the back of the cave before turning to face towards its front. Now, the only thing in between her and escape was five angry felines and a whole lot of water. “Really need a better plan next time, Daring.” She said to herself as she braced her hind legs. Any second now…

The moment came as soon as the Panther’s head came out from around the edge of the cave. Daring kicked off the back wall and charged toward the front of the cave. The cheetah had just made it into the cave as both he and his panther companion were sideswiped by a speeding pegasus. All three crashed into the waterfall. The two cats, however, did not have the advantage in forward momentum from a running start. Daring burst out the front of the falls as droplets of water scattered off in her wake. Behind her, the two cats found themselves tumbling into the churning water at the base of the falls while Daring landed in the fetlock deep shallows with a splash that sent small waves crashing upon the smooth stones of the pool’s edge. Another leap sent her arcing over the white housecat and straight to the stunned tiger.

Daring rolled with the impact, quickly getting back to her hooves and continuing off into the jungle without missing a beat while the striped feline went sprawling as its prey once again slipped through its grasp. “Better luck next time!” Daring said, flashing them a smug smirk as she barreled into the jungle once again. She might have managed to escape, but it was a temporary one as soon the cats were once again on her tail.

The jungle passed by in a blur of greens and reds, the squawk of birds overhead mingling with the growls of the cats behind her. She dodged around the corpse of a fallen giant that had once likely been one of the greatest trees in this part of the jungle. Now it only served to block her path. Daring bit back another curse as she sharply turned left. Normally she would just fly over the accursed thing, but with her wing busted it just wasn’t an option. The worst part was that her injuries were starting to catch up with her. Her hind legs were still numb from that tussle in the chasm - those cats had denser skulls then she thought. All four of her legs were aching from the dashing through the jungle and a thousand cuts and bruises were starting to make themselves known in a most unpleasant way. Even her wing was starting to throb, whatever endorphins that had been dulling the pain starting to wear off as what was likely a compound fracture began to make itself known. Her lungs were burning from the exertion. Her hooves ached from every jagged stone and errant branch that had speared into them. But Daring pushed through the pain, and focused on the path ahead. She couldn’t stop. She had to keep running, no matter how much her body protested. No matter how much pain she was in, she knew that if she stopped, she was in for much worse.

The massive tree corpse terminated in a twisting mass of roots as thick as her head, the ground torn asunder when it had fallen ages ago, leaving a massive, worn crater where the towering tree had been anchored to the earth. Now, the space was little more than a dank sinkhole. A carpet of vines and ferns covered the ground around it, blossoms of red and blue flowers speckling the green carpet with color. With the former king of the groove slain, the canopy had opened up to the sky above, sunlight allowed to stream in and pour across the forest floor for the first time in a long while. The sunlight spurred the growth of new seedlings, each one with trunks thinner than the fallen king’s branches, all of them growing in pockets and bunches around the edges of the clearing. The fresh foliage muffled the sounds of the forest beyond, plunging the clearing into a serene quasi-silence, only the soft chirping of birds filling the air. The heat and humidity of the Hayan jungle hung over the clearing like a heavy blanket, an almost smothering, suffocating layer that weighed down on Daring like a massive stone weight. It was a moment of eerie calm in what had been a frantic day.

The Tiger came at her from the right.

The distraction of the lush scenery paired with the distracting aches and pains from the day had left her dangerously unaware of her surroundings. The only thing that had saved her had been the big cats own over eagerness. In its rush to finally capture his prey, he had inadvertently lost the element of surprise. The sudden crack of a snapping branch had sent Daring’s ears swiveling toward the source of the sound, primal fight-or-flight instincts taking over. Her eyes widened as her head turned to catch up with her ears movement, finally letting her catch sight of her would-be attacker. Eons-old reflex’s kicked in as Daring reeled back, the tiger’s claws passing within inches of Daring’s neck, their faces passing so close that she could feel its breath rake across her face, its pungent smell filling her nostrils.

Daring had barely rolled back onto her hooves when the tiger’s second attack came. Having given up on a stealthy approach, the striped feline had instead opted for a simple straight on assault. Daring barely had time to bring up a hoof before the massive paw came at her. Hoof met paw as Daring countered, her hoof coming down on the paw and sending it off course, claws slicing through air instead of her torso. A second follow-up attack came quickly after the first, the second part of a one-two strike. Daring simply dodged this one instead, letting the big cat’s momentum throw it off balance as it over extended itself. The tiger tried to regain its balance as Daring spun and reared back before delivering a punishing blow into the tiger’s side.

The tiger folded like a cheap suit, letting out a yowl of pain before crumpling into a pile of black and orange fur. Her next two opponents arrived just as her first went down. The Cheetah and the Lynx gave their fallen leader barely a second glance, barreling straight at Daring. It was a blinding blitz of flashing claws and Daring’s already strained body was pushed to its limit. But she couldn’t keep it up. Even as she dodged a upper slice from the Cheetah, she felt a crushing blow slam into her front legs as a punishing back paw from the Lynx causing her purchase to fail as her joints screamed in agony. She didn’t even have time to try and determine what was going to happen next. She had to react on instinct. She rolled to the side again, idly wondering just how much of this trip she was going to spend rolling around in the dirt as overhead two-pawed strike from the cheetah crashed into where she had been moments before. She had gambled with her life, but it had paid off. A splint second later and she would have been a goner. She couldn’t take the two of them on at the same time. She needed to split them up – unless…

Another feather-brained scheme began to form.

Daring rolled to the right as she dodged another swipe from the Lynx. They had split up at least somewhat now, but that just meant she had to worry about attacks from multiple angles. She dodged another attack from the cheetah before ducking a leaping tackle from Lynx. All three of them took a brief pause as they tried to regain their bearings. Daring was in between the two felines, both of them grinning at her with self-satisfied smirks. Daring returned it with a self-assured grin of her own. She had them right where she wanted them.

She spun and made to charge at the Lynx, who replied in kind by leaping at her, thinking to intercept her mid-leap. Daring instead tucked into a roll, the Lynx flying over her head as she rolled back onto her hooves, both of the cats now behind her - and in the direct line of her hind legs.

In what was quickly becoming a recurring pattern, Daring launched a kick and sent the Lynx flying. Unlike the last time, however, Daring had a landing spot for him in mind. The Lynx careened backwards, crashing straight into the unsuspecting cheetah behind him, who had just enough time to register that the incoming projectile was in fact his partner before they collided. The Lynx’s momentum carried both of them backward, tumbling over old roots and vines - and straight toward the sinkhole.

Both of them yowled in surprise as they flew over the edge of the pit, vainly reaching out to grab onto something to halt their fall, but to no avail. Gravity asserted itself as the tangled pair fell into the inky abyss. There was a moment of silence as the yowls echo died out before a loud, heavy splash as the cats found out just how much mud was in the bottom of that pit. Daring allowed herself a chuckle, but it was cut off with a wince as a bolt of pain shot through her rear hooves. The once dull throbbing in them had intensified, and too much pressure just made it worse. The fighting was starting to catch up with her, and she still had at least one feline to go.

As if summoned by the thought, the black panther stalked out of the jungle. The panther smirked at Daring, as if sensing her weakness. Unlike the other cats, this one didn’t just charge in. It slinked around in a slow circle, watching Daring the way a hungry bird might watch a particularly amusing worm. Daring matched it move for move, keeping the cat on the opposite side of the clearing, neither taking their eyes off the other. Daring tried to hide the limp that was starting to slip into her gait, but she couldn’t suppress it entirely. This only seemed to make the panther’s grin widen as his pace increased. The panther was every inch a predator toying with its food, and Daring was his toy. She just needed one last plan.

Luckily, one decided to stumble into the clearing right then.

The small white housecat tumbled out of a nearby bush, so engrossed in trying to remove the myriad of twigs that now littered its coat that the flighty feline didn’t even notice that it stumbled out right next to the pegasus. The cat started as Daring stretched out her good wing and slid it under the white fur ball. “Hey,” she said, turning to the panther, “catch.” And with that she gave her wing a flick that sent the small creature flying through the air, a frightened cry the only thing the housecat could manage before crashing straight into the panther, hitting it square in the face. The panther flailed about as the smaller cat simply landed on the ground in a little ball of fluff, letting out quiet mewling cries. It had not had a good day so far.

A small smile had started to cross Daring’s face when she noticed that the lynx and the cheetah were starting to pull themselves out of the sinkhole. Both were dripping with mode, and neither looked very happy at the moment.

“Heh, heh - bye!” Daring turned tail and bolted into the forest once again, with the cats once again following in pursuit. The sounds of the chase mingled with the sounds of the jungle as they tore through the overgrowth, birds and other things sent scattering as the chase tore past their roosts - or, in some cases, through them. Daring dodged around towering pillars of aged wooden monoliths, ducking under their twisting roots that twisted into abstract cathedrals and archways. Vines snaked across the ground, threatening to steal her already precarious balance. A single misstep would mean an immobilizing injury. Then she would have no escape. She ducked into a fallen tree, its rotted corpse so massive that the hollowed giant more resembled a tunnel then a log. The damp wooden walls curved up around her and met above her head, her hat not even grazing the ceiling. Her hoof falls sent up clouds of decayed wood, each particle glinting in the few rays of sunlight that streamed through holes that marked where massive branches had once been anchored. Behind her she could hear the sounds of sharpened, predatory claws tearing gouges in the wood as they charged down the wooden tunnel behind her. Her ears pivoted as they caught something above them as well, the faint sound of paws dashing across the roof above them. They cats were trying to catch her off guard when she exited the massive tree carcass. A quick glance around her told Daring that any openings had long sense past. The only way out now was forward. So forward it was.

Daring put an extra burst of speed into her steps as the exit drew closer. Just a step from the edge, she leapt, throwing herself into the open air ahead of her. She could hear a snarl above her as she felt a set of claws slice through the air uncomfortably close to her back.

In a heartbeat though she was clear and back on terra firma, dodging through the tree’s again. The cats, however, were closing in. She needed a new plan. She racked her brain for an idea before she recalled the relief in the cavern.

The relief had shown several landmarks leading to the temple, but it had also contained several other, less obvious details. One in particular stood out in Daring’s mind at the moment, however. Hoping that the map was at least somewhat accurate, Daring adjusted her course slightly to the left. The cat’s behind her followed suit, dead set on catching her - and slowly getting ever closer. She hoped it was close.

She tore through the forest as, slowly, the trees began to thin ever so slightly. Up ahead the sunlight started to seem ever so slightly brighter. Daring grinned. Once again, her bet had paid off. She made a mental note to hit the casino after this whole trip was over just to see if her luck held out.

Daring didn’t even break her stride as she broke clear of the tree line. A moment later the Cats did the same thing. They blinked in the sudden burst of sunlight, their vision clearing just in time to see Daring leap into the air.

It was then they noticed that they were still careening toward yet another chasm.

The cats managed to draw themselves short of the edge just in the nick of time as Daring wrapped her hooves around a hanging vine and let out a sigh of relief. The chasm had, sure enough, been exactly where the map had said it would be. Daring counted herself lucky and gave a small thanks to whatever ancient crafts pony had been so detail oriented.

Her momentum swung her across the gorge, letting her drop safely on the other side and finally out of reach of her pursuers. “So long, fellas!” Daring gave them a jaunty wave. “Better luck next time!” The Tiger gave out an infuriated roar, after a moment resorting to simply throwing random bits of jungle detritus in Daring’s direction. Daring simply gave another chuckle as she continued to taunt them. This only enraged the felines even further. Sometimes they just made this too easy.

Daring gave them one final mocking salute before trotting into the jungle again, this time at a much more sedate pace. From the looks of that gorge, it was going to take them quite a while to find a way around or across it. By that point, she planned on having put as much distance as she could between her and those cats. For now, however, Daring simply wanted to find somewhere to rest.

A few minutes of walking through the woods finally lead her to what was best described as a small wooden cave. The tree’s roots had grown in a tangled mass over and around some ancient rock, leaving a well sheltered alcove inside. With a relieved sigh, Daring slipped inside, finally giving her hooves a well-deserved break. As she began to rummage through her pockets and her hat, she thought to herself idly - how the hay did I end up out here, anyway?

Chapter Two

“So, what the hay are you looking for again?” Daring sighed as she turned to face her brother. The light tan pegasus simply stared at his older sister, a short strand of smoke gray mane falling out of place as he adjusted his glasses. Daring let out a sigh - she knew that he wasn’t actually interested in what it was she was looking for. He was more worried on whether or not it was going to put her in the middle of danger again. Daring loved her little brother dearly, but sometimes his worrying could become a little irksome.

“The Sapphire Stone” Daring replied before turning back to the bookcase and climbing up a stepladder before stopping near a top shelf and pulling out a worn-looking volume. She grimaced as she climbed back down with the book daintily held in her teeth. Books never did taste very good, but she was unfortunately not a unicorn. She stepped off the step stool and back onto the antique rug of her office.

As head of the department of Equinology, Daring had been given a slightly roomier office then some of the other professors at Royal Canterlot University. In her case, she thought it was a little too much. One long stretch of wall was covered with floor to ceiling bookcases. Which, considering that her office had high enough ceilings that she could use it for flight stretches - and, in fact, had one a couple of rainy days - meant that those were some very tall bookcase indeed. The opposite wall was a series of equally massive floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the university’s main square, where ponies bustled to and from classes and lectures. Some of them chatting with fellow students while others frantically rushed to some building or another, reams of paper billowing out behind them like a contrail. Others simply walked through with their noses buried in books and only occasionally running into another pony or a lamp post.

Daring crossed the office toward her desk, backed against a narrower third wall unadorned by windows or bookcases. Instead, the wall was covered in various framed photos and diplomas while a low set of shelves were covered in knickknacks and various reminders of some of Daring’s adventures. Above all of that hung a massive portrait of a very stern looking pony, her hair pulled back into a severe bun as she glowered at the entire room. She was apparently a former librarian at the University, and had once used the office herself. Opposite the desk, at the other end of the office that was an unnecessarily long walk considering it was an office for one pony - though Daring harbored suspicions it was, in fact, a converted library wing from the buildings early days - was the door to her office. In all, it was a grand old room and far too much for Daring’s taste. She did like the rug though.

She set the book on the aged wooden desk - another piece that had come with the room - and flipped it open to a page somewhere mid-book. The page showed a sketch, obviously of an older piece of stone work. The sketch shows some sort of temple scene, with half a dozen ponies arrayed around an altar in the center. Sitting on top of the altar was a strange statue of a two-headed Anubis, with what looked like a large cut stone fitted in its center. “Supposedly, it was the centerpiece for worship by one of the Hayan city-states during the pre-classical and classical eras.” Daring explained as she trotted around to the other side of her desk. “Nopony has ever been able to figure out why. All the literature to date has been very vague about it. All we know for sure is that they were worshiping the stone and not the statue.”

“Okay,” Darrin said as he studied the illustration. “So, why are you looking for this thing now? If ponies have been searching for it as long as you make it sound they have, what makes you think you can track it down now?”

Daring grinned. “Word just came in from a dig site down south. They found some ruins that actually mention the temple itself.” Daring’s eyes lit up. “We’ve had stories, hearsay up until this point - all the stories about the temple have never been confirmed it as real or not, beyond circumstantial evidence that suggested that they were rooted in some level of truth. But this is the first time the temple has actually been tied to an actual location!”

Darrin raised an eyebrow. “And where would this be?”

“An island off the southern Hayan coast,” Daring replied, “First explored by Sir Far Flung in around 638.” Daring was hopeful about what she might find. If nopony had been to the island in nearly 300 years then chances were good that the temple was still undisturbed.

Darring seemed unimpressed. “I take it you have a map of this island?”

“Yeah,” Daring replied by reaching around to her saddlebags that were hanging from her chair and pulling out a worn and aged looking roll of paper. “Took me three hours in the Campus library to track this down.”

Darrin blinked in surprise as Daring stowed the map away again. “That long? Couldn’t you have got one of the pages to help?”

Daring gave a shrug as she started rummaging through her desk, pulling out various tools - brushes, spy glasses, a set of metal tools she used to chip dirt of artifacts, and the like. “The only one on call was Herpy, and with his track record it would have taken us five hours.”

Darrin rolled his eyes as Daring started transferring the various items she had collected into her saddlebags. “So you plan on just flying down to this island, waltzing into some temple and grabbing this sapphire thing?”

“Not exactly,” Daring said, stepping over to one of the nearby bookcases and pulling out another book and tossing it over to her saddlebags. She grinned as it landed perfectly inside. “I’ll have to stop by the dig site first and take a look at the ruins they found for myself. After that, probably a couple weeks of fly overs as I try to map the island.”

“How long do you plan to be gone, exactly?”

“Two months, most likely” Daring replied as she checked over her saddlebags “Three at the most.”

After a moment, Darrin began to grin. “I am not going to be able to give up on this, am I?”

“Not a chance” Daring replied, grinning. “Come on, Darrin. Why are you so worried?”

“I’m your brother, I’m supposed to worry.” Darrin said with a shrug. “I just want you to be careful, okay?”

“The University requires I follow the Equestrian Treaty for the protection of antiquities.” Daring said as she closed her saddlebags. “I am required, by law, to be careful.”

Darrin raised an eye brow. “You mean like that time with the Squid beak clipper?”

Daring winced at that. “I thought we agreed to never bring that up again. The Squid Beak Clipper Caper was a complete fluke - There was no way I could have predicted any of that at all.”

“And that is exactly my point.” Darrin said as he stepped over to his older sister, resting one hoof on her shoulder. “Every time you go on one of these...adventures, I’m worried you won’t come back.”

“Come on, Darrin” Daring tried to reassure her brother with a smile. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You don’t come back!” Darrin repeated, backing away from his sister as he started to pace slightly. “I know, I know - you do this for a living. But I can’t help but worry.”

This time it was Daring who rested a hoof on Darrin’s shoulder. “And I don’t blame you. But you know me - I can’t not do this. It’s part of me.”

Darrin glanced briefly at his sister’s compass cutie mark. “Quite literally, as the case may be.” He sighed. “Guess the least I can do is lend you a hand getting ready then.”

“Great!” Daring replied. She trotted back over to her desk, waving her hoof at one of the bookcases as she went. “Could you grab my notes on Hayan script? You remember where they are I hope.”

“Got it,” Darrin said before making his way over to one of the massive bookcases before pulling a book out at seemingly random. Daring’s personal library was not organized in any known system of archival organization, but he had been around it and Daring long enough to have a good idea of where anything was in the sea of books.

He deposited the book onto Daring’s waiting desk before pausing at the book from earlier. It was still flipped open to the page with the illustration, but what had caught Darrin’s attention was the other page. It showed the stone - now separate from the statue - in the middle of what looked like a massive hour glass. Two ribbons of some sort twisted into funnel shapes out of each end while motes of something fell into the stone waiting at the middle. “What is this supposed to be?”

Daring paused in her preparations to take a look at the page in question. “Not sure. Part of why I want to find the stone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we know that they worshiped the stone.” Daring explained. “What we don’t know is why. There are theories, of course. Some suggest that the stone is carved from a fallen meteorite. Others theorize that it’s some sort of power supply. One theory suggests that they used it to talk to their god. But with the lack of information about the stone, nopony has ever been able to get even circumstantial evidence for any sort of theory. The theories are little more than ponies trying to answer why an entire city-state would worship a rock.”

“Maybe it was just a really nice rock.” Darrin suggested, which made Daring chuckle.

“Maybe - it’s as valid a theory as any others.” Daring said. “But that just means we need more information. And finding this temple - finding this stone - will give us that information. It will tell us something we don’t know right now. One more piece of knowledge recovered from the ravages of time.”

“And the fact that it’s some sort of giant jewel has absolutely nothing to do with it?” Darrin asked.

“It’s not about fortune or glory, it’s about finding knowledge. Most ponies aren’t that impressed by most things you dig up at an archeology site. It’s just bits of old pottery - A bunch of broken dishes. Ponies wonder how those could be of any value, let alone worth the effort of digging up half a field in the middle of nowhere over the course of a month and a half. But those little pieces of pottery are a connection to a world that’s gone. They’re the last echoes of ponies that have long since come and gone. It shows us where we’ve come from and tells us about who and what we are. It lets us know more about are selves. I don’t know about you, but I think that is pretty valuable, don’t you think so?”

Darrin stared at his sister for a moment before starting to chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard somepony speak so highly of pottery before.”

“Hey,” Daring said “Pottery happens to be very important. It’s what let ponies stop having to constantly gather…” Darrin cut her off with a raised hoof.

“Preaching to the choir, sister.” He replied. “So, what else do you need to grab?”

“Just a few more things from my classroom,” Daring said, trotting over to the office door. “Pretty sure I left my hat in there anyway.” She pointed at her currently hat free head with one hoof as if to emphasize the point. “You remember the last time I went on a trip without my hat, don’t you?”

Darrin nodded as they pair stepped into the hallway. “The Squid Beak Clipper Caper.” He replied. “We were just talking about this. I don’t think anypony is going to forget about that little incident any time soon.” The hallway outside her office was bustling with dozens of ponies speeding off to and from classes as well as a small handful of non-ponies. Royal Canterlot University had one of the largest exchange student programs in Equestria, and as a result the hallways bustled with llamas, elk, and even the occasional buffalo or wildebeest along with the more common griffons. There were even a few diamond dogs in the mix, easily spotted by the way the tended to tower over the more numerous quadrupeds.

Daring failed to suppress a small shutter. “I really wish ponies would forget about that. It was only the one time. Is it really that notable?” She sidestepped a female student who was in the middle of toppling over as she glanced back at Darrin.

Darrin stared back with a grin as he extended a hoof to stabilize the falling student, saving the mare and her enormous stack of papers from a messy spill. “Considering it was you at the center of the whole thing? Yes, it is.” Daring let out a sigh as the pair continued down the hallway. It wasn’t a long walk to her classroom. One advantage of the office was it made hopping between it and her class easy. Some professors had to make do with offices in other buildings.

The door to the classroom opened onto the front of the room, a desk positioned front and center with a full wall chalk board behind it. In front of it several rows of seating for students were arrayed, each row higher than the rest. Daring immediately went over to her desk and started digging through it. Darrin took a moment to study the diagram on the chalk board - what appeared to be a temple layout from the pre-discordian era - before turning back to Daring. “So, what exactly makes this stone so impressive anyway? It can’t be that it’s just because you don’t know anything about it.”

Daring’s head popped out of where it was buried inside one of the drawers, still hatless, to look at her brother. “The Hayan civilization was divided into several city-states. While they all shared a lot of their beliefs and culture they also had a lot of differences. Some were renowned as craftsman. Others were better known for their food or agriculture. Others had great mastery of magic. But one was different - the Achi.

“Throughout the Hayan records we have found have been numerous references to the city-state of Achi. They were supposedly grand craftsman and fierce warriors that supposedly possessed divine powers. When Far Flung first reached the lands, they told him that the Achi were often given special consideration in meetings between the city-states.”

“And why would they get special treatment?” Darrin asked. “Were they a major power or something?”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” Daring replied. Her voice echoed oddly from somewhere inside the drawer her head was still hidden in - how could she even fit it in there, anyway? “All the records we’ve ever found that mention the Achi report that their territory never extended beyond the one island off the coast. Naturally, Far Flung had gone looking for the island to try and figure out what was there that gave them such clout in their relations with the neighbors.”

“Let me guess,” Darring said. “He found the stone.”

“Actually no,” Daring said. “He never even found the temple. All he found were scattered ruins. Something had destroyed the Achi, or what he thought was the Achi. There was never any other evidence to link the island to the story of the Achi except the story Far Flung had heard - until they uncovered the relief at that dig site. Even Far Flung had admitted that he thought that it was likely that he hadn’t found the Achi. Surprisingly modest for an explorer of that age.”

“Yeah, you would think that he would have been all over claiming that sort of thing.” Darrin said. “I mean, it was an entire civilization.”

“Yeah, but he couldn’t find any proof. What he - aha!” Daring’s head finally emerged, her usual pith helmet now in its proper place on her head. “Anyway, like I was saying, what he found didn’t match up with the stories.”

“I still don’t get that - what sort of stories were these, anyway?” Darrin asked.

Daring adjusted her hat before she continued to speak. “The stories usually described the Achi as being very wealthy. I mean very, very wealthy. There were stories about entire buildings covered in semi-precious stones and sculpted gems. Some of the stories claimed that the wealth was a gift from their god in exchange for fulfilling some sort of duty. Most of the stories don’t even bother trying to explain it. Far Flung thought that the island they were on was the location of a massive gem deposit. He theorized that the Achi used the wealth from such a gem deposit to buy mercenaries or just plain bribe their neighbors into compliance. But he never found the gem deposit, so he dismissed the expedition as a failure.”

“And do you think he was right?” Darring asked as he watched his siter start digging through the other drawers in a much more logical manner.

“Well, yes and no.” Daring replied. “I think he was right that the Achi had some sort of leverage on their neighbors, but I don’t think it was via bribery or tributes. None of the stories mention the Achi using their wealth like that. They do mention that they were very wealthy, and they mention that they had some sort of power - like what their warriors were supposed to possess. But they are never mentioned in connection with each other. The stories talk about how they had all this wealth, and anypony who attacked them was fended off by these warriors with strange powers. It’s less like either of those were the source of their power and more like those were byproducts of whatever power it was. That whatever power, or blessing, or mandate or what have you they possessed, it made sure they were safe and prosperous. The same stories talk about how they worshiped the Sapphire Stone.”

“You think the two are connected, somehow?” Darrin asked as he started to get an idea of the direction his sister’s thoughts were going.

“I think that it’s a good place to start.” Daring closed the drawer. “There has to be some reason why they worshiped a big shiny rock.”

“Beyond it being a big, shiny rock.” Darrin added. “I really think you should consider that theory - There’s plenty of support for it down on jeweler’s street.” Daring let out a small chuckle as Darrin continued. “So you think the stone is magic or something?”

“Probably not,” Daring said as she opened yet another drawer, this one containing a dizzying assortment of parchments. “The most likely reason is that it was one of the better gems they had found. The stories suggest that the Achi were extremely skilled with magic, and any high quality gem would invaluable to them for magic applications. The Stone is likely one of the finest - if not the finest - gem that the Achi had. It probably served a sort of crown jewel or royal scepter - a representation of their ruler.”

“So no magic rock?” Darrin asked.

“No magic rock.” Daring replied as she started to throw scrolls onto the desktop, which elicited a sigh from her brother.

“Darn. Would have been a better story.” Darrin eyed one of the scrolls that unrolled as Daring had added it to the growing pile. It was a map of the Hayan coastline, with several islands visible on it. “So, you have a map and a destination. Any idea for transportation?”

“Coco should be able to set me up a flight.” Daring replied. “Otherwise, I know I can always count on you to pull something together.”

“I aim to please.” Darrin said, a pleased grin crossing his face.

“And you have yet to disappoint.” Daring answered. Her brother didn’t go out with her into the field very often - almost never, in fact - due to his class obligations, but it was always more than willing to help her out in any way he could when Daring needed it. It was something that Daring appreciated dearly.

“So, do you have any idea where Coco even is at this time of year?” Darrin asked.

Daring paused for a moment before answering unsteadily. “Uh…She should be in Hoofington right now, if she’s following last year’s schedule…Well, at the very least she should be near Hoofington.”

Darrin sighed. “So you have no idea where she is, do you?” Not that he blamed her. Coco’s movement patterns were so oddly erratic that a pony could probably use them as an encryption technique. He was fairly certain one pony down in the mathematics department was trying to do just that.

“Not even the slightest,” Daring replied. She looked at Darrin somewhat sheepishly. “Do you think you could…?”

Darrin waved a hoof at her. “I’m on it. Just give me a few days and a chance to call my contacts. At least one should have a bead on where she is at the moment. I can also ask them about where you’re going. Wouldn’t want you to walk into a trap, now would we?”

Daring raised an eyebrow at that. “When have I ever…”

“Squid Beak Clipper Caper.” Darrin replied.

“That was only the one time!” Daring retorted before letting out a sigh. “I wish ponies would just forget about it…”

“Like I said,” Darrin replied with a grin. “Never going to happen, sister . Anything else you need?”

“I should be able to take care of getting to…wherever Coco is using normal means of transportation.” Daring replied. By ‘normal’ she meant something other than the sort of ‘I-owe-you one’ charter arrangements that usually came from the travel arrangements that Darrin set up for her. As unconventional and sometimes questionable they ended up being sometimes, there were many places that the normal Equestrian transportation network just did not serve. The remote jungle of the Hayan region was among them. “So just that information for now Darrin. I should be able to handle the rest.”

“Any plans on what you’re going to do if run into trouble?” Darrin asked. He knew how Daring’s expeditions went usually. First its ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaah’ but they had an alarming tendency to devolve into running and screaming and fighting and quite a bit of escaping by the skin of the teeth. Needless to say, he was expecting her to run into trouble this time too.

“Who says I’m going to run into trouble?” Darin gave him a reassuring grin, but Darrin just gave her a flat stare. Daring sighed. “I’ll be fine. I can handle a little trouble. Give me some credit.”

“You should bring some back-up along.” Darrin said. “Coco perhaps, or one of the ponies working at that dig site you mentioned. Some of them would probably give their right hoof to go find an ancient temple with you.”

Daring shook her head. “I can’t do that. It would be too dangerous for them. On a trip like this one mistake can be a disaster. I work alone.”

Darrin raised an eyebrow. “So it’s safer for you to go alone. Into a mostly uncharted jungle. Without backup.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Daring replied, waving a hoof at him. “I am a professional. This is what I do. Most of the ponies at that dig site have never done field work. Some of them probably have never even been outside Equestria proper before. You can’t just bring somepony like that on a trip like this. It only causes more harm than good.”

“So it’s alright to risk your own neck?” Darrin asked, a hint of fire edging into his voice.

“Better to gamble with your own life then somepony else’s.” Daring said. “That’s what dad always said. I can’t just ask them to risk so much just so I can feel a little safer - especially because I wouldn’t feel safer anyway.”

“You could at least have Coco come along with you.” Darrin suggested. “She’s helped you on trips before and I’m sure she’d be willing to help you out.”

Daring simply shook her head. “I can’t go and call up my friends and ask them to drop everything just because I feel like poking my nose into something in the middle of nowhere. I’m not going to inconvenience my friends like that.”

“But they would say yes!” Darrin replied. “None of them would turn you down. You know that.”

“That’s why I can’t ask.” Daring said as she piled the odds and ends she had gathered into a spare bag. “If I ask them, they will say yes no matter what that means to their own plans. This isn’t something they need to worry about.” Daring loved her friends, but sometimes they were just a little too kind. And like she had told Darrin, this wasn’t that big of a deal anyway, just a little trip down south.

Darrin grumbled something under his breath. He had gotten into this argument - with some minor variations - several times before; enough times to know that he wasn’t going to be able to change her mind about going alone this time either. Daring was the type of pony who didn’t like making other ponies have to deal with her problems even as she tried to help her friends deal with their own issues. Darrin was never quite sure if he found the whole thing oddly noble or annoyingly hypocritical.

Granted, she had improved quite a bit over the years. She was always willing to except his help, for the most part, and knew to ask for help when she was in over her head. She was also a much better judge of when, exactly, she ended up in over her head then she once was. None of that really made Darrin sleep any easier when his sister went on one of her trips. Darrin sighed. “Promise you’ll be careful?” He asked as his sister headed toward the door.

Daring simply turned to her brother and smiled. “Of course I’ll be careful - when am I not?”

Chapter Three

Daring blinked as she slowly drifted awake, one hoof idly coming up to rub at her eyes as sunlight streamed in through the tangle of branches and shined into her little alcove. She looked around her impromptu campsite for a moment. A few wrappers from some snack bars that had been in one of her vest pockets sat next to the smoldering remains of a small fire she had started last night. Sitting next to all of that was what remained of the few medical supplies that she had had on her last night. The vast majority of them had been put to use before she had let sleep overcome her.

Which seemed to have been a wise move, based on how she was feeling at the moment. She flexed her legs experimentally; happy that the dull aching from yesterday was gone, replaced with a far more preferable stiffness from how she had slept last night. Even better, she noted, was that her hooves were no longer protesting her every step. It seemed a little attention and some sleep had been just what they needed. The numerous cuts had been treated as best she could, but given her limited supply of bandages she hadn’t been able to wrap them all. Luckily most of them had been minor and had just needed a little cleaning. All in all, she was feeling much better then she had the day before.

Daring gathered up the refuse from her camp and stowed it in one of her pockets before cleaning up the remains of her fire. Once she was done with that, she stepped back out into the jungle. She squinted in the bright sunlight, her eyes still more accustomed to the din of the alcove she had just left. She re-angled her hat to better block the morning glare as she tried to work out the suns position in the sky through the tree cover. After a moment she figured out that, unless Celestia was pulling a prank, it was sometime in the late morning. And since it had been before sunrise when she had gone to sleep, that meant that she had slept through all of yesterday evening as well as most of this morning along with the intervening night. Over twelve hours asleep at least - no wonder Daring felt so much better. Well, nothing like a thrilling chase through the middle of the rainforest to work up a need for a nap, Daring thought idly. Though she was guessing there were better treatment’s a pony could find if they were having trouble sleeping - probably ones that didn’t involve angry felines and an overpriced plane ticket - A nice soothing tonic, perhaps.

The thought of a drink made her realize just how dry her mouth was. Her tongue felt strangely thick in her mouth, and her entire throat felt like it had been scoured with sandpaper. Daring wouldn’t have been surprised if there were sand dunes on her tongue, given how it felt at that point. Letting out a sigh, Daring started off into the jungle with a new objective in mind, trying to recall if that relief had shown anything like a river. There had been a few things that might have been rivers - or they could just be chasms like the last two she had come across. Still, it gave her a direction to go at least. So, after consulting her mental map, she headed toward the sunrise and into the jungle.

The mosquitoes had yet to come out in force yet, this early in the day, and the sun had yet to have enough time to re-heat the jungle floor through the thick canopy overhead, leaving the trapped heat from the prior day to warm the air as Daring walked. Without the cats chasing her she could finally take in some of what was around her. Monkeys chattered overhead, bickering over a large, ripe, red fruit as a trio of brightly-colored macaws watched on. Daring couldn’t help but think the trio of birds found the whole sight amusing. The sounds of a hundred other birds echoed through the rainforest, no longer obscured to her hearing by the frantic crashing of a hoof chase. Just as impressive as the sounds of the jungle was the sights - Along with the macaws and the monkeys where the massive bodies of the trees of the forest, each one a king surrounded by smaller, younger trees that still managed to tower over Daring even as they seemed small compared to the dizzying heights their lord’s reached. Across and around and between them were dozens of different plants that covered jungle floor and made up the underbrush; Billowing ferns with their broad green fronds soaking up the sun’s rays while more flowery neighbors dotted the area with shots of color. Vines, as thick and as long as mooring ropes on an airship, climbed up and across the trunks of trees, wrapping their way around the branches to where they dangled down until running into another branch and continuing their twisting byzantine journey across the jungle trees. On the jungle floor, a wide assortment of animals were already going about their own daily lives - little herds of strange little mammals grazing around the base’s of the tree’s, little rodents scuttling about as they collected seeds and fruits for their own little hoards. A thousand different insects scurried across every surface as they searched for food or for prey or another burrow. A flurry of squawks overhead drew Daring’s gaze skyward where she saw a pair of Macaws - likely the same macaws she had seen earlier, given the third one on the sidelines - squabbling loudly. Daring couldn’t even venture a guess as to over what or why.

The terrain under her hooves began to shift as she walked. The gradient began to increase, and Daring found she was heading up hill for the time being. The plant life had also changed somewhat. The trees were now smaller, with the massive giants left behind, and the ground was littered with rocky outcroppings that stood out as shocks of dark grey against a sea of brown and green. Unlike the cave she had found before, these rocks showed no signs or records of civilization.

Soon the terrain leveled out again as Daring reached the top of the rise. Just up ahead, she could make out a point where the tree’s seemed to thin out dramatically. Venturing forward, Daring soon reach the edge of the trees. She paused for a moment before stepping out into the bright glare. She blinked as the sun seemed to momentarily overpower her eyes, but soon her vision cleared and she took in where she was.

She had just stepped into a massive clearing, situated deep inside the jungle. A field of greenery stretched out before her, ringed on all sides by the same slim trees that had surrounded her on her walk up to here. The clearing itself was filled with little more than grasses and ferns - even the rocks that had been so common before were absent - and a small herd of jungle animals were grazing in the middle, the grasses serving as their morning meal. The clearing itself was nothing impressive - just a big, empty field. There weren’t even any ruins. But after the long day and a whole night in the almost claustrophobic surroundings of the jungle, the pegasus found herself invigorated by the sight of the great blue expanse above her head. What she wouldn’t give at the moment to simply fly above all of it and simply take in the sights from the air as a pegasus was wont to do. Her wings flexed involuntarily at the thought of flight, twitching in anticipation. The same twitches sent a small shot of pain through her injured wing, reminding her of just why she wasn’t going to be doing any flying today.

The field, however, might make a good place to set up camp if she found herself out here for very much longer. The base camp on the mainland had been given an estimate of how long she was supposed to be gone, and knew where she was heading. If she didn’t show up in a few days then they would come looking for her. A clearing like this would be easy to spot from the air, especially if somepony lit a really big bonfire in the middle. With her own plane having been left a smoldering wreck after the crash, her only real route off the island was when somepony came looking for her. Barring anything else happening in the next day or three and she needed to get off the island before that. If that happened, Daring wasn’t sure what she was going to do. If all else failed, she could just wing it like she usually did - it had worked so far, hadn’t it?

Daring started across the open field, her hooves sinking into the thick overgrowth that covered the ground. A few nearby animals looked up at her lazily as she passed before deciding they were safe to return to their grazing. The buzz of insects intensified as she crossed, the swarms of bugs rising out of the grasses as she disturbed their hiding spots and sent the living clouds off into the late morning air to harass some poor jungle locals. After the most uneventful walk of her entire trip so far, Daring gave the field one last look before heading once more into the jungle.

It only took a few minutes of walking before another sound started to mix in with the now familiar sounds of the jungle - The sound of running water. Daring couldn’t help but pick up her pace, her thirst driving her forward at the promise of a cool drink. The ground soon began to slope down as the sound of flowing water grew louder. The trees and plant life once again thinned out as she found herself on the shore of a small babbling brook. Or was it a stream? She had never really been sure on the difference.

Daring carefully made her way over the rocks to the water’s edge and, after a quick check to make for water clarity and lack of predatory fish, set her hat aside and proceeded to dunk her entire head into the flowing stream.

She held her head in the cool water for as long as her breath held before pulling it out. A deep inhale of air was followed by a satisfied sigh as she gave her head a quick shake to get most of the water out of her now thoroughly soaked mane before she knelt down and took a few large gulps of water.

Daring had tasted drinks from some of the finest bars and establishments in the world. Saki from Neighpon, wines from the cellars of Prance nobility, even whiskey from the personal collection of Celestia herself at one particularly ritzy University event. At the moment, none of them came close to the crisp, cool, sweet taste of that jungle river water as it wetted her parched pallet.

Daring let out a content sigh as she idly wished she still had a canteen on her. Of course, any canteen had been lost with just about every other piece of equipment in the plane crash. Still, at least it looked like her luck was improving.

It was then that she began to notice a low rumbling sound. One hoof came up and rubbed at an ear, but the sound continued. Okay, not her ears ringing. She began looking around for the source of the strange sound even as it began to grow louder. After a moment she realized that it was coming from up river. And it sounded like it was getting closer. Daring found she was taking slow steps backward even as she stared up stream, trying to get a look at whatever was coming. Some sort of primal instinct of wanting to see the predator that chased her.

The rumbling grew into a thundering roar as its source finally rounded a far bend. It was a massive flash flood, a rolling, frothing tumult of white and brackish brown steaming toward her like a runaway cart.

Daring’s shoulders slumped as her ears flattened against her head. “Darn. Jinxed it.”

Daring turned tail and pounded down the stream bed, eyes darting around for a way out of the path of the incoming wall of water. Unfortunately for her, most of the river bed was made up of loosely packed, river worn stones that were a nightmare to climb up. If she tried to head back into the jungle now, the flood would pluck her off the riverside and sweep her away before she was even half way up. Her only hope was if the terrain up ahead improved or that the flood lost momentum. Given the fact that the flood seemed to, in fact, be gaining on her did not give her much hope in the latter. The former wasn’t looking to likely at this rate either. Something had to change, and soon.

She could feel the water nipping at her heels when she spotted her salvation. Up ahead the ground dropped away as the water plummeted downward into a subterranean waterway. Daring wasn’t sure where it had come from, but she wasn’t about to look a gift dragon in the mouth. She quickened her pace as the drop-off drew closer. Finally, just as she could feel the flood bearing down behind her, she leapt.

The torrent of water plunged down into the chasm below as Daring wrapped her hooves around a hanging vine, letting her momentum carry her across the intervening space. A quick glance down showed her just how far of a drop it had been. She was glad she hadn’t actually had time to think about it.

Safely landing on the other side, Daring finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. She turned around to find herself face to face with the long lost temple that she had sought tirelessly for over sixty days and nights! Two months of research, aerial surveys and long nights had finally led her to this point. The fact that she had finally located the legendary temple by blind luck didn’t even register to her, so wrapped up in awe she was at the grand structure before her.

It was a massive stepped pyramid, capped at the top with a ceremonial compound like temples in this part of the world often were. Even as decayed as it was and covered in vines it was an impressive site. Daring couldn’t help but tilt her head back to stare up at it in awe as she walked toward its entrance.

The smell of decay and danger hit Daring Do as she peered into the dimly-lit entrance of the ancient temple. Daring stepped lightly as she walked down the dim hall, the dim red light from the glowing eyes of a grinning skull only adding to the atmosphere of the place. The floor was alive with insects as they scuttled about, skittering about the pegasus’s steps as she walked. Daring’s eyes darted about, on the lookout for any possible source of further trouble. So it was with the expectation of trouble that Daring’s gaze shot to her own hoof as it fell on a title that sank under her weight far more than it should have. “Well, that can’t be a good sign.”

The slow, heavy, grinding of ancient mechanisms greeted her ears as Daring charged down the hall. Whatever traps lurked inside had been triggered and now her only hope was getting past them before they did what they were designed to do. Daring ducked the first trap, barely missing a step as a flurry of axes shot over her head and buried into the wall on the other side. The next trap was slightly harder to dodge as searing gouts of flame shot forth from the floor. Daring barely managed to clear it, the waves of blistering her heat rolling over her fur as she came far too close for comfort. She barely had time to gather her wits before a snapping noise from above sent her flat against the floor. A quick glance above her head showed her the surreal sight of a pack - did you call it a pack? - Of alligators hanging from the ceiling, snapping at her. How the hay had they gotten those guys up there, anyway?

The next death trap was decidedly tame in comparison - a flurry of darts shot out of the wall as Daring danced and dodged around them, only a few hissing to close to her coat along with a few that managed to lodge themselves harmlessly into her pith helmet. The follow-on series of floor spikes that began to shoot up at her as she dodged around them was almost par for the course in a place like this. She finally arrived on the other side in time to realize that to door was already shutting on her. With one more burst of speed, Daring threw herself over the threshold, rolling on the other side to pull her tail through just before the massive stone door slammed shut.

Daring gave the now sealed door one final look over her shoulder before turning to the chamber before her. It was at least twenty paces across, hallways branching off in an octagonal design. Torches burned in their holders as the hung from the walls in between. The same system that ran the traps must have lit the torches, she realized. That or somebody was expecting her here today. The thought sent a shiver up her spine.

The chamber roof arched over her head, the smooth stone showing the flaking worn hints of what might have once been a mural peering down at her. There were eight hallways in all - seven, if she didn’t count the one she had just come out of. Seven different routes and Daring had no idea which one to take.

Well, no matter. So, she picked one at random and headed down it.

Daring found herself in what look liked a large storage chamber of some sort, the entire space willed with oversized clay jars, each one with the same stylized Anubis head for a lid. Walking through the room was like walking through the ranks of some sort of bizarre army. As creepy as the trek through the room was, it resulted in nothing. There was no other way out of the chamber then the way she had come in. With a sigh, Daring headed back to the central chamber. At least the room hadn’t been booby trapped.
To pick the next hall to check, Daring simply walked straight across the chamber and down the hall immediately opposite the one she had just left - Simple, yet effective. This hallway, like the last, ended in a large chamber. Unlike the last one, this one was obviously not just a storage room.

The center of the room - it was more like a hall, really - was occupied by a massive stone table, around which were arranged a dozen massive stone chairs. Each one seemed so large, Daring wondered if they even actually moved or were carved out of the stone floor like columns. She drew closer to one to take a better look and nearly jumped out of her coat when she looked at the seat.

The ancient remains of a long departed pony sat in the seat, hooves still folded underneath his barrel, head hanging as the tattered remains of an ancient ceremonial garb hung from its bones. A quick glance around the table showed that all of the seats were similarly occupied. Some of them had the telltale horn of a unicorn, many with aging and tarnished rings of jewelry still wrapped around them. Others had the tell-tale shapes of wing bones fanning out from under the decayed robes, thin feather-like pieces of metal lying near them as the only remains of ancient weaponry. The remaining few lacked both horn and wing, the only indicator of their once epic strength and unique connection to the earth lost along with their mortal forms, leaving only the decorated bones of stout skeletons in their place. There was four of each type, in all, two of each on each side. It was not hard to imagine that it was likely one of each gender per side. Representatives of all three tribes, equally split by gender, seated in perfect symmetry. It was a common sort of ritual set-up in ancient pony cultures, a manifestation of the intrinsic pony desire for balance and harmony. It was a common thread that connected every form of pony culture Daring had come across. It was part of who they were.

A cold chill ran up Daring’s spine, as if somebody was watching her. She quickly turned around, her hooves catching on some of the aged items scattered about and sending them clattering across the stone floor. When she final got turned around though, all she found behind her was thin air. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder back at the ancient meeting ponies. All of them were still where they had been seated for countless ages. Part of her had half expected them to get up and start attacking her, what with the way her luck had been so far.

Carefully, so as not to further disturb the final resting place of these dozen ponies, Daring slowly left the chamber and headed back to the main hub. The echo of her hoof falls was the only sound that accompanied her.

The next two chambers had proven equally unfruitful. One had been some sort of archive or library. Aging racks made of stone and wood crisscrossed the room, turning it into a bizarre maze. Daring wandered about it, peering into the stacks of scrolls and clay tablets among the shelves, unable to read a single word of the writings gathered in the space. She couldn’t even hope to take any of it with her. Unlike a statue, scrolls like this were often extremely delicate. A careless hoof or an ill-timed sneeze and the scrolls would simply disintegrate into confetti. She could only hope that she could find this place again after she left and bring back proper equipment to study this entire place - hopefully with help.

The Other room was what must have been a congregation chamber of sorts. Long, low stone benches crossed the entire width of the room, two columns of benches leading toward the front with a single aisle down the middle. At the front of the room was yet another Anubis-headed statue. This one resembling more a wolf then some sort of dog, seated and peering out over the space where the worshipers would have been seated. At its feet was a low table, the remains of wooden bowls and cups scattered around it. A place to leave offers, perhaps? Once again, however, the room showed no sign of an exit so Daring was forced to turn back.

It was with the next hall that she hit pay dirt. She knew she was onto something almost immediately, as the hallway turned out to be much longer than the other ones. A second clue was the faint draft of air she could feel. It was faint, almost undetectable, but the keen senses of a pegasus let her pick up the faintest of wind currents as air flowed down the hall in the barest of whispers.

Sure she was now on the right track, Daring started down the hall. She was feeling confident. That was, until she felt her hoof sink into the floor again as a tile fell under her weight. Well, at least it had been a nice break. The door behind her slammed shut alarmingly fast as that familiar grinding sound of ancient gears and mechanisms sprang to life, brought to life by her careless hoof step. Daring started down the hall as fast as she could, her eyes already spying the door on the far side, watching as it began to slowly descend to close off her only remaining escape route. Thankfully, it seemed to be on a different counterweight then the first door since its descent was much slower, almost tauntingly so.

Of course, it wasn’t a simple dash to the other side. The first trap was actually quite clever - a pair of massive spinning blades that emerged from the wall, slicing through the passageway as they sped toward Daring in an attempt to dice her. Daring let out a yelp as she frantically ducked under them, feeling a few of her longer mane hairs get trimmed as they passed. The next trap was also quite ingenious with its blades. This time it was a series of pendulums, swinging back and forth in lazy swings with the barest of spaces between them. Daring carefully timed her steps, hastily bringing herself up short as she nearly mistimed one step a nearly found herself in the path of one of the massive curved blades arcs. She tried to make her way across the trap as fast as she could, her eyes glancing toward the ever descending door on the other side. The next obstacle gave up on shop objects and opted for a brute force approach, this time beginning to lower the entire roof down on her. As an added bonus, spikes began to sprout from what had looked like otherwise decorative holes across the ceiling to turn the hallway roof into a massive, ancient mashie spikey plate of unpleasantness. So, now Daring had to get across the hallway before the door closed and the roof turned her into a pincushion - right, sure, no problem.

The floor, however, wasn’t done with her either, it seemed, as whole sections began to fall way into - of course - a deep chasm that it looked like the whole hall was built over. Only a few beams crossing the hall seemed to be unaffected, but they had been places to try and make it impossible to jump between them -key word try. Daring began leaping across the beams, each arc bringing her perilously close to the spikes now overhead. Each jump was a near thing, with more than a couple being landed more by luck then by skill. Eventually, however, she found herself back on a decent stretch of stone. A quick step forward was brought up short when a poisoned dart flew across the hall, barely missing her nose. Daring gave a the walls a quick glance, before glancing at the descending roof, now dangerously close, before turning to the far door. A single stretch of stone, likely connected to the poison dart trap, led up to one final pit before ending at the door on the other side. A door that was beginning to get far too close to shut for her tastes. Daring bit back a curse and ran.

Darts whistled past her, some of them ricocheting off of the spikes that had lowered down into their paths. Daring increased her speed, feeling darts slam into her pith helmet and graze over her coat but none of them managing to hit her properly. Finally, as she neared the chasm, she leapt.

She threw herself across the intervening space, landing on the other side in a slide that carried her through the door moments before it slammed shut behind her. Daring slid across the hall on the other side before rolling back to her hooves. She looked back at the now sealed door, giving it a grin as she cleared the darts off of her helmet and continued on into the temple.

Chapter Four

Daring’s hoof falls echoed around her as she walked down the expansive antechamber. Intricately carved columns of dark stone lined the hall, amber and gold tiles inlayed in the floor reflected the flickering light of the burning torches across the hall, filling the deep corners with flickering shadows that played tricks on the eye and toyed with the mind. Daring’s eyes flicked from corner to corner, searching for danger, as she neared the entrance to the main chamber.

Daring stepped across the threshold and stopped, frozen in awe of what lay before her. A small skylight carved into the stone roof above allowed a single beam of light to shine down into the center of the chamber where it fell upon a lone alter that was the sole feature of the room. And on that alter…

Daring Do stood at the entrance to the central temple chamber. At last, she was face-to-face with the legendary sapphire statue!

Daring began her way across the hall to the altar, but she stopped herself a few steps later - All the traps, all of the effort up to this point to stop her and then, right at the end, nothing? Daring didn’t buy it. She began looking around for the trick, the hidden trap or whatever diabolical obstacle might be placed in between her had her ultimate goal. After a moment, she finds her eyes drifting to the decorative floor tiles.

On a hunch, Daring kicked a nearby rock onto the tiles, where it skipped and slid before coming to a rest on one tile. One tile which proceeded to sink into the floor followed a hail of darts that flew where the would-be intruder would have been standing and impaling on the far wall. So, more dart traps – lovely.

Daring carefully studied the tiles. There had to be some sort of clue hidden in them. They were all made of the same yellow-ish, brown stone, varying in shade from a gold-ish yellow to an almost brown shade. Each one had an engraving carved into its surface. A few designs kept recurring - A seated tiger, a snarling lion, the visage of a fearsome wolf…wait a minute…

Daring scanned the titles another time and grinned. “They’re all predators.” Daring thought out loud. Every one of them was a predator - except for one. “Except for sheep!” Daring carefully lowered her hoof onto the nearest tile bearing the design of a docile herbivore; slowly shifting her weight onto it as she kept an eye on the far wall, but no darts came.

Now with a clear idea of how to get across the floor, Daring began to jump from sheep tile to sheep tile. She leapt across the larger distances, hooves coming perilously close to triggering the neighboring tiles and unleashing a barrage of poisoned darts. Some of the tiles were annoyingly far apart from each other. Not for the first time on this accursed trip did Daring wish she still had a functional wing. Flying would have made this trap foals play, stupid plane crash.

With one final jump, Daring landed safely on the other side of the tiles, taking a moment to catch her breath. Finally, she turned her attention to the altar before her - and her ultimate prize.

Daring gradually made her way up the steps that led up to the altar itself, cautious of any further traps that might be hidden around the temple’s centerpiece. No traps spring themselves though, and soon Daring found herself eye to eye with the legendary Sapphire Statue.

It was exactly as the drawing in the cavern and shown it and the way the legends had described it. It was a brilliant shade of blue for the most part, seemingly carved out of a single piece of stone. Two intricately detailed Anubis heads sprouted from the top, small eyes glaring off at some unseen foe or unworthy subject. Lower on its body, inlayed right in its center, was easily the largest Sapphire Daring had ever seen. It was a sharply cut stone that seemed to radiate illumination like a torch. It was a brilliant shade of blue that made the stone around it look dull, and it was almost as big as a phoenix egg.

A quick scan showed that, however the precious stone was mounted in the statue, it seemed to be permanent - or, at least, mostly permanent. Either way, it didn’t look like Daring was going to be walking out with just the stone. She lacked any of the equipment to transport a relic like the statue properly, but she wasn’t going to leave this trip empty hoofed, and the statue was a lot easier to move in one piece at the moment then any of those scrolls.

That just meant moving the statue itself. Daring scanned over the altar, looking for anything out of place. A lever trigger, a counter weight switch, or some other linkage mechanism. But, as far as she could tell, the altar was trap free. Still, it couldn’t be that simple Daring thought as she weighed her option, sweat starting to bead on her brow. Her hooves rubbed together as she considered the most likely situation. The minute she removed the statue, it would trigger a defense response of some sort. On the other hoof, it was entirely possible that they had never expected an intruder to make it this far into the temple proper and thus the statue was not, in fact, rigged to anything. But the pressure-trigger floor hinted that the designers had thought otherwise. Still, if the statue was moved on a regular basis, then having some sort of trap attached to the altar would be impractical - unless the Temple had a mechanism to disable the various traps along the way to the statue, which would make sense. It was also something Daring had wish she had considered about a dozen or so near misses ago. If she could figure out the disabling mechanism then she could simply turn off any trap that might be attached. But that would require heading all the way back to the entrance to the temple most likely, which was not an appealing proposition.

Daring let out a frustrated sigh at her own circular logic, so she simply gave up trying to figure out if the altar was trapped and just grabbed the statue with her teeth. With a few quick flicks of her hooves, Daring stowed the statue away safely, tucked into the recesses of her pith helmet. She idly took a moment to adjust her hat as she tried to take into account the new weight when she noticed that the altar had changed. Ever so slowly, a cylinder was rising out of the center of the altar where the statue had once stood. “Right” Daring muttered as she groused. “Trap - of course there’s a trap.”

The entire room began to rumble, the entire space beginning to collapse as whatever load-bearing mechanism the altar had been hooked into disengaged. Daring was a moment away from leaping of the altar and back to the floor below when a piece of falling debris crashed straight through the floor into the once hidden space below. A bellow of smoke belched out of the new hole shortly after, accompanied by a wave of heat. Soon, the rest of the floor began to crumble away as Daring’s eyes went wide over what was really below the temple floor.

Sweet Celestia, they had built their temple over an active volcano!

It also seemed that, whatever mechanism they had, it was agitating the lava below if the way it was rising was any indicator. Daring back stepped further up the altar, her rear soon bumping into the statue’s pedestal. Slowly, the lava began to climb closer as the entire room continued to collapse. Columns began to topple as the room disintegrated, the massive blocks of black stone that had been supporting the roof now floating on the lava. That gave Daring an idea - she just hoped it work.

The lava was now perilously close, the hairs on her forelegs starting to singe off of the radiant heat when she leapt. Her underside was pounded with searing heat before her hooves finally alighted on one of the fallen columns. Lave still rising behind her, Daring leapt to the next column. Then to the next. And the next.

Soon, Daring found herself nearing the roof of the temple, and the skylight that had once been far above her head. Now, it had become the one and only way for Daring to get out of the temple in one piece. It was still, however, an annoyingly long way off and the lava was growing closer by the second. With little other choice, Daring threw herself toward the skylight and her only hope for escape from the fiery heat below her. She neared the edge of the skylight, and reached out a hoof to grab it, but it slipped past her grasp. Desperate, Daring reached out and, in a last ditch attempt, grabbed hold of the edge with her teeth. Slowly, Daring pulled herself over the edge and onto the temple roof, tumbling out of the skylight with a huff. A quick glance behind her showed that the lava was still steadily rising, the stepped pyramid having turned into a massive artificial volcano. Ahead of her was the steep slopes of the pyramid itself, a series of pony-high steps save for the smoothed sections sloping down in two parallel lines down the middle of each side. Well, smooth was a relative term - she didn’t relish the idea of taking that particular route. The lava behind her, however, didn’t give her much choice in the matter.

So, with one final adjustment of her pith helmet, Daring jumped onto the sloping section of the pyramid’s side, dropping into a slide as gravity took over She quickly gained speed, the molten rock behind her finally spewing out of the top of the temple and smothering the spot she had been standing moments earlier before starting its lethargic decent in her direction. On either side of her the massive stone steps sped by, blurring into a strange oscillating wave of stone mere inches away on either side. Bumps and loose rocks along her haphazard route sent her bouncing around as Daring desperately tried to keep herself on the narrow ribbon of relative safety. She could feel the ground still rumbling below her as the larger temple complex seemed to be crumbling in on itself as if the statue had been the sole linchpin holding everything together. Perhaps, Daring thought, it had been.

Below her, she could see the base of the pyramid getting closer. Instead of terminating at the ground, the entire pyramid was surrounded by some sort of secondary structure forming a larger temple complex. Instead of landing her on terra firma, her improvised slide was hurtling her straight toward the stone roof of a crumbling building. “Oh boy.”

Daring braced herself for the inevitable collision with stone, but it seemed her luck was finally starting to improve. An instant before Daring would have collided with the roof, the rolling wave of destruction reached the ancient building and the entire structure crumbled. Daring found herself plunging through darkened space as clouds of dust and debris billowed around her. For a brief moment she flew through the dark void, no concept of distance as she seemed to hang in the inky blackness. Then, an instant later, she felt a jolt as she landed again and continued her downward slide. Unlike the stone from before, this time the surface underneath her felt softer and wetter - less like stone and more like soil. What little light did manage to pierce the veil of dust quickly disappeared as the tunnel - for that’s what it was, Daring realized - curved as it descended. The soft glow of luminescent mushrooms cut through the darkness at random intervals. Daring simply tried to keep hall of her hooves close to her body, not wanting to risk catching them on something in such a cramp space or at such speeds. The tunnel twisted and turned sometimes seeming to curve upward for a short while, but always invariably curving back downward. Daring tried to guess at how deep underground she was, but the speed of her decent and the curving tunnel made any sort of reasonable guess impossible. At the very least, she was likely below the river line at this point - possibly even below sea level.

Suddenly, the tunnel leveled out and a short distance later Daring found herself flung out of tunnel by sheer momentum and sent tumbling over an earthen floor. Daring laid there for a moment, head still spinning like she had just been caught in a cyclone, until her eyes stopped rolling in their sockets and she managed to sum up her current feelings. “Ow”

Shakily, Daring got to her hooves as the room seemed to keep spinning as shapes began to take form in the darkness. Narrow columns covered in more of those glowing fungi lined the hall, alcoves in between adorning with a varied collection of statuettes casting strange shadows in the dim organic light. Daring drew closer to one of the statuettes to get a better look. It was a manticore of some sort, a snarl frozen across its features as it reared back. The alcove around it was unadorned, a simple nook of carved stone built to hold the statue. The columns around it were made out of the same stone, but seemed to be more decorated. Daring leaned closer, trying to get a better angle in the low light, and gasped when she got a look at what was on the columns.

The history of Equestria had produced numerous cultures, each with their own mythologies and cosmologies - including stories of the underworld. Realms of monsters and darker, stranger things that nopony was meant to ever see. Places nopony was meant to go into or out of. Places that were the homes of a pony’s nightmares and darkest fears. All of these things seemed to have been drawn on by the artist who had carved the column with twisted figures adorning its surface. She gave her surroundings another look and began to notice other details. The other columns were adorned in a fashion similar to the first column, decorated in an array of imagery straight out of Tartarus. The statuettes in between each alcove followed a similar pattern - Dragon’s, Manticores, Hydras, and other such things were represented, arrayed in their nooks in no apparent order. Even the floor seemed sinister upon a second look, its tiling stones etched with swirling patterns of sharp angles spanning out across the floor. Daring had found herself in an underground city of shadows - a recreation of the Hayan underworld. A small shiver ran down her spine as she considered what else might be down here if she was right.

Daring started down the hall, the only illumination the soft glow of mushrooms, until she reached an intersection. A hallway branched off to the left and right while a third continued forward. Sitting in alcoves between each hall, nestled into the corners, were sitting four over-sized Anubis statues, all four of them the same basic design as the one she had seen back inside the temple proper, each one glaring down at the center of the juncture with piercing glares. Daring watched them wearily as she continued on. The next hallway was much like the last one; in fact it was almost identical to the last - The same columns, the same statues, the same intricate geometrics on the floor tiles. Like the last, it ended in an intersection, this one also featuring four of the imposing Anubis statues. Idly, Daring decided to try taking a left, but the same result. Every turn simply led her down more identical halls, through more identical intersections, as she quickly became hopelessly lost. This was some sort of insane labyrinth - for what purpose, Daring didn’t have the time to figure out, nor did she have the interest at the moment. Right now, all she was interesting in figuring out was the way out.

After taking a few random turns, Daring simply started off in a straight line in hopes of running into a new feature, or simply a perimeter wall of some sort. Some sort of feature that she could orient off of and start trying to work out a way out. However, for hallway after repetitive hallway, she saw no sign of any change in scenery. Around her, she could see where the labyrinth had fallen into disrepair, showing the dark soil behind the stones that made up the entire place, a slow trickle of dirt falling through the cracks in the masonry.

After a further half-dozen or so hallways with nothing but the sound of her hoof steps for company, Daring’s ears twitched at a sudden change in the monotony. She came to a stop and listened intently, only to realize that she could still hear the sounds of hoof steps. But there was something off about them, like they were padded or…

Daring jerked her head in the direction of the sound, suddenly realizing what the sound she was hearing was. Trying to be as quiet as she could, Daring gingerly made her way down another hallway, slowly drawing closer to the sound. Sure enough, the sound began to grow louder - the sure sound of steps, and as she drew closer she started to make out other details. From the sounds of it, there was more than one of them. Other sounds began to make themselves known as well - low growls, guttural snarls, and sharp hisses that tended to come before or after the sound of somepony walking straight into a piece of solid stone followed by a sudden yowl. Daring pressed herself against the nearest wall before scooting along the wall as quietly as she could until she could peer around the corner at whoever her company was - but she had an idea who it might be.

Sure enough, right around the corner she saw the tiger from yesterday, glaring up at the nearest Anubis statue as the Lynx and the Panther padded in behind it. The Cheetah was already poking its head down another hallway, the glower across its face showing its displeasure at finding yet another identical hallway. Apparently the cats were not enjoying the maze.

Daring slowly began to edge her way away from the intersection, once again careful to make as little sound as possible. Those cats had sharp ears and with their eyes they would have a much easier time seeing her before she could see them. She could only hope to try and maintain as much distance between her and them as possible. With luck, she would be able to find her way out of this place while those cats kept running themselves around the place in circles as the try and find what was no longer there. Daring waited until she had a good half dozen hallways between her and them before starting to move at a normal pace again. If she had taken her turns right, she should have moved in a roughly diagonal direction - not that there was any real basis for her orientation, since she had long since lost track of which way north was.

It was while aimlessly moving through the tunnels as she continued to try and put as much space between her and those cats as possible that Daring came across what she had been looking for in the first place.

Daring was glancing over her shoulder yet again, making sure that she hadn’t been followed, when she walked straight into a wall. Daring stumbled backward, landing on her rump with an unmarelike grunt as one hoof rose up to rub at her now sore nose. Daring sat there on the ground for a moment as she studied the offending wall. It was the ‘top’ portion of a T-intersection Daring now found herself sitting in the middle off, and its entire surface was covered in the same sort of strange geometries as the patterns covering the floor below her. To either side where the same Anubis statues as before, still glowering down at some invisible foe. Or maybe they just didn’t like her.

Daring tapped a hoof against her chin as she considered her choices - left or right? Carefully, she retraced her steps in her head, trying to figure which way she had come from. She thought it was the left - probably. Well, probably was good enough for her. So, without a second thought, Daring started down the right-hoof tunnel. The new pattern was almost the same as the last, save for the wall in place of another hallway. There was, however, one other difference starting to become apparent.

She was going uphill.

Slowly but surely the slope beneath her hooves was getting steeper as it arced upward. Soon, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel - quite literally, in this case. The tunnel leveled out slightly before opening out into a wide open space. Daring stepped through the final archway and found herself up on a wide stone ledge. Out beyond it the space opened up into a massive natural cavern. A waterfall tumbled over A distant rock face as an underground river flowed through. The entire cave was lit an eerie twilight glow cast by the thousands upon thousands of luminescent fungi that were growing from the roof and the floor. Massive spires of crystal jutted out of the ground in groups that looked like bizarre groves of trees. Interspersed in between and around the cave floor were dozens of little ponds and pools, small ripples echoing across the surface as droplets of moisture fell from the ceiling above - and those droplets had quite a ways to fall. The entire cavern looked like you could stick Canterlot Castle inside and none of the spires would have scraped the roof. There was another open space that you could probably fit most of the royal gardens down here as well. She doubted that would be very good for the plants though. It would make the hedge maze more interesting however.

Her gawking was cut short as the faintest echo of movement emanated from somewhere deep in the tunnels behind her. Daring cursed as she started looking around the edge of her ledge for a way down. Of course, nopony had remembered to put any stairs up to here. Perhaps the actual way into the cavern proper had been down a different tunnel - or maybe the stairs had just collapsed long ago. The pile of rubble could have been their ruinous remains, but they could just as easily be from a rock face collapse. Grumbling at how much of a disaster this entire trip had become - and briefly wondering why it had taken her until this point to come to that conclusion, given the hoof chases through the jungle, the death traps and the lava she had encountered so far - Daring started picking her way down the insanely steep slope of loose stones as she laboriously worked her way toward the cavern floor. Stones skidded underneath her hooves, threating to send her tumbling down the steep slope if she had a misstep or simply got unlucky. The sound of falling rocks clattered loudly through the cavern, and up above Daring could hear the pace of her pursues getting faster as they drew closer to the ledge.

Daring managed to make it to the bottom of the hill in one piece just as the first cat burst out onto the ledge. It swept its gaze across the cave before zeroing in on the tan pegasus down below. It let out a deep growl before signaling its compatriots to move forward, the three of them beginning to pick their way down the slope after Daring. Daring didn’t bother waiting for them, speeding off into the maze of crystalline spires as the sound of tumbling rocks and angry snarls echoed behind her.

Daring weaved through the crystals, the jagged translucent blue stones seeming to glow along with the mushrooms around them. Strange, pale insects scuttled about, watching Daring with blind eyes before crawling back toward the nearest pool, where cave fish lurked just under the pools edge in wait to grab any cave denizen that strayed to close. Her hoof steps echoed off of the crystals as she began to near the bottom of the cave terrace. Above her the worn stone towered overhead, the low roar of a waterfall off to one side rang in her ears as she considered her next move. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of falling stone fading. Either they had given up, or they had reached the bottom. Given her luck, she was guessing it was the latter.

A sudden burst of sound from somewhere above her caught her attention. She looked up to see a plume of what looked like smoke drifting across the cavern above her. Smoke - or steam.

Daring began running along the base of the terrace, looking for a way up as she could hear the sounds of her pursuers grow closer. She could hear there growls echoing off of the crystal as they spread out, slowly but surely closing in on her position. After a few minutes she found a point where the slope turned into a gentler gradient and she started up it to the plateau above. Behind her, she heard an angry roar as she guessed the tiger and its friends finally caught sight of her half-way up the slope. Daring increased her pace as she neared the top and finally cresting the top.

At the top she found herself in the middle of a truly alien landscape. Across the barren, reddish-brown ground were dozens of small mounds, each one slowly leaking steam before occasionally burping out massive pale clouds as the geothermal activity below them slowly churned. It was in fact a massive geyser field, buried under the surface of the island. Further above, she could just make out the bright light of what she guessed was what would have looked like another sink hole on the surface, though this one simply opened straight into the expansive cavern below it. She began to weave her way around the geysers, the rumble of steam below her hooves sounding like the bellyache of an angry beast. Suddenly, as one of the geysers nearby erupted, something peculiar happened at another. Suddenly, the geyser seemed to inhale as Daring could feel the massive and strange intake of air into the geologic feature. Then, suddenly, the geyser’s airflow seemed to suddenly reverse as it proceeded to let out its collected air in a massive burst as the system reversed. A warm, damp breeze that was much cooler than the usual steam of a geyser wafted over Daring. She could only stare at the geyser in confusion as she tried to figure just how that had worked. Admittedly, Daring’s knowledge of geology was somewhat limited in regards to geysers, but she was fairly sure geysers weren’t supposed to work like that, right?

Her questions on questionable geyser mechanics would have to wait, however, as a nearby growl alerted her to the fact that her feline pursuers had finally managed to catch up with her. Daring began to weave through the geyser field again, trying to work out an escape plan. Around her, the geysers continued to belch out steam. Around them, their neighbors reacted in sympathy as they sucked in air before coughing it back out. Which geyser reacted to an eruption seemed random.

Daring dodged around another geyser and came face to face with an angry cheetah. Daring back pedaled rapidly, leaping over one of the geysers as the cat gave chase. The cheetah leapt after her, but its timing ended poorly for the cat. It was mid-leap when the geyser let out a massive burst of steam. The cheetah recoiled, leaping off to one side as it yowled in pain from coming within inches of the super-heated water vapor. The cat likely didn't realize its luck – a normal geyser would have left it thoroughly cooked. Daring sped off into the geyser field, confident now in her escape, when she was sideswiped.

Daring rolled with her assailants tackle, both of them tumbling across the geyser field in a flurry of fur and hooves and claws as Daring realized that she was entangled once again with the tiger that seemed to be the leader of their little outfit. Razor sharp teeth snapped uncomfortably close to Daring’s face as they continued to roll along until they finally came to a stop with the big cat on top.

The cat stared down at Daring with a predatory grin, savoring the moment. It was so engrossed that it failed to notice the slight rumble building beneath them. Daring, however, did notice. Daring bucked with all the might she could muster, flipping the two of them over so that now the tiger was on the bottom. The Rumbling built to a crescendo as Daring flashed a smug grin at the tiger. “Going up.”

A truly massive burst of steam shot the pair of them skyward toward the sinkhole Daring had seen earlier, the force of it peeling the two of them apart as Daring flew clear though the hole and beyond, arcing through the air before tumbling back toward the earth.

The thick jungle canopy slowed her fall so that, when she finally hit the ground, all it did was rattle her marbles. Daring shook her head to try and clear it before she looked up - and straight into the eyes of a grinning, utterly bizarre creature.

Chapter Five

“Hello, Miss Do.” The creature grinned at her, displaying an array of sharp teeth. It stands over her, far taller than the average pony, its coat a deep purple. Around its neck and strange, ape-like forelimbs are bands of gold and red fur. It’s belly is a pale blue, as is the lower jaw of its dog-like head. Its ears are position far to the back of its head, while its eyes are disturbingly far forward, occupying the space Daring expected nostrils to be. A long, dexterous tail flicked about behind it, a primate-like hand sitting on its end.

A normal pony would have been rendered speechless by the sight of such a strange creature standing before them, much less addressing them by name, but Daring simply glared at the grinning figure before her. “Ahuizotl! Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

“You though you could evade me and capture the relic for yourself, but you are sadly mistaken miss Do!” Ahuizotl replied, the words rolling off his tongue with the lilt of a horsepanic accent. “And now, you shall meet your doom!” The tail curled around, reaching for unseen object, before coming back up with a small, silver whistle. The tail reached around and Ahuizotl used it to let out a barely perceptible, low buzzing sound. Almost immediately the tiger from earlier stepped out from one of the nearby bushes.

Daring stared at the cat and blinked. Hadn’t she just seen him in that giant cavern that was under her hooves? How had he gotten up here? Daring gave her head a shape to dismiss the thought. At the moment, it didn’t matter. “You know I can take on one of your minions, Ahuizotl.”

Ahuizotl simply gave a shrug, a disinterested frown spreading across his bizarre features. “So be it.” He gave the cat whistle another blow and two more cats stepped out from the underbrush, adding the lynx and the panther along with the tiger to the list of cats that could travel far faster than they had any right to - Really, how had they gotten up hear so fast.

“Today really isn’t my day,” Daring groaned before turning and dashing off into the forest, the cats in hot pursuit. Her only hope was to lose them in the trees like she had the first time. Of course, that was easier said than done even with the number of pursuers knocked down to three. They seemed to be sticking closer to her this time, not leading her build up any sort of lead. They were learning from their mistakes, and the same tricks weren’t going to work a second time.

Well then, time to try some new tricks then.

Daring sharply turned left, shooting out of sight of the cats for just a moment. Luckily, a moment was all she needed. Her teeth wrapped around a low, thin branch as she ran past and it immediately began to bend to follow her - Daring let it go just as the first cat rounded the turn. The branch sprang back into its original position with a sharp crack, smacking straight into the unsuspecting felines face. The cat let out a yowl of pain as it recoiled from the sudden attack. Daring, however, couldn’t afford to stay there and gloat - the other two cats were mere moments behind the first and the blow from the branch wouldn’t slow the first down for long.

The sky above her began to darken as a low rumble boomed across the skies. Out here, far beyond the reach of civilization, the weather ran still ran wild. Governed only by the whims of the atmosphere, a dark thunderhead slowly crawled its way across the sky, its dark shadow preceding the downpour to come. It started out weak - a slow staccato of droplets as they collided with the forest canopy.

Underhoof, the soft crunch of decaying foliage sounded with every step fall. The steady rhythm of the rain fall began to increase, rivulets of water rolling across the landscape as the ground beneath Daring’s hooves sloped downward. Her hooves began to sink into the quickly softening soil, the quickly muddying ground sending her skidding down the rapidly steepening incline at random intervals, only to be halted as she came within reach of a tree branch - or, in some cases, simply careened into some obstacle in her way. Behind her, the sounds of her pursuers told her they were having even worse luck then she was in this terrain.

The sound of flowing water intensified as Daring grew closer to the bottom of the hill as the rainfall seemed to reach a crescendo as the roar of thousands of crashing raindrops mingled with the dull roar of the river Daring found at the end of her decent. Even before the rain the river would have been a worthy obstacle, and now swelled with run-off from the storm it only grew in size and voracity. White water churned as is rushed over the rocks of the riverbed, fallen tree’s whisked along at a breakneck pace…

Well, there was an idea.

Picking her way over the slick rocks of the riverside, mane matted against her coat by the rain. She carefully made her way down the shoreline until she reached a spot of tree’s that had been toppled at some point in the past - a landslide or a windstorm perhaps. Daring jumped up on the log nearest to the water, half of its length already bobbing in the churning current, the other half wedged by a few of the larger rocks lining the shore. Even as it shifted beneath her in the current, Daring found it easy to stay perched the massive tree corpse. Grinning to herself, Daring hopped of the long and trotted over into the edge of the woods for a moment before returning, now with a long and sturdy branch clutched by one end in her teeth. She lightly jumped back onto the log before wedging her branch in between the log and one of the rocks keeping it from drifting off. She heaved and, with a rather un-mare like grunt of effort, managed to leverage the offending stone out of the way.

The effect was almost immediate. Daring stumbled as the whole log heaved, but as she had guessed its massive size dampened the worst of it. In moments she was drifting down the river, her impromptu raft bouncing off of a couple of stones in the current before it mellowed out and the log began slowly drifting toward the shore off to her left. Swinging her branch around as she shifted it into her hooves, Daring dunked it into the water until it bit into the riverbed bellow and pushed, adjusting her course back toward the center of the river.

The impromptu raft lazily drifted along, pulled onward by the currents of the river that continued to swell under the still growing downpour. The beat of a ten thousand strong drummer corps melded together into what sounded like a clap of thunder that had been stretched out into eternity. The foliage seemed to sag under weight of the falling water as the rivers surface danced from the ripples of countless raindrops. “And me without an Umbrella,” Daring muttered as one hood rose to push a sopping strand of her mane out of her eyes.

Daring let out a sigh as she collapsed onto the log, the pole set down alongside her as her body decided to take advantage of the lull Daring had found herself in. Even in the rain, the brief respite was a goddess-send. the mad dashing of the last two days finally began to catch up with her, the adrenaline no longer holding the protests of sore limbs and muscles at bay. “At this rate It looks like I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation.” she muttered to her self before letting out a small chuckle. She watched as the tree's drifted by, letting her legs take a break as she simply took in the scenery. More then the adventure, more then the thrill of being the first to lay eyes on a lost artifact or ruin in millennia, this was why she loved her job. The chance to travel the world, to see places and things most ponies couldn't dream off. Sweeping tundras and vast savannas, the multicolored patchwork of market stalls in a desert city that rose like a jewel in the sands. Temples tucked away on desolate mountain peaks and forgotten castles slowly being reclaimed by ancient forests. It was those brief moments of awe-inspiring beauty that made all the work worth it.

Slowly but surely, between the steady rhythm of the raindrops on the canopy and the gentle rocking of the river, Daring began to find herself nodding off, uncaring to the still falling rain as she dozed. Even in her light sleep, strange images filled her dreams – scenes Hayan beasts and crumbling cities, of dark pits and the strange creatures that lurked within. And always, no matter what, the feeling of primordial dread that something was chasing her, something large and vicious and with plenty of sharp claws and pointed teeth. No matter how far, or how fast she ran it kept growing closer. Slowly, surely closing on her until...

“Gah!” Daring bolted awake as her improvised raft rocked suddenly, a fresh surge of adrenaline pulsing through her as her eyes darted around, mind on edge and searching for danger. Instead all she found was the rock her raft had bounced off of before continuing down river. With a sigh, Daring collapsed onto her back as she tried to get her now frayed nerves back in order. “So much for my nap.” Shaking away the last of her lingering drowsiness, Daring hefted her improvised steering pole and looked down the river. The waterway up ahead transitioned from the smooth sand-landed banks of before into a tumult of rocks. It looked like a rock slide had crashed into the river and the river had just cut through it. The pole sank into the soft mud of the riverbed as she lowered it into the water, carefully guiding it through the impromptu maze of stones as the rain continued, only slightly abated by time.

As she navigated the rocks, she heard another sound along with the pattering of the raindrops. She looked back and saw the sleek form of a carved canoe cutting its way through the drizzle, the familiar form of felines on board. “Really?” Daring thought out loud. “How many times do I have to kick their flanks before these cats give up?” She buried the pole into the riverbed, shoving her raft forward, but the purpose made vessel cut through the water far more easily then her improvised ride. Her only hope was to lose them in the rocks and hazards of the river – or to face them head-on.

The pursuing felines closed to less then a raft's length as the river suddenly dropped from them, the current sweeping them along as their speed increased with the slope. The pursuing canoe collided with Daring's with a heavy thunk and a jolt that nearly sent the pegasus tumbling head-first into the river. With a vicious wing she whirled her pole around, catching one of the felines across the jaw and sending it reeling back with a yowl, before giving the enemy craft a hardy shove, separating the two as another tumble of rocks rose out of the riverbed to meet them, effectively splitting the river in two for a time. To Darings relief, the cat's were not on the same side as herself. She was about to allow herself a sigh of relief at her brief respite when she heard a low growl behind her. “Of course one of you is on my raft...”

Daring lashed out without even turning around, her hind legs kicking out and catching the offending Lynx square in the chest. She could practically feel the air rushing out of his lungs as he rebounded off of her hooves before bouncing across the raft floor. Claws dug in as he slid over the edge, halting his momentum before he flung himself at his quarry again. Daring responded with another twirl of her pole. The Lynx, however, was not going to fall for the same trick as his friend. Forelegs wrapped around the pole as hind claws dug into wood, and Daring found herself tumbling as all that arrested momentum found an outlet. Two two simply stared at each other for a moment before the Lynx broke into a grin that could only be described as predatory. Daring's ears drooped. “Oh, for the love of-”

She was cut off as the Lynx heaved the pole almost straight up, nearly catapulting Daring into the Hayan jungle as she wrapped her legs around the pole for dear life. The pole continued its arc, and Daring found herself heading straight toward the rocks. Desperately, she twisted around as she cut through the air, getting her hind leg underneath her an instant before she met an unfortunate fate.

Her legs coiled underneath her, absorbing her momentum before she kicked of the rocks with a twist, ripping the pole out of the Lynx's grip as she bolted forward like a comet. Equine skull met feline gut and found it wanting, the Lynx barreling off the side of the raft and crashing into the water with a satisfying splash. Daring let herself grin. “Bad kitty.”

It was at that point that the split flows of the river rejoined, and the still cat-laden canoe came back into view. Daring resisted the urge to simply yell at the still cloud-covered sky. “Oh, come on!”

The Panther and the Cheetah both risked leaping across the narrow gap between the craft, and Daring had to duck a vicious claw swipe from the Panther as the pair flanked her. She dodged a swipe from the Cheetah, stumbling back and losing precious ground on the narrow confines of her raft. She risked a glance backward as she felt a hoof skim the cool surface of the water. Both cats stalked closer, eager to be the one to make the catch and well aware that their quarry had nowhere to go. They both tensed, and pounced.

Daring ducked under them and threw herself forward, the two cats collided with each other as Daring tumbled to a stop on their canoe, the Tiger that had hung back recoiling in surprise as a pony suddenly dropped herself more or less into his lap, a small grin crossing his face at the prospect of an easy catch.

The grin vanished as Daring's hoof met his jaw.

The Tiger crumpled into a pile at the rear of the canoe as the other two managed to disentangle themselves, The Panther leaping across to renew the brawl. Daring opted to not humor him, taking another leap back to her own raft. The fact that there was a cheetah still on it waiting for her seemed to have slipped her mind, as she fond herself backpedaling as soon as she landed, a claw swipe coming with in a hairs breadth of her nose, her hooves seeking purchase on the unstable surface under her hooves until they found purchase on edge of the canoe, leaving half her hooves still on the raft. She suddenly found her attention split between maintaining her balance in the precarious position, and avoiding the attacks of the three angry cats.

“Son of a-” Daring swung out with one hoof as the panther got a little to close for comfort, the attack doing nothing but forcing the cat back as Daring twisted onto two hooves to avoid an attack from the cheetah. With her attention otherwise preoccupied, it was not unsurprising that Daring did not notice the drifting of the to craft until she started to feel her hind legs drifting back against her her will. “Nonononono...” Her pleas however went unanswered as the canoe and raft continued to part ways. The felines were being uncooperative as well.

The panther lunged at one of her rear legs, forcing Daring to kick-off to dodge, propelling her into near hoof-stand. For a moment it looked as if the momentum would carry her hind hooves all the way over to the canoe, but her momentum petered out and her hooves crashed back into the raft. The tiger swiped at her fore hooves, but Daring deftly dodged, shifting between hooves or, at times, off of both hooves for brief moments, as the attacks met nothing but air. The tiger finally opted to simply lunge for her head, forcing Daring to duck with an 'eep' as the black and orange striped cat collided with its monochrome compatriot. Daring gave the resulting tangle of limbs a swift kick that sent both cats reeling into their third companion as Daring finally managed to get all four hooves onto the same craft.

The only two now on the formerly crowded canoe were Daring and the small white kitten she recalled from earlier, now cowering underneath a canoe bench. A sharp glare was enough to chase the little thing out of the canoe, the kitten leaping into the water with a small splash as it decided it was better off with a short swim then facing an angry pegasus.

With a satisfied snort, Daring turned around to take stock of her situation. The three remaining cats were all now poised on her old raft, claws digging into the wood as they swayed in the rolling current. Overhead, the clouds were finally starting to part, leaving them in a partial day-lit sprinkle. Daring lowered her head, glaring daggers at the feline trio. “Alright – lets finish this.”

The color seemed to drain from all three cats in short order. Well, Daring considered as she blinked in surprise, she was going for intimidating but they still outnumbered her three-to-one...

At that point, Daring noticed the slowly growing, basal rumble coming from somewhere behind her.

Daring sighed. “There's as waterfall behind me, isn't there?” All three cats nodded slowly. Daring's ears flattened. “Awesome.” She didn't even bother turning around as she felt the canoe fall out from beneath her, wings trying to unfurl on reflex at the sudden sensation of weightlessness only to send a now familiar jolt of pain through her as broken bones screamed.

The quartet fell though the hazy mist of the falls, any screams and cries lost in the roar of rushing water that tumbled over the edge. A few seconds seemed like an eternity to a pegasus unused to being so helpless in what would otherwise be her element. Their cries of terror and shock were abruptly cut off as they crashed into the frothing, churning water of the pool below. Daring kicked furiously for the surface, fighting against the downward current that pounded down against her like a hammer. The surface felt like it was an eternity away. Her muscles ached, her lungs screamed for air. Her vision started to tunnel as inky blackness crept in at the edge of her sight. Slowly, Daring started to make her way out of the down-current, a primitive part of her brain protesting at the lateral movement, yelling at her to simply go up as fast as possible. Daring ignored it as the rest of her body joined her lung in protesting the lack of air.

After what seemed like a century, her head broke the surface of the water, the roar of the water fall load in her left ear as her lungs greedily sucked in the most jungle air. After getting her breathing somewhat under control, she took a quick inventory. Hat – still, somehow, resting on her head despite the scuffle and ensuing swan dive. Wings – ouch – still busted, and she was going to need to re-bandage those real soon, but at least they weren't any worse then they had been. All four legs seemed to still be functioning, and even her jacket was looking better then it had in days thanks to the impromptu rinsing. Daring allowed her self a small smirk. “Well, that wasn't to-”

Her comment was cut off as a clawed paw wrapped itself around her hind-leg and dragged her back under the surface. Daring mentally smacked herself over her last comment before glancing down at her captor. The tiger had managed to get a hold on her and was now using her to pull himself up even as he dragged Daring deeper. Daring kicked out with a hoof, but what air she had managed to inhale hadn't made it to her legs it seemed, and combined with the weight of the water the normally bone-cracking blow turned into little more then slightly anemic poke. The tiger grinned up at her, and Daring would have cursed if it wouldn't have cost her air.

The tiger brought another heavy paw up, wrapping it around her neck as she was dragged deeper. She found herself at eye level with the stripped cat, its grin growing wider as it slowly increased pressure on her windpipe. So, Daring did what any self-respecting adventurer-slash-archeologist would do.

She butted him in the head.

A flurry of bubbles accompanied the strike as the over-sized cat let out a muffled yowl as the cat recoiled. As soon as she was released, Daring kicked for the surface, the tiger's face making a good push-off board as she once again hurled herself through the water toward the sweet air above. Daring broke the surface for the second time in as many minutes. A second splash several meters away signaled the tiger finally making it to the surface, head still resting in its paws as it tried to recover from the one-two blow of equine skull and hooves to its face. Another pair of slashes in the opposite direction made Daring twisted around in the water, spotting the other two remaining cats sulking towards her with equal parts malice and annoyance as each step deeper into the water was met with more disdain then the last. Seems these felines hated her more than they hated getting wet, Daring mused.

Daring started to paddle across the pool, toward the opposite shore from the felines. The two cats glared at her before sulking away from the coast. Daring gave a triumphant grin as she watched them back past the tree line before she heard the crashing of foilage. Her smirk vanished as she saw the panther rip out of the tree line, taking a pair of long strides before launching itself into the air with a roar that to Daring sounded like thunder.

Daring's eyes went wide as her hind brain screamed at her to run, and her legs quickly moved to comply. She started to swim for the short even faster, but it was to little to late. A snarling black mass of fur and muscle that probably outweighed her two-to-one crashed into her like a herd of buffalo. The tangle of limbs crashed under the surface, angry claws and jaws leaving trails of bubbles in their wake as they slashed and snapped at Darings face and throat. Daring dodged and weaved as best she could, everything seeming like slow motion in the water as she tried to keep from becoming something's lunch. She dodged another go at her throat and replied with a hoof to the cat's jaw. Lethargic as the action seemed in the aquatic environment, it still seemed to be enough to send the cat reeling. Daring pressed her brief advantage, wrapping her hooves around the cat's neck and twisting the two of them around, heaving the two of them around like a demented carnival ride before kicking off. Less accustomed to to sort of disorientation a three dimensional environment can cause compared to a pegasus, the cat flailed for a moment before locking its eyes on Daring again. It let out a muffled snarl before launching itself toward Daring.

And straight into the bottom of the pool.

She could almost hear the resounding crack as the Panther's not inconsiderable momentum met the stony bottom of the pool, and as hard as its skull might have been the stone was harder. Daring made for the surface again, breaking the surface a moment before the panther's now limp form popped up, tongue lolling from its unconscious mouth. Daring dismissed him with a snort before turning two the two remaining cats, who seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of their opposite number knocked out cold. It looked like they were expecting the fight to have gone a little differently. Daring gave them a cocky smirk as she regarded her two remaining opponents. “So – who's next?”

It looked like neither of them felt like waiting their turn, since both cats lunged for her, One sending up great sprays of water as it charged her while the other simply leapt at her. The jumper hit her first, but unlike the panther, it came it at enough of an angle to drive her back as well as down, crashing her into the pool bed with enough force to drive the air from her lungs and make her see stars from the complementary concussion. Her only saving grace was that the cat was seeing red at this point it seemed, for the blow that caught her under the chin was a closed fist and not a claw swipe to give her a new breathing hole. The blow actually sent her flying out of the water briefly before quickly crashing back into the smooth river stones of the beach. Daring could do little more then gasp for air like a beached fish as the cat stalked over to her. Daring finally got her hooves under her as the cat stopped behind her, glaring down at her with one clawed paw ready and its own little smirk across its face.

Daring glared at the cat. “Piece of advice, cat.” The cat paused, not expecting lip from its prey. “Don't approach a pony from behind.” Daring kicked out with her hind legs, the cat's breath leaving its body with an audible whooshing sound as its body arced over the water before crashing back into the water with a splash.

Daring practically dragged herself out of the pool and onto dry land, wincing as the smallest movement sent jolt of pain shooting through one part of her or another. She gave the last cat one final glance, just in time to catch it dragging the last of its cohorts ashore and back past the tree line. She left it to its business and started her trek into the woods.

Every step elicited a protest from her aching limbs, but Daring ignored them as best she could. She had what she had come for and was finally, finally free and clear of those pesky cats. Now all she had to do was figure out how to get off the island. A cool breeze wormed its way through the trees, making Daring's teeth clatter as the breeze washed over her. Okay – make a fire, dry out a little, and then find a way off this Celestia forsaken island. She stumbled through the forest, grumbling to herself about the whole thing. Stupid Ahuizotl and his stupid obsession with that stupid rock had to go and take down her stupid plane and make her bust her wing. Her hoof decided not to cooperate on the next step, sliding out from under her as she continued to stumble forward. Her legs really hurt now – that stupid cat had packed more of a punch then she had thought. He still got his flank kicked though, so there. Why did her eyes keep drifting down? She shook her head, trying to see straight and ignore the three identical tree's in front of her. Sweet Celestia, her head hurt.

She leaned against one of the trees as she waited for her head to stop spinning. She shivered. She was cold – why was she cold? Oh yeah – she had been fighting in the water. Stupid cats, chasing her around in a canoe. They should know when to leave a pegasus be. Stubborn furballs.

She shook her head again. Focus! Need to find some shelter. Need to start a fire, get warm. Need to wait for this headache to go away. Instead it was just getting worse, like somebody had stuck her head in a cement mixer. Her legs felt like lead – the adrenaline must have been wearing off, and burning pain took its place. She could practically feel the bruises forming over her body. She kept stumbling forward. Had to keep moving forward. Get off this stupid island and away from Ahuizotl and his stupid cats and away from stupid -

The ground fell out from under Daring as she stumbled sideways, gravity taking over as her overtaxed body found itself unable to stop her tumble down the hill. The world spun around in a dizzying blur before coming to a lurching stop. Silence prevailed in the jungle, Daring's limbs finally giving up the ghost of keeping her upright. The slow, calm crunch of foliage underhoof preceded a familiar set of unwelcome paws padded into view. “It seems our little game has finally come to an end, Daring Do.” Ahuizotl shifted as he turned to address somebody else. “Take her.”

And then, darkness.

Chapter Six

Daring trotted through the open-air market of Trottingham, the multicolored cloth awnings that made up the sea of merchant stalls casting shadows across the bustling crowds as their owners shouted over each other, trying to entice shoppers or travelers to come take a look. Others were busy haggling with somepony they had already drawn in, or happily chatting with a regular customer. It was a vibrant, lively place and the exact sort of place Coco would be.

But her usual spot – right across from the local confectioner's shop – had been occupied by a gruff looking jeweler instead of the mint-colored earth pony. A quick questioning of the jeweler revealed nothing, and the candy shop hadn't seen her in several weeks. Given that sort of time, Coco could have been half way to Sieyrie Lione by now – or half a dozen other locales. The oddball merchant went where the buyers were, and considering what she sold that meant some pretty disparate places. Daring sighed. “I'm never going to find her.”

“Find who?”

“Coco!” Daring turned to Coco. “Even with Darrin's lead I'll be-GAH!” Daring leapt up and back as the sudden appearance of her friend. Coco, for her part, simply gave her a confused look as she munched on a piece of cotton candy roughly as large as her head. Daring landed again as she considered her friend. “Where have you been?”

“Getting food, silly!” Coco raised the massive bundle of cotton candy as if it was obvious – And, considering Coco, it kinda was. “I know I wasn't in my usual spot but I got into town a few days later then I planned because of this awesome deal I tracked down in Underdark and by the time I got her some jeweler guy had taken my spot and I love that spot because its right across from the shop with those to-die-for chocolate pies and I was looking for another spot and a group of stallions from the local mob I think showed up and started asking for 'rent' and then they started demanding it but then I left and Chocolat came out and sorta maybe scared them really bad and then I heard you were in town so I-”

Daring shoved a hoof into her mouth, interrupting what would likely turn into a record-breaking run-on sentence. “Good to see you too, Coco.” Chocolat' Jasmina Pie, or Coco as she preferred, was possibly one of the best peddlers of the strange and unusual this side of the Marelantic, but know amount of talent nor years of knowing her would ever dull Daring's simple opinion of the chocolate-maned earth pony. Coco was a strange pony, but she was also a good friend. “I need transportation.”

Coco's eyes lit up. “Oh! Where ya goining?”

Daring pulled the map out of her saddlebags. “Just a little Hayan island – no big deal. Think you can arrange something?”

Coco nodded eagerly. “Oh I know just the thing! This guy owed me for this pre-triumvirate tapestry and he payed me off with a plane! It should be perfect for this sort of-”

“Oi, Hey! Girlie!” The two mares stopped their conversation as they turned to face the the source of the interruption. A trio of large stallions were stomping their way toward them, and the surrounding crowds quickly parted in front of them as soon as they got a good look at the three. Daring noted with a smirk that all three of them were sporting a lovely assortment of bruises and black eyes. The three came to a stop with the largest, a white coated, blonde maned stallion built like a small mountain, towering Coco. “You still owe me' crew rent money, Girlie.”

Coco tapped at her chin for a moment. “I don't think I do, actually. Sorry!” Her friendly smile seemed to only enrage blondie further.

“I don't know who you think you are, you stupid nag.” blondie put one forleg around Coco's neck. “But I don't think you're in much position to argue, this time around.”

Daring took a step back, fairly certain of what was coming next. The whole scene went still for a moment until, like leaking balloon, Coco's hair seemed to deflate from its usually bouncing, fluffy mess until it was perfectly flat, draping down her back in a straight flow of almost black hair. “Coco?” No response. Even from her current angle, Daring could see that she was still smiling, but it was a shadow of what it had been before. “...Chocolat?”

The artifact dealer turned to glance at her, the shadow of a smile now a simple smirk. Blondie's two lackeys took a few steps back. “One moment, Daring. I have to take care of the trash.” Blondie blinked a few times as he watched the mare in front of him take his threats of violence far more casually then he was expecting. His confusion was was quickly superseded by agony As a mint green leg wrapped itself around his own and buried a hood into a nerve point. “You seem to be under a mistaken impression of who, exactly, I am willing to deal with.” Chocolat slowly pulled Blondie's leg away from her neck, keeping it in a lock that quickly dropped the stallion onto his rear. “Since you obviously didn't learn the first time, allow me to re-educate you.” She dug her hoof into the nerve point a little harder, and Blondie let out a his of pain. “I am well acquainted with the organizations that work in this city – you work for none of them. They're enforcers are markedly more talented then yourself. Besides, I have an understanding with them. So, let me make one point point very clear – I will not hesitate to inform them that you are scavenging around in their territory – and I can assure you that, no matter what you might think of me, I am far more forgiving then any of the families in this town.”

“You little-” Anything Blondie was about to say was cut off as Chocolat gave his hoof another twist.

“So, here is what you are going to do,” Chocolat continued without missing a beat. “After I let you go, you are going to turn around and walk away. And if I ever see you again you will end up on the receiving end of a lesson in just how small of a fish you really are in this pond.” Chocolat finally released the larger stallion from the pressure hold and he quickly took advantage of it to put a few paces between him and the mare. Then, slowly, he got to his hooves, turned around, and proceeded out of the market at something only slightly slower then a full gallop. His two lackeys watched him go before slowly turning to give Chocolat another look. They turned to each other and then, after a moment of silent exchange, nodded to each other and followed after their boss at speed.

Daring leaned around Chocolat to watch the trio flee. “Well, I don't think those three will be bothering you again any time soon. Right Chocolat?” Daring watched her friend for a moment as Chocolat's mane suddenly poofed out like an overactive pile of springs. The earth mare gave a little shiver that started somewhere around the tip of her nose and only ended after it had traveled her whole body and reached the tip of her tail. “You alright?”

“Woah!” Coco gave herself another little shake. “That was a good one! Chocolat must have had fun.” She took a moment to look around. “Where'd Blondie go?”

“Considering what Chocolat said?” Daring replied. “He's probably half way to the border by now. I didn't think Chocolat handled stuff that minor.”

Coco shrugged. “Guess she was bored.” Daring sighed. She had long since gotten used to Coco's eccentricities, and Chocolat was one of the biggest. Most ponies who worked on the black market at some sort of muscle to deal with 'pushy' customers, and most weren't exactly very cuddly themselves. The bubbly, motormouth earth pony was not what most ponies expected in an artifact smuggler. Of course, every pony had different ways of dealing with the risks and stresses of their work. Some had lucky charms. Others had plenty of hired help. Some hardened themselves to such things.

Coco had Chocolat.

Daring wasn't sure what Chocolat, medically, actually was and she doubted Coco had ever bothered to find out. Whatever she was though, it worked brilliantly. On the rare occasion where a situation of client was beyond Coco's scope, Chocolat would pop out and take care of it. All the cunning of Coco and none of the happy-go-lucky attitude. Chocolat was as ruthless and no-nonsense as Coco was...well, Coco.

“Wow, I'm hungry!” Coco chirped. “You want to get some food? Because I want to get some food! Strawberry rhubarb pie sounds really good right now – I wonder if anyplace sells it around here.”

“I'm sure we can find something.” Daring said as she prodded her friend along and out of the center of the market. A small crowd had formed around the little altercation and Daring felt like being gone before somepony finally recovered from their shock and called an authority figure. “How's Coinbox?”

Coco replied by pulling out from...somewhere, Daring wasn't sure since she was fairly certain Coco wasn't wearing any saddle bags – the gold and gem encrusted tortoise that served as her piggybank. “He's doing great! He got a new ruby for his shell last week too!” The tortoise, for his part, just slowly poked his head out from his shell before lethargically looking up at Daring and giving her a relaxed smile. Daring manged at least three blinks before he finished. Coco idly ran a hoof over Coinbox's jem-studded shell as the walked along. “So, what are you in town for?”

“I need a ride to that island, remember?” Daring repeated.

“Oh, right!” Coco smiled. “That super-creepy Hayan island, right? Bet its all spooky and mysterious!” She drew out 'spooky' and 'mysterious'. “What are you going there for?”

“Looking for some lost temple,” Daring explained. “Might even find some legendary rock. So, you know, the usual.” Daring paused for a moment as she realized that this sort of thing was what qualified for normal for her these days.

“Oooh, sounds like fun!” Coco replied. “Need anybody to go with you? That would be so much fun! We could have a campfire, and share ghost stories and make s'mores and then I could make Wa-” Coco was suddenly cut off as shoved as Daring shoved a hoof into her mouth.

“Thanks for the offer, Coco, but I think I'm better doing this one alone.” Daring said. “Besides, this will probably be a fast one – I've got a map for where to go and everything.”

“Well, if you say so...” Coco replied, a tinge of sadness creeping into her voice before she quickly perked back up. “Besides, I don't think both of us could fit into that plane! Then we would have to walk there, and then where could we put the cupcakes?”

“Right...” Daring wasn't even going to try and follow that particular train of logic. “So, this plane. Must have been a really nice one if you took it as payment.”

Coco nodded enthusiastically. “It is! A Ghibli 377 – I don't get my hooves on those very often. Light weight frame and a really big engine! That baby can go!” She draped a hoof around Daring's neck and pulled her close, continuing with what was quickly starting to sound like a sails pitch. “And it turns like a dream to boot! Loops, corkscrews – you name it, she can do it!” She turned to Daring. “No wonder you pegasi love to fly so much – doing tricks is fun! The plane can probably fly further though, and doesn't get wing cramps after flying half-way across Equestria, you know?”

“Why I was hoping to get the plane, Coco.” Daring replied, unfazed. One could grow accustom to quite a few things given enough time. “Where do you have it parked?”

“Well, its your lucky day, Daring Do!” Coco said with an over-dramatic, sweeping gesture. “As it just so happens, that I am keeping this excellent piece of aerodynamic engineering just outside this. Very. Town!”

“What was with the little pauses?” Daring asked after the last three words.

“They were punctuated for emphasis!” Coco replied.

“They were...” Daring shook her head. “Nevermind.” There were some things ponies were not meant to know. “Let's just grab some lunch.”

“Oh!” Coco started literally bouncing down the street. “I know just the place!”

“Somewhere other then a candy shop.” Daring added.

“Of course, silly! This place is a-”

“Or a pastry shop.” Daring ammended. Coco's expression deflated slightly, but quickly perked back up. “Oh, you're no fun! Oh well – I know a place nearby that sells really good hay fries!”

“Perfect.” Daring trotted up to catch up with her friend. “I could use some good fries.”

“Sure you don't need anything else?” Coco asked. “I mean I could still get my airship and then both of us could...”

Daring sighed. “This again? I already had this discussion with Darrin. I don't need help! I work alone.”

“Thats what you said before the squid beak thing !” Coco replied.

Daring facehoofed. “That was only the one time! Why do ponies keep bringing that up?” It was the one time, it was a complete fluke and it was never, ever happening again if Daring Do had anything to say in the matter.

“Because is was really funny?” Coco giggled. “Really, Daring – you should bring some friends on this one. Life's more fun with friends! The more the merrier and that sorta stuff. That beak thing would have gone differently if you had brought somepony else.”

“Coco, the entirety of Canterlot was there at the end of it.” Daring deadpanned. “I couldn't have brought more ponies if I had planned it.”

“Well, thats kinda the point.” Coco answered as they walked along. “Why, if I had gone along with you, nopony would have ever noticed you were there!” Of that, Daring had no doubt. Coco had quite a way with crowds – she made quite the sight at auctions. “So, come on – grab a few buddies, jump on the airship and we can head down to this island!”

Daring groaned. “Coco...”

Coco had already started pantomiming action scenes. “We can sweep into the temple, dodge our way around dastardly death traps and snatch the treasure at the last moment!”

“Coco, I-”

“Then we'd get attacked by Ahi-what-his-face, and loose the treasure! We would have to fight our way across the jungle and through armies of mooks before finally reaching his evil lair. Then we'd sneak in, grab the treasure and foil his dastardly plan before escaping the whole place collapsing by the skin of our teeth! Then it's Cocoa and schnapps all around!”

“Coco!” Coco finally looked at her friend, whose eyebrow was now twitching in some combination of frustration and annoyance.

The mint earth pony just gave her a look. “What?”

“Coco, I am doing this one alone, okay?” Daring reiterated. “I appreciate the offer, but I don't need it. Besides this is probably going to be a really short one anyway.”

“Oh, an easy one?” Coco had calmed down - as much as 'Coco' and 'calm' went together – and was once again leading the way to the eatery. They finally passed the last of the market stalls and transitioned into the busy Trottingham streets.

The smoother paving of the market gave way to the rougher cobblestone of the city's roads, long ribbons of paving worn down under centuries upon centuries of hoof falls and wagon wheels, leaving the steady, unwavering route of the city traffic visible for all to see. In contrast to the dull stones under hoof, the shops and storefronts packed in around them came in nearly as many colors as the ponies browsing them. Brightly painted signs hung over doors, catching the eye and drawing ponies in while window displays promised everything from clothing and jewelry to exotic pets and magic trinkets, all at reasonable prices. Unicorns and Earth ponies jostled with each other as they made their way up or down the street, carts fighting for space with magically suspended payloads, while pegasi simply soared overhead, chuckling at their ground-bound brethren until they tried to find a spot to land and found the crowds less then cooperative. Daring found it easier to simply stay on the ground for this sort of thing – besides, Coco couldn't fly. She thinks.

Daring dismissed the thought and turned to Coco's question. “Very easy. Hardly worth mentioning.”
“So, if its so easy,” Coco asked. “Why don't you want anypony else along?”

“Because it's easy.” Daring replied. As they turned of the main street. “I can't just go and drag everypony way from their own work when I have to go on a trip.” Daring sighed. “I already had this talk ...”

“With Darrin,” Coco finished for her. “You said as much. And I bet you he said you were being silly for thinking we would mind helping.”

“And like I told him,” Daring tried to keep the slowly building frustration out of her voice. Coco was just trying to be a good friend. “That's the problem. You all would be willing to help me even when I don't need it and you would all be better off staying and working on your own things.”

“Helping my friends is my own thing!” Coco cheerily replied. Such a statement would have been uplifting, really, if Daring wasn't trying to dissuade her hyperactive friend from tagging along. “Come on!” Coco continued. “It'll be fun!”

“Coco, I appreciate the offer.” Daring said. “I really do. But I am doing this one alone. I don't need you or anypony else canceling your plans to tag along for no reason. You have that auction in Tall Tale to go to in a couple of weeks, don't you?”

Coco hesitated for a moment. “That's just the one...”

“And that exhibition in Canterlot the week after that?” Daring added. “And that meet-up in Stalliongrad a week and a half after that...”

Coco arched an eyebrow slightly further then Daring thought possible. “How do you know all of that?”

“I make a habit of knowing your schedule.” Daring shrugged. “Makes it easier to find you if the need comes up.” That, and Darrin had given her Coco's entire travel itinerary for the next six months, the magnificent stallion. “The point is can you really afford to run off on some adventure?”

“But you always run off on adventures!” Coco pointed out.

Daring sighed. “Coco, I'm an adventurer – its what I do.” The pair stopped as they finally reached their destination – a small pub called the Broken Drum, tucked away in on a back road and generally out of sight. The door creaked as they walked in, the interior filled with a smoky, low-lit haze along with a eclectic assortment of tables and chairs, only around a quarter of which were occupied at the moment. It was no watering hole, but it would more then do.

The pair slipped into a corner booth after a brief detour to the bar to order their food. After taking a moment to make themselves comfortable, Daring turned to Coco. “So, what can you tell me about the Hayan coastline these days?”

Coco gave her a puzzled look. “You're asking me about history stuff?”

Daring shook her head. “I was thinking more recent. I don't want to accidentally go flying into somewhere and run into a bunch of disgruntled grave robbers again.” Yeah – that hadn't been fun. Interesting, but not fun.

“Oh!” Coco reached into a pocket and pulled out a small book that she quickly started flipping through. “Lemme see here – Noteworthy has a few scouts hunting around the area, or so the rumors go – probably just shopping around for some new pieces for his personal collection. Canterlot has stepped up patrols in the area. Part of a move to stamp down on the illegal artifact trade.” Coco's nose wrinkled at that bit, for obvious reasons. “What else...oh, yeah! Rumors of a crew of cats passing through Llamaca a week back.” It was Daring's turn to wrinkle her nose. Coco raised an eyebrow. “Friends of yours?”

“Depends,” Daring replied. “Was it a tiger, a cheetah, a panther, and a lynx?”

Coco flipped through her notes quickly. “yep – and a little white fluff ball too. Why?”

Daring bit back a curse. “Ahuizotl.”

“Oh, ugly-Mcugly face?” Coco replied. “You think he's in the area?”

“If those cats are who I think they are, its him.” Daring sighed. “The question is why now?”

“Probably for the same reason you're going, Daring.” Coco suggested with a shrug.

“Coco, that seems highly unlikely.” The only reason she was going was because of the Universities own research expedition. The odds that her archenemy would be looking into the exact same legend at the exact same time she was was astronomically slim, barring the possibility of Ahuizotl catching wind of the teams discoveries – at which point he would have headed straight for the team, not poked around town.

Coco, however, didn't buy it. “Please Daring – almost every time you go on a trip you run into Mr. funny-tail. It's narrative causality.”

“Now that is a scary idea.” Daring replied half-jokingly. “but I kinda doubt my life runs on the power of plot.”

“Still,” Coco said as she put her notebook away. “With the big guy in town, you sure you don't want some help on this one? Maybe a little backup?”

Daring was about to shoot Coco down once again, but found herself pausing. She was certain that Ahuizotl wouldn't become a problem for her even if they did cross paths – that already happened with alarming regularity, and Daring had always come out on top – in the end. A dozen and more close calls briefly replayed themselves in her head, each one a small reminder of how much she depended on luck as her wits or her wings. An extra set of eyes and hooves were almost always good, and Coco had just as much experience with this sort of thing as she did. She didn't come to a conclusion until after their hay fries had been dropped off by a passing waiter. Neither girl had noticed.

“No, Coco.” Coco blinked for a moment, seemingly caught off guard, but Daring continued. “I can manage this one on my own, I think. No need for more then one of us to put our necks on the line.” Daring gave a shrug before taking a bite of her fries. “Besides, I've always gotten through in one piece before – no reason this time should be any different.”

Coco almost seemed to say something, but instead simply slumped over the table, one hoof poking at her hay as she sighed. “I sorta figured you'd say something like that. Jeez, its probably what I would say! Doesn't make it any easier to hear....” She glanced toward Daring, a small hint of a smile on her face. “You an be one stubborn mare sometimes Daring, you know that?”

Daring shot back with a grin of her own. “So my brother keeps telling me. Now come on and eat up – you've still got a plane to show me.”

The rest of the meal went by in mostly companionable silence, their dining only interrupted by the occasional question or suddenly remembered story that had to be shared, and the usual responses such things drew. It was a simple, common, everyday sort of scene – two friends having lunch together, catching up with each other. Daring didn't think she'd trade it for all the jewels in Canterlot.

They finished eating soon enough, and soon set back out onto the streets of Trottingham, the crowds thinned out by the end of the lunch rush. The walk out of town, as a result, went by a lot faster then Daring had expected, given her time getting in. The airfield itself was not the major aerodrome used by the numerous balloons and air chariots that came and went to the city. Instead, this was a smaller plot of land, catering to private fliers and smaller operations as well as, based on some of the equipment and buildings Daring could see scattered around the long strip of the main runway, the local weather teams. A large sign near the main gate with tall, fading lettering identified the field as 'Downsfold Aerodrome.”

Coco led them past the single guard shack near the gate, giving the aging unicorn manning it a polite nod as they walked by and toward a series of hangers. Though, Daring had to admit, 'hanger' might have been generous – the structures lacked any sort of doors or walls, being made of a single extended wooden arch. It was as if somebody had hollowed out a great tree trunk, split it down the center, and laid the resulting sections out in a row. The target of their little trip was sitting under the third hanger down.

The Veneightian built biplane had one been a thing of beauty. Hoof-carved wooden ribs, carefully wrapped in fabric, stretched tight over the structure and into graceful curves. The wings, stacked one on top of the other, were broad and straight, a criss-cross of wires and struts connecting and supporting them. Time, however, had not been kind to the old girl. The fabric around the cockpit was torn, leaving the wooden paneling surrounding the pilots seat exposed, and the engine cowling was tarnished and stained, only a hint of what might have once been the shining brass nose remaining. Daring trotted around the battered plane eying it with a combination of weariness, suspicion, and sympathy. One of her own wings twitched as she noticed a tear in the fabric over one wing. They were both fliers, and she could at least empathize. Still, empathy only took a pony so far. “Coco, is this thing even air worthy?”

“Of course it is!” Coco assured her as she patted the side of the aircraft with a hoof. A panel on the opposite side promptly fell off and landed on the ground with a clatter. Coco chuckled sheepishly as she pulled her hoof back. “She justs needs a little...routine maintenance.”

Daring gave her friend a flat stare. “Right. And how long will this 'routine maintenance' take, exactly?”

“Don't worry about it!” Coco assured her. “I know a guy. He can have this done in a day. Two, tops. He should be able to start tomorrow. You have a schedule to keep or something?”

“Not really.” Daring replied. “I'd just rather get started sooner rather then later.” Once again, she found herself faced with the part of archeology the books never told you about – the endless boring, usually fruitless hours searching for what most ponies would generously describe as a pile of rocks. Sometimes you were stuck looking for rocks among rocks and had to find the right rocks. This time though she just had endless stretches of ocean to look out onto – always fun for the first hour, but the azure seas lose their allure after a while. “Three days at the most?”

“Maybe four,” Coco replied. “Depends on when my guy can get started.” The mint earth pony threw a leg around her friend. “Plenty of time for me to show you around town!”

“Coco, I probably know this city better then you do.” Daring admonished her. It was a fair statement – her work with the university got here sent to Trottingham, among other places, pretty often.

“Then you can show me around town!” Coco replied. “I don't get out of the market very often accept when I stop here. You probably know all sorts of cool places! Or secret passages – old cities always have those!”

“The places I know are only good if you like old bits of pottery or musty books.” She looked over at Coco and found her sporting a large smile. Artifact dealer, right. “okay, okay. Where to?”

“Well, first I need to contact that guy I know to fix the plane,” Coco answered as she started hopping toward the front of the hanger. “After that, I don't care! Anything goes!”

“In that case...” Daring tapped one hoof on her chin as she followed behind Coco at a more sedate pace. “The City Library should have some of Avon Bard's original manuscripts on display right now. Care to take a peak at them?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Coco chirped. “Probably won't be able to read it anyway – ponies back then wrote funny and my middle-canterlish is really rusty.”

Daring shrugged. “Probably to faded to read anyway. Might have time to catch a play after that. See what they're performing at the Old Lunar?”

“Oh, good idea!” Coco clapped her hooves together. “It almost sounds like we planned this! I wonder what play it's going to be? I hope its the Coltish Play!” Daring idly noted the way her friend seemed to automatically avoided using the plays name. She was well acquainted with the folklore of the theater, and her father had talked about the play plenty when she had been...

“Daring?”

Daring looked up and realized she had stopped walking. She gave her head a quick shake before flashing her friend a smile. “I'm fine. Lets get going.”

Coco eyed her friend for a moment before dismissing the oddity with a shrug and continued off toward the city.

Chapter Seven

"You thought you could evade me and capture the relic for yourself, but you are sadly mistaken, Miss Do.'" Ahuizotl caressed the sapphire statue as he held it, his eyes never leaving the treasure even as he gloated. “And now, you shall meet your doom!”

Daring's head still swam as she drifted back to consciousness and the sound of Ahuizotl's gloating. A shrill whistle and a moment later she caught the forms of his feline minions approaching, wielding clubs and maces and rope. Daring tried to fight back, but her feeble flailing did little to dissuade her assailants, seeming only to draw a few sharp strikes with a club or backhand of a paw.

The world drifted in and out of focus as Daring found herself quickly bound and gagged. She could feel the rough texture of worn stone under her hooves as she was dragged along, the vague shapes of tree's swimming into focus for brief moments before her world was once again consumed by darkness. Voices echoed liked they were at the far end of a tunnel, words lost to the strange distortions and she soon found herself trying to fill the sounds away as her already aching head grew worse.

She felt more then saw them enter the structure. She didn't know what it was for sure, but it felt cool and damp and the smell of moss and wet stone hung in the air. Lit torches rested in their sconces along the wall, their flickering light cast long and strange shadows over the glimpses of ancient murals. The lighting finally evened as they finally came to a stop and Daring managed to tilt her head back and look around.

The chamber would have been small if not for its height. The roof hung so far over head that Daring could have used the space for diving practice if her wing had been good, a hole somewhere in it letting light spill into the space. The walls were unadorned save for the two doors – the on they had entered by and an identical archway opposite them – and a carved depiction of the Hayan sun hung half-way up the opposite wall. The room itself was completely bare, save for one object – A large, flat-topped, stone table about the size of a bed. It was intricately carved, seemingly out of one massive piece of stone, and its dark color made it shadow against the moss covered brownstone walls. Daring suppressed a nervous gulp. She had seen a table like that before, on her prior trips to the region.

It was a sacrificial altar.

“Tie her down.” Ahuizotl's cats literally jumped at their master's order, eagerly leaping forward to complete the task. The pins and needles sensation that had been plaguing her limbs since she had first tarted waking up had finally vanished, and the jolt of adrenaline from seeing the altar had managed to dispel the worst of her headache. This all meant that the cats, having expected an easy time of things like when they had first caught her, were in for an unpleasant surprise.

Daring managed to get a few goo hits in, and she was fairly certain at least one of them was going to be walking away with a broken nose, but four against one were never good odds and she was still mostly tied up to begin with. The combined efforts of all four felines were too much, and soon two of them were pinning her face up to the altar while the other two began wrapping the ropes tight around her and the table. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ahuizotl watching on with satisfaction, no doubt pleased at the idea of finally being rid of his greatest enemy. “My my, Daring Do – this is so very unlike you.” He casually sauntered forward and gave her injured wing a flick, making Daring flinch as she muffled a small cry of pain. Ahuizotl grinned. “Wing problems, Miss Do?”

Daring willed away the pain and shot a glare at Ahuizotl with as much malice as she could muster, hr breath coming in small pants as echoes of pain rain through her wing. “You won't get away with this, Ahuizotl!”
Ahuizotl considered her for a moment before calmly turning his back to her and walking away, his felines close behind. He paused next to the door before turning back to her, managing to maintain his level gaze for a moment before breaking out into a smile of glee like a foal on Hearth's Warming Eve. “But I already have!” He pulled a lever near the door, giving one final cackled before turning his back on Daring. The door slid shut with a resounding thud and the walls groaned. The structure must have been hundreds, probably thousands, of years old but Ahuizotl must have had some work done on the place for the special occasion of ridding himself of his greatest enemy since the mechanisms were working flawlessly.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Daring couldn't hold back the somewhat exasperated sigh that passed her lips. “Not again...” The walls slowly began to close in like a massive compactor, and Daring's eyes went wide as dozens of vicious spikes slid free to pepper the wall. She quickly glanced between the two now spiked malls as the closed on her in slow but inexorable shifts and shudders. Daring found herself wondering if there was going to be an 'again' this time.

A hiss echoes from a wall behind her as snakes slowly started to slither down the wall, likely disturbed from their borrows by the same machinery that moved the walls. A moment later a series of stones high on the walls around the room popped lose, and sand began pouring in. The faint scent of the jungle river danced across her nose. “Quicksand!” The sand was already pouring in at a staggering rate, the alter she was tied to beginning to shift from the effects while she struggled with her bindings. She watched the walls out of the corner of her eye as she fought against the ropes, managing to spot the first of seemingly hundreds of spiders as they skittered out of the wall and down the spikes.

She racked her brain for ideas, for anything to let her escape. Her ears twitched as she felt the spiders start crawling over and around her as she wrestled with the ropes, part of her wondering how long she would last if one of them actually bit her. She was really hoping she wouldn't have to find out.

She thudded her head back against the altar out of frustration, only managing to dislodge her trusty hat from where it was perched on her head and slide it down over her eyes. She was half-way through the idle motion of shifting it back when inspiration struck. She'd only have one chance at this, so she had to make it count. She carefully took aim before giving her head a flick, launching her hat forward before she caught it with her hind hooves. She took one last look around, working out the angles, and with a grunt of effort launched her pith helmet with a kick.

It bounced and ricocheted through the chamber before finally catching the lever Ahuizotl had pulled to set the machinery in motion. The lever switched, and the walls shuttered to a stop before, mercifully, began to slowly receded and the sand drained away, the same machinery that flooded the space clearing it once again. Daring grinned and gave the ropes one final wretch, a frayed section finally failing and letting the binding come loose at last. Climbing down of the altar, Daring retrieved her hat and, after perching it back on her head, took one look at the disabled death trap. “Another day, another dungeon.”

Now no longer at risk of becoming a permanent addition to an archaeological site, Daring took a moment to look around. Red stone lined the tops of the walls and paint and stucco flaked from them and added to the dust that hung in the air with her every step and breath it seemed. What remained of the now dulled and dirtied murals depicted scenes familiar to any scholar of Hayan mythology. Stories of sun gods and serpents, and the rise and fall of there forbearer's. To most modern ponies, it was a dark, scary history. To Daring, it was simply the history of an age long past and of creatures long since forgotten.

Daring scanned the wall, her mind idly noting the various mythological figures almost automatically, until one figure made her pause. It was, like the rest, faded and worn, but it was still somewhat recognizable. It was hard to be sure, given the Hayan style of artwork, but Daring would almost bet that it was a dead ringer for Ahuizotl.

Daring tried her best to dismiss the sight and forced herself to move on. She had more important things to worry about then the lineage and origins of her greatest enemy. That was a riddle for another day, preferably one where she wasn't stranded in a jungle and trying to work out where the hay Ahuizotl went with an ancient artifact after leaving her in an antiquated death trap. Again.

Daring couldn't help but sigh at the realization that, once again, this sort of thing was almost normal for her. "Come out to the Hayan coast,” Daring muttered in a vague imitation of one of her co-workers. “we'll get together, have a few laughs...” Daring gave a small chuckle. “Heh. Not that I can really blame any of them – pretty sure I made my own mess for this one.”

Her hoof falls echoed through the ancient temple and for a moment Daring worried that she was going to get caught again. Ahuizotl, it seemed, had been as smug as always after her capture and left with complete certainty of Daring's doom. The temple was completely empty save for Daring, her shadow, and the menagerie of snakes and spiders she had left behind in the altar room. There was neither hide nor hair of Ahuizotl or any of his cats. It seemed somebody hadn't learned their lesson. Well, Daring mused, she would be more then happy to give a remedial lesson. The only question was how she was going to find him in the expanses of the islands jungle.

Well, if there was one thing Daring knew how to do, it was find things. She had found that statue once, and she would find it again one way or another. So, Daring gave her hat a tilt back and set to work. First thing was first, she had to pick up the trail. She was used to dealing with threads hundred or thousands of years old – she was sure she could pick up a trail that was an hour old, at most.

The stone floor of the temple was covered in a layer of dirt and debris, collected over the ages as the jungle slowly tried to reclaim it. Daring swept her gave over the floor before trotting over to the wall and grabbing one of the torches. In the improved lighting, what she was looking for was far more obvious – a menagerie of paw prints piled on top of each other. A few that she could make out where the tell-tale paws of Ahuizotl's feline cronies, while another set was the unusual and distinctive prints of Ahuizotl himself. The trail, unsurprisingly, led straight down the hall. The only question was whether she would be able to follow it.

Daring made her way out of the temple and back into the open air of the Hayan jungle, constantly keeping one eye on the trail of prints. Out in the sunlight the trail was slightly harder to make out, now without the contrast of the temples shadows, but she could still make them out. Sure enough, they headed straight into the jungle. Daring was about to give herself a pat on the back when she finally took notice of where she was.

The temple was placed in the middle of a almost perfectly circular depression several stories deep, at least. The sound of a babbling stream somewhere behind her hinted at its geologic origins, but that wasn't really of intrest to her at the moment. “Of course,” Daring muttered. “I'm stuck in the bottom of a cenote.” Cenotes, as this sort of depressions were known as locally, were common spots for Hayan temples. Especially ones of the darker variety, like the one she had just escaped. The Hayan's believed that cenotes were gateways to the afterlife, and therefore treated them as sacred sites. They always made good dig sites since you could be almost certain that something was at the bottom of one.

A stranded adventurer, for instance.

Well, all she needed to do was find the way Ahuizotl had gotten out and use it herself. The trail faded as it stretched into the root tangled mess of the trees, but the cenote wasn't very large – only a few hundred meters across, and walking the perimeter wouldn't take to long. Sure enough, she was about half way around when she found what she suspected was her ticket out.

The once grand flight of ceremonial steps had long since crumbled. Like the road behind her that had been claimed by the jungle, the ravages of time and the environment had reduced the steps into naught but a piles of vegetation choked debris, the only parts remaining overhead hanging past the edge of the cliff precariously, the occasional gentle breeze sending small pieces of stone tumbling down to join the rubble pile. Daring squinted and could just barely make out what she thought might have been a spool of rope, or perhaps a rope ladder. How the hay had they gotten her down here anyway? Minor mysteries aside, the rope did her no good coiled several hundred meters overhead. A wince of pain shot through her has her wing twitched in frustration. If it hadn't been for that crash, She could be up there in ten seconds, tops. Then again, if she hadn't crashed she wouldn't even be in this mess in the first place. Either way, she was grounded at the moment, and that left her with a big old problem to contend with.

Ahuizotl had no doubt hauled the rope up behind him after his departure – an actual clever move on his part, for once. With her busted wing she was as good as stranded in this hole until the cows came home – and she knew a few. So, now she just had to work out how to climb up roughly 200 or so meters more or less straight up. Without wing power. Right. She briefly considered trying to climb her way up, but the idea died a quick death after she gave the cliff walls a cursory glance. Hoof holds were few and far between, and the few she could spot did not look like anything she wanted to be counting on while that far off the ground. With climbing and flying off the table, all that left was for her to get creative.

Unfortunately, the ways to get up a cliff like that were fairly limited. Climbing gear was one way, but she would have to make it herself and she sure as hay didn't trust vines that much. A quick swing was one thing but a cliff climb was a little much. Daring let out a sigh as she dropped onto her rump, kicking up a small puff of dirt. “Come on, think...” Daring muttered to herself as she tapped a hoof against her forehead. “What are you missing? There has to be another way up.” And it would make sense – they would have needed another route just to get material down into the cenote before the steps had been constructed. Some sort of ramp, or a switchback, or something. But she had walked the whole perimeter...wait.

She had only walked half the perimeter. Daring facehoofed at her own incompetence. “Darn it, Daring...” She started working her way around the rest of cliff face. Sure enough, she found what she was probably looking for another third of the way around from where she had started. A steep walkway was carved into the side of the cliff face until suddenly cut into the cliff face itself, disappearing into the rock. Every so often along the parts she could see some sort of small shrine or shelter sitting on top of the path. A few part of the cliff had fallen away, leaving precarious gaps in the already dangerous route. “Well, its a lot better then trying to climb up this thing...” Daring muttered as she started cutting through the foliage to make her way to the base of the path. Up close, it looked a lot steeper, but it was still a better option then an afternoon wall climb.

The path was slick, water trickling and streaming down from above, flowing along the path or cascading down on her head in little falls. One eye carefully on the cliff above her, one ear twitching with every shift or tumble of rock. She was a good couple of stories up by the time she reached the first shrine. It was a fairly simple structure, the inside holding nothing more then a couple of alcoves for torches and some indentations that might have been used for anything from burning incense to holding votive offerings to their ancestors. Any remnants had long since vanished to the ravages of time. She passed through it in subdued silence, stepping back out onto the vine covered cliff and continued her slow trip up.

The first switchback came shortly afterward, the path leveling out briefly during the turn before continuing its way back up. The higher she climbed, the more precarious every step became and the more often and the wider the gaps became. Cracks and fissures became full on chasms that required careful skirting or, more often, a good leap to get across. Daring did her best not to consider what would happen if one of her jumps came up short.

After rising another story or so, Daring had finally reached one of the spots she had spotted from the ground. The carved path gently turned to the right, disappearing into a small opening cut into the cliff face. The interior was lit only by what sunlight could angle itself through the opening, leaving a dim pool of light that quickly turned into darkness. With a huff, Daring started in, guided by the sliver of light. Soon though, the only thing the light was showing her was where the entrance was. One hoof came up, groping around for a moment before settling on the cavern wall before Daring started forward again. Daring waited for her eyes to adjust as she pushed onward, but the darkness seemed to be all-encompassing. It was so dark that she didn't even see the cavern wall until she had walked right into it. Daring bit back a curse has her hoof left the wall to rub at her now sore nose even as she glared at the still basically invisible wall. “Stupid cave...” Daring grumbled as she started feeling around for something to use as a torch, a small grin appearing on her face as her hoof fell onto what felt like a torch. “gotcha.” She pulled the torch close while she dug into her pocket, hoping there was still a match in there. Luckily, there was, its base broken but otherwise intact and luckily waterproof. She took the match, struck it against the wall and lit her torch.

The first thing she saw was that the wall she had run into was covered in old, worn carvings. The second thing she realized was that her torch was a stick with a pony's skull on one end, and that she had lit what was left of it hair on fire.

“Gah!” Daring nearly fumbled the macabre light source, but managed to catch it before she accidentally snuffed it out. She regarded it warily for a moment, but she didn't see an alternative light source on hoof at the moment. So, it seemed she was stuck with her new friend burny. She regarded it for a moment. “If you give me any advice, I'm ignoring it...” She paused for a moment. “Probably.”

Daring trekked onward, past the turn she had missed in the dark and further into the tunnel. Part of her idly mused that, if Coco was here, she probably wouldn't have made it ten steps without making the skull talk.
Surrounded by her small bubble of flickering firelight Daring could almost feel the older hind parts of her brain shouting at her and gibbering in fear, Her ears jumping at ever small sound. She soundly suplexed such thoughts into submission, focusing instead on more important details. Details like the slight breeze that was drifting through the tunnels from deeper into the mountain.

It was a slight thing, but being a pegasus had a few perks less obvious then the feathered bits on her back. At the very least, it meant that the there was some sort of opening further ahead. Sure enough, as she rounded the next corner she could see a series of golden rays illuminating the dark tunnel. Daring felt her pace sped up as that same hindbrain from earlier drove her toward the light. The hall was wider, higher, and longer then the tunnels she had passed through earlier, and far more carefully detailed. The light she had seen poured int through a row of windows that lined the top of one wall, stretching the entire length of the hall. Opposite them, on her right, the wall was decorated with numerous Hayan figures and a wide assortment of gems. Daring quirked an eyebrow as she noticed something odd and glanced back up at the windows above her. Sure enough, they all looked the same – no difference in shape, size, or height. But the beams they let through were all at different angles, some landing higher on the wall, others lower. All of them, however, landed on one gem or another.

That last detail made Daring's hooves start itching, which she was fairly sure was not a good sign. Still, only one way to find out. “Sorry Burny.” Carefully, she positioned her torch just outside the nearest beam before plunging it into the light, blocking the matching gem.

A oddly familiar 'woomp' echoed through the tunnel, followed by small 'ping'. Daring looked at the side of the torch and sure enough there was a small dart poking out of one side. “Wow, these guys really liked their blow darts.” Alright then, don't step into the light. Got it. Daring pressed herself against the left hoof wall, underneath the windows, and started to shimmy her way across the hall. Despite the height the window were at, she found herself having to duck on several occasions as she made her way across, holding her breath during a few moments when parts of her started to edge into the beam as she wondered just how much of those gems had to be obscured to trip them. Luckily for her, she never found out.

Progress down the hall was arduously slow, hampered by both the narrow path to get passed the beams as well as her need to carry her torch along with her. Finally though, after what seemed like an eternity, she was clear. “Same day,” Daring mused. “Different dungeon.”

Deeper into the mountain, and she found that paradoxically it was getting easier to see. Sky lights over head and slits along the walls let light trickle into the space, illuminating murals and carvings on the wall. They seemed to be telling story in reverse – starting with the Tartarus-like pit of their mythology and slowly working its way toward the surface, like the Celestine Comedy's poet going backward. Of course, Daring realized, she was the one going the wrong way – to anypony descending to the temple, it would have been quite an apt tale. They wold slowly make the pilgrimage down from their over-world, down to the gateway to the underworld in th company of their myths. That left Daring wondering about the dart trap she had gotten past. Was is supposed to be some sort of test for the faithful, or did they just turn it on at the end of the day when the last pony had left for home?

The same question occurred to her not long afterward, as she found herself facing another obstacle. This one was thankfully much simpler – a big hole in the ground. It stretched the entire width of the hallway, and it was wider then she cared to try and jump. She kicked a small stone into the hole and listened as it bounced of the walls a few time, waiting for the telltale sound of it hitting the bottom. The sound never came. “Figures.” Daring groused. It was probably one of the natural chasms of the mountain, carved and built into the surrounding temple complex she was standing in at the moment. Worshipers had likely brought a bridge with them when they came, hauling it back behind them when they left. It wouldn't stop anypony who brought their own bridge, but most ponies didn't carry bridges around just in case.

It was stopping her well enough.

There was a single skylight over the hole, partially blocked by a thick tree root that had grown over part of it in the intervening centuries. It looked like it could support her weight...if she had something to get around it. Man she wished she had a whip right now. Would have made this easy – but of course she hadn't packed it, this was going to be an easy trip, not like her usual excursions at all. Daring gave an unlady like snort. Like she could ever have an 'easy' trip.

Without a whip, she would have to get creative. Luckily for her, the place was literally covered in vines. She picked through them until she found one to her liking. It wasn't quite as long as she would have liked, but it looked far sturdier then the other ones. She took one end and tied it around a decent sized rock for a weight and gave it a few test swings, arcing it through the air in gradually larger circles. Finally satisfied with the product, she marched to the edge of the hole, made sure the vine was wrapped tight around her hooves, took the weighted end in her mouth, gave it a few swings to build up speed, aimed, and let it go.

The stone sailed through the air before arcing over the tree root, swing down, around and then back up as the vine caught on the root. The rock sped around the root in circles before coming to a stop with a thud, its slack run out. Daring gave her vine a testing tug, but it held. “Alright,” She wrapped the vine around her hoove a couple more times. “Here goes nothing.”

She leapt of the ledge and swung over the abyss toward freedom. She had, unfortunately, underestimated the size of the hole, and found herself starting to slow down hen only a leg's length from the opposite ledge. Acting quickly, she unwrapped her hooves from the vine and let the gained momentum sail her forward, forelegs stretching out for the edge.

She landed with a soft 'oof' and managed a small smile at her success before she felt herself starting to slip. Her hooves scrambled for purchase, looking for a crack or a vine or anything she could use. She finally found a vine and greedily took hold, hauling herself up until she could splay her self out on her back on the cool stone. “Okay,” she managed between panting breathes. “Let's not do that again.”

Daring pulled herself back onto her hooves and trundled out of the hall, away from the gaping hole and back into the sunlight. Daring let out a relieved sigh. Nothing like a couple of near-death booby traps in a cave to make you really appreciate Celestia's gift to Equestria.

Daring basked in the sweet, sweet sunlight for another moment before taking a look around. It seemed that the mountain had carried her up a little further then she had thought – the top of the cliff was just at the top of the next incline, the tree's of the jungle hanging over the ledges overhead like a giant green awning. A cool breeze rolled up the cliff from below as Daring started her way up, Dying away as she finally made it to the top. She took a moment to look down to see how far she had come and almost immediately regretted it. She had been thinking of climbing that without wings? “Good thing I had a better idea.” Well, a much as deathtraps could count as 'better'. She'd take what she could get though at this point.

Now that she was out of the cenote, she could get back to business. She looked out across the massive natural pit, spotting her target about half-way around from her current spot. The top of the staircase was surrounded by the remains of ceremonial structures, having long since crumbled to piles of rubble. Even at this distance, she could see some of her rival's detritus. She grinned. “Get ready, Ahuizotl. I'm coming to get you.”

Chapter Eight

The ruins Ahuizotl had taken up residence were in far better condition then most of the ruins on the island. Whether that was by some fluke or because Ahuizotl had taken the time to rebuild them, she wasn't sure. What ruins that had suffered to time – or hadn't been rebuilt – were covered in tarps and roughly built structures of logs and palm leaves. Between the obvious construction and the occasional glimpse of a feline felon pacing around the joint told her that he was in the right place.

The clearing around the impromptu lair was filled with a menagerie of barrels and crates that Daring took shameless advantage of. She ducked behind and between containers, trying her best to stay out of sight as she closed on the front door. It would have, she admitted to herself, looked a lot more impressive – or at least more appropriate – if she had been doing this at night instead of in broad daylight. But she didn't have a flashlight on her had she had lost Burny somewhere around that stupid pit, so at least this way she wasn't knocking her shins into everything in the dark and letting every cat in a league know where she was. So Daring figured she could live without the proper levels of drama for once. This entire trip had been dramatic enough as it was.

Daring took one last look from behind the box she was hiding behind, making sure the lynx had moved on, before she dashed for the door. She kept herself low and hugged the wall while keeping one eye on the slowly shrinking cat as it walked away. She covered the last few paces as silently as she could, smirking as she felt the surface behind her transition from cold stone to the warm texture of aged wood. She took one more look around before turning around and hooking a hoof through an aged door knocker. “Gotcha.” She gave the door a good tug.

It didn't budge.

Daring blinked owlishly before giving the door another tug. Still nothing. Her eyes widened as she hooked another hoof around the knocker and gave it a few frantic yanks. Still nothing. “Really!?!” Daring complained to nopony in particular, and perhaps a little louder then she should have been. Luckily her outburst seemed to go unnoticed.

After it became clear that the door was not going to be opening for her, Daring spun back around, scanning to make sure that none of the cat's had shown up while she was preoccupied. Luckily the only thing keeping her company were the array of boxes stacked around the barred entrance. Suddenly feeling very exposed, Daring slowly started her way toward the side of the building, keeping her back to the stonework as her ears swiveled around like they were on pivots. She only dared to relax once she was around the corner, letting out a relieved sigh as she slipped back into the ruins shadow.

“Okay, so the front door won't work.” Daring thought out loud. So, now she just had to find the back door. Thats assuming they had a back door. She really, really hoped they had a back door. She snuck around the side of the building, still weary of any patrol, looking for a way in. All she found though where old wall slits or what looked worryingly like oubliettes. Daring quickly moved on, and eventually reached something that looked promising. It looked like it had once been the entry way to some sort of subterranean area, but the stairwell had been covered with a roughly built door. All in all, it looked like someponies apple cellar had popped up out of the side of some ruins. Daring gave it a testing tug, but sure enough it was locked as firmly as the front door. Unlike the front door however, this one looked surprisingly flimsy. Maybe she could...

Daring took a quick glance around, weighing her chances and the risks. She could try to find another way in, but there were no guarantee's that there even was another way in. And if the sound carried further then she thought, or she was wrong about where she thought to patrols were, she was a goner.

“Ah, buck it.” Daring cursed as she turned on the door and reared back.

The wood cracked and splintered with a thundering crash, planks and splinters flying inwards. Daring more-or-less dropped down into the space, skipping the stairs entirely, tucking into a roll at the bottom that she was careful to keep off her bad wing before rolling onto her hooves ready for a fight.

An empty basement greeted her.

The room was unoccupied save for herself and a worn table with a trio of chairs around it, an overturned cup and dice resting on it. The rest of the room was filled with more of the crates. An unlit lantern hung from a nail in one of the wooden columns supporting the floor above her, and she could hear the occasional creak of the floor. Whether it was from some cat walking overhead or simply the old structure settling itself, she didn't know. She held her breath for a moment, but when no attack came she let out a relieved sigh.

She quickly picked up the remains of the door and settled them over the opening as best she could, hoping it would be enough under cursory glance to prevent more thorough investigation. Her tracks covered, turned her attention to the crates. Now that she wasn't worried about immediate capture, she was starting to wonder what was in them. Luckily, somepony – or some cat, most likely – and left a crowbar lying around.

Well, they say that an archeologist's most important asset is curiosity, Daring mused as she hooked the tool under the nearest crates lid and heaved. The lid popped open with a creak and the soft popping sound of nails freeing themselves from wood. She dropped the crowbar with a clatter, and pulled herself up on the crates edge to peer inside. As she expected, it was full of packing straw. Rolling her eyes, Daring reached in and started feeling around until her hoof caught on something.

She pulled the unknown item from the straw, dusting some of it off as she studied it in the dim light. “A miner's helmet?” It was a standard, run-of-the-mill miner's helmet in dull orange, complete with a small lamp mounted on the front. “Why the hay does Ahuizotl need this?” She dug further into the crate and found a couple more helmets, as well as pick axes, sifting boxes and collections of buckets, ropes, and pulleys. “What's he digging for?” He was after the stone, right? Why did he need all of this if he knew what he was after?

Daring dropped the pulley assembly she was holding back into the crate as she considered what this meant. It meant...well, she wasn't sure, but it meant something. “As if I need more questions right now...” Daring sighed as she walked away from the crate, but she quickly noticed she was no longer alone. The lynx was staring at her, fixed in spot as he seemed to try and process what he probably assumed was a dead pony walking around his basement.

“Darn.” Daring's shoulder's slumped. “Guess it wasn't the building.”

The lynx leapt at Daring with a snarl, and Daring ducked underneath the attack, spinning around as the feline crashed into still opened crate, sending straw flying as it disappeared into the packing before appearing again after a moment, a pick axe in his jaws. Daring found herself taking a step back. “oh boy.”

The lynx's first swing was slow and easy to dodge, but the stacks of crates and various little columns in the room made dodging a tricky proposition at best. Daring ducked and weaved around the swings until the cat overextended and Daring swung a forehoof around in a hay-maker that sent him reeling back. Daring shifted around the room, keeping her eyes locked on the cat.

She found herself back near the opened crate as her hoof ran into something cold and hard with a small clink. Daring had no time to even glance down before the lynx charged her again. Instead, she simply kicked the object that had nearly tripped her upward with a hoof, catching it in her mouth a moment before the lynx's attack landed.

The air rang as the cat's pick axe collided with the crowbar, a small shower of sparks as metal ground across metal in an impact that made Daring slide back half a pace. That was all he would get though, as Daring pushed back, managing a step forward before twisting her improvised weapon and forcing the cat to back off. The cat glared daggers at Daring, and Daring simply grinned back. “Lets see how you like a fair fight, hairball.” Daring taunted – or at least, tried to . I was muffled by the metal pole held in her teeth.

The message seemed to get though to the lynx anyway, who charged at Daring again, bringing his pick axe up in a high overhead swing. Daring replied with a low swing of her own into his now completely unprotected side. Unable to block, the lynx took the hit at full force, giving a yowl as it crumpled to the ground as it slid across the floor. Even that sort of blow, however, wasn't enough to keep the cat down. It shakily pulled itself back onto his feet, heavily favoring one side as it hefted its pick axe again and glared daggers at Daring. If it wasn't angry before, it was now. The Lynx charged again, this time coming in with a low swing that would have probably put the pick through Daring's head if she hadn't parried it. The lynx took the parry in stride though, quickly bringing the pick axe around in another swinging arc from the side that Daring ducked under before swinging her crowbar up at the cat. The lynx leapt back, and for a moment the two just stared across the floor at each other.

“Sweet Celestia,” Daring said past the crowbar. “Have you been practicing with that thing or something?” The lynx simply replied by charging at her again. This time though he seemed to be aiming for her legs, its swings alternating between coming in low and parrying any of Daring's own attacks. For Daring's part, she found herself either parrying the strikes herself or simply jumping over them and letting them swing under her. Sparks flew as metal glanced off the floor. The screech of their improvised weapons across each other punctuated the soft whistle of them slicing though the air. Daring found herself stalemated as she tried to press any opening only to find herself rebuffed. Her only consolation was that the lynx wasn't having any better luck against her. Even with one good hit against it, the cat was holding up supremely well. Daring needed to think of something unless she wanted to try outlasting him. Given everything she had been through though, she wasn't sure if she would actually win that bet. It was time to come up with a new plan.

All that was down here though were stacks of crates up to the ceiling.

Well, there was an idea.

Daring started pressing her attack with new vigor, driving the lynx back until he was side-saddle with a particularly tall stack. “Duck, furball.” Daring spat as she swung her crowbar as hard as she could.

The lynx obediently complied, letting the crowbar sail over his head – and straight into the stack of crates. The entire stack jolted at the impact, teetering back before keeling over the opposite direction and pouring down on the lynx like a wooden avalanche.

Daring watched for a moment as the pile stirred, the lynx managing to half pull itself out before passing out. “Take five, buddy.” Daring spat out the crowbar. “You look like you could use it.” Daring left the half-buried lynx behind and slowly made her way up the narrow staircase, every step carefully testing the wood to make sure it wouldn't creak before committing her full weight to them. A few tense minutes later she finally peeked her head out past the stairwell to look around.

It turned out her caution had been unwarranted. The entry room was completely abandoned, save for a scattering of yet more crates. She could see the front door, the wooden plank barricading it obvious from the inside. Save for those, however, there was nothing. No patrols, no lounging cats. The Lynx must have been the only guard for the door. Still, Daring was weary as she made her way up the last few steps. There was something waiting for her in here somewhere – she could feel it. She just wish it would show up already so she could get it over with. “Alright,” Daring thought out loud. “If I was some sort of nasty surprise, where would I hide?” Daring tapped her chin for a moment before pausing and, slowly, looking straight up. She let out a sigh when there was nothing above her. “Well, thats a relief...”

Daring froze as soon as she finished uttering the sentence, eyes flitting left and right. When nothing happened after a few moments, Daring let out a huff. “Really? I practically walked into that one. Nothing, really?” Well, fine then. If it wasn't going come out on its own, Daring would just have to find it. With her luck, it would be waiting next to whatever else she was looking for in here.

Their were three doors, along with the front door and the staircase she had come up, and she started with the nearest. It lead into some sort of cooking area, a small fire having burned down to smolders, the pot above it forgotten even as something inside started to congeal. Considering the probable diets of Ahuizotl's mooks, she decided against taking to close of a look at anything in the the pot. The rest of the room was occupied by a rough wooden table and benches as well as, in a nice change of pace from boxes, an assortment of barrels. She did avail herself of a couple of the apples that were sitting in a bowl on the table, polishing off the first before taking the second with her. The room lacked any other doors, so Daring returned to the front room, taking another bite of her apple before simply picking a room at random. She opted to go for the one opposite of the little galley, and the only one that had its own door.

The door opened with a muted creak, and Daring found herself staring at several rows of bunk beds. There were maybe half a dozen of them, and exactly none of them had been made. The chests at the foot of each bed were in similar levels of disarray, most of them left wide open, and the few that were closed didn't look locked. She idly poked through some of the chests, and all she found were various coat care products and a dizzying array of socks. She continued through the aisle of beds until she reached the back of the room and found a small table tucked in next to a window. A deck of cards was splayed across it in a series of small piles – it seems that a game had been interrupted by something. Maybe it had been her. In the middle of the table was a pile of knickknacks – small stones, coins, some dice, a small rag doll, a pile of what may have been catnip, and oddly enough a set of keys. Daring brushed the other baubles aside and picked up the keys, letting them softly jingle as they slid around their metal loop.

They were large, heavy duty looking things. They were the types of keys used on old doors and heavy locks, or on the clasps of ancient, dusty tomes of secret arcane knowledge. Or, she was guessing, a set of some cat's chests. Still, perhaps he had put the key to a door on the ring. She pocketed them just in case before moving on toward the other feature that had caught her eye. Unlike the last room, this one actually had another door inside it. Daring tried the door but, unsurprised, it was locked. So, figuring it was worth a shot, she pulled out the keys she had just pilfered and slotted one into the lock. No luck.

She started her way though the keys one by one until she reached the third to last and the lock gave a soft click. Daring gave the door a small push but it didn't budge. The door was much more cooperating when she gave it a pull, and its swung toward her with a muted creak and a low groan. The room room past it was small and dimly lit by the rays passing through a dingy, dirt-stained window as they scattered across the sparse furniture inside and the sleeping form resting in the lone chair.

Daring froze as she saw him. He was at least twice as large as any of the cats she had seen up until this point. He was a large, tawny cat with massive saber-like teeth hanging from his jaw, on display with the rest of his sharp-looking teeth as his jaw stretched as he snored. Daring's breath caught as the over-sized feline twitched, one claw idly scratching at his belly before he settled back into his nap, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Daring slowly backed out, trying to make as little noise as was possible with hooves on hardwood floors. Her eye's never left the big cat as she stepped back over the threshold, closed the door, and reset the lock. She let out a sigh as the lock clipped back into place before grabbing one of the nearest chairs and wedging it in front of the door. She considered it for a moment before dragging a few more chairs and adding them to the barricade before heaving a couple of the barrels on top of them. “That should do it.” Daring dusted her hooves off and headed back to the front room.

Her other options exhausted, Daring turned her attention to the doorway that was opposite the front door. It was a simple stone entryway, off-center relative to the front door due to the stairs leading up from the attic. With that since of looming doom still lingering in the back of her mind, Daring slowly started her way through the entryway into the hall beyond.

Sunlight shined in through unpatched holes in the roof and the soft sound of wind whistling through the half-rebuilt structure and past rooms and wings that remained nothing but piles of rubble. A few of the rooms were, however, still intact. The first Daring found looked similar to the chamber Ahuizotl had left her in, with a large stone carving hanging from one wall overlooking a long low-slung table that stretched down the center with a series of stone benches along either side. The remains of a long-past feast were still strewn across the table, a collection of stone dining ware laid out in a frozen snapshot of the past. Daring lingered for a moment before pressing on.

Other rooms she past seemed to hold similar stories – ancient shrines surrounded by the decayed remains of votive offerings, a small forest of shelving rotting away along with the sea of scrolls they held. Column filled halls with massive skylights, areas of congregation that had long since been left empty. They were echoes of the past, memories of another time and another kinds way of life. Daring walked past them all, more pressing matters at hoof.

She pressed on, past the abandoned and often ruined rooms, before she finally found herself at a dead end. “That's it?” Daring muttered to herself. “That can't be it. There were no turn-offs back there. I couldn't have made a wrong turn...” A hoof came up and rubbed at her chin. “Unless...let's see.” Daring leaned closer to the wall, letting her gaze slowly drift over the surface as she examined every stone. “Maybe...ah. This one looks a little looser then the rest.” Daring pressed hoof against the stone which, after a moments resistance, slowly slid into the wall with a steady grinding noise and a heavy thunk as it bottomed out. A moment later, the entire wall swung inward slowly as stone ground against stone until it slid to a halt. Beyond the false wall was a stairwell leading down into the depths, all the steps of which beyond the first dozen or so invisible in the inky blackness that seemed to swallow the little light that leaked into the space. “Okay then,” Daring said with a smirk. “Now we are getting somewhere.”

She wouldn't be going anywhere though until she could find a way to see where the hay she was going. She ducked back down the hallway, heading back toward the barracks room. It was still as abandoned as she had left it, her barricade on the door unmoved. She paused briefly, cocking one ear until she caught the faint sound of the big cat in the side room still snoring. Her worries at least partially alleviated, Daring started digging through the room for a usable light source. She found several lanterns, but they were all broken or out of oil. She set them aside anyway just in case. She was still lacking anything to burn anything to light it with.

The latter was found with a box of cigars buried inside one of the cats chests. The supply of cigars had been depleted until but one remained, but the supply of matches inside was more then enough for her purposes. That only left fuel. She had started digging through another chest when a heavy bang echoed through the room. Daring's head spun around and her eyes locked on the barricaded door just as it shook again. A soft string of hisses and growls that could have been cursing were muffled by the door as the rooms occupant tried to escape.

“Guess he woke up.” Daring muttered to herself as she quickly tried to finish her search. She bit back a curse as she reached the bottom of the chest and found nothing as the door shuttered again. Daring took one last look at the chests before bolting over to the barricade. One of the barrels tumbled to the ground and the entire stack shifted as the door slipped open a crack. Daring threw her self at the door, slamming it shut as a single large clawed paw peaked past the edge, getting itself caught between the door and door jamb and eliciting a pained yowl from its owner. It withdrew a moment after only to be followed by a crash that nearly sent Daring tumbling to the ground and managed to dislodge most of her barricade. She pressed herself against the door but found herself in a losing battle. The big cat was well and truly awake and finding itself locked up seemed to have left him in a foul mood.

Daring realized that the cat would be escaping the room sooner or later, and her chances of getting out of this latest problem were getting smaller by the moment. The crashes against the door were getting further apart and harder, and she could just hear the faint sound of footfalls as he ran up before throwing himself into the door. Thinking fast, she waited until she could her the incoming steps and, at the last moment, dove to the side.
The door slammed open and the massive saber-tooth tumbled out, unbalanced by the sudden break-through. He recovered just in time so see Daring's hooves flying toward his head.

Another cat found itself down for the count at the archeologist's kick as the oversized feline's legs crumpled under it, forward momentum sending its now limp form crashing through the small table in the room and sending clutter flying. The sound of splintered wood and broken tableware tumbling back to the ground echoed in the room until dying out, leaving the small space in almost complete silence. For a moment, all Daring could here was her own heavy breathing as her every muscle tensed for action. A cloud of dust settled around the cat as Daring watched and waited to see if it would rise again.

After a tense several moments, the feline let out a low groan before stirring one final time and going still save for the gentle rise and fall of its sides. Daring finally relaxed and let out a relieved sigh as she let herself fall to the floor for a brief respite. “Next time I think I'll just risk the dark.” she mutter to herself as considered the now unconscious cat. She noticed for the first time that the cat was actually wearing some sort of vest – it was almost comically small on the big cat, almost invisible save from the back. Covered in a collection of pockets, several of which were bulging with their contents.

Playing on a hunch, Daring started sifting through the pockets. The first few contained nothing of use to her – bags of catnip, a few coins, a set of dice that felt oddly weighted in her hoof, and even a collection of various knives. It was in the last pocket that she found what she was looking for. It was a small tin, tipped with a little spigot for pouring. A quick sniff confirmed that it was in fact the lamp oil. “What was he doing keeping this in his pocket?” Daring muttered to herself as she took the small tin over to the pile of discarded lamps from before. A few had been in range of the cat's crash and were now little more then scrap, but a quick sifting through of the pile found one that was still mostly intact.

The lamp was rusted and protested under her hooves, but she eventually managed to wrench the reservoir open and tipped the lamp oil in. the small tin was quickly drained and, after a quick check of the wick, Daring fished out one of the pilfered matches and lit it. The wick caught and the flame inside slowly grew into giving off a warm glow that dispelled the shadows of the dim room.

Light source in hoof – or mouth as it were – Daring started back toward the hidden staircase. No longer trying to figure out where she was going, the second trip took quite a bit less time then the first, and after a short trot Daring found herself back at the top of the unlit staircase. Under the light now, she could actually make out the curve of the staircase as it sank into the ground and disappeared from view after a few dozen steps. She couldn't see any sconces for torches or hooks for lamps. It seemed that whoever had carved the flight of steps had expected a pony to bring their own light. The steps were steep, poorly lit, and completely without hoof rails. If she fell, she wouldn't be stopping until she hit the bottom – not that she would be in any condition to appreciate the fact by the time she reached the end.

Daring gave her head a quick shake to dismiss the macabre thoughts and started down the steps. The light behind her slowly shrunk until it vanished, leaving her entombed in her own small bubble of light in the otherwise all-consuming darkness. Her hoof falls echoed up and down the darkened stairwell and she quickly lost track of how deep she was or how long she had been descending the steps. She gentle curve of the stairwell, the seemingly endless dark stone on either side blurring together as she found herself dozing on her hooves. The steady rhythm of her steps and her breathing filled her ears as her eyes slowly grew heavy. The familiar feeling of an adrenaline rush fading away as her body realized she was no longer in a possible life-or-death situation and decided that it didn't need to keep running at full steam.

Daring briefly found herself stumbling, and the adrenaline briefly returned as images of her tumbling head over hoof in the dark as she quickly caught herself, one hoof against the wall to steady herself as another clutched at her chest where her heart felt like it was trying to burst its way out of her rib cage. She sucked in deep breaths around the lamp clutched in her teeth, trying to slow her heart rate back down to something resembling sane levels. After a few moments she let out a slow breath and started back down the steps.

The next few minutes – at least, she thought it was just a few minutes – went by uneventfully. She had just started dozing again when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. It was barely perceptible, but she could just make out a faint glowing from somewhere ahead of her. Her pace increased and the glow steadily increased, until soon she could finally see beyond her own lamp light for the first time in what felt like ages. Within a few moments she could make out the end of the staircase, a simple doorway with everything beyond it obscured by the glare from the room past it. Daring didn't even bother trying to stay quiet as some part of her, an older part of her brain, drove her from the dark and into the light as fast as she could. She stumbled as she crossed the threshold, nearly tripping over her own hooves as here eyes squinted shut in the bright light after being in the dark so long. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear them of stars before she finally got to see what she had run into.

The lantern fell to the ground as her jaw dropped.

Chapter Ten

The sound of her hoof falls echoed loudly in her ears and through the tunnels, but Daring was no longer worried about subtly. They all knew she was here now and it seemed that every cat in the mine and a few more had all decided to jump in on the chase to catch her. With no other ideas and at this point no other real choices, Daring had continued her way upward and simply prayed to Celestia that most of the cats were working somewhere in the tunnels below.

She rounded another corner without even slowing down, her rear hooves skidding over the stone floor as she scrambled to redirect her momentum. She felt one hoof meet nothing but air as she finally got her self under control and plowed on. The next corner was walled by actual stone instead of empty space, and Daring took advantage of it as best as she could, her hooves traveling up and along the side of the wall, all four briefly leaving the floor as she practically flew through the curve and came out the other side just as another pack of cats emptied into the hall in front of her. “Out of the way fur-balls!” Daring shouted as she gave the wall one final kick and arced through the air and straight into the lead cat. The cat gave a startled yelp as he went down under Daring's hooves while she used him as a spring board and continued on down the hall without so much as skipping a beat. The cats behind her that were still standing simply stared at her as she sped away in slack-jawed, stunned silence before staring down at their now groaning compatriot. They all glanced at each other one final time before letting out a series of roars and speeding down the hall after her.

All around her, Daring could see cats pouring out of the wood work – well, stone work – to take a shot at her, some armed with ropes or spears but most simply with their bare claws. Claws which, Daring noted to herself, were more then up to the job of taking her out for good. Cats were climbing their way up every piece of scaffolding that hadn't been torn down already while some were simply crawling their way up the ropes that hung from above like a bunch of over-sized spiders.

Daring tore around another corner, finding herself in front of a long stretch of disused wooden walkway, built straight into the side of the cavern wall and secured with ropes that let it seem to just hang over the chasm below. Daring didn't have time to hesitate, biting back a curse as she ran across the haphazard bridge and tried to ignore the groans and protests that the structure seemed to make with every hoof fall. Behind her she could hear the wood creak and flex as her pursuers started across the bridge after her. Up ahead, another trio of cats were bearing down on her from the other side. Daring didn't stop. She didn't slow down. She was badly outnumbered – her only real chance was to hit them hard and fast and break through and be gone before they can figure out what happened.

Daring lowered her head and charged forward just as one of the cats leapt at her. Unfortunately for the cat he had misjudged his timing, and Daring shot right under him as he crashed into and then through the bridge. The rest of the felines couldn't help but pause as they watched their fellow cat fall through the air, yowling and screaming the entire way before unceremoniously crashing into a collection of ropes and tarps that had been for moving equipment. That far down, the faint twitching of the fallen cats legs was just barely visible, the involuntary motions the only sign of the cats survival aside from a low groaning sound that could have been the structure as much as the cat. The cats remained frozen and fixated on the sight below until Daring bull rushed through them, knocking several of them onto their rumps and finally breaking them out of their brief trance. A cacophony of roars and yowls spread across the bridge as the cats ran of the bridge, as many simply trying to get off the rickety thing as trying to give chase.

The delay, brief as it was, had finally given Daring a bit of breathing room as she opened up the distance between herself and the pursuers. Not that she could afford to stop and take a break at this point. She barreled around another corner and found herself headed straight for a dead-end, with nothing but stone front and left and open space to her right. She didn't even bother to slow down as she veered right, throwing herself through the air before snagging one of the hanging by both front hooves. She spat out a quick curse as she slid down the rope several meters before coming to a stop. She resisted the urge to rub at her hooves to try and alleviate the rope burn and instead turned her attentions to slowly pulling her way upward. She grabbed the rope in her forelegs as best she could, pulling herself up while her hind legs did her best to assist and some part of her brain busied itself by pointing out how much easier this would be if she had only been born a griffon instead of a pony.

She had made it nearly half way up when she felt the rope shake. She glanced down below to see several cats now hanging from her rope, and all of them were making their way upward far faster then she could hope to. Once again looking for a way out, Daring quickly looked about, but the only real options were yet more ropes hanging about and none of them would leave her any better off then she was doing right now. Running, it seemed, was no longer an option. “Alright then,” Daring said to herself. “Plan B.”

Plan B, as it turned out, was a seven story free-fall.

Daring began to shift her weight back and forth, building up some momentum before letting her self go at the top of her arc. She once again found her self soaring through the air at an alarmingly steep angle before, after the multi-story fall, she reached the second rope.

She didn't try taking a firm hold of it immediately like last time. Instead she hooked the rope with one foreleg, stopping her forward course and spinning her around the rope in a tight circle even as she descended several more meters to where one of the cats was climbing upward. The full grunt of her gathered momentum was concentrated into her two rear hooves as they met the off-guard feline, knocking him well clear of the rope before gravity asserted itself and pulled him downward. The other cats scowled as they started moving, intent on finally taking out the pesky pegasus once and for all, but Daring had other plans.

The cats set their ropes swinging, steadily edging themselves closer to their prey as the went. Two finally got within reach of Daring's rope, quickly sinking their claws into it as they shifted from one rope to the next. Both felines looked upward to take in their preys look of despair only to find that the pegasus had vanished. Daring grinned as she swung away on the same rope one of the cats had swung in on, but quickly turned her attention back to the issue at hoof. Several of the cats weren't even bothering with a chase, and instead were lining themselves up to attack her straight-on, many armed with knives or swords in jaw or claw.

The first one to draw close enough to strike swung at her with a sword but Daring ducked under it, thankful that the felines were to focused on her to try and target the rope. The cat's missed swing left it over extended, leaving it open to a swift kick from Daring that parted cat from rope and sword from cat, the sword tumbling in the air briefly before Daring managed to catch it with her teeth. “Thank you,” Daring managed around the sword hilt before she swung the blade at the nearest rope, sending it and the cats clinging to it crashing to the ground below. Two more ropes quickly followed suit as Daring finally managed to gain the advantage. Things were going well until she felt the rope jerk and glanced upward. Her rope was fraying now, and almost directly across from it she could just make out a cat as it hefted another spear, ready to throw.

“Darn.” Daring managed before the rope finally snapped and she dropped. She had just enough distance to build up some decent momentum before she crashed back first into a hanging mining cart, her breath rushing out in a pained gasp. She struggled to catch he breath as the soft thud of a spear impacting on the metal around here made the over-sized bucket she was stuck in ring like a bell. Daring finally got her lungs working enough to let out a pained groan as she rolled over, splaying out across the bottom of the cart. “Sweet Celestia that hurt.” she managed as another spear bounced off the cart with a ring. Daring waited a moment and, when no other spears came, cautiously started to peak her head over the edge. She ducked down almost immediately as a spear sped through the space where her head had been a moment before. Daring ran a hoof over her pith helmet to check it for damage before blowing a loose strand of her mane out of her eyes. “Okay then...”

Daring weighed her options for a moment before something caught her eye – a little lock and ratchet mechanism at where the ropes met the bucket, the supporting lines winding through it before looping back upward to the pulley and weight systems. Daring took one more quick glance over the edge, seeing the cat starting to heft another spear, before she gave the ratchet a swift kick. The rope screamed through the mechanism as a weight somewhere above was finally allowed to obey gravity, and the bucket shot upward with Daring inside. The cat was mid-throw when the cart shot by and sent him stumbling back. He recovered quickly, throwing the spear with a shout but the cart was moving to fast and all it managed to hit was the bottom of the basket. The cat roared in frustration as it took its anger out on his weaponry, quickly reducing his remaining spears to little more then tinder as Daring sped away.

Daring couldn't help but grin as she watched the cats temper tantrum, but a glance upward quickly swept the smile off her face as she noticed the roof quickly approaching and her improvised ride did not seem inclined to slow down any time soon.

“Come on, come on, come on...” Daring scrambled for a way out but quickly realized that her only choice was one that was quickly becoming annoyingly familiar to her. She gathered herself on one side of the cart before taking a deep breath. “Son of a...” Daring cut off her own curse as she took two steps before throwing herself through space again before crashing into the nearest ledge, rolling over a couple of times and wincing as the weight on her injured wing sent pain shooting through her before she skidded and stumbled to a stop. Daring gave her head a quick shake as she pulled herself back to her hooves. She was, finally, away from all of the cats. From her new vantage point she could see the cats rushing about further below in a panic as the mining cart finally came crashing down into the machinery below, sending metal flying and kicking up a massive cloud of dust as it ripped the side out of one of the tanks they had been moving, letting loose a torrent of coal oil that quickly began to pool around the remaining machinery and sending cats running to the surrounding lamps as they rushed to douse the open flames.

“Well, there's an idea.” Daring thought out loud as she started to smirk. She took a quick look around and trotted to one of the nearest lamps, the candle inside still burning away merrily. Daring unhooked it and trotted over to the edge before simply tossing over the side and watching it fall. The lamp's candle puttered out before crashing into the puddle of oil below. Daring stared at it for a moment before bringing a hoof up to her face. “Darn it.”

Daring turned and started trotting away. She could already make out the light from the exit at the top of the path, but she soon slowed back down to a stop. Even if she managed to get the statue back from Ahuizotl – who she was still hoping was just waiting a little further above – he would still have the rest of the gems. He would have more then enough funds to run more of the operations Daring usually found her self stopping. Ahuizotl wouldn't exactly be winning this time around, but what about the next one? “Come on, Daring.” she said to herself. “It'll be easy – just have to figure out a way to destroy a few thousand pounds of mining equipment and all of the gems they've dug out. No big deal.” Right.

Then again, Daring realized, she already had a way to destroy everything – the coal oil. She just needed a way to light all of it. From all the way up here. Without getting caught. Piece of cake.

Daring turned and started trotting back in the direction she'd come from as she started looking for a way to get some sort of flame down to the ground below. Just throwing a flame over the side wouldn't work – she needed something more substantial. But her only real advantage was quick to evaporate as she saw more cats making their way up and around toward her. Daring let out an annoyed groan as she picked up her pace and tried to ignore the fact that she was, in fact, running toward the cats that wanted trample her hide to dust at the moment and focus on finding something really, really flammable. All she was finding instead was a lot of wooden crates and ropes laying around – plenty of fuel, but she doubted any of it would burn long enough the reach the bottom and the waiting pool. Not unless she lit the whole place on fire.

She was moment from running into the cats when she spotted what could be her only hope – a thick tube bending its way around supports and winding downward toward the ground. It looked a lot like the hoses that had been hooked up to those fuel tanks they had been moving at the bottom of the cave. If they were full of fuel, they would burn very nicely.

She rounded the last corner, finding herself at the opposite end of the hall from the cats. The entire horde started to grin as the saw the pegasus charging at them, the lot of them letting out a cries of deafening roars as they matched her charge. So it was to their great confusion when Daring suddenly broke to her right and disappeared into the stacks of crates that seemed to clutter the entirety of the mine. The cats paused, taking a moment to stare at each other, before giving a collective shrug and once again gave chase. Daring did her best to ignore them as much as she could, focusing instead on trying to follow the hose as it wormed its way over, around and through piles of crates and pieces of the structure. It seemed that the haphazard construction of the place was systemic – the hose meandered and snaked its way around like whoever had laid it had simply tossed it across whatever open path or through whatever gap was handy at the moment. Time and again she was forced to detour around an obstacle like a stack of crates and double back before scouring the area for the hose before she could continue her search. And every time Daring had to retrace or steps or try and fin the hose again, she could hear the cats chasing her getting closer. In the maze of crates and with a busted wing, if she got herself cornered she was done for.

She followed the hose until it finally exited the labyrinth of crates, and Daring momentarily congratulated herself until she noticed another pair of cats loitering just ahead, the hose curling upward and hooking into a massive copper basin behind them that was likely their reason for being stationed there. “Out of the way boys!” The cats had just enough time to glance upward as the heard Daring yell before her hooves crashed into the pair of them, knocking them both backward into the copper tank and crashing into it with a muted ring. Whatever the tank was used for holding, at least she was sure it was fairly full of it.

“Now I just need a light...” Daring started rifling through the now comatose felines pockets, and though she found nothing worthwhile on the first one, the second one had a pack of matches and a half crushed carton of cigarettes. “These are bad for you, you know.” Daring admonished the cat before tossing the carton aside and fishing one of the matches out of the pack. She had already started decoupling the hose from the spigot as the rest of the felines finally showed up. “Sorry boys,” Daring struck the match on the side of the tank, the small flame making shadows dance across her face. “But too little, too late.” She bucked the loosened hose of the tank, sending it clattering to the ground and letting a torrent of fluid pour out. The foul spell of old, stagnant water met her nostrils as the liquid started to pool near who hooves. Daring stared at the tank for a moment before her expression fouled. “Oh, come on!”

Daring ducked and dodged to the side as the cats attacked, the still lit match flying off to somewhere as she avoided the gaggle of angry felines piled onto where she had just been. Daring scrambled back to her hooves and galloped off as the cats started to untangle themselves as they tried to give chase. Daring once again found herself winding her way through stacks of crates. She was not enjoying the repeat experience at this point. By now she wasn't even sure if she was heading back toward the cave edge. She was a little preoccupied by the angry balls of fut and claws that were trying to eviscerate her at the moment.

It was only as she found herself faced with a dead end and trying to work out if she could climb over the stack of crates that she finally noticed the change in the air. It was growing warmer and smelled... smokey?

The cats wheeled around the corner and caught site of her, getting ready to charge a moment before one of the overhead rafters crashed into the ground between them, a shower of embers flying out as both sides were caught off guard. “Well,” Daring said as she considered the still slowly burning timber. “Up and over it is.”

She started clamoring over the crates, working her way upward until she found her pith helmet scraping at the stone roof above. She paused for a moment at the top and surveyed what was around her.

Whatever had caught fire, it had allowed the flames to spread and a frightening pace. Stacks of crates and parts of the support structures were aflame, embers and tongues of fire jumping and leaping from stacks, finding their way to new stacks which quickly began to smolder and ignite under the intense heat. If she could get the material down, some of it would likely make it down at least. But how?

A sudden tremor seemed to answer her question as she glanced down and saw a small fissure grow through the ground below as fast as lightning. “Sweet Celestia,” Daring said out loud. “It got to the support beams!” The fires had found a way onto the floor below and was evidently working its way a fair bit faster through the supports below then the ones up here. She quickly started to clamor down the other side of the stacks as smoke began to collect in the space above, covering everything in a thick, choking blanket of ash and soot. Her hooves made a splash as they finally returned to the ground, the water from the tank she had misidentified spreading out across the floor for a yards before finally getting soaked into the dirt and debris around it. That, at least, explained part of the reason this floor wasn't seeming to burn as fast as the one below it. The ground gave another startling shift as Daring felt it begin to canter underneath her – a sharp reminder of exactly the sort of mess she had somehow managed to find herself into, after everything else on this insanely problematic island.

Daring tore her way through the stacks as she tried to find her way back to the edge and some more familiar ground, but the smoke had began to creep lower and lower, forcing her to duck her head low in a vain attempt to reach clean air as it reduced the terrain before her to little more then vague shapes at best and, more often, something only to be noticed when she ran into it face first. Her pace was slowed down to a crawl as she crashed into a stack for the third time and realized that in this smoke she could run right of the edge and not notice until she started falling. One hoof felt along at her side, keeping in touch with the wood side of a crate or the rough stone of the cave, as she tried to maintain her bearings. She could occasionally hear the roars and yowls of some cat or another nearby, but she could never work out where exactly. Likewise for the occasional blurs that would speed by, cats rushing off and speeding past their prey without even realizing it.

The closest any of the cats came, during that fire, to catching her was when one actually ran straight into her. Neither had been able to see the other in the smoke and the crash sent both of them reeling, though Daring managed to recover a bit faster. The cat was clutching at his head with one paw, likely trying to clear the stars from his vision, as a bucket swung from his jaws. Daring wasted little time, acting almost on reflex and most certainly on a fair bit of adrenaline as she charged forward and drove one shoulder into the cat, knocking it onto its back before bringing one hoof up and swinging it across its jaw. The single blow was enough to knock the cat clean out, and Daring soon found herself rolling the cat over and dragging it off the path before she caught herself. The place was burning down around her – hiding bodies was the least of her problems for the time being. She dropped the cat by the scruff of its neck and, after giving the cat one final glance, trotted back off. Surely, one of the other cats would find it – right?

Daring did her best to push those thoughts to the back of her mind as she pushed forward and, finally, arrived at the edge overlooking the cavern proper. The smoke quickly rose upward, drawn away by whatever mechanism they were using to keep fresh air circulating through the mine shafts. Below her she could feel as much as see the flames that were spreading through the levels, flames licking their way up and down the ropes that explained how the flames got down so fast. The rope bridges that hadn't already been taken down in the packing process were now serving as routes for the fire to spread, igniting otherwise separate sections even as it left the cats stranded in isolated pockets of safety surrounded by flames. Far below, she caught glimpses of cartloads of gems crashing over, precious stones spilling across the floor as the cats ran for their lives from the slowly spreading flames.

The ground shifted again and Daring decided it was time to start moving again. With the spreading flames, the cats that she did come across paid her little mind as they rushed about trying to save their own coats. Flaming bits of wreckage fell around her, much of it tumbling over toward the ground and Daring soon found her hoof-steps quickening. She was just reaching the ramp leading upward to what seemed to be the final level and her freedom when a massive blast echoed through the cave and knocked her off her hooves. She stumbled back to her hooves and carefully moved to look over the edge. Down below, she could see one of the tanks had exploded, its sides peeled back like a banana peel as smoke poured from the smoldering wreckage even as flames licked at its for the moment intact neighbors. Daring doubted they would stay that way for long.

A low groan from closer by drew her attention from the smoking fuel tank as she turned to stare back at the cliff space she had just cleared out of. Sharp, deafening cracks that could be heard even over the sound of the roaring fires was the only warning before the entire ledge finally succumbed to the ravages of the fire and in what seemed like slow motion started the tilt forward and started to fall to the level below. The force of the crash was enough to finally cause the next level down to collapse as well, cats jumping or scrambling up the quickly tilting stone floors to reach safety before they tumbled downward int0 the abyss, crates and cargo falling away as they went. So the floors went, crashing down to the ones below in a chain reaction that quickly pancaked its way downward and destroyed everything in its path.

Daring couldn't help but let her jaw drop at the level of destruction that was being wrought. This was way more then anything she had intended. Still, she couldn't question its effectiveness. The fire was doing little far more than taking out that mining equipment and whatever gems they had managed to dig up and yet to drag out of the over-sized hole. What should have been a quick bit of sabotage and a nice distraction was turning into a full blown unmitigated disaster. Luckily, she was fairly sure it couldn't happen to a more deserving... whatever the hay Ahuizotl was.

Another tremor rocked the cavern. “Okay, really time to go now.” Daring started upward again, keeping one hoof on the rock face as she tried to keep an eye on the path in front of her. Further ahead, she could just make out the so-called light at the end of the tunnel. In this case, it was somewhat more literal. The sunlight streaming in from the cavern exit was diffused into a dull orange glow in the smoky gloom. Behind her she could hear the whole place falling to pieces as another explosion ripped its way up through the cave, probably the last of the fuel tanks finally cooking off and exploding. Up ahead she could make out a few figures through the smoke, cats that had likely been guarding the cave entrance. Both were currently busy coughing up their lungs as they stumbled their way out, neither of them in any condition to try and stop the pegasus as she ripped past them and finally burst back into the fresh air, her lungs greedily sucking in as much of the clean air as she could. “Oh sweet Celestia that feels good.” Daring thought out loud as she simply enjoyed being back outside again for the first time in what felt like ages.

She took one more deep breath before turning the look at the cave she had just come out off, smoke billowing out of it and drifting upward before being pulled away by the gentle, steady breeze. Even with all the chaos that she was certain was still unfolding down that hole, all she could here up here was the rustling of the nearby trees. “Just one past problem to take care then.” Daring gave her pith helmet one final adjustment before she started toward the nearby cliff edge.

Daring dropped into a crawl as she closed the last few paces. Down below were the remains of what might have been a walled garden a few hundred or so years ago and was now covered with crawling vines and plant life while trees overhung the open space. And in the middle of that open space, sitting in what seemed to be the sole surviving throne and flanked by a tiger and a panther with a kitten on his lap, Ahuizotl cackled while he studied the sapphire statue held in his paw. “With Daring Do out of the way, the world will suffer mightily at my hands. I am victorious!”

Daring had other ideas. She grabbed hold of one of the hanging vines, whispered a quick prayer to Celestia, and leapt of the ledge. Ahuizotl was still cackling as Daring swept past, snatching the statue straight of his grasp. “I'll take that!”

“Huh? Wha—?” Ahuizotl sputtered as he leapt to his feet, just as the first of the tremors started to reach his little retreat. “Noooooooo!”

Daring alighted onto a ledge on the far side of the garden, giving the statue a taunting little toss before she caught it again. “Better luck next time, Ahuizotl!”

Ahuizotl's face contorted through shock and rage even as the walls of the garden began to crumble around him and his arch rival ran off into the jungle. Finally, he reared his head back and let loose all his fury in a single cry. “Curse you, Daring Do!”

And so, with Ahuizotl defeated, and the sapphire statue secured the world was safe and sound once again – thanks to Daring Do!

Chapter Nine

Gems.

The stone wall of the cave towered above her under the light of dozens of lamps like the one she had just dropped and, across its entire service were hundreds – no, thousands – of gems in every hue imaginable. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, opals, topaz, amethyst and diamonds the size of her head. It was, to put it simply, mesmerizing. “Sweet Celestia...” Daring managed to murmur as she continued to stare up at the wall of precious stones. She had talked to a unicorn that helped run the University's mineralogy department on a few occasions on the topic of precious stones – usually about their value across cultures. Daring had no doubt that he would have been able to give her a fairly accurate estimate to the value of the wall, but the closest Daring could get was 'a whole lot'.

One thing she did remember from their discussions was that rare gems were, you know, rare. Precious stones were usually in small clumps – not a veritable mountain of gems. So, the million bit question was how the hay did they all get here? Daring finally tore her gaze from the wall and checked the rest of the area. The Cavern looked natural, save for the tool marks where gems had been pulled from the wall and where they had cut out the stairwell. The floor was rough stone, curving up at the edges and blending into the walls that stretched upward before finally meeting somewhere in the gloom overhead. She could feel a draft, warm and dry, wafting from one direction. With little other lead to go on, Daring followed the flow of air. She thought the air would have been coming from somewhere outside and, hopefully, wherever Ahuizotl had set up his camp. As it turned out, she was only partially right.

The tunnel she had been following opened up suddenly into another cavern, exposed at the far end to the outside by a fissure through the rock. That, she surmised, was the source of the breeze. Though the giant pit of lava sitting several stories bellow her might have had a part in it.

Molten rock bubbled in ponds far below, heat so intense she could feel it rolling over her like a physical thing even from as far away as she was. The soft orange and red glow of the rock illuminated the surrounding stone, reflecting and refracting of off the countless gem stones that studded it like stars in a night sky. Ridges of harder, tougher stone separated the pools like dams and connected to the narrow ridges that edged the cavern and included the perch Daring had found herself standing on as she took in the impressive and almost entirely unexpected sight.

Daring slowly edged her way across the ledge, one eye on the molten rock below as carefully made her way across the cavern and toward the cave opening. Stones slipped and shifted under her hooves with every step and low rumbles from somewhere far below shook the ground beneath her at irregular intervals, threatening to throw her off into the abyss. And, above it all, a dome of gems glinted in the gloom.

At least she knew where the Achi got all of their power. Far Flung had been right. They had literally built their entire civilization on top of their fortunes. The volcano that had created the island had also brought them their wealth, the lava flows collecting the gems and dumping them all in one spot. No wonder they had never left the island. The vast jewel deposits probably seemed like a gift from their gods, and they had worshiped it as such. That sort of wealth meant they could by nearly anything – power, influence, armies, goods and more. Their island location would have helped them hold on to their wealth, but only so far – a determined invasion would have broken them. So they hid themselves, hid their treasure, and kept them secret. No secret magic, no great mystery or powerful artifact – just a very, very exquisite sapphire. A stone so perfect, so beautiful, they took it as a sign and symbol of the gods. A stone that was worth untold fortunes, worth fighting and dying and killing for.

Daring had never taken Ahuizotl as the type simply trying to get rich. Whatever his usual reason for hunting after artifacts, he seemed to have some sort of larger goal. Money had never seemed to be a concern for Ahuizotl, but everypony had bills to pay Daring guessed. Paying those cats couldn't have been cheap. Or building those bases and getting to all of those remote ruins and temples.

As she finally finished crossing the cavern, she looked up at the cave opening that had been her goal. Now that she was finally in front of it, she could see at least one problem. This close to it, she could see that the opening was nowhere near as close to the ground a it had looked from the other side and their was little in the way of rubble that she could use as a ramp or ladder. “yet another plan falls apart.” Daring let out a sigh as she walked along under the cave mouth and tried to enjoy the gentle breeze that was leaking in. She was at another apparent dead-end, and little clue of where to go next. Once again, she found herself wishing she really had taken somepony up on their offer to come along. At least then she wouldn't have been miserable alone.

She took a seat at the base of the wall about halfway along its length, the strain of the last few days taking the chance to catch up on her. She was willing to admit that, maybe, all of her friends and her brother might have had a point. So she didn't want her friends to get into trouble – sue her. But should she really be surprised that they don't want her to get into trouble either? Daring leaned back, letting her head rap against the stone behind her. “Stupid, stupid Daring.” She muttered to herself, “How many stupid death traps do you have to get out of to take a hint?” Well, she wondered, it depended – what were the chances her friends could get through them any better then she could? “Stupid question – Coco deals with crazed lunatics for a living and your brother knows almost as much about this sort of thing as you do.” Yeah, but does that make this sort of thing any less dangerous for them? “Heh,” Daring snorted. “As if.” What about for you? “Now your changing sides!” And you're arguing with yourself. “Didn't bring anypony else to bicker with – kinda the point of this little chat.”

Daring let out another sigh. As much as she could probably use a little chat, she doubted it was with her self and she was almost positive she didn't have any time for one now. “Once I get out of this mess, I'm buying Coco a drink.” She never really paid her brother back for the information on Coco either. Well, she could probably use a vacation after this mess anyway. She groaned as she stood up, muscles protesting the action. “I swear to Celestia that I'll never complain about grading papers again.” A complete and utter lie, but she would probably make it to mid-terms, at least.

Daring started down along the ledge again, muttering as she went about exactly which cider she was going to order once she got out of this place as she went. The ledge itself continued on until it passed out from underneath the cave opening and continued on into the murky black. She passed back out of the light of the sun and once again the only illumination was from the molten rock that flowed below and the occasional lamp that was hung above. The further she went, the more muted the sounds from the outside became until she was once again accompanied by only her hoof falls. As she pressed further on though, another sound started making itself known. It was low at first, just at the edge of her hearing, but it was steadily growing louder. It was a steady, rhythmic, mechanical sound - the sound of gears and pulleys and digging equipment. Daring slowed her pace as the ledge turned into a short tunnel, a steady thrumming light emanating from the far end. She edged her way down that last several paces, slowly peaking around into the space beyond as she reached the end.

It was another cavern, smaller then the last but still more the enough to qualify as 'massive' by most ponies standards. It was a single over-sized central chamber a good five or six stories tall. It was hard to be sure, since the surrounding floors weren't really floors. Instead, it was a honeycomb-like collection of tunnels and walkways at irregular levels and intervals. The entire space was filled with wooden scaffolding, pulleys, cranes and a network of cart tracks. And across all of it, dozens upon dozens of cats were at work, chipping away at the surrounding walls and prying out the precious stones or, as was more often the case, pulling free entire chunks of rock face before depositing them into waiting carts. A steady stream of carts flowed into and through the cavern, some having to be lowered down from the higher levels, others hoisted up from further below, until the reached the Towering structure of iron and steam at the center. It shook and groaned like a displeased dragon as the cats tipped cartload of raw stone into its waiting maw, every batch thrown in eliciting a belch of steam and dust as the deep rumble of stone getting crushed rippled through the cave, the processor working away until its end product was deposited out at the other end into two carts. The first was a steady stream of carts, waiting until filled with waste material before being hauled off. A much slower stream of carts was hauled in a different direction, laden with precious stones.

It was a strip mining operation on an impressive scale employing a lot of cats, and Daring had a feeling she was going to have get past probably all of them if she wanted to get out of here with the stone. Of course, she could just turn around, make her way back up through the tunnels and out through the ruin she came in at and just improvise her way off this Celestia-forsaken island. She might even get to shore before Ahuizotl even realized his little death trap had failed and went looking for her again. She could just turn around, go home, and let Ahuizotl have the stone. She could just let him win for once. “Heh.” Daring snorted. “as if.”

Daring took a quick glance around before slipping out onto the overhang and ducking behind a column of rough stone. She was, at the moment, alone in her little corner of the mine. The nearest cat was a black and tan fellow two arches over running one of the cranes for the mine carts and, at the moment, facing firmly away from her. Trying to keep her self as low and as small as possible, she started to work her way toward a stack of now familiar looking crates, one eye keeping watch on the cat as she sneaked along. She was about half way to her goal when their was a cry from one of the levels above her, and the cat turned around to look up at the source, yelling and hissing something back while making a series of increasingly rude paw gestures. Daring's heart pound in her chest, doing its best to break out and run as fast as it could back into the tunnels. Every muscle in her body froze as the cat yelled at his compatriot up above, the only thing concealing her from view the tilt of the cat's head. She didn't even dare to breathe out of fear the slight movement would catch the cats eye. Those few moments stretched on for what felt like an eternity until, finally, the cat turned back to his work with a grumble and a another vaguely rude paw gesture at the level above.

Daring let out a long held sigh of relief as her muscles finally decided to loosen up a little. Daring started toward the crates again, continuing to try and keep her self as low as possible as she passed a wooden beam holding up the rock overhead. She was maybe three steps past it when her hooves found a spot of loose stone, probably from the mining work, maybe simply loose rock that had fallen from the roof. Her front hooves slip in opposite directions and her eyes widened in panic as she tried to keep herself upright, the sound of rocks and rubble scattering in a dozen directions echoing loudly in her ears.

The cat at the crane turned around at the sound of falling stones, but saw nothing but an empty ledge and a few stones tumbling over the edge before landing below with in a smattering of clinks and cracks. His gaze scanned the ledge for a moment before, with a shrug, he went back to working the crane and moving the carts. He never noticed the nearly hyperventilating pegasus pressing herself against a stone column, doing her utmost to make sure neither hide nor hair of her self was poking out from behind her impromptu hiding spot. “Okay,” Daring whispered to herself. “I have got to be getting close to my 'close call' quote for the day.” Daring gave the cat one final look to make sure he was once again back at work before slipping out from behind the column and finally crossing the last few paces to the collection of crates she had been aiming for.

The crates were gathered at what looked like some sort of combination of antechamber and intersection. Off to one side several other tunnels peeled off while the other side was linked to the central superstructure by one of the numerous rope bridges. As she wormed her way through the narrow gaps between the boxes, nesting herself right in the middle of the collection, she could hear the sounds of numerous cats nearby. Some of it was echoing up from some of the tunnels, while much of it was coming from the working party nearby across the bridge. She could work out at least two voices, however, that sounded like they were coming from a lot closer then either of those two spots.

Making sure she stayed hidden behind the piles of crates, Daring crept closer to the source of the voices. Leaning on the stacks of boxes were a pair of cats as they chatted with each other, what looked like spears leaning on the nearby wall and mostly forgotten. She couldn't make out most of what they were saying, the words lost under heavy accents and a dialect she was not familiar with, but she was fairly sure she caught the word 'marshmallow'. She peered around them a best she could, and bit back a curse as she noticed that, save for the way she had come, all the available paths to her were in clear view of the two cats. Even distracted as they were, they would have to be blind to miss a tan coated, gray-scale maned pegasus sneaking past right in front of them. Not exactly a good plan. Instead, she was going to have to figure out how to get the guards out of the way. What she really needed was a distraction...

Well, those rocks had distracted the other cat well enough – time to see if the same trick would work twice.
She felt around for a moment until she found a decent sized stone and scooped it up with her hoof. She weighed it for a moment before taking aim and tossing it over the crates and across the room. The stone arced through the air before landing on the other side of the room with a clatter and skidding across the far hall. Both cats ears pivoted around, there heads following close behind with a jerk. The one on the left elbowed the other and pointed at the hallway with a low growl, to which the other cat responded with a similarly low growl. Daring brought a hoof to her face as she sighed, not needing to speak the language to understand what they were doing. The two cats continued to argue for another moment or two before the second one finally got to his paws with a grumble, picking up his spear before heading toward the hall. His partner, for his part, merely leaned to one side slightly to get a better view of the ongoing proceedings. With both of their backs turned and otherwise distracted, Daring made her move.

Carefully slipping to just next to the crate nearest the cat as he leaned over, Daring checked one last time to make sure he was still watching his partner before she pounced. In a single smooth motion, she reached over the crate, wrapped one foreleg around the cats neck as she shove the other hoof over his mouth, and yanked him over the crate with naught but a whisper of wind and a strangled 'gurk!' from the hapless cat.

The cat struggled for a minute, thrashing about, but Daring adjusted her grip and brought her hind-legs into the equation, quickly pinning all four of the cats legs as she continued to choke him out. She moved the now limp cat as silently as she could, dragging him toward a nearby crate before dropping him into an unceremonious pile as she started pulling the top off of a box. A quick relocation of its contents later and she had the unconscious cat stowed away neatly inside. With the lid reattached and another crate shoved on top, she was certain that the cat wouldn't be going anywhere. The first cat taken care off, she moved back to her original spot to get ready to handle the second. She slipped behind the crates just as the second cat returned, grumbling to itself as it marched back. He was half-way across the room when he finally noticed his partner was nowhere to be seen and froze. The grip on his spear tightened as he slowly scanned the room, slowly turning in a circle, weary of almost everything. Daring watched him closely from her hiding spot as he started to sweep the room, occasionally stabbing into the stacks of crates with his spear. Daring ducked further behind the crates has the steady sound of the slicing blade grew slowly closer before seeming to stop. She started letting out a relieved sigh when the blade sliced through the crate a hairs breath from her ear. Wide eye watched as the spear pulled back with barely a sound before its owner moved on slowly. “Okay,” Daring whispered. “Time to find a new spot.” Daring slipped out from behind the crates as the feline kept up his search, slipping behind him as he moved on. Daring knew she should probably just take the chance and go, but really – it was too good of a chance to pass up.

The cat turned another corner, ready to strike, only to find it empty. He slammed his staff down as he let out a grumble, one paw coming up to scratch at his head. Daring chose that moment to move up behind him and calmly tapped him on the shoulder. The can turned around lazily, only to freeze as he made eye contact with the grinning pegasus. “hiya.” Daring's hoof slammed into his jaw before he could open it to say anything, the uppercut sending the cat sprawling and putting him out of commission in one hit. “and see-ya.” Daring finished. Well, that was easier then she had expected. She dusted herself off before she started to drag the feline toward the crates. She managed to find another suitable crate in short order and, after relocating its contents like she had the last one, had the second guard tucked away nice and snug for his little nap. “Really guys,” Daring said to the unconscious cat as she put the lid to the crate back in place. “You both have been working far too hard – take yourselves a nice long break. Really, its no problem, at all.” As expected, neither cat bothered to reply. “Well then, gent's – I think I'll just be moving along. Don't mind me.”

The working party across the rope bridge was still absorbed in their work, and were squarely placed right in the middle of it. So, thats one choice out the window. Of the others ones, only one was heading upward and Daring didn't think Ahuizotl was the sort to hide at the bottom of a hole – at least, not when he thought he was winning. Knowing him he had found himself a nice little throne room to rebuild and was busy gloating about his victory. Well, Daring thought, time to burst his bubble.

Daring started up the narrow tunnel, following it as it wrapped around the cave. Luckily, she didn't run into any more lounging patrols as she worked her way slowly upward. The cats she did pass were all to busy with their own work to notice one bruised and battered pegasus slipping past behind them. She grumbled to herself about the lack of equine employee's as she ducked behind a support beam, waiting for a pack of leopards to pad past. She couldn't exactly steal one of the cats uniforms and pose as one of them to walk around. For one, they weren't wearing uniform. Second of all, she was lacking the razor sharp claws and teeth anyway. Then again, maybe it was intentional – Ahuizotl could, occasionally, prove to be surprisingly clever. Employing all cats kept security checks really straight forward, at the very least. After a moment, the wandering group of felines finally passed and Daring could continued on her way.

She watched the cats work as she kept moving upward, cats of gems being hauled or pushed ever upward, joined into trains where they were collected before being hauled further along. The steady rhythm of machinery at work echoed in the strange acoustics of the mine and the surrounding tunnels. Every so often, at spot where the carts were stopped, a waiting cat would pick through the stones, finding one and examining it with a jewelers glass before tossing it back into the cart and signaling the mining train to continue. Though, she noted, sometimes the gem didn't quite make it back into the cart.

The inspectors weren't the only ones who seemed to have sticky fingers. Several of the felines mining the cavern walls seemed to be inclined to awarding themselves bonuses, taking furtive glances around before slipping a ruby or a emerald into a waiting pocket. Sometimes, however, they didn't look around quite enough. She watched as one cat was grabbed mid-way through stashing the gem in his pocket, the feline staring up at the larger cat – a supervisor, most likely – that had his foreleg trapped in its grip like a vice. The would-be thief stared for a moment before the color drained from his face and he started struggling, but to little avail. The supervisor simply gestured for two of the other cats to come over and assist him. Between the three of them, they quickly restrained the would-be robber and hauled him away, his shouts and hisses filled with a sort of fear that made daring shutter.

The cats had dragged the failed thief about half way to one of the side tunnels when a long, low whistle echoed through the caves, followed by several more shorter ones. Almost at once, every cat in the mine stopped what they were doing and stared upward at where the whistle had come from before suddenly launching into a flurry of activity. The activity was slow, deliberate, and seemingly well practiced. All around the mine, felines had stopped their mining work and started collecting equipment. Some started with pickaxes, pushing mine cart along and scooping up pickaxes and dropping them into the cart before moving on. Others had started pulling down the lamp hooks and lanterns, the string of lights going out one by one visible even from Daring's distance. It looked like the Ahuizotl and his cats were finally packing up shop. It seemed that, after the long days and seemingly endless game of cat and mouse, things were reaching their climax. Daring's time was running out.

Daring did her best to pick up the pace, but the increase in activity had turned the maze of paths and walkways through the cave into even more of a minefield then they had been before. The only upside was that, with all of the felines busy with their own work, less of them were looking around quite as hard for anything amiss. The number of cats running about seemed to increase exponentially as she moved higher and higher, and the number of places to duck into when she had to hide was beginning to dwindle as crates and assorted other items were slowly but steadily hauled away. “Why can this never be easy?” Daring whispered to herself as she watched a trio drag several carts of equipment past. It seemed that all the equipment was being hauled upward, and that at least confirmed to Daring that she was at least moving in the right direction. Daring's mind thought back to the pair of guards she had stashed further below in a pair of crates. With all of the crates being moved, she realized, there was the not insignificant probability that somepony – or some cat, as it were – would find them. And then the cats out of the crate.

Daring mentally kicked herself over the horrible pun, but refrained from doing it in actuality. Still, she found herself moving slightly faster then before as she continued making her way ever upward. Further below, cats were starting to dismantle the rope bridges, cutting off all but a few routes to that central piece of machinery. The machine itself, however, was still untouched. Daring was starting to suspect that the massive piece of stone processing equipment was going to be the last thing they pulled out. The supporting equipment, however, was already on its way out. The cart tracks that had guided the carts to and from the base of the machine were already being torn up and packed away.

As she pressed on, she watched as more and more cats were starting to work around the machinery that was at center stage for the entire operation. Most of the work, it seemed, was focused on the equipment at the base of the machine. Large, squat cylindrical tanks along one side were being decoupled, the various hoses and lines between them and the core structure disconnected one by one as feline work teams either scrambled along the dull metal tops or were lowered from higher up and worked from harness's. The tubes and lines were allowed to drop, left to hang limply from the tanks, the heavy stench of coal oil wafting all the way up to even Daring's perch. “Fuel tanks,” Daring muttered to herself. Most places would have just used magic to power equipment like that – cleaner so less maintenance, and less accident prone as well. Of course, Ahuizotl seemed to be lacking in pony employees so Daring guessed that wasn't an option.

With the lines unhooked, most of the cats pulled back, leaving a small group who were busying themselves with attaching heavy ropes to various spots on the tank with heavy metal hooks before tossing them over the sides and hopping off themselves. On the ground, teams of cats moved forward, picking up the lines and untangling them before pulling the lines taunt and giving them a massive heave in unison.

With the low, almost eerie groan of metal protesting its relocation, the entire tanks began to move as one gigantic piece. Daring watched in stunned silence as the over-sized piece was slowly pulled to its new position before coming to a equally slow stop as several of the cranes sitting far overhead swung around, lowering more lines as the first set were removed and the new ones were hooked into place. A little further back, a second tank was getting the same treatment the first had received as lines were disconnected and ropes hooked into place in a symphony of what was likely well practiced movement. Daring supposed it all actually made quite a bit of sense. Ahuizotl wouldn't have had time to build everything on site – he'd would have had to have brought it with him to get all of this set up so fast – and it looked like the same equipment was as quick to take down as it was to put up.

The second tank was nearly pulled all the way out, with the first now a good story and a half off the ground, when a shout echoed from one of the floors further down. Daring risked getting spotted to take a look, sticking her head out over the edge to get a clear view downward at the unfolding scene. Several floors below, she could make our a series of cats cracking open a crate and pulling a dazed an familiar looking feline guard out of it. “Oh, buck me.” Daring cursed.

Another shout made her snap her head back, staring straight across the cavern to see a lone cat pointing her direction, shouting downward at the others as the started to free the second guard. Within moments, a slow, low klaxon started blaring overhead.

Time was up.