Daring Hearts

Chapter II

Reality Check

“So you’re telling me that this whole world is run by anthropomorphic ponies that can fy and some can use magic?” Grant said as he and Daring made their way through the caverns of old.

“For the tenth time, yes.” She groaned.

“And this Princess Celestia person-”

“Pony.”

“Whatever. She sent you on some crazy quest to get this gauntlet?” Daring nodded. “And you’re a grave robber that-” She spun around and glared at him with her magenta eyes of death.

“I’m an explorer, not grave robber. There’s a difference and if you don’t shut up then I’ll put you in a grave.” Grant backed off the subject as he put his flashlight forwards.

“So where exactly are we?”

“Temple of Artemis the Wise.” Daring said as she took the flashlight from him and stepped ahead of the man. “He was one of the most powerful Unicorns of his era, he was on par with Starswirl the Bearded, possibly even Celestia.”

“Was he good or bad?

“Records show that he was in a moral grey area, he’d help out whenever he could but the means weren’t always the best.”

“Sounds a bit like batman.”

“Who?” Grant face palmed.

“Okay, when we get out of this stink hole, I gotta introduce you to DC comics.”

“No, because as soon as we’re out, you’re giving me that gauntlet and I’m out of here.”

“Whatever you say Lara Croft.” Daring gritted her teeth at the name the human gave her.

“So what the hell are you anyway?”

“I’m a human, or homo sapien if you want the scientific term.”

“Huh?” Daring asked.

“We’re an advanced form of apes, at least that’s what some people believe.” He rolled his eyes as Daring chuckled. “At least I’m not some over groan farm animal with an attitude problem.” Daring shined the light in his face and frowned.

“What was that?” She said in a threatening tone. As she was about to put the beat down on the man another wave of pain came from her back. “Damn it.”

“You okay?”

“Just my wing.” She groaned.

“Is it broken?”

“No, doesn’t hurt bad enough to be broken, butI think it’s dislocated.” As Daring continued ahead she felt a force slam her up against the wall and guessed it was the human. “What the hell are you-”

“Pipe down and hold still.” He grabbed her injured wing as she struggled. “I said hold still!” He wiggled it and the mare cried out in pain as she heard another popping noise and pain shot through her back. “There now-” The mare elbowed the man in the stomach and tackled him to the ground and held a rock in her hand.

“Touch me again and I’ll bash your face in!”

“Before you go swinging, try moving your wing.” Daring stood up and moved her wing around. It still stung, but not as much as before.

“What did you-”

“I’ve dislocated my arm enough times to know how to fix it.”

“So you just go and tackle me?”

“Would you have really let me put it back in if I asked?” Daring was about to yell but found no argument.

“Touch me again and I’ll beat you into the ground.”

“Fine, but mind getting off me?” Daring realized that she was straddling the creature. Had somepony saw them like this they’d get ideas. “I mean I usually like to have dinner first, but-” Daring pulled out the large machete one of the goons had dropped when they ran away.

“Try anything funny and you’ll regret it.” Grant didn’t dare gulp for fear of the blade slicing his skin. “Got it?”

“Y-yes.”

“What was that?”

“I mean, yes ma’am.” Daring smiled wickedly and sheathed her blade before getting off the man. He got to his feet and stuck his tongue out as they trekked through the old ruins. “So who were those four charming chaps that had you chained up?”

“The one with the annoying accent is Dr. Caballeron. He’s a lowlife scoundrel out to steal ancient treasure and sell it to the highest bidder for his own personal gain.”

“Isn’t that what you-” A pair of magenta eyes cut him off.

“I’m on orders from Princess Celestia herself to make sure that dangerous artifacts like that,” She pointed to the gauntlet. “don’t end up in the wrong hands. Who knows what things like that could do if they’re misused?”

“I see. So if he’s as dumb as you say, then how’d he even find this place? I mean, you’ve obviously done your homework.”

“He must be working for Ahuizotl.”

“Who?”

“He’s my biggest competitor and want’s nothing more than to rule the world using ancient artifacts like the one you’ve got on your hand.” Grant’s eye twitched and started laughing. “You think this is funny!?” Daring yelled.

“I’m sorry, but this whole situation sounds like a bad Indiana Jones/Lara Croft fan-fic.” He said as he calmed down. “Okay, I’m good.” He ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat. “So that’s why does he want this thing?” He held up the glove.

“That’s only a piece of the puzzle. Now could you please shut up and let me translate the glyphs so we don’t take a wrong turn?” Grant backed off and fell silent as the mare led the way through the halls. A nagging voice in her head kept chanting that she shouldn’t be so cold towards the creature. “How did you do that thing with the arrow?”

“Well, I was captain of my school’s archery team.” He said with confidence.

“I meant the explosion.” She deadpanned. Grant looked at the gauntlet and shrugged.

“Beats the hell out of me. Must have been this thing.” Something made the man stop in his tracks. Call it a sixth sense, gut feeling or what have you. A shiver went down the man’s spine and he gulped. “Um Daring,” The Pegasus turned to see the man stop walking and shaking? “I think we’d better-” The ground started to rumble and shake as the two tried to keep their balance. “Running time!” He yelled as the two ran like mad men.

Grant was right behind Daring and didn’t dare look back as the hallway seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness.

“The exit should be just up here!” Grant rounded a corner and saw light at the far end of the tunnel. The two kept running as fast as their legs could carry them. Daring could smell the fresh air and the moisture against her dirty coat. As she got to the ledge, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was no path out, just a straight drop into the surrounding forest. She then felt something blunt crash into her, sending herself and the human over the edge. The human saw the drop and went pale.

“I HATE HEIGHTS!” He yelled as he plummeted towards the ground. Daring flexed her wing and grunted in pain as she flapped it. She grabbed the man by the shirt and managed to control their crash into a deep pool being fed by a waterfall. Grant felt the cold water splash against him and felt his clothes become heavy. He looked to his left and saw that the mare was out cold from the collision. He hooked his arm around her midsection and started to swim towards the surface.

The added weight was making it much more difficult than it normally would be. He reached up with his right hand as he felt the last of his air leave his lungs. The gauntlet started glowing again. An ethereal claw shot from the gauntlet and sank into a tree trunk. Grant blinked in surprise as he felt the bark as if he were touching it with his bare palm.

He didn’t have time to wonder how or why, he instinctively pulled back and felt water crashing against him as he felt his body going towards the surface. As he broke the water’s surface he gasped for sweet air. Grant flew onto the shore line and threw up the water he had swallowed. The human then turned his attention to the unconscious explorer. He put an ear to her chest and heard no heart beat.

Oh shit! This is bad! Really, really bad! He scratched his head frantically as he tried to remember the steps of CPR he’d learned in Health class. He placed his hands on her chest and started pumping. He pressed his lips against her and filled her lungs with air. He compressed again, still nothing. As he Delivered another batch of air Daring’s eyes shot open and she coughed up the water.

“And she’s back!” He yelled in an announcer like voice. “I am awesome!” Daring then delivered a punch to the man’s head. “What the fuck was that for?” He grabbed his scalp and felt the bump forming.

“You pushed me off the side of the temple ass-hole!” She said as she shook her hand in pain.

“Hey it was either jump or get crushed by falling debris.” He said as he got in her face. “That’s twice now I’ve saved your neck bitch. A little appreciation would be nice.” Daring’s anger sky rocketed but as much as she would have liked to shut him up, but she didn’t have time.

“Whatever, I held up my end of the bargain.” She stuck her hand out. “Now hand over the gauntlet.” Grant groaned and looked at the glove.

“Fine.” He said as he grabbed the metal and pulled. It didn’t budge. He tried again, harder this time but he was met with the same result.

“Stop kidding around.”

“I’m not! The damn thing is stuck!” Daring latched both her hands on the metal and pulled with all her might while the man pulled opposite from her.

“Wait a minute!” He yelled. Daring let go sending the human crashing to the ground. Grant got up and hooked his left arm around a small tree. “Okay now try.” The mare grabbed the glove and pulled as hard as she could. She added some more strength from her wings and fought through the pain. Grant’s arm felt like it was going to be ripped out of it’s socket and felt his grip falter.

In a split second, the man toppled forwards and landed on the mare. His face landed in between two fuzzy and somewhat perky pillows. His face went bright red as he opened his eyes and saw that he had just motor-boated the angriest woman he’d ever met. “I am so s-” He was cut off as the mare flipped their positions and pinned him to the forest floor making his blush levels increase ten fold. Daring reached for her machete and brought the blade down on the man’s arm just above the gauntlet.

There was a flash and a cracking sound. Grant opened one eye and felt no pain from the blow. Daring was staring in confusion as she held the handle of her broken knife. The shattered metal was against a bright blue ethereal shield that covered the man’s arm. Daring gritted her teeth and threw the handle away before grabbing the man by the collar and shaking him violently.

“This is all your fault you bucking stupid ape!” She yelled. “If you hadn’t come and royally screwed things up I would have that gauntlet and be halfway back to Equestria by now, but then you show up and screw the pooch!” Grant’s brain was knocking around in his skull like an M&M inside one of those plastic eggs, you know the ones that split into a top and bottom half. The human frowned and had had enough.

He gripped the mare’s wrists and flipped their positions so she was on the bottom. He pinned her arms and glared down at her.

“Excuse me? You think that this is my fault!?” Daring only glared at him. “You know what? I’m done. You have got to be the biggest bitch I have ever met!”

The surrounding animals were chased off by the volume. “You think I want to be here? I don’t! All I was doing was poking around in my old man’s things and then poof! I’m in some crazy Dungeons and Dragons set up with the most annoying woman I’ve ever met, and let me tell you, I know a lot of annoying girls.” She still glared at him. “Time for a reality check lil miss adventurer, If I hadn’t shown up, you know what would have happened? Those four punks would have had their fun with you and gotten this thing anyway.” Daring bit her lip and frowned.

“If this Ahuizotl guy is as bad as you say, then do you really think he would have let you live after he got what he wanted?” His eyes were like two green flamed burning into the mare. “Not to mention that I just saved your neck for a goddamn second time from the water! Okay, I’ll admit that I accidentally crashed into you, but I wasn’t gonna stand around to become a human pancake.” He then gestured to the gauntlet on his arm.

“I’m sorry that this damn thing is stuck on me. If I had it my way then you’d have it and we’d both be focused on getting back to our respective homes, but no. I am now stuck with the most ungrateful and unpleasant mutant horse bitch thing in the goddamn universe, stranded in some forest in the middle of god knows where! So if you think you’re the only one that’s had a bad day then let me tell you something sweetheart,” He got in close to her face and the mare felt his breath on her lips. “Suck. It. Up.”

A long silence fell over the two and the man felt the fight leave the mare’s body. He got to his feet and brushed himself off. “I’d usually say, ‘see you around,’ but right now I think an enraged tiger would be better company than you.” He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to find a way out of this crazy forest.” Daring stared down at the ground and clenched her fist in the dirt. She didn’t want to admit it, but the creature had gotten her out of a tough situation. She swallowed her pride, rather painfully and stood up.

“Island.” She stated blankly. The man turned his head to look at the mare. “There’s at least a hundred miles of ocean in every direction surrounding this island.”

“I’ve seen Cast Away and Pirates of the Caribbean dozens of times. All I need is some rum, logs and sea turtles.”

“The sea is filled with rip tides, whirlpools and lots of aggressive sea life. I doubt sea turtles are gonna help in that situation. The only way off this rock is by boat, which I just so happen to have docked not too far from here. We’ll use that to get to a ship anchored just off the coast.” She started walking towards him.

“I think I’ll take my chances with the sharks.”

“I may not know how to get that thing off you, but I’m sure the Princess does.” The man still had an unimpressed look on his face. “She might even know a way to get you home.” That got his attention.

“How?”

“How should I know? Maybe she knows a spell or something. She is the Princess after all.” The mare put her hands on her hips.

“And what does this ‘Princess’” He made quotation marks with his fingers. “do exactly?”

“She can raise the sun and the moon with her mind. Since she can manage that, I’m fairly sure she can find you a way home.” The man’s eye twitched at the words. “It’s a win-win. I get the gauntlet and you get a ride home. Deal?” Grant weighed his options and bit his lip.

“Tone down the attitude a bit and you got a deal.” He shook her hand. What happened next shocked the man. The mare’s face was contorting as she tried to force some words out of her lips.

“Thank you for helping me out back there, and I know I can be...difficult to work with.” She said with a sigh. Grant chuckled.

“Not the best apology, but I’ll take it.” He said as he cracked his neck. “So where’s this boat of yours?” Daring reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a compass. She moved a bit to the right and nodded.

“About a few miles that way.” She pocketed the tool. “We’d better hurry before-ow!” She grabbed her neck and pulled out what looked like a small dart. “Oh buck.” Her eyes slammed shut and she started to fall forwards, Grant caught her and laid her on the ground.

“Daring?” He lightly slapped her face. He felt a stinging sensation in his neck and saw something shifting in the brush before passing out.