Daring Do and the Ivory Idol

Chapters

Chapter 1: An Old Foe
Chapter 2: The Island
Chapter 3: Ascending the Mountain & Nightfall
Chapter 4: On the Brink of Chaos
Chapter 5: Snooping Scootaround
Chapter 6: Scootaround Fights Back
Chapter 7: Escape
Chapter 8: The Palace of the Phoenix
Chapter 9: More Traps
Chapter 10: Up From The Ashes

Chapter 1: An Old Foe

With a flick of his wrist, Ahuizotl downed the remainder of his martini glass. He felt the sweet, cloying taste of the expensive drink, and sighed. It was great to have influence. Ahuizotl lifted his gaze up, and observed the performers on the stage. From his executive seat, he had prime viewing of the felines on the stage as they danced to the music that the pit orchestra was playing. He tapped his foot to the fast-paced jazz tune being played, while shifting his attention towards a pair of leopards entering the dining room. The leopards were staff members of the establishment, The Cat House. It was one of Ahuizotl's many businesses, which he had set up to be run by his predator friends. Because of this, Ahuizotl was seen as an executive and authoritative figure whenever he visited one of these places, and was given preferential treatment. Indeed, he was ultimately the one in charge of the operations of this club.

The two leopards walked quickly over to the table where Ahuizotl was sitting. The leaner of the two spoke quietly to Ahuizotl.

"The pit fights are about to begin, sir," he said. Ahuizotl lifted his gaze and shook his head.

"I've no interest in watching two aspiring fighters rip each other to shreds. I'm currently enjoying the atmosphere. See those young ladies? Frisky, aren't they?" said Ahuizotl, chuckling to himself.

"I think you may find yourself interested in the outcome of this match," replied the leopard in earnest. "You see, old Gritty Claws is going up against a new "competitor", one we caught trying to steal from the gang's headquarters."

"I don't wish to see yet another petty thief torn to shreds either, thank you," was Ahuizotl’s retort as he eyed the two leopards.

"I mean really, if he's done something against us let him have it. I don't even care if Gritty kills him, but I don't feel like going to watch another match, I'm busy enjoying the show these felines are putting on."

"Ahuizotl sir," said the other leopard, "I don't think you realize- the one we caught, she was trying to steal artifacts from our cases. She said that they weren't ours, and that we stole 'em from that tribal village up in-"

"Listen, I don't CARE. I mean, honestly, would I rather watch some broad that tried to rob us and got captured be forcibly thrown into a pit with our top fighter and get mauled, or would I rather watch this?"

"Sir-" the first Leopard answered, "The one we caught isn't just anybody. She's a pony, by the name of Daring Do."

****

Ahuizotl stormed into the canvas canopy that was constructed on the city green. It was similar to a circus tent, but the ring in the center wasn't for clowns. Ahuizotl marched up the steps of the seating arrangements which encircled the fighting ring like a small stadium. He sat himself down in one of the higher boxes, which had an excellent view and had been reserved for his private use.

As he began watching, the announcer tiger began speaking.

"In corner number one, seventeen time champion Gritty Claws! Put your paws together for Gritty!" boomed the announcer, and in the ring a muscular lion stood on his hind legs for a moment and beat his chest, letting out a bellowing roar. Gritty was a tough lion, having beaten all who came before him and killing several of his opponents. Gritty's mane was slicked back with grease, and his teeth were pearly, white, and sharpened. He let the audience see this clearly as he barred them, looking about as the other fighter was dragged forcibly into the ring.

"In corner number two, we have newcomer from the northern lands of Equestria, Daring Do!" Daring was being thrown about forcefully. She had been captured against her will, and had been treated roughly. She wasn't here on her own accord- this was the predator's sick idea of justice, to force her into a fighting ring where she stood little chance.

Daring looked disheveled. Her pith helmet was marked with scuffs and smudges, and her olive shirt was wrinkled and dirty. She had several bruises from being treated roughly by the predators, and even a couple of minor cuts. She had survived the ordeal, and to her knowledge they hadn't found Scootaround so far. She hoped they didn't. Scoot was a smart filly, and if she could evade the predators for long enough she could find a transport to get herself back to Equestria.

The bell rang suddenly, and Daring was caught off-guard. The lion roared, and rushed at her, bounding on all fours. Daring leaped into the air, somersaulting over the lion and landing on its back. The predators had tied her wings to her sides, so she was incapable of flight. They didn't want her escaping. As she landed on the lion, he rolled and regained his footing, sending Daring off onto the cement platform. While Daring was down, Gritty charged, swatting at her with a big, powerful paw. The paw stuck concrete as Daring moved out of the way of the blow, regaining her stance and crouching. She emulated a predator's stance, looking on the verge of pounce. Likewise, the lion was also in a pre-pounce state, and the two circled each other, waiting for the one of them to make a false move and expose themselves to attack.

Ahuizotl was taking much enjoyment in this. He had a vendetta against Daring Do, after she had stopped him on several occasions as he attempted to acquire artifacts to sell on the market. She had even reclaimed the Sapphire Statue, which he had planned to use as a source of power. He relished the thought of one of his own minions being the one to finally rid him of this troublesome mare.

With a war shriek, Gritty Claws leaped into action, and Daring did so too, shouting loudly. Gritty had his claws outstretched, ready to land and maul Daring, but she managed to land a strong kick to his abdomen, causing his attack to be nullified.

Daring Do took the opening, body-slamming into the lion forcefully, trying to knock him down. Unfortunately, the experienced fighter was expecting this, and landed a punch to the side of Daring's flank, sending her backside tumbling and ruining her offense. As she stood back up, Gritty pounced again, this time it was all Daring could do to avoid getting mauled. She attempted to land a backwards kick, but the lion swiped at her side, sending her down onto the hard cement again. The lion loomed over her, and she seemed to have no out of this situation.

It was then that a large metallic object crashed through the side of the tent, skidding to a halt in the middle of the ring, blocking her off from the lion. The object was a beat up old automobile, which was native to the region.

It took a moment for Daring to realize what had just happened, but she seized the opportunity as soon as she saw it, and rushed out of the tent through the hole made by the predator's car. She scooped up her bag, and slung it over her shoulder mid-gallop as she ran from the tent as fast as she could.

"How was that for a rescue, huh?" yelled a voice, and Daring looked across the street outside the park to see a little orange filly wearing a newsboy hat. "Meet you at the dock, Dr. Do!"

Daring grinned as she ran faster. Scootaround had organized the car crash to give her a chance to escape. Daring heard the sound of stomping feet behind her as some of the predators who worked for Ahuizotl gave chase.

Daring bounded into the street, leaping over a carriage and landing on top of a wagon filled with gravel. She climbed up and over the side of the wagon, back down onto the street, and quickly made it over to the opposite side. She knew the docks were west, so she galloped in that direction, weaving into the alleys of the low-lying brick buildings. For being on the South Equestrian continent, Coast City was very modernized, with new building materials such as bricks and pavement replacing much of the old cobblestone roads and clay buildings.

Daring swerved through an alley, and emerged on several wooden planks. She could see the form of a boat departing from the docks, heading west, with a little filly hanging off the stern end, beckoning her. She ran down the length of the dock, leaping off the end.

The feline predators did not follow her, instead remaining on the dock and yelling frustratedly at each other. Daring landed with a great splash of water, and swam after the boat, quickly catching up to it and hoisting herself up and over the stern end of it. She dumped the water out of her pith helmet, before placing it back onto her head and looking back at the dock, where the leopards and tigers still stood angrily. Behind them was Ahuizotl, looking furious. Daring let out a laugh, and gave him a false salute, which infuriated him.

"Nice try, Ahuizotl! Better luck next time!" yelled Daring.

****

"So what now, Dr. Do?" Scootaround asked, sitting herself down at a table inside the boat's cabin. The skies outside were darkened with the night, and the captain hired by the museum's grant for this expedition had the boat under control. Daring herself was resting on one of the stools inside the cabin, across the table from Scootaround. Her pith helmet sat off to the side, and she let her dark mane hang loose.

"Well, I don't know kid," Daring said, taking out a package of playing cards and beginning to shuffle them. "My old enemy Ahuizotl is at large back there, that makes it kinda hard to reclaim those artifacts if he's expecting us."

"What even happened?" said Scootaround, "I was gonna wait for you to get back to that one spot- then you just never came."

"They caught me," was Daring’s answer, "I made it all the way up to the set, too. They were something alright- each spearhead was cut out just like the book describes. Of course, they were stolen by a raid several decades ago lead by some of Ahuizotl's predecessors in the predator crime rings. That's how they winded up in his stash. None of the ones that captured me were willing to listen to a word of it, though."

"Wow," Scootaround remarked, raising her eyebrows.

Daring leaned back for a moment to peer out the window in the cabin of the boat. The night was very dark by this point, and she could barely make out the lapping waves of the ocean's current in the moonlight.

"Dr. Do, where are we going now?" asked Scootaround.

"Probably one of those mining villages on one of the islands. There should be a friendly population of ponies there, plus a way to get into contact with Equestria by radio."

"Wow, Radio can reach that far?" Scootaround asked, sounded impressed.

"Well, maybe not. It's only a decade or so since ponies starting using them commercially. I remember when I got my first radio back in '25. Still it's either that or a telegram system. If there's a mining operation they've got to have a way to get into contact with the parent company in Equestria. I think the island we're looking for is a few hours away, still, we won't be there until after midnight."

"Alright." said Scootaround, shifting her attention back to the game of cards they were playing.

Chapter 2: The Island

As the night dragged on, Scootaround and Daring Do found themselves unable to stay awake any longer. The lanterns in the cabin were turned down, and the only sounds were the waves, the gentle hum of the ship's engine, and the occasional creak as the captain steering the ship made a change.

Daring Do was having the most peculiar dream. She was back in the ring, fighting the lion. As she tried to move, it moved to block her. Daring could make out the jeering of the crowd, chanting her opponent's name. The lion stood on its haunches and roared menacingly, and suddenly it's mane was alight with fire. The edges of the ring erupted into a blaze, trapping Daring and the lion together in a glowing ring of flame.

The lion belched loudly, sending a streaming jet of fire in her direction, which she was just barely able to avoid by ducking and rolling to one side. The fire left a burnt streak in the floor of the fighting ring, and the Lion was circling her, finding an opening to pounce. Daring galloped to the opposite side of the ring, putting distance between herself and the flaming feline. It charged at her, and Daring leaped over it, getting her belly licked with the flickering fire of the lion's mane. Daring landed behind the lion, and delivered a strong kick to its hindquarters.

The fire disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the lion was reduced to mere ashes. Daring slowly backed away in horror as the ashes condensed and reformed into a gargantuan black serpent. Daring recoiled from the creature- truth be told she was very much afraid of snakes, and this one looked downright deadly.

The serpent lashed out, fangs at the ready. Daring yelped, and jumped into the air to avoid it. With her wings, she could stay airborne and not have to deal with the repulsive reptile. Unfortunately for her, the snake slithered its great neck upwards, lashing at the bottoms of her hooves. Daring squirmed in midair, trying to go higher still, but her head caught the roof of the tent, and the snake was still rising after her. It was an incredible distance for a creature like a snake to go. It appeared to be growing in length to be able to reach up to her. The snake's head reached her eye-level, and Daring gulped, not knowing where she could go. Then, the serpent's mouth opened, and it spoke.

"Wake up, Dr. Do! Wake up!" yelled the snake. Daring opened her eyes, and the snake's menacing face vanished, being replaced by a worried-looking filly wearing a newsboy hat.

"What is it, kid?" Daring said, sitting up groggily. "We there already?"

"We're somewhere," muttered Scootaround, trying to drag Daring Do to a standing position. Daring stood up on all four hooves, and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sleepy feeling she was experiencing. She looked around. The ship was at an angle, and she could make out the shape of several boulders, and a sandy beach. Sunlight poured in through the port side window.

"Where's the captain?" Daring asked, snapping into alertness. Something was seriously wrong, and she could feel it. Nopony docked a boat on an abandoned beach. They had run ashore by accident somehow.

"Missing!" exclaimed Scootaround, grimacing. "Dr. Do, what are we gonna do?"

"Well,” said Daring, stepping out of the boat's cabin and walking onto the deck, "We're gonna have to find where he went, or maybe get into the contact with local ponies living here." She looked around, now that she was out of the cabin she had a better view of her surroundings. She could clearly see the sand, the waves crashing onto the beach, the forest, and up in the distance she could make out the towering form of a volcanic mountain, which appeared relatively dormant.

"Tropical island," Daring noted, "Probably not one of the Equestrian mining facilities, but there might be a local group digging gemstones out of the mountain. Tell you what, kid. How about we go for a walk, and see if we can find somepony. Grab your gear, we might not be coming back to the boat right away."

Daring Do and Scootaround made their way into the forest. The island they had landed on was quite large, and it had a tropical climate. The sun was warm, and the air was thick with humidity. Daring wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead with one hoof, before continuing inwards. She had no machete or anything to cut down the brush ahead of her, so she and Scootaround were trampling over the less thick parts, trying to cut a path towards where Daring believed they would find fresh water in the form of a river.

"You see, if anypony lives here, they'll be near freshwater sources. The freshwater is likely closer to the center of the island," said Daring. Scootaround looked confused.

"Why fresh water? There's the ocean right there, why can't somepony just drink water out of that?" After hearing Scootaround's remark, Daring laughed.

"You can't drink seawater, kid," Daring said, continuing to work her way through the tropical ferns on the forest floor. "It's bad for you. It takes more water to get rid of the salt in it than you can actually get from drinking it. It can actually dehydrate you quickly."

"Well, what about boiling it?" asked Scootaround, clamoring over a rotten log laying on the forest floor.

"I heard that if somepony boils water, they can get rid of germs and make it safe to drink."

"Well, that's true," said Daring, "You can boil water of any kind to kill nasty bacteria and stuff. But boiling salt water doesn't get rid of any of the salt. You'd need to distill it to do that."

"Oh."

Scootaround cocked her head to one side. She looked up into the high canopy of the tropical treetops, watching a small capuchin monkey up in a tree as it swung to another branch. Daring stepped through another patch of ferns, and before her she could see the the trees starting to thin out into a small stream. Daring motioned for Scootaround to follow her, and cautiously approached the running water. When she had reached the water's edge, she dipped her head down, tasting the water briefly.

"Fresh," said Daring as she looked up, "I wouldn't drink it just yet, though. I'd boil it first." She took a few steps upstream on the muddy bank of the stream, looking at the tracks left in it. They had an odd number of toes, and seemed to lead north, farther up the stream. She looked up, trying to peer above the treetops, and saw a spiraling column of smoke stretching into the air. She blinked a couple times.

"Scoot, we're gonna follow that smoke. Either it's a camp set up by the missing captain, or it's some locals. We'll find out soon for sure."

****

Soon Daring and Scootaround arrived near the area where they had seen the smoke rising from. There was a small clearing, where dirt had been packed down by the inhabitants of a small tribal village. The two ponies could see the squat huts and the fires, as well as various outlying tools and gardens that the tribe had constructed. Currently the harvest seemed withered and decayed, and the inhabitants of the village had very glum expressions.

Surprisingly enough, the villagers were not ponies. They were Tapirs. The tapirs had brownish black coats, and wrinkled snouts. Many of the young males had tribal tattoos emblazoned on their hindquarters, and painted designs on their snouts. The chief of the village was a much older tapir who had a length of grayed beard descending from his chin. The chief was currently beckoning for Daring Do to follow him, so she and Scootaround followed.

The three walked through the dusty area that had been packed down by tribal use, and up a steep slope on the side of the hill. The trees thickened, but there was a discernible dirt path that had been worn down by travel. Admittedly, it was a little narrow when compared to Daring Do, but that was because she was an adult pony, while Tapirs were much smaller beings even when fully grown. The chief stopped in front of a pedestal carved out of stone, which stood erect in the middle of yet another clearing. Worn out areas around it suggested that Tapirs would gather around the pedestal in a circular formation. The chief turned to Daring meaningfully, and began speaking in his native language. Daring gasped, and he continued to speak, and she nodded, understanding.

While Daring may have known what he was saying, Scootaround did not. She cocked her head to one side, and scratched her brownish black mane beneath her hat.

"What's he saying, Dr. Do?" Scootaround asked, "It sounds like gibberish to me." As the chief continued to speak, Daring Do translated for Scootaround.

"He's speaking in his native tongue. I only know the root language it stems from, so bear with me," Daring explained, while taking in the words that the chief made as he gestured towards the pedestal.

"He says that thieves came in the middle of the night several days ago and stole their idol- an idol made out of ivory built in the shape of a mighty phoenix. The idol was the symbol of their protector- it protected the village from an evil curse. When the idol was stolen, the protection vanished, and the curse set upon them. Famine, fires, and all the vegetation in their gardens shriveled up and decayed. They haven't got enough food to feed every tapir in the village now- they're just getting by with what they can scrounge from the forest. There's also a rampant sickness that just set in earlier today, high fevers and infection."

"All that because the idol was stolen?" asked Scootaround, looking at the bare pedestal and grimacing.

"The idol protects from an ancient curse set on the island by...." said Daring, translating the tapir's last words and trailing off as her mouth gaped open.

"By who, Dr. Do?" inquired Scootaround.

"...A curse set on the island by the Lord of Chaos. The translation from what he's saying is division, or chaos. I have a hunch that he means Discord." Daring mused. She looked into the chief's eyes meaningfully, and said a few words in the form of a question. The chief looked about himself, nodding, and pointed with one foot off to the north, in the direction of the volcano.

"He says that the thieves fled into that direction. There's a population of ponies in that area, who came here many years ago to mine for gemstones. They're not the ones we were after- these are non-Equestria ponies. He says that the thieves were large like ponies, and they descended from the sky when they stole the idol."

Daring turned to the chief, and mouthed another few words, nodding. The chief looked pleased, and proceeded back down the path, towards the village. Daring and Scootaround followed suit.

"What'd you tell him?" asked Scootaround.

"I said we were heading in that direction and that we'd try to see if we could get the idol back." said Daring. "I don't know how much they taught you about Discord in those classes, kid, but what he's saying might be plausible, and I think we should take his word."

"Why do you say that?" Scootaround asked, as they re-entered the village. Daring motioned towards the vegetable patches, and the decayed food.

"That's why," said Daring, "They've got too many mouths to feed, and not enough supply. Plus, there's many tapirs that are stricken by disease. Strife leads to discord, and discord leads to chaos."

"So we're gonna help them out?" said Scootaround, grinning. She had always wanted to go on another adventure ever since the last one she had been on.

"You bet we are, kid," Daring said, "Better fill up your canteen here, it's a long climb up to the volcano."

Chapter 3: Ascending the Mountain & Nightfall

To the north was a large mountain,which was a dormant volcano. On the side of it was a small mining village that was operated by ponies native to the South Equestrian mainland, who made their living by digging volcanic rock and gem stones out of the mountain. It was there that the idol had apparently been taken, and it was there that Daring Do and Scootaround were trying to go.

If only it wasn't for the damn trail disappearing, Daring thought, Then we might've been on our way by now... The two ponies were following a very old trail that had not been used in many years. It's disrepair showed, as it was overgrown in many places by gnarly vines and brush that seemed to swallow up the trail and make it blend in with the rest of the forest floor.

"This is bull!" Daring remarked, as they came to a ravine. It cut through the forest and left a wide gash in the landscape, one that could not be crossed by simply jumping. She looked at Scootaround hopefully, but Scootaround shook her head. The filly looked back at her wings woefully as the tiny things fluttered, but failed to lift her with the steadiness it took to fly. Daring rolled her eyes, and made a motion with her hoof to her own back. Scootaround understood, and leaped onto Daring Do's back, being careful to leave her wings plenty of space to flap. Daring's strong wings lifted both ponies off, and the archaeologist pony flew low enough to avoid hitting branches as they crossed the ravine, landing safely on the other side where the trail head picked up. Scootaround dismounted, and Daring leaned against a tree.

"Take a break here for a minute, kid,” said Daring, "Take a swig of water and go off the trail if you need to." The archaeologist pony took a water canteen out of her bag, and unscrewed the cap with one hoof. She tipped it up, gulping down some of the fresh water. She still had half a canteen left, she hoped the ponies at the mining village would be kind enough to let her and Scootaround refill. She'd prefer doing that than taking the time and effort to boil water out of a stagnant pool.

Daring looked up the mountainside, hearing a low rumbling. She could hear branches being snapped, and a grinding sound that seemed to be growing louder. Her eyes widened as she saw a great boulder tumbling down the mountain, bouncing off a bit of rock and sending sprays of dirt and gravel flying as it continued rolling down, heading right towards her.

"Hit the deck!" shouted Daring, diving out of the way of the imminent boulder and pushing Scootaround as far from her as possible. The boulder passed her by, but Daring felt a jarring pain as her right side was struck a glancing blow. She was thrown to the ground, and she groaned. The boulder continued bounding down the mountain and out of sight through the brush, leaving Daring Do hurt and Scootaround freaked out.

"Holy smoke Dr. Do!" Scootaround shouted , helping the pony up onto all four hooves. Daring staggered, wincing. Scootaround took the bag off from her, and rummaged through its contents until she found an emergency first aid kit.

"It's my wing..." Daring groaned, motioning to her right wing. Scootaround wrapped the bandage around the injured wing, keeping it tight to the body in a sling. Daring assisted her in instructing how it should be tied, and helped finish off the treatment by securing the ends of the bandage.

"Thanks, Scoot," said Daring, "I owe you one." She looked at her injured wing in remorse. She could still walk alright, and even run, but with only one wing she would be unable to fly across ravines or up to any great heights. It was clear that Scootaround was thinking along the same lines when she asked her next question.

"How are you gonna cross gorges now?" Scootaround asked, eyeing the wrapped wing.

"I've been injured on adventures before, kid." said Daring. "Last time I was in the area I had a nasty plane accident that left me stranded in the jungle with a busted wing. I've got something that'll help me cross pitfalls, don't worry."

"What's that?" Scootaround said. The two ponies continued up the trail warily, not wanting to come across any more falling rocks.

"Well, my grandpa had a farm way back when. I inherited his old bullwhip. I don't use it for whipping anything, but it's a very useful tool in this kind of situation." She demonstrated, by uncurling the whip from her bag in a fraction of a second. The hoof grip strap was on and the whip lashed upwards with a loud cracking sound, grabbing onto a tree branch. Daring pulled her hoof down, and the branch bent. A couple of fruits fell from the branch and onto the ground before them.

"There you go, have some dinner." said Daring, as she curled the whip back up. "Better eat while we can, the sun will be down by the time we get to the mining village."

Daring ended up being right. When the sun was beginning to set, the two ponies made it to the outskirts of the village. It was perched on the side of the volcano, where the mountain had a natural cliffside flat area. The trees were cleared, and Daring could see the orange glow to the west as the sun set over the horizon. The ground had a dusty parched quality, which was unusual for a tropical island. Perhaps the elevation and heavy use had worn down the terrain. The archaeologist pony looked around in a confused manner, upon seeing nopony around the town. She made eye contact with Scootaround, who shrugged.

"Maybe they're all making supper," Scootaround suggested, throwing her thought out there with an unsure smile.

"Maybe," said Daring. She tapped her chin with a hoof, and then proceeded towards the door of one of the buildings. Many of the buildings were built low, and resembled wooden cabins. They were thatched with branches from trees, and the wood was clearly that of the island's forest. Whoever had made the buildings had made them out of the material on hoof, but they appeared to have been around for some time.

Once Daring had reached the door of the building, she extended a hoof and rapped several times on the door. After several seconds of silence, the door was opened. A male pony's head appeared in the doorway. He had a somber looking face, and appeared bluish, though his color was noticeably tinged gray.

"Hello, I'm Daring Do, and this is Scootaround." Daring said, motioning to the filly. "We're looking for the captain of a boat, have you seen him?" She stood in front of the door, trying to make eye contact with the stallion. The stallion didn't want to make eye contact, though, and stared seemingly off into the distance.

"No." said the male pony. "There has been nopony like that here. Goodbye." and with that, he slammed the door in Daring's face. Daring stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say about what had just unfolded.

"That was rude." Scootaround remarked, raising her cap. "He just closed it right in your face."

"Yeah..." said Daring, biting her lower lip. "I'll give 'im the benefit of the doubt, though. C'mon, let's try to find somewhere where we can stay. The sun's gonna go down soon."

Daring and Scootaround walked towards another building, which was slightly larger and stood several meters from the house of the rude pony. Daring knocked on the door of the house, and this time it was immediately opened. The pony who answered the door was a mare this time, and appeared slightly purple, however there was still a definite grayish tinge to her coat. The pony still did not make eye contact with Daring.

"Hello, my name is Daring Do." Daring said, extending a hoof to shake that of the other pony. It was not returned.

"Anyways, I was wondering if there was anywhere me and this filly could stay the night. We're looking for our captain, but he's missing. We're in need of a place to stay the night." said Daring.

"You are welcome to stay here." said the pony, with a very flat voice. She still did not make eye contact with Daring, even as she held the door open for her and Scootaround to enter. The odd behavior of the ponies in the village made Daring feel rather uncomfortable. She felt as if she knew what was going on in the back of her head, but she couldn't put her hoof on it yet. She hoped that her inkling was wrong.

The night fell and Daring Do with it. The exhaustive effort put forth during the day had made her tired, and she needed to get some rest if she wanted her injured wing to heal anytime soon. Scootaround had stayed up only slightly later than Daring. She had found a leather ball inside of the small room they had been afforded. She had thrown it against the wall, hitting it again as it rebounded, until the point where boredom overcame her, and she climbed up into her bunk. The bunks were arranged vertically, in the form of a pair of woven hammocks. The hammock that Scootaround had was on top, since as a filly she was much lighter than Daring. She lied inside of the hammock snugly, staring up at the ceiling of the hut. Sighing, she pulled her newsboy hat down over her face, mimicking the way that Daring do would often pull her pith helmet down over her face when taking a nap. It was not long before the filly herself was fast asleep.

The sound of two ponies sleeping filled the hut for some time, as the night stretched on. It wasn't until a considerable time later that the silence was broken as a floorboard was shifted aside, and a stallion's head poked out from it. He had a grayish tinge to his coat, and his eyes were sunken and lined with droopy bags. The stallion climbed out of the passageway that had previously been obscured by the floorboards, making as little sound as possible. It did not disturb the sleep of either ponies.

The stallion leaned over the hammock of the larger pony, peering in at her. She wore a pith helmet over her face, and had a greenish khaki vest. Her cutie mark resembled a compass. The stallion tapped his hoof against his chin. She matched the description of the target he had been given. Focusing his attention, he lifted the device that he had brought up with him. It was strapped around his right hoof firmly, and the base was connected to a chain, which dragged for a length and ended with a spike-studded metal ball. The mace definitely looked intimidating, but to the sleeping Daring Do, it might as well not even existed, for she was obviously dreaming.

The stallion grunted lowly, and readied the mace. He would build up his power before striking, making the blow lethal and making multiple attacks unnecessary. He adjusted his stance, placing his back hooves onto separate boards and raising his front end in the air. As he did so, a floorboard let out a loud wooden squeak, and to the assassin's horror, Daring Do was woken up. He saw the pony's eyes widen, and swung the mace quickly, slamming it down into the hammock. It ripped through the canvas, but Daring had already leaped off. She slammed her back hooves into the torso of the would-be assassin, sending him stumbling back, dragging the mace along the floor.

The assassin wasted no time in swinging the mace around, this time striking home and slamming the spiked ball into Daring's side. Daring yelped as the mace tore a hole in her vest and poked into her side sharply. She backed off quickly, tearing the hole in the vest larger but avoiding getting sliced by the mace. She miscalculated her distance, and wound up flopping backwards onto the torn remains of the canvas hammock as the assassin towered over her, mace once again at the ready.

"What's going on, Dr. Do... WHAT IN THE...!!!" exclaimed Scootaround, having been woken up by the commotion. The stallion was momentarily distracted as the filly startled him, and a moment was all Daring needed to plant a swift kick to the jaw, making the assassin grunt in pain and sending him toppling to the ground. Immediately, she leaped onto him and struck his forehead, sending the would-be assassin into a state of unconsciousness.

Daring breathed heavily, recovering from the fight and drenched in a cold sweat. She shook her head quickly, stepping away from the assassin. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in every detail she could. The mace was laying on the floor. The hammock had been ripped and torn. Several items of furniture lied smashed around the room. One of the floorboards had even been overturned.

The last one made Daring think. She didn't remember asking about floorboards, but now that she thought about it, it was awfully odd to install floorboards in such a primitive one-floor building. Moving in closer, she could see that below the moved board was some kind of space, where the stallion had presumably been hiding. But why did he want to kill her?

"Something's going on here," Daring remarked, "Somepony knows we're trying to retrieve that Ivory Idol that got stolen from the Tapirs, and they're willing to murder to keep us away from it. This is much more than just a little scuffle between natives and settlers."

"What's going on, Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround, startled but still fatigued from being so rudely awoken.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure..." said Daring, as she looked down the hole. She observed that it was mostly rock and dirt, but it seemed to continue sideways into the ground, like a tunnel. Perhaps the tunnel led somewhere secretive? Maybe that's where they hid the Idol they stole from the villagers, thought Daring.

"You gonna follow that tunnel?" Scootaround asked, stepping over and reaching the same conclusion that daring had made moments earlier.

"Yeah." said Daring. "Bring your stuff with you, Scoot. Just in case."

Chapter 4: On the Brink of Chaos

The two ponies stepped down into the tunnel beneath the floorboards. Daring lead the way, ducking her head down to avoid scraping her helmet up against the dirt ceiling. Scootaround followed behind, looking at the walls warily. The filly also held the grip of a metal lamp in her mouth, lighting the area around herself and Daring enough to allow them both to see down the path. As far as they could tell the tunnel seemed to stretch off for quite some distance, with no major landmarks or features to distinguish any section. The claustrophobic feeling of the tight walls made Scootaround feel uncomfortable, but Daring urged her to press on.

Soon, the two came to an area where the tunnel forked in three directions. Daring stopped at the intersection of the three small tunnels, and Scootaround set the lamp down onto the rocky floor of the tunnel. Daring peered down each of the tunnels, tapping one hoof against her chin.

"Which one do we go down?" asked Scootaround. Daring looked at the ground, hoping to see some hoof marks to indicate where the assassin had come from, but the ground was rocky and hard. The walls and ceiling were made of a more soft dirt-and-rock mix, and could be marked, but the ground gave no indication of where somepony may have come from.

"I've got an idea," Daring said. She opened her bag, and began digging around inside of it until she was able to produce a sheathed knife. She had it in her supplies just in case- they were useful cutting tools and a necessary implement of survival. What she was about to do would ruin the blade, but it was no matter. She could sharpen it another time.

"You see kid, I've got a hunch about these tunnels. I want to test this out and see if I'm right. I think that two of these tunnels will end up looping around onto each other. If I take the knife and dig it into the wall on the right..."

"Then when you get back here, you'll have marked where you've already been." said Scootaround, finishing Daring's sentence for her. "Makes sense."

With that, Daring nodded in agreement and started down the leftmost path, digging the tip of the knife into the dirt wall. The knife left a noticeable line in the dirt. Scootaround walked behind Daring, holding the lamp aloft by the grip between her teeth.

After several minutes of walking, Scootaround felt a stab of fear. She felt something on her back, and she could tell that it was crawling around. She coughed, and Daring stopped, looking back. Scootaround put the lamp down, and turned around for Daring to see.

"What's on my back, Dr. Do?!" whispered Scootaround. Daring bent in closer to take a look before recoiling. She made a grimace, before adjusting her pith helmet and furrowing her brows.

"Stay still for a minute, kid." Daring said in a quiet voice. Scootaround trembled.

"What is it?" she insisted, but Daring didn't answer. With a swift motion, she swatted something off of Scootaround's back, causing the filly to jump. Daring quickly stomped her hoof down onto a spot on the ground, making a crunching sound. She grinded her hoof, making sure that the insect she had squashed was dead. She lifted her hoof up, and wiped the remains of the bug off onto the wall in disgust.

"Sorry about not answering your question, I didn't want you to get too freaked out if I told you." said Daring. "It was a Tityus scorpion." Upon hearing this, it was Scootaround's turn to grimace.

"Is that poisonous?" she asked, curious as to the danger she had just been in.

"Maybe," said Daring, "Tityus is just the genus. I didn't take the time to pinpoint the species. It had venom alright, it was a scorpion. I don't know if it was one of the species that was super-poisonous. Let's treat 'em like they are poisonous. If you think you feel another or see one crawling on me, don't keep it to yourself. Alright kid?"

"Yeah." Scootaround said, gasping as her eyes widened. She picked up her lantern at the same time Daring picked up the knife, and they resumed walking down the tunnel.

As Daring had predicted, the tunnel eventually came back to a three way fork. It was clear which tunnel they had originally came through in the first place, as it was separate from the other three. She peered into the mouth of the other tunnel, and could see the mark of a knife being dug into the wall. That was the tunnel they had taken in the first place, and had just emerged from. The third tunnel was untouched.

"That's the one," Daring said, "Just in case we come to another set, I'm gonna keep marking the walls. You keep right on doing what you're doing, kid. Thanks for holding the light so we can see."

"Nmmb prmblem." mumbled Scootaround, which likely would have translated to 'no problem' had she not been holding a lamp grip between her upper and lower teeth.

The tunnel twisted and turned much more than the other had. The other tunnel had been one large loop, after all. This one switched back, made sharp cuts, and at one point made a sharp downwards slope that Daring Do and Scootaround had to carefully descend. At the bottom of the slope, the tunnel began to widen. It wasn't as cramped as it had been earlier, and it allowed Scootaround to walk beside Daring. Ahead of them was an area where the tunnel seemed to end, culminating in a glowing reddish light. Scootaround extinguished the lamp, and opened Daring's bag, placing it inside. The reddish light was enough for the two ponies to see as they came to the end of the tunnel.

There was a sign erected just on the edge. It had odd markings on it, and Daring paused to decipher it. Scootaround looked at it, too. She couldn't make out much other than the word "all", which remained unchanged from the spelling she was used to.

"Why are the words so weird?" said Scootaround, whispering to Daring. To her, it looked like every other word was a different language, and formed an indecipherable jumble.

"It's ancient Equestrian script," remarked Daring, fascinated.

"Pre-Alicornian era. There are only a few artifacts containing this kind of writing." She looked at it, squinting. Daring was trying to make out the message, but it was difficult even for her. Pre-Alicornian language came from what was known as the Age of Chaos, when the young country of Equestria was overtaken by the chaotic rule of Discord.

She remembered looking at one of the other artifacts from this era back when she was studying for her degree in archaeology at the university. The language consisted of different words taken directly out of other existing languages. The words rarely attempted to conjugate verb endings. In order for anypony to be able to read what was written, they would have to look at it word by word, identifying which ancient language each word came from and trying to fit it into context with the rest. It was no wonder that once the Alicorns came to power thousands of years ago that one of the first things they did was to simplify the language and make it comprehensible.

"Beware.... all..." started Daring, trying as best she could to translate the haphazard language, "the....beings...who...return? No, enter. Beware all those who enter." She moved to the next line.

"Chaos.... governs.... no, rules. Chaos rules..... sovereign, or supreme. Chaos rules supreme. Beware all ye who enter, Chaos rules supreme. Chaos with a capital letter beginning it. You know what that means?"

"It's important?" Scootaround asked, completely lost.

"No, it's a name," said Daring, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It means that 'chaos' has been turned into an actual being, or that a being claims to be 'Chaos'. I think one of my earlier hunches might have been correct."

Ahead of them was a vast chamber. There were pillars constructed out of stone, statues of a great draconicus, and on the ground was a horde of ponies, mares and stallions. Daring and Scootaround were on some kind of rocky ledge, overlooking the entire scene, and were hidden from view of the vast chamber, though they themselves could see it.

A great stallion stood at the head of the crowd. He was taller than all the other ponies, and was very slender. He was a unicorn, and his horn stood tall and powerful. The coat of this stallion was a shade of grey, and was mottled with what appeared to be smudges and spots of darker shades. His ear has a chunk of it missing, and his mane was completely gone. His tail was cut short, and was black. Around all four legs he wore two sets of black hoops, one set around the top near the base of the leg, and another set around his fetlocks. The terrifying appearance of the stallion struck Scootaround harder than it struck Daring, and Scootaround hid behind the rocks, not wanting to look at the stallion if she didn't have to.

The stallion spoke in a loud, thunderous voice. The language was one that even Daring was unfamiliar with, and she could only assume that it was the spoken version of the one she had previously been reading. She was able to pick out only a few scraps of what was being said. She heard something about 'resistance falling' and 'chaos will set in.' As soon as those last words were spoken, the stallion took out a wooden chest and produced an object from it. He held it aloft with one hoof, and the crowd of grayish ponies cheered.

The object was an idol, and in the light of torches and the burning fires built around the base of the pillars, Daring could see that it was an ivory idol carved into the shape of a great phoenix. The idol's talons were outstretched, and it's wings spread in full glory. Its head was reared back, ready to strike out at any curse that would strike the village it was meant to protect. As the cheering died down, the stallion hid it back in his chest, and placed the chest over in an area on the side.

The display of triumph quickly took on a more ominous overtone as the scene changed. The ponies split into two groups, forming an aisle down the middle, with the tall stallion standing at one end. Daring watched as a pony was dragged in from the opposite side of the chamber, through a door that she hadn't noticed earlier. The pony was an older colt, probably around the age of 19 or 20. He had a blue coat, one that was easily distinguishable from all of the grayscale ponies in the crowd. He was being dragged by two pegasi, and he seemed to be putting up a fight. He's drag his hooves, trying to prevent himself from going any further, and then he'd be prodded in the back with a sharp spear, and he'd cave, moving forward a little more. This process continued until he had gone past all of the other ponies, and stood at the front of the crowd, facing the tall unicorn.

A few words were spoken by the unicorn, and something was produced by one of his assistants. A chest lined with gold plating was taken out from behind the scary-looking altar, and the stallion opened it. An empty chalice was taken out of the chest, and placed on the altar. The unicorn lifted the chalice off the altar using his magic, carrying it over to a pool of ceremonial water. He dipped the end of the chalice in, filling it with a good sized mouthful of water. The chalice was then placed back up on the altar, and the unicorn said some loud, powerful words. His message was repeated by the entire crowd in one loud uproar.

"What's going on, Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround. Daring was speechless, eyes widened as she watched what was unfolding. She watched in horror as the contents of the chalice turned from clear water do a sickly, bubbling green. The unicorn grinned evilly, and turned to the struggling blue pony. The guards forced the stallion's mouth opened, and he screamed. Daring turned away from the scene, not being able to watch any further. The sound of the liquid being poured down the blue stallion's throat were very audible, and turned to gargling shrieks. The struggling sounds echoed off the vast walls, before subsiding. The only sound left was that of the crackling fires around the bases f the pillars.

Daring turned back to watch what had happened. Where the blue stallion had been a moment before seemed to be a different pony. In his place was a stallion who was gray, and whose eyes lacked their frightened appearance, instead being calm and without struggle. The unicorn bent over the stallion, asking several questions. The stallion replied in the same tongue that the unicorn had been using. Then, after the question had been answered, the unicorn lifted the stallion's hoof into the air alongside his own, cheering loudly. The crowd of ponies also cheered, and the sound was deafening. The cheer subsided, and in its place was a demonic-sounding chant. The tall unicorn walked out of the chamber slowly, and one by one he was joined by the others in the crowd. After several minutes of procession, the chamber was empty.

"What was that?" said Scootaround, finally poking her head out from behind the rock.

"It looked like some kind of ceremony," said Daring, adjusting her pith helmet. She was a little bit disturbed by what she had just seen take place. She had seen a cult of ponies gather, and forcefully initiate a young stallion into their cult by making him drink some kind of water treated with a spell. They were all under some kind of curse, a curse that made them chaotic and grey.

"I don't like this. I don't like this one bit," Daring remarked. She adjusted her pith helmet once again, wanting it in a good position before she continued.

"Where are you going, Dr. Do?" Scootaround inquired, standing up. Daring placed a hoof on top of her head, and motioned for her to lay low.

"I'm gonna grab that Ivory Idol," answered Daring, "As soon as I get back, we're gonna head to the surface, alright?"

"What about all those other ponies?" said Scootaround, looking back over the rock.

"Well, we're powerless to stop their little cult they have going. I'm guessing that most of them were brainwashed against their will like that last colt. I'd like to be able to help them but there's little we can do other than alert the authorities on the mainland." said Daring. "That's the first thing we'll do after we return that Idol. Sit tight kid, I'll be back in just a second."

****

Daring Do slid down the rock slope at the edge of the chamber. She stretched her hooves out ahead of her to slow herself, but in doing so other stones were swept up, and one particular piece of rock clattered to the floor below, bouncing noisily into the center of the chamber. Daring winced as the sound seemed to echo off the vast walls, but when nothing happened and no commotion began, she continued cautiously.

There was something eerie about the stone statues she walked past. They were built in honor of the evil Discord, who had ruled Equestria for ages, before the alicorns had toppled his dynasty and created order. Why anypony would worship him was past Daring. Of course, perhaps it was that one tall unicorn who had started the cult. If he could drag a pony down into chaos, they might be more willing to work for chaos. Daring found the very thought offensive, and she wrinkled her nose as she continued through the chamber, walking right down the middle. It was odd to walk where many had been just a few moments ago.

Daring arrived at the head of the chamber, where fires burned on around the base of great stone pillars. The pillars weren't support, as far as she could tell. They did not connect with the ceiling, nor did they seem attached to the ground. She determined that they must be some kind of ceremonial decoration. The archaeologist pony quickly arrived at the area where she had seen the chest stashed. She could only assume that it had been placed out of the way so that it wouldn't interfere with the ritual. After all, when displayed or used in the correct manner, the idol was supposed to be able to remove the effect of curses. Or so she had been told by the Tapir chief. She was convinced that that was the main reason that the village had been struck: the removal of the ivory idol.

"Wouldn't it cancel the effects of the cult rituals?" asked Daring, quietly to herself. She shrugged, and took the chest out of the place where it had been stored by the tall unicorn. No, she thought, the idol only protects when the user wants it to. The way that stallion just locks it up renders it useless. She adjusted her pith helmet, which had slipped down over her face for a moment. Undoing the hitch on the chest was, well, a hitch. She flicked it up with the edge of her hoof, and with another she opened the chest up. Inside was the idol, looking more proud and protective as ever despite being tossed into a chest. Daring took off her pith helmet, and grabbed the idol with one hoof, placing it into the helmet and returning it to her head. Not the best way to carry it, but with her full bag it was the only choice. She nodded with a smug grin on her face and turned, bumping straight into something.

With dawning horror Daring looked up into the eyes of the same unicorn she had seen perform the ceremony earlier, and he did not look happy. She smiled weakly, and made a dash for the exit. Her hooves struck the stone of the chamber loudly, and she hadn't made it more than three steps before she was lifted into the air by magic.

"What have we here?" said the stallion, in a deep voice. Daring was surprised to hear her own language being spoken, and raised an eyebrow. He grinned, and Daring recoiled. She was dropped onto the ground, and she stumbled back, helmet slipping over her face.

"Why are you attempting to rob me, Dr. Do?" the unicorn said, taking a step towards Daring. Daring took another step away, backing towards the wall slowly to keep distance between herself and the stallion. Her mind was racing to find a way to escape from this, and it took a moment for the fact that he called her by name to sink in.

"Wha-wait, how the hell do you know my name?" shot Daring, stepping onto the slope of the ledge by which she had come down to get into the chamber. The unicorn paused, looking up above her head, before returning his gaze to Daring. He did not pursue her any farther.

"I know about you two, Dr. Do. You and the little Scootaround came here by boat. Your captain was most willing to give me that," said the unicorn, with a smug look coming over his face as he stood tall.

"What have you done with the captain?!" Daring angrily retorted. The unicorn smiled again, and lifted his head up.

"Why don't you ask him yourself? While you're at it, give me the pig's idol, and I'll tell him not to harm your little accomplice." The unicorn had the same smug expression on his face. Daring looked up the slope to where Scootaround had been hidden. She saw the filly standing there, looking scared. A hoof was covering her mouth as she was forcefully held against the wall by the captain of the ship that had brought them there. He had the same gray tinge to his coat that she noticed of every other pony.

"You bastard!" shouted Daring, angered by the threatening of the filly. She charged at the unicorn, shouting loudly, and struck him with a solid kick to the chest. A moment later she felt a sharp pain as she was thrown down forcefully to the ground. Her helmet fell off, and the idol rolled out harmlessly onto the stone floor.

"I think you'll find that you are in no place to be hurling insults, Dr. Do," said the tall stallion, chuckling. "Nor are you in any position to attack your superiors."

"Superior my flank!" shouted Daring, struggling to get onto all fours. "You're not the boss of me!"

"I soon will be," the unicorn said. He turned, and walked towards the altar standing at the head of the chamber. Daring suddenly felt the magic force affecting her, and she was dragged along the rough stone along with the unicorn. The abrasive ground tore at the fabric of the vest she was wearing, and it tore in another place, before the entire left side got torn off, being left on the ground behind her. The same soon came true of the right side, and Daring then felt her bare coat being dragged, which hurt.

"Brother Captain, bring the filly down here!" shouted the unicorn, which infuriated Daring even more. She squirmed and she struggled, but for all her effort she was unable to break free of the magic that dragged her along. As they arrived at the altar, she was hoisted up into a standing position by the magic. She tried to break free, but this time she was being held rigidly in place. She could move her head, however. She turned to see what the unicorn was doing. His horn was glowing as his magic was used to keep Daring in place, and he was getting a chalice out. Daring felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Scootaround," Daring said, making eye contact with the filly and staring into her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No, Dr. Do!" said Scootaround, whose mouth was not covered by the captain's hoof. "Don't let him do that! Fight it!"

"He's gonna put a curse on the drink, Scoot," said Daring, her eyes looking saddened.

"No, Dr. Do, no!" Scootaround pleaded, "I remember what you said back when the Gryphons were rolling down the block in a tank? You said 'We'll get out of this, together!' Don't give up, Dr. Do!"

"Would you shut that annoying filly up?" said the unicorn, as he prepared the chalice. Daring let Scootaround's words sink in. She looked from the filly to the chalice in front of her, bubbling with vile greenish liquid. She looked into the eyes of the unicorn, who had an evil-looking sneer on his face. Daring glared at him, and refused to open her mouth.

"So you're going to be difficult?" said the unicorn, shaking his head. He focused, and the magic seemed to grab her jaw and force it down, and he mouth was held open. Daring struggled to close it, but the liquid was being poured. Putting all of her power into one desperate motion, she slammed her head forward. The chalice was struck by her forehead, and clattered to the ground forcefully, breaking apart and spilling the liquid everywhere. Daring had not swallowed any of it that she had been force-fed, and spat it back into the unicorn's face defiantly. He looked angered now, and Daring returned the glares he shot her.

The stallion was infuriated now, and Daring felt herself being lifted up. Her world tilted, and she was suddenly aware that her head was underwater. She had been thrown into the water fountain head first. She tried to pull her head out, but it was being forced under. The clear water bubbled violently, and turned greenish. Daring tried desperately to back out of the fountain, but the unicorn's magic power held her there, forcing the vile liquid into her mouth, into her nose, and down her throat. After several seconds of agony, Daring was released and fell to the ground gasping for breath.

The stallion loomed over her, grinning. He knew he had forced her to swallow the mind-altering potion he had concocted. Daring herself felt her willpower growing weaker and weaker by the moment. Some force within her was urging her to just close her eyes and go to sleep, that the darkness of sleep was welcoming and forgiving. She refused to allow herself to succumb to it. Even as she saw her coat turning grayer and grayer and losing it's bright hue, she refused to let it get the best of her.

"Now, as Bloodhorn, leader of the New Disciples of Discord, I welcome our newest recruit, the famed pegasus archaeologist from Equestria, Daring Do," the unicorn said, who was apparently named Bloodhorn. He was speaking in that odd language that Daring head heard earlier, and she was somehow able to understand it perfectly. She stood onto all fours, shaking her head. No... she had to fight it. Why was she raising her hoof with that scoundrel? What was coming over her? It was like she was asleep, and living out some kind of nightmare. She saw the world through a tinted filter- everything was chaotic and grayed. Things lost their luster, instead becoming like herself.

"No, Daring!" exclaimed Scootaround, calling her guardian out by name. But her calls were in vain. Daring stood next to Bloodhorn the unicorn, looking proudly about her. Scootaround could see that her coat had turned grey, and her demeanor changed completely. She was no longer resistant, but compliant. No longer concerned about the justice for the tapirs. She even went and returned the idol to the chest she had taken it from moments ago. Scootaround could not bear to watch the descent of so close a friend, and a hero.

Bloodhorn's smug look returned to his face. He spoke to Daring in the discordian tongue, and she understood perfectly.

"What of you're orange friend?" he asked, with a negative inflection at the word ‘friend’, "How should she be dealt with?"

"She tried to prevent this," murmured Daring, in a voice that was much different than her own. It sounded cocky, overconfident, and detached.

"She needs to be punished."

"The waterworks have need of scrubbing," said Bloodhorn, "Fillies can fit into tight spaces."

"Good," Daring replied, turning her back on the young filly.

"Have her make herself useful. I have much to catch up on about Lord Discord."

Chapter 5: Snooping Scootaround

Scootaround was dragged into a cage, along with several other young fillies and colts. The cage was constructed as a separate chamber, and it was over crowded. The stench of unsanitary living conditions reeked the tightly enclosed area, and the heat of many warm bodies packed so close together was oppressive. The cage rolled shut, and the light went out. All inside remained silent as the guards walked away, shutting another door outside of the caged area. There were a few murmurs as the other ponies fumbled about to get a good look at the newcomer.

"Hello?" said Scootaround, quietly. She felt rather depressed and alone at the moment, despite being closer than she'd ever want to be to about thirty other fillies and colts. The fact that her hero and mentor was gone had hit her hard. She felt lost, and unsure about how to proceed. The way Dr. Do had looked at her...

"You speak Equestrian?" inquired a feeble voice, not far from Scootaround. A thin colt pushed through to get closer to her. The other children were very cooperative, all of them assisted to make it possible to move.

"Yeah," said Scootaround, "...and Carpathian." she looked at the others, and was unable to make out distinct features. The light was out, and the darkness did not allow her to see much other than blurry shapes and outlines.

"I know a little bit,” the colt replied. "I can translate for you. What's your name?"

"Scootaround," answered Scootaround. The colt looked about him and spoke in the native tongue so that the others could understand. They nodded their heads. The colt turned towards Scootaround, talking quietly.

"How did you get here?" he asked, almost in a whisper. Scootaround leaned her head in, and answered in a quiet voice, getting the hint that quietness and secrecy were the way in this gang of prisoners.

"I was with Daring Do, an archaeologist from Equestria," Scootaround said. The colt paused, tapping his chin.

"What is an archaeologist? I don't know the word..." said the colt, sounding confused. Scootaround realized that she would have to help the colt with some of the larger words, since her language was not his first.

"A pony that studies the past. Dr. Do finds artifacts in a lot of places around the world."

"Artifacts?"

"Really old things. Usually they're really important to history."

"Oh, ok," the colt said. He thought for a minute, and then relayed the messages to the others. There were several murmurs of interest from among the other children.

"Dr. Do and I got stuck on this island since out captain ran ashore. We must've gotten caught in a bad storm. I didn't now, since I was asleep," explained Scootaround, "Dr. Do and I came up here looking for the captain, as well as the ivory idol that was stolen from the tapirs." When her last statement had been translated and relayed, the others let out a small gasp. There was some shuffling, and a small tapir child came towards her from the edges. He looked up into her eyes meaningfully. Scootaround could make them out by now, as her eyes were adjusting to the darkness. The tapir spoke to the colt, who nodded. He turned to Scootaround.

"He says that the idol is very important," said the colt, "it protects the village from the harm of the evil curses. If it's here..."

"The village is a wreck. Dr. Do and I were gonna return that idol. We even found it... but Dr. Do got all grey and started acting mean, like the other ponies in that cult." Scootaround said, grimacing. The colt relayed her message, and the tapir seemed confused. He spoke to the colt again, and this time the colt paused, as if he too was confused.

"You mean she found it? I don't get it then, how was she... corrupted? If she truly believes in the protector phoenix, then it should have kept her safe from Bloodhorn's spell." Upon hearing this, Scootaround shook her head.

"He took it away. Plus, he didn't cast a spell on her. He forced her to drink something nasty and green..." said Scootaround. The colt translated once again, and received another message in reply.

"He says that the potion can't be blocked, but Bloodhorn's spells can. Only if the beholder truly believes in the power of the phoenix. If there's doubt, it won't protect," the Colt translated, "Scootaround, listen to me. We have been like this for almost a month. I don't know where Bloodhorn came from, but he was not one of us islanders. but now, all the adults have been transformed. Us kids are the only not-crazy ones here. Our own parents don't recognize us. They make us perform physical labor by day in the mines, and keep us in here by night. If there is any chance you can help us out..."

Scootaround looked pained. She knew that it would be the thing Dr. Do would do. She had always been right there, ready to help and defend the oppressed. On one of her trips, they had stumbled upon an elderly mare getting harassed by some young punks in the street. Dr. Do had taken out her cattle whip and grabbed one forcefully by the leg, and gotten the others away from the lady. Dr. Do had gone on to explain to Scootaround that injustice of any kind should be met with relief if it was in her power to do it. Scootaround thought about her situation. She wanted to live up to the examples left by Dr. Do. What could she do to help?

Frustrated, Scootaround swept her hat off, rumpling her dark mane. She didn't know where to start. Here she was, kept inside this cage by a lock. By a lock. Scootaround looked into her hat, which had landed on the well-trampled soil on the ground. Tucked underneath the brim was a small twisted piece of metal. It was her lockpick, which she had carried with her since the days she roamed the streets of Carpathia. She looked up at the others, who had been watching her the entire time. A grin came to her face, much like the ones she had often exchanged with her friend Dr. Do.

"I've got an idea," she said.

****

Scootaround's unlocking device worked. She landed as quietly as possible outside the cell, her knees bending to absorb the impact and keep her hooves from making a loud striking noise. She wasn't quite sure where the guards were, or if they were even posted. Unfortunately, she had little to no idea of where she was going.

The filly turned to her left. She left the door of the pen open, saluting the other foals. They would be able to get out themselves if they wanted. Scootaround exited through the door that the larger ponies had gone through, coming into a different area. Everything was dark, though a fracture in the ceiling allowed a small amount of moonlight in. She looked at the area. Like the temple chamber, it was expansive, but this one was cut into the rock. Large machinery was present, and laid strewn about like a miniature factory line. Great machines were dormant for the night, and not a single soul was in sight as far as Scootaround could tell.

"What is this place?" whispered Scootaround to herself as she carefully made her way through the deserted rows of machinery and rock piles. There were grinders, conveyors, picks, and great metal carts. She was inside the center of a mining facility. The filly adjusted her newsboy cap, and peered through the rows of machines. Was this even the right way to be going?

Scootaround didn't like the feeling of the mine. It felt too eerie, being completely deserted. She looked up, and saw a ladder that led to a ledge carved into the rock face, connecting up with another chamber. Scootaround decided that if she was going to do something, she was going to need to find that idol. And to do that, she'd have to hook up with the larger chamber.

The filly stood at the bottom of the ladder, placing a hoof onto the lowermost rung, and hoisting herself upwards. She placed one of her back hooves on the lowermost rung, while moving her front hooves a few spaces upwards. She continued in this manner, working her way up to the top of the ladder. Had she been an earth pony or a unicorn, she might have felt dizzy at being up high on a wobbly ladder, but as a pegasus who happened to have good balance, Scootaround was able to keep her nerves under control and reach the rock ledge.

Scootaround stepped through the door that had been carved into the rock wall. She could see that it expanded into another vast chamber. It was darkened, and she could hardly see. The young filly stepped into the chamber, looking upwards at the great pillars, looking over at the fountain, and at the altar. Yes, this was the same chamber she had been in before. She looked about again. She had to find the ivory idol. In the back of her head she remembered the location had been to the left of the altar, when she had been facing it. She tightened her cap, and headed off in that direction.

Only to be stopped by a tall, slender unicorn with a mean-looking eye and black iron rings around his legs. Bloodhorn stood above Scootaround, who backed away quickly.

"Little Filly, I do not think you realize what your place is." said Bloodhorn, picking up Scootaround with his magic. She struggled, but was powerless against the levitation. The tall unicorn stepped through the archway, back into the mine.

"You see, we do not force you foals through the chaos conversion rites. That is only as a last resort. Instead, you continue in the roles expected of you. That includes running all this. You see those carts, Little Scootaround?" said Bloodhorn. Scootraound kept her mouth quiet, and only glared at the stallion.

"That will be your job tomorrow morning," he said, "I want you to shovel the rock chippings into the carts, and send them off. Think you're up to it?" Again, Scootaround refused to cooperate with the pony that she knew was truly evil and corrupt. He wasn't grayscale, he wasn't altered. This was how he really was, a manipulative and cruel bastard.

"Insolence will not be tolerated, foal," said Bloodhorn, suddenly cross. "I've been informed that you escaped from the holding area, and attempted to free the others. This has been contained, but we will not tolerate it! One more act out of you and foal or no foal, you're getting the chaos rites! Understand?"

Scootaround felt terrified by the volume and bass of Bloodhorn's voice as he berated her. She only let out a scared squeak, and nodded her head.

"Good!" Bloodhorn exclaimed. "It's off to the pen where you belong!"

****

The morning arrived all too soon. For Scootaround, that meant the discovery of just how cruel the cult could be. She blinked in the dappled sunlight coming in through the holes in the ceiling, and yawned. She felt a little better now that she had rested, but something was still amiss. There was something very wrong going on, and she could feel it.

It was then that a loud CRACK pierced the air, and Scootaround felt a stinging pain on her shoulder. She looked up to see a mean-looking mare looking down on her with a look of disapproval. Scootaround didn't recognize the mare, but she could tell that she was one of the corrupted members of the chaos cult.

"You lazy little filly!" barked the mare, glaring down at Scootaround, "All the other fillies and colts are hard at work and you're lounging around?" Scootaround winced as she hear another cracking sound and felt another smarting pain as the pony brought a whip against her. The whip looked nothing like the one belonging to Dr. Do. It was black, and had a leather strap on it rather than a linked chain like Daring's. Scootaround got onto all four hooves immediately, and exited the chamber. It was apparently empty of all the other foals who had been inside of it the night before, and they were all at work.

Scootaround was led to an area near the mine carts that she had noticed the previous night. The mare pointed at the with on hoof, and Scootaround could see several other foals loading the cart up with pieces of rock that came by on a conveyer.

"You load them up! No funny business!" the pony growled, cracking the whip in the air for emphasis. Scootaround jumped, and got right to work alongside the other foals. She picked up a chunk of jagged volcanic rock as it came by on the belt, and dropped it over the lip of the cart. She wasn't quite tall enough to be able to reach all the way over the top, but she was able to push rocks up and over into the cart. The mare watched her work for a few minutes, before trotting off to do something else. As soon as she was out of sight, Scootaround heard a quiet voice next to her.

"She used to be one of those kind ones that'd never hurt a fly," said the voice. Scootaround jumped, and turned to see who had spoken. To her surprise,she was working alongside the colt who had been nice enough to translate for her the previous night.

"They.... get turned into pretty much the opposite of what they were before. Only meaner. A brave and bold stallion turns into a lazy brute that forces his load off on others," the colt explained. He did not stop moving the rocks as he spoke in a quiet voice, so as not to be seen slacking off. Scootaround understood it to mean that at any time they might be watched, so she quickened the pace.

"When do they let us take a break?" asked Scootaround, looking at all the working fillies and colts. It seemed unfair. There were very few adults even lifting a hoof, except where it was physically impossible for a foal to do the work. The majority was handled by forced foal labor.

"They don't," said the colt, wincing under the weight of a more hefty chunk of rock. He grunted, and heaved it up into the cart.

"Well actually, they give us three minutes at midday to feed us. Nothing special, just what we need to keep our bodies healthy enough to keep going. And they watch us like hawks, too."

Scootaround saw that the cart was full, and pushed against one end of it. It wouldn't budge more than a couple inches, but then the colt joined in in pushing, and it slowly began to move down the track. Once it had enough momentum he motioned for her to let go, and it took off, lining up in queue with the other carts. A fresh one came in from another track to take its place, and the process continued.

"I'm Charlie, by the way," said the colt, "Charles Hoovefrey. You said your name was Scootaround?"

"Yeah," said Scootaround, pointing to her wheel cutie mark. "I've got good balance on stuff with wheels."

"Cool, cool," the colt said. More rocks came down the conveyor, and they set to work loading them into the cart. By the time an hour of this grueling labor had passed, Scootaround thought that her legs were going to fall off. Her muscles were tired of lifting and sore, and she thought she would surely go mad. It was then that she got a glimpse of Dr. Do.

Dr. Do was up on the area where Scootaround had tried escaping through the night before. She stood still, surveying what was going on. She wore no pith helmet, and no vest. Scootaround wasn't surprised about the no-vest part, as it had been shredded when Dr. Do attempted to escape the spell Bloodhorn had used to drag her along. It was odd to see Daring without her signature helmet on, almost as odd as it was to see her grayed out and standing around with an evil smirk on her face.

"That the one you came with?" said Charlie. Scootaround nodded, a saddened look coming over her face. Charlie had been about to say something about the hopelessness of their situation, but seeing Scootaround in such a state of despair gave him a change of heart. He held his comment back, and instead looked back at Daring as he continued to load rocks.

"What was she like? You know, before all this..." inquired Charlie, breathing heavily as he saw a very large chunk of stone. Scootaround turned, and helped him lift it up and over the edge of the mine cart. The loud clanging noise it made as it landed was barely audible over the ambiance of the mine machinery being run all around them.

"Well..." explained Scootaround, "She was a brave pony. She'd go off into dangerous places and risk her neck in the sake of knowledge. Her name wasn't Dr. Daring Do for nothing."

"Yeah," said Charlie, nodding. His brownish mane was matted and overgrown, and when he shook his head like that he had to move it out of his eyes again so he could see what he was doing.

"She's also very nice. She's got the biggest heart of anypony I know. She found me on the streets of Carpathia. I was a little imp, a thief, an orphaned street-rat. She took me under her wing."

"Wow," Charlie said, grimacing. "So she's your hero and your mentor? That must be tough."

"It is," said Scootaround, pausing for a moment. She was getting a crazy idea, one that would probably not work, but crazy enough to attempt.

"Hurry up and pick up the pace, Scootaround," warned Charlie. "Don't want to let anypony see you slacking off."

"Right, right," Scootaround agreed, biting her lower lip. She swung around and grabbed a sizeable chunk of rock and hoisted it into the mine cart. Charlie looked at it, leaning up against it. The rusty mine cart left a mark on his pale green coat.

"This one's about ready," he said, They worked together to send it on their way.

"Say, what time do we get a break?" asked Scootaround. "For lunch and stuff..."

"In about twenty minutes," Charlie answered. "They don't have a clock, but that's my gut feeling. Why?"

"I have an idea," said Scootaround, "I'm gonna try something when we break for lunch."

"You're not the first foal to try to start something," said Charlie, shaking his head. "They force you into their cult early if you start trouble like that."

"Oh, I know," said Scootaround, "Actually, that's what I want them to try to do."

Chapter 6: Scootaround Fights Back

When a loud gong was rung, it was time for lunch. The provisions were minimal, just enough to keep the workers healthy and strong enough to work. Scootaround was definitely in need of some nourishment. The walked slowly over to the area where the food was being hoofed out. There was some fruit in a large wooden crate, which had been collected by a few foals whose job it was to pick them off the trees in the jungle. They had been carefully guarded by the adults, of course. They had managed to harvest some Guavas off of wild Guava trees. Scootaround took one of the greenish fruits, and took it with her as she slipped off. She knew that most of the adults had fallen into a complacent pattern, as she had been told by Charlie that breakout attempts didn't happen very often. She was able to slip over to the area where the ladder was without being disturbed by any of the adults. Dr. Do herself was down with the others getting food, as this was the time when the adults ate as well. They just allowed themselves more time to finish.

Scootaround bit into the pinkish flesh of the Guava as she ascended the ladder with her free hoof. She wasn't really concerned with getting up with due speed or efficiency. It took twice as long to ascend the ladder with only one of her front hooves, but she eventually made it to the rocky ledge at the top. She turned to look out at the expanse of the mine, and down at the greasy machinery. Steam and smoke continued to rise from vents as rock crushers crushed rocks.

Scootaround galloped into the larger chamber, spitting the seeds of the fruit she had just eaten out onto the ground. The temple was not in use, although Scootaround knew that it wouldn't be long before Bloodhorn was back. She needed to act quickly. The filly set right to work, going up behind the stone altar and knocking the chalices onto the ground. The chalices clanged to the floor, some of them cracking and breaking. The sound of the crashes reverberated off the walls loudly.

Scootaround then trotted over to the chest, and opened it up with both hooves. Inside was the Ivory Idol, looking as proud as ever a phoenix did. She picked up the statue respectfully, taking off her newsboy hat and placing it inside. The hat was poofy, but the idol was far too large to fit inside. Scootaround sighed, and removed the idol from the hat. She looked about the chamber, eyes darting from the statues to the stone altar to the pillars. The chalices that she had swiped off the shelf were all on the ground to the right of the altar. Scootaround squinted, sizing up the altar itself. It wasn't incredibly large, but it's stone surface was wider than the main box shape itself. She carefully placed the idol down onto the floor next to the altar, leaning it up against the side.

Satisfied, Scootaround returned to the mine facility. She stood up on the same ledge she had gotten to in order to reach the temple chamber. Instead of descending again, she walked slowly along the edge. If her feeling was right, there were several large boulders resting on the far end of the ledge. Looking over, she could see that she was right. A sizeable rock was resting on the ledge, and had the beginnings to a statue's legs being carved out of the very bottom. Chisels and cutting tools were scattered about the dusty surface of the ledge beneath her hooves. Scootaround looked over the edge. Below was a conveyer belt control console. It was a simple console. Essentially it was a number of switches on a box, and the switches controlled the speed of the various belts running throughout the mine.

Scootaround got behind the unfinished sculpture. She was only a filly, and the rock itself was heavy enough to give her a hard time. She had to really dig her hooves into the ground and push hard with her side in order to get the rock to budge but it did. Gradually the rock sculpture began sliding along towards the edge of the ledge, and Scootaround's face was scrunched up in a contorted expression of struggle and effort. Sweat poured down her nose, and she grunted and gasped. Her struggle payed off, though. The sculpture teetered on the edge, and one final push sent it careening over, smashing into the conveyor control console. Immediately it exploded, sending out a shower of sparks and a blast of acrid smoke. The conveyors around the mine slowed and came to a halt.

It took a couple of moments for the adult ponies to notice what had happened. When they did, two gray pegasi were on Scootaround before she could blink. They pinned her down, angrily staring into her face and preventing her from moving. Scootaround did not put up a struggle, and allowed herself to be held down. Swe was cussed at, spat on, and struck by the angry ponies, but Scootaround didn't fight back. She wasn't set on getting away from them. She was almost glad when she saw the tall imposing figure of Bloodhorn himself looming over her authoritatively.

"What in the world have you done, troublesome filly?!" exploded Bloodhorn, his face contorted in an expression of rage. He spat at Scootaround, and growled.

"Please don't hurt me!" Scootaround begged, now attempting to wriggle free from the two pegasi that pinned her down. Bloodhorn fell for it, and within a moment she had been grabbed by his magic and lifted into the air, unable to move a muscle.

"Oh, by the time we're done with you!" bellowed Bloodhorn, saliva dripping down from his mouth as he bellowed. He was infuriated, and the whites of his eyes appeared bloodshot. The entire mining operation had been put on hold until repairs could be made, or at the very least reduced to much slower manual labor.

"Please, just let me go!" Scootaround pleaded in a scared-sounding voice.

"Let you go?!" asked Bloodhorn, looking wide-eyed and incredulous, "Nay! You have caused damage, Scootaround! Unforgivable damage! It is uncommon for a filly your age to be forcefully join the New Disciples of Discord, but the rites must now be performed!" He turned to face the crowd of ponies gathered.

"All of you, to the temple chamber! Young Scootaround has volunteered for early initiation by her misconduct, and will pay for her misdeeds!" yelled Bloodhorn, addressing all ponies gathered, "Our previous initiate, Dr. Daring Do, will assist me in the ceremony!"

With that, Scootaround was dragged off behind Bloodhorn, restricted by a magic spell and unable to break free of it. Bloodhorn stormed out of the mine chamber in a furious tizzy, Scootaround dragging right behind him.

****

The temple chamber was packed. The air smelled sour, like sweaty bodies that had not bathed in some time. All the chaotic ponies were gathered in a tight-nit group, observing as Bloodhorn dragged Scootaround up to the front of the chamber. A resounding cheer echoed off the walls. The ponies were angry that Scootaround had destroyed some of their equipment. They wanted to see her fall, and become like them. Scootaround had no intention of doing so at all.

When she had been dragged in front of everypony gathered, she stopped right in front of the stone altar. Bloodhorn held her there with his magic, and she was unable to move an inch. Well, she could move her head a bit, and bend her knees, but the bottom of all four of her hooves seemed cemented to that spot of the stone floor. She could hear jeers coming from the ponies in the crowd, as well as chanting. The chanting was in that language she didn't recognize. What was it again? Dr. Do had taken time to explain it earlier to her, but she couldn't quite remember what she had said.

Dr. Do... Dr. Do.... where was Dr. Do? Bloodhorn had called for her specifically to assist with the ceremony. Scootaround turned her head to look out at the crowd. It was hard to pick ponies apart from others when they were all gray. The mares and the stallions had different head shapes, yes, and there were a few different mane styles that she could pick out, but having everything be monochrome made distinguishing individuals exceptionally difficult. Perhaps Dr. Do wasn't in the crowd?

She wasn't. Not a moment after Scootaround had wondered where she was, Dr. Do appeared out of a side chamber. She had no vest, but her pith helmet adorned her head. The helmet was not gray, and it's olive green and khaki colors remained. The pony wearing it was a different story. Daring's mane was already blackish to begin with, but her golden yellow coat was faded and grey. Her bright violet eyes were also grey, and her demeanor was different. She seemed twitchy, and unfocused. She looked sweaty, and unable to concentrate. She didn't even make eye contact with Scootaround.

Bloodhorn spoke with ceremonial words, word that Scootaround herself did not comprehend. The chanting of the other ponies died down, and all was quiet in the chamber except for the crackling of fires burning at the base of several stone pillars. He turned to pick up one of the chalices, and Scootaround grinned when she saw his reaction. He looked infuriated, eyes bulging angrily. The chalices were all scattered across the ground, broken. Scootaround stood her ground, not making any sign of struggle. When Bloodhorn glared at her, she made no facial expression whatsoever. She kept her mouth closed, and her eyes wide open. Bloodhorn leaned his head in closer to hers, squinting. He seemed to stare into her eyes, and for a moment Scootaround wondered if he was trying to hypnotize her into becoming all grey. But he didn't, and a moment later he bellowed some words out, stretching his great head up into the air. The unicorn swiftly turned about, and exited the chamber at a sprint. He had gone to get a new chalice.

Scootaround stood where she was, unable to move a hoof. The crowd of ponies were murmuring among themselves. In the distance, the sound of Bloodhorn's horn casting levitation spells could be heard, and he muttered a few choice words from another chamber. He was going through equipment, trying to find a new chalice. It sounded like he was being unsuccessful. As the frantic lifting and sorting in the other room depended heavily on magic, the spell on Scootaround's hooves was weakened. It was just one hoof at first. Then two. She could feel the release as the spell decayed, but did not fight against it. Three hooves were now loose. Then the spell collapsed, and Scootaround could tell that she was no longer rooted to the spot by Bloodhorn's magic. He was still busy rummaging through supplies trying to find a container to hold water, and Scootaround took the opportunity.

The filly turned, which caused a few gasps from the crowd. Instead of turning her hooves and running, she went to the altar and picked up something that had been resting against the side. She held it carefully with both hooves, not wanting to drop it. The ivory idol of the phoenix looked as proud and powerful as ever, and Scootaround held it out in front of her. She stood on her back hooves, walking wobbly towards Daring Do on two legs while holding the statue stretched in front of her.

Dr. Do made eye contact with Scootaround, glaring instinctively. She didn't seem to recognize her or the idol, and even backed away from the filly. The crowd was getting uneasy, and was starting to send out jeers. To Bloodhorn it must have seemed like they were jeering at him, and so the pace of his searching quickened.

"Dr. Do, remember me? It's Scootaround!" said Scootaround, hoping that speaking to her would get through. Dr. Do made eye contact, but was still backing away from Scootaround and the idol.

"Dr. Do, you need to listen to me! The idol can help you, it can help me! It's a protector, that's what the Chief said, right?" Scootaround said, "You just need to believe that it can help you! Deep down in there, I know the real Dr. Do is in there. Please Dr. Do, you've got to fight your way out of there! You need to want the phoenix to help you, you need to believe..."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FILLY?!" bellowed a voice. Scootaround recognized it as Bloodhorn. In a last-ditch effort, she flung the idol at Dr. Do, who grimaced before catching it with both of her hooves. As soon as Scootaround had flung the idol, she was grabbed roughly by Bloodhorn's magic once again, and dragged back to the spot where she had been before. Bloodhorn yelled some words over to Dr. Do, in the language that Scootaround still didn't understand, and Daring shook her head. Bloodhorn pointed to the ground with his horn, and then Daring nodded. She placed the idol back onto the ground, and resumed the spot where she had been standing beside the altar.

"You're not going to get through to any of these ponies, little filly," Bloodhorn said in a cold voice. He circled Scootaround, holding what appeared to be some kind of cider mug, suspended by his magic. That was all he could find, and it was filled with the bubbling green stuff that had turned Dr. Do into the twisted version of herself. The potion that corrupted ponies and forced them into a life filled with chaos and deceit.

"And don't even think of spitting it out!" demanded Bloodhorn. He cast another spell with his magic, forcing Scootaround to rear her head and open her mouth wide. The crowd was cheering for Bloodhorn to pour the potion down her gullet, to finish the deed. Scootaround couldn't close her mouth, as hard as she might have tried it was forced open. Bloodhorn grinned, now unopposed. The mug was raised high, right above Scootaround's head, and began to tip to the side. All the sounds in the room sound amplified a thousand times as Scootaround stared up into her impending doom, resting only on the tip of a mug and its contents spilling into her open jaw. She was overwhelmed by the cheering, and the chanting. The noise seemed to build up and become ever louder, and more unbearable than before. What in reality was only a second seemed to take minutes as the acoustics rose, and culminated in a loud CRACK.

The mug was yanked from its position forcefully, its contents spilling all over the stone floor. The greenish potion was on the stone, no longer useful to anypony at all. The white mug itself was yanked right out of the grasp of Bloodhorn's spell, and smashed as it was slammed into the ground as the whip recoiled.

"Let her go," came a stern-sounding voice, belonging to the pony holding the bullwhip. The voice belonged to a mare with a golden yellow coat, grayish black hair, and bright violet eyes. She wore a pith helmet atop her head, and had a bullwhip out, while holding the ivory idol of the phoenix under her other hoof. Daring Do had returned.

Bloodhorn's eyes bulged in anger and frustration. He stood agape, unsure of any reaction to fit what was going on at the moment. Here stood Daring Do, who moments before had been a loyal member of the New Disciples of Discord.

"I said LET HER GO!" Daring yelled in a stronger voice. She kicked off the ground with both back hooves, and raised one of her back hooves back. The shocked Bloodhorn was late to react, and he did not have sufficient time to raise his defenses. Daring Do slugged him in the face. Hard. The unicorn's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground. As he slipped out of consciousness, the spells deactivated, and Scootaround was released from her vice-grip stance. She coughed as her windpipe was relaxed, and rushed at Daring Do. The larger pony accepted the embrace of the filly, and hugged her tightly. They stood like that for a moment, amid the jeers and yelling from the crowd.

"Thank Celestia you're ok, kid," said Daring. Both ponies looked like they were about to cry at any moment.

"I thought you were gonna be gone forever." said Scootaround, fighting back tears. The embrace was released, and Daring stood in front of Scootaround, leaning down to see eye to eye.

"Kid, I can't thank you enough for what you went through to get me back. I really mean it kid, you saved me," Daring said. She rubbed her hoof on top of Scootraound's head, causing the hat to fall down over the filly's eyes. Daring then stood up on all fours, reaching her full height. Scootaround fixed her hat, grinning, and stood next to Dr. Do.

"How are we gonna get out of this, Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround, suddenly noticing that they were surrounded by a horde of very angry looking ponies, all of whom were grayscaled.

"I don't suppose that trick with the idol's gonna work with this crowd...." muttered Daring, holding it out in front of her. The pony directly in front of her, a very perturbed-looking mare, did not even flinch.

"What's the plan, Dr. Do?" Scootaround asked, looking about the chamber for a way to exit.

"I dunno..." said Daring, also scanning the chamber, "I'm making all this up as I go along."

Chapter 7: Escape

"Run, Scootaround!" was the breathless shout that burst from Daring Do as she herself bolted at breakneck speed. The two were running through the mining facility, technological contraptions and broken conveyor belts darting past them in a blur as they galloped as fast as their hooves would carry them. The angry mob of cult ponies were behind them less than a stone's throw away. Daring knew because she kept getting pelted by rocks and other objects as the ponies who were pursuing them tossed whatever they could find in their direction.

Scootaround saw Charlie get out of the way, pushing himself against the wall, eyes bulging. Daring held out a hoof as the two of them skidded to a stop, hooves digging into the gravel below. They were on the edge of an area that had been dug out of the rock, and sloped down in a tunnel. Daring couldn't see any side chambers branching off of it.

She looked back behind her, seeing the other ponies growing ever closer. Neither she nor Scootaround really had a choice, this was the only way to get away from the mob.

"Here goes nothing!" shouted Daring, nodding to Scootaround. The two of them leaped off the edge, falling down onto the slope. The rocky walls of the mine slipped past in a blur, and Daring's hooves felt warm with friction as she dug them into the rock and gravel to slow her descent down the tunnel. Scootaround was having a much easier time skating down the gravel slope of the tunnel. Scootaround had much better balance.

Daring looked back for a brief second. None of the other ponies were following them. She grinned, but the grin was wiped right off her face when she saw something else bounding down the tunnel. A large rock was bouncing down the tunnel behind them, closing the distance with frightening speed.

"Look out, boulder behind us!" Daring shouted . "Find somewhere to pull off to the side!" The next few seconds were a frantic mess of motions, as Scootaround and Daring stopped dragging their hooves and started galloping down the steep slope. The transition was less than graceful, and Daring tripped, tumbling head over hoof and slamming into the side of the tunnel. The boulder continued bounding down behind them, and by the time she had regained herself it was almost behind her, threatening to crush her like a bug under its massive weight. Daring gasped as she bolted ahead with all the speed she could muster. Scootaround was ahead of her considerably, and she seemed to be going sideways. The tunnel was switching right! Daring bolted around the corner, and just in time, too. The boulder slammed against the edge, and cracked against the stone walls of the tunnel. Daring sighed, and sat down for a minute. Her heart was racing, and she was sure Scootaround was in similar shape. She panted, wiping sweat out from beneath the brim of her pith helmet.

"You ok, kid?" asked Daring. Scootaround nodded, but she seemed distracted. She tipped her head to one side, and took off her newsboy cap so that she could listen with exposed ears.

"Do you hear that noise, Dr. Do?" Scootaround asked , looking back to Daring with a cocked head, as her right ear was raised into the air. Daring couldn't see much, as the tunnel was very dark as there was no source of light. She couldn't see what was ahead. She did hear something, though. She listened more closely. Yes, it was there. It sounded kind of like....

"Water," Scootaround noted, returning her cap to her head.

"Running fresh water..." said Daring, tapping her hoof against her chin. "It empties into the river, and then into the ocean! This is it, Scootaround, this is the way out!" Daring was excited by the revelation.

"Here, feel about for wetness with your hoof. I'm sure there's some kind of stream bed cut through the rock somewhere," said Daring. She couldn't see much, but she felt her way over to the rocky wall of the tunnel, running her hoof up and down the edges of the bumpy surface. She walked forward, keeping her other three hooves firmly planted to avoid slipping and sliding down the tunnel slope.

"Dr. Do, come here!" Scootaround exclaimed . Daring followed the direction of her voice, almost bumping into the filly. The sound of flowing water grew louder and louder, and she reached out her hoof, feeling the wet spray of running water.

"This is it!" said Daring. She stepped forward, feeling the boundary of the other tunnel that the water had bore through the rock long ago. She straddled the stream, planting one hoof on each side of it.

"Get on my back, Scoot. We need to make sure we stick together, I don't really know where this leads..." Daring said. Scootaround climbed up and onto Daring's back, being careful not to press her injured wing.

"Ready?" asked Daring, and Scootaround replied in the affirmative. Daring kicked off strongly, bending her hooves and landing waist-deep in the running water. It lapped up against her mane, and she felt the sudden rush of inertia as the current swept her and Scootaround away. It was kind of like being in a log flume ride, only the rush of excitement was longer, and the bottom of the stream bed was bumpy. Scootaround let out an excited shriek, which echoed through the walls of the cramped tunnel as they sped downwards at lightning speed.

"This is kinda fun!" said Daring, having to yell over the sound of the rushing water. She laughed, grabbing her pith helmet to avoid losing it as they were swept sideways. The slope was starting to level off now, and they proceeded downwards still. Ahead they could see a shaft of light, but it was shimmering and waving in an odd way. Daring knew what that meant.

"Take a deep breath and hold on tight, kid," Daring said, Scootaround gulped for air at the same time she did, and immediately after the two ponies were plunged headfirst into deeper water. Daring's eyes were shut tight, but once she and Scootaround were submerged she opened them. The light was due ahead, and she took several broad strokes to aim them in the right direction. The hole in the rock face gave way to bright dazzling sunlight, and the hot humid air of the island, which seemed much crisper and cleaner than the stuffy air inside the mine.

The current took Daring and Scootaround along in semi-deep water. The bank was not far on either side, but they were making good time. Daring looked to the sides of the stream, watching the brush move by at a leisurely speed. The bright greens of the ferns and the low lying shrubs were a welcome sight after the dull monochrome of the chaotic cult. Daring tilted her head back, laughing lightly. It felt so great to be alive.

Soon, she and Scootaround pulled ashore when the stream had thinned out to the point where they were scraping the bottom with their flanks. It was now time to travel on hoof. Daring and Scootaround both shook out their headgear simultaneously. Scootaround returned her newsboy cap almost immediately, but Daring kept her pith helmet off for a moment more to shake off her mane, sending droplets of water everywhere.

"Knock if off, you're getting me soaking wet!" shrieked Scootaround, raising her hooves to avoid getting splashed by the droplets as Daring shook her mane.

"You're already sopping wet, kid!" Daring said, laughing. Her mane was still wet, and she brushed it off to one side with her hoof before placing her pith helmet back onto her head. She turned to look at the volcanic mountain behind them. They had really placed some distance between themselves and it! In fact, if she was correct in her understanding, they were not far from the Tapir village.

****

Upon entering the village, Daring was surprised to see that the situation had not improved by any means. The villagers seemed as run-down and beat as ever, though there were a few more that were out and about then there had been previously. Daring walked through the main village, looking again at the squat huts and the withered gardens. Ahead of them was a hut that was slightly taller and slightly more ornate, housing the chief of the tapirs. Daring reached the door to the hut, Scootaround following in her wake. She tapped on the hollow bamboo, and a moment later the door opened, and the chief looked out. His grayed beard descended almost to the dusty ground, and he smiled with a kindly expression upon seeing Daring and Scootaround. Daring dug into her bag, revealing the idol and placing it at the chief's cloven hooves. The elderly tapir looked at it, his expression lightening. He began speaking to Daring, pointing at her and making odd gestures.

"I'll translate, kid," Daring said, once the chief began speaking. Scootaround nodded, digging her hoof into the dry and trampled soil beneath her.

"He says that he's very grateful that we have returned," translated Daring, "He's glad we made it out alright. There is one issue, though."

"Issue?" said Scootaround, looking up from the small trench she had been idly digging.

"Yeah. He says that he fears the raiders will come back and take it again, and that next time there won't be enough food to last until somepony can go and retrieve it, if somepony can even retrieve it," said Daring. The tapir shook his head. Daring tapped a hoof on her chin, thinking for a moment of how to pronounce the message she wanted to give. She blinked once she thought she had figured it out, and spoke to the tapir in a similar language to the one he had been using. Once Daring had finished, the chief nodded, and stroked his beard. He looked like he was deep in thought, or contemplating the outcomes of something.

"What'd you say, Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround.

"I told him there was a cult of ponies affected by the curse set on the island, and if there's anything we could do with the idol to help them. I was figuring if they were rescued from being captive to chaotic behavior, they might not return to raid the village again. Besides, the captain of the boat is one of them. I'd rather we not just leave him here with them." After Daring had finished explaining things to Scootaround, the Chief had gotten an idea. He drew an oblong shape in the dirt with one of his cloven hooves. The shape tapered to a point at the bottom, with the top being slightly larger and bulbous. In the center of this shape he drew an ellipse.

"It's the island," explained Daring, nodding as she understood. The chief made a mark where the village was, on the lower left of the island. He then traced a path from the spot where the village was to a point on the side of the ellipse, which Daring understood to be the mountain.

"That's not where the mine is..." Daring said, looking at the drawing carefully. The chief beckoned for her to lean in closer. Daring did so, and he began to speak very quickly in a quiet voice. She nodded as her eyes widened. Scootaround tried to lean in and listen to what was being said, but she couldn't comprehend any of the words, as they were in a language unknown to her. Once the chief had finished speaking, Daring leaned back out, looking towards the mountain with an odd expression.

"What is it, Dr. Do?" Scootaround asked, anxious to know what was going on.

"He says that thousands of years ago the tapirs used to live on the east side of the mountain, and they had a whole palace constructed in honor of the phoenix that protected them," said Daring, "The east side- that's the complete opposite of where the mining stuff has been happening. Nopony would have discovered it yet."

"What's so important about the palace?" asked Scootaround, raising an eyebrow. "It's just some old moss-covered ruin by now."

"Don't you see, Scoot?" Daring said, "They had to abandon the old palace and the old village because of Discord's curse! Whatever happened must have driven them out, and the removal of the ivory idol allowed the curse to sweep over the whole island, and now it's just the small area around wherever the idol is that's protected. If the idol could be returned to its proper location..."

"Then all of our problems would be solved?" asked Scootaround, her eyes lighting up.

"Maybe," said Daring. She asked the chief a question, and he replied solemnly. Daring's expression changed, and her smile started to fade.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, it's the palace," Daring explained, "According to him, the palace was partially destroyed and booby trapped to stop anypony who was loyal to Discord from getting in there and ransacking the place."

"Good thing we won't be going to ransack the place!" said Scootaround, smiling. Daring held a hoof to her forehead.

"No, kid. Booby traps and pitfalls can't distinguish between who's good and who's bad. We might have a chance at putting that idol back in it's rightful place, and if we're lucky it will clear up the minds of those poor miners. But getting there's gonna be one hell of a task." Daring said. The chief held the ivory idol up, motioning for Daring Do to take it back. She did so respectfully, carefully placing it into her bag as before. She nodded at the chief, who smiled back.

"Take the next five minutes to do what you gotta do, kid. Get something to drink, use the bathroom, whatever. But we've got a long afternoon ahead of ourselves, so be ready." said Daring, tightening her pith helmet down over her head.

"Okie Dokie, Dr. Do!" was Scootaround’s cheerful reply.

Chapter 8: The Palace of the Phoenix

There was a definite sense of decay as Daring Do and Scootaround approached the entrance to the old abandoned palace. It was erected on a hillside, where the mountain met the flat land. Indeed, the entire structure appeared as if it was built into the mountain itself. Daring believed that it was. The structure stood about twenty five feet tall, and had broken remains scattered about the entrance. The remains were that of great statues that had not stood the test of time, and had crumbled over the thousands of years they had been left.

"Woah..." Scootaround gasped. She was looking into the palace itself. The entire place was carved out of stone, which had browned and crumbled in many places. The entrance was covered in a twisted thicket of vines, which Daring attempted to swat out of the way and pull off to open a path. She was partially successful, and managed to squeeze into the first chamber. She held the path open long enough for Scootaround to follow behind her before releasing the vines.

"Alright kid, here's the plan," said Daring, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting that several cracks in the ceiling afforded, "I'm going first. You step where I step, and don't touch anything. Got that?"

"Yeah," Scootaround said, sniffing the air. The place smelled of dust and reeked of rotting plant matter. She followed closely behind Daring, looking at the carvings on the walls. She could see what appeared to be pictures, of tapirs crowding around a magnificent bird. She turned her attention towards the ground. Beetles scurried about, leaving tracks in the dust. There were funny little holes in the wall in front of her, and on the ground there were bits and pieces of bone, including a broken rib cage. The bones creeped her out, but she was intrigued by the unlit torch hanging on the wall.

As Daring continued ahead, Scootaround tried reaching up for the torch. Wouldn't Daring be proud of her when she got a light source? She was going to be a big help. The filly grasped the bottom of the torch and lifted with both hooves, pulling it out of the holder it had been placed in. As soon as she did so, the corridor began rumbling. Daring wheeled about in one swift motion, and Scootaround heard the cracking of her whip. A tight force wrapped around her waist, and she was yanked forwards suddenly, crashing into Daring Do. As soon as this had happened there was a metallic screech, and Scootaround looked up to see sharp spikes jut out of the holes she had seen in the wall, right where she had been standing. She was speechless for a moment, not saying anything. Daring stood up, dusting herself off after having been thrown to the ground when she had pulled Scootaround towards her. Daring undid the coil around Scootaround's waist, and returned the whip to her bag. Scootaround got up, and looked up at Daring. Dr. Do was not amused at all.

"I touch nothing from now on." remarked Scootaround, gulping. She gave Daring the torch she had gotten, and Daring placed it onto the ground. She unslung the bag from around herself and began rummaging through it. She produced a piece of rock, and a small piece of black-looking metal.

"What's that?" Scootaround asked, looking sheepishly at Daring because of her blunder.

"This is flint," Daring said, holding up the rock. She held up the piece of metal with the other hoof. "This is steel. Not just your regular old stainless steel, this is high carbon tempered steel." She struck the two together, and a shower of sparks erupted from the reaction. Daring had placed a small piece of black-looking cloth on the top of the torch, and this caught one of the flying sparks. Upon seeing this, Daring placed the other things back into her bag, and proceeded to blow onto the spark. It expanded, and soon the end of the torch was ablaze, lighting up the chamber around the two ponies. Daring grinned, and slipped her hoof into the holder bar of the torch, lifting it up above her head.

"There, let's shed some light on the subject," said Daring. She looked up to see what was being illuminated. The ceiling was high above them. They had entered a large chamber, with what appeared to be several bridges high above their heads, and several other chambers and corridors leading out. The floor below them seemed to be wriggling and crawling with all sorts of bugs and spiders.

"Oh, great." Daring remarked, looking at the bugs. She held her torch down close to the stone floor, waving it to and fro in an attempt to scare away the little creepy crawlies. She was successful, and she looked back up, motioning for Scootaround to follow her. The two ponies soon came to a side chamber , with a set of stairs leading up to the next level of the palace. Daring looked at the stairs cautiously. She placed her front hoof down (the one that did not hold the torch) and saw that the stone was still sturdy enough to support her weight. She nodded, satisfied that it was safe to continue, and ascended the stairs. Scootaround followed suit, placing her hooves as close to where Daring had stepped as she could remember.

When the two ponies had reached the next level, they were surprised to see that it was not as expansive as before. There was a tightly-spaced corridor, and several side chambers that were sealed off behind stone doors.

"Which way do we go, Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround, looking at the stone doors and the open passageway ahead of them. Daring could see another set of stone stairs ahead in the distance, in another section of the corridor adjacent to theirs.

"I'd say forward." Daring said, "I think these sealed chambers were probably holding cells for prisoners, or maybe to keep cats in."

"Cats?"

"Yeah, jungle cats. Big ferocious beasts. Lots of ancient societies kept them contained," explained Daring, "But we're not interested in that. I'm gonna just keep going this way." With that being said, Daring stepped off down the hallway. When her hoof made contact with the stone floor, it struck something. She jumped, expecting some kind of sudden reaction or spikes to shoot out, but nothing happened. Well, nothing happened at first. The small square tile that Daring had stepped on sunk down, and below them something fell. Daring could hear the sound of some kind of stone block smashing into something else below them, and then a low rumble started. In the center of the hallway, one of the doors began moving. It slid slowly upwards, flipping upside down and going into the wall. As soon as it did so, another stone slab was swung up from the floor, and moved in the same arc. The motion became faster and faster, like a ship's propeller moving.

"Damn," Daring said with a groan. The swinging slabs were moving much too fast for her to jump through and make it. She had good timing, but to attempt to jump through that would be suicide. She looked towards Scootaround, who was following the rotary slabs' motion with her head. She wouldn't be able to get through any better than Daring, and without a strong set of wings Daring didn't feel that backtracking her steps and simply flying was an option. They had to find a way to get through.

"Scoot, look around on the walls," said Daring, as she looked at the walls to her left, bringing the torch in closer to see. "See if you can find some kind of release lever."

Daring looked at her wall. There wasn't any doors on her side, and as far as she could tell there were no levers. She did spot one tile that looked slightly out of place, but when she pushed it with her free hoof nothing of interest happened.

Scootaround first looked at the door, sizing it up. There were inscriptions of great jungle cats on the side, and to the left there was a square block that jutted out of the wall. Perhaps that was the release lever? Scootaround tried pressing up against it, but it didn't budge. She stood on all four hooves again, and tightened her hat around the top of her head. She leaned back, then rushed forward, slamming her side up against the block. This time the block sank into he wall, and a second rumble could be heard as the door slid aside.

"Dr. Do! I opened that jungle-cat holding thingy!" exclaimed Scootaround. Daring turned her head, holding the torch aloft with one hoof as she went to examine the inside of the chamber. As the torch entered the chamber along with Daring's front half, she was greeted with the site of a skeleton. The teeth embedded in the skull were sharp-looking, and the animal's bones were covered in layers of cobwebs. The stale air smelled pungent, and she wrinkled her nose.

"What is it, Dr. Do?" said Scootaround, unable to see into the chamber. Daring leaned back, wanting to take a breath of fresh air. She coughed, trying to wave away the bad smell of decay.

"Looks like somepony forgot to feed the kitty." Daring said. She did get an idea, though. She turned to look back at the skeleton. It was the size of a large jungle cat, and was bulkier than a tapir or a pony. It was not only longer, but slightly taller as well.

"Lend me a hoof, Scootaround," said Daring, "Help me move this jungle cat out of the chamber." Upon hearing this, the filly recoiled. She didn't look too happy about the prospect of having to drag out a corpse, even if it was only the dusty bones.

"Oh come on, Scoot!" Daring said, "This might be our only shot at stopping those rotating slabs." Scootaround seemed to turn green as she nodded. She took a deep breath, and tried to close her eyes as she leaned into the chamber containing the skeleton. She grabbed one side with both hooves, holding the hips and tails aloft while trying not to look at them too hard. Daring leaned in and grabbed the neck vertebrae, tucking them under her free front leg. Together, the two ponies dragged the cat skeleton out of the chamber and into the corridor. Scootaroud looked happy to be able to place it back down.

"Alright, kid. Hang on to this torch for a second," said Daring. Scootaround slid the burning torch off of Daring's hoof, and slid her hoof into the ring used to hold onto the torch. Daring nodded, and proceeded to grab the skeleton about the midsection. She walked it over towards the rotating slabs, waiting for the opportune moment. When one of the slabs had just barely passed the midsection, she pushed the skeleton out onto the next approaching slab. The skeleton landed on the slab, and just seemed to sit there as it was brought vertical, and then disappeared along with the rest of the slab into the space behind the wall, and out of sight. Daring backed up from the rotating slabs.

There was a sickening crunching sound, and a mechanical clicking that grew louder and louder. Something sprung loose, and the rotating slabs grinded to a halt. Daring looked to Scootaround, raising an eyebrow. She motioned for the torch back, and Scootaround slipped it off of her hoof, and back onto Daring's.

"Alright, that seemed to work," Daring said, "I don't know how long those bones will keep the gears jammed up. We'd better press on."

The two ponies made it up the next flight of stone stairs without much incident. Ahead of them was a bridge that crossed an open space. The ground was far below them, and a fall would surely be crippling, if not worse. Daring looked at the stone bridge carefully, examining the tiles on it. They were all rectangular tiles, laid on top of the bridge's foundation in a criss-cross pattern. Daring turned to speak to Scootaround.

"Stay here for a moment kid," she said, "I'll let you know when it's alright to cross. Don't want to stress this bridge with too much weight." Scootaround nodded, understanding what she meant. Daring then proceeded to step onto the bridge. She could feel the strain of the tiles, and the scratching sound of them sliding. When the bridge held, she took another step. Her sense of unease heightened as a tile wiggled loose, and fell through the bottom. Apparently the base of the bridge had cracked and deteriorated in parts. This was not a good sign at all. Daring took another step, and was greeted with a groaning sound. The gravity shifted, and she felt herself pitching forward as the floor beneath her fell away. Daring scrambled backwards, hooves striking other tiles hard enough to make them come lose. She was gone before they had fallen away, however. Daring was able to dash back to the safety of the sturdy ledge as the rest of the bridge collapsed with a thunderous sound. Leaning her head over the edge, the torchlight was able to illuminate a pile of crushed tiles far below on the ground, which had set off a number of spike traps with their weights.

"Well then, that's no good!" Daring exclaimed. She looked at Scootaround, whose eyes had widened after seeing the bridge collapse. Daring wasn't sure on how to get across to the ledge on the other side. She looked up, hoping to see a low-hanging vine or some kind of bar jutting out that she could grab onto with the end of her whip and swing across, but there was nothing of the sort. Daring turned her attention towards the walls around the chasm. The level they were on was clearly visible around the entirety of the wall because the walls contained a larger chunk of stone on the level than the other pieces. Daring trotted over to the wall, leaning in closer to see the small edge. It was only six inches jutting out, far too small to simply walk across. She looked back to Scootaround, who was watching curiously.

"C'mere, kid," said Daring. Scootaround followed Daring, and both ponies stood near the edge of the ledge adjacent to the main wall of the palace. Scootaround looked in closer under the torchlight to see the ledge Daring was motioning to.

"You can't be serious..." murmured Scootaround. Daring nodded. She leaned up against the wall, trying just to stand on her back hooves. She wobbled a bit, but by using the wall as support, she was able to stabilize herself. She positioned her right back hoof near the start of the extremely short ledge jutting out of the wall, and stepped onto it.

"Do just like I do, Scoot. Be careful, and wait for me to step."

Scootaround nodded, and stood on her hind hooves as well, tightening her hat over her head. Daring gulped, and took a sideways step. The ledge held firm, and she was emboldened to take another, and then another, and another. This was going much smoother than expected. Step after step followed in succession, and soon Daring Do had reached the midpoint. She took another step to the side, and her hoof kept going. Daring cried out in alarm as her right leg fell through as a small section of the ledge broke off and fell. She caught the other side of the break with the back of her right hoof, and the torch was knocked free, falling into the chasm below and extinguishing itself as it landed in dust and dirt.

Daring struggled, grunting as she tried to push herself back up into the awkward two-legged standing position without tipping over or falling. The sweat poured down her face, and she didn't have a free hoof to wipe it off with. With a great push, she was able to regain her balance enough to lean back against the wall. Daring rested for a moment, heart racing. She wiped the sweat off her face.

"Alright, Scoot. When you get to where I am, be careful. There's gonna be a space of about twenty inches you'll have to jump across." Daring said, as she stepped over the empty space in the rock and reached the more sturdy other side. Scootaround followed her lead, making a small sideways jump over the empty space in the ledge. By this point, the two ponies were close to the other side, and they made it over without other incident. Daring was glad to be on a more stable surface, and she could see Scootaround shared the sentiment.

Chapter 9: More Traps

The next set of stairs that Daring Do was met with led up of another ledge like the one she had been on a moment before. The two ponies seemed to be at the very top of the chamber, as they could look up and see the ceiling above them without any more ledges or bridges. The floor down below them was very far, and a fall would likely result in death. The stakes were more serious as Daring looked about for a way to cross the chasm yet again. On the opposite side, she could faintly make out another passageway leading to another part of the palace. There was no bridge this time to help her and Scootaround cross. There was no narrow ledge lining the wall, and no bridge. She squinted, trying to see if there was anything she could grab with her whip to cross the chasm like a vine or an ornate hook, but her view was obstructed by a tall pillar.

The pillar was constructed on the side of the chasm that she and Scootaround occupied, and was tall enough that it made looking across a difficult task. Indeed, the pillar seemed to reach up towards the ceiling, but it did not afford enough horizontal space to make it at all useful to crossing the chasm.

"Well, this is unhelpful," said Daring, approaching the pillar. On the side of it were some odd markings, but they weren't pictographs. They were some kind of written language with actual letters and some symbols, but without proper lighting or something to compare the text to, Daring was left in the dark as to its meaning. She looked up towards the top of the pillar. There was a small protrusion jutting out from the side that Daring thought she might be able to get a secure hold on with the edge of her bullwhip.

"Sit tight for a second," Daring said, "I'm gonna see if I can't get a better view from the top of the pillar." Daring took out her whip, and slid the chain down over her right hoof. She swung back, and then swung it forward and up, cracking it back at just the right moment. The very end of the lengthy whip wrapped around the cylindrical piece of stone jutting out from the top of the tall pillar, and wrapped back around itself. With a tug, Daring secured the end of the whip, ensuring that it would support her weight. Daring placed her back hooves on the side of the pillar, and used her other front hoof to keep the chain from sliding off as she slowly began to climb up the side of the pillar using the taught whip as support. Going straight up put stress on her back legs and her spine, but Daring Do was a strong pony. She sweated and strained, but she was able to reach the top of the pillar without much incident, and looked out over the top. She was at the highest point in the chamber, her head only a yard or so from the roof. Some weeds and vines grew down through the cracks, but none reached across and none looked secure enough to grab onto and swing across. Daring looked across to the other side of the chasm, barely able to see the other side and the passageway leading onwards. There wasn't anything to grab onto to swing across there, either. Defeated, Daring got ready to descend the same way she came. she shifted her weight on the pillar to get ready to get back down. To her surprise, the pillar wobbled slightly, and she spread out her hooves to try and stable it and keep it from falling with her on top.

That gave Daring an idea. If the pillar was unstable, perhaps it could be useful after all. She started descending down the pillar the same way she had come, but when she got to the middle she stopped. Daring took a deep breath, and jumped backwards. The end of the whip above didn't come loose, and when she swung back towards the side of the pillar she kicked hard with her back legs. The pillar lurched forwards, leaning slightly towards the other side of the chasm. Daring repeated the previous step, jumping backwards and kicking hard on the side of the pillar when she swung back. This time, something cracked, and the pillar swung forwards towards the opposite ledge with sudden speed. Daring felt everything shift suddenly, and then it all stopped with a loud CRASH as the stone on the top of the pillar hit the ledge on the opposite side of the chasm. The tall pillar was now stretched horizontally across the chasm, reaching both sides. Daring had just created a makeshift bridge.

"Alright, try coming across now," said Daring, as she walked across towards the other side. She walked the rest of the pillar's length, reaching where the top had been and stepping off onto the solid ledge. Scootaround was with her in a moment. Daring leaned in and uncoiled the whip's end from the protrusion, coiling it back up and placing it into her bag.

"What're you gonna do for light?" Scootaround asked. Daring looked about, looking for a torch. There was one stuck in a holster on the wall, but the previous experience made her wary of grabbing a torch. She looked at the floor beneath her. It was solid, with no holes. Inside the passageway the floor was lined with holes, with holes also lining the walls. Daring took a closer look at the passageway. The ground was littered with pieces of torn cloth, and several broken skulls and rib cages lined the edges of the passageway. If she pulled the torch out, spikes would probably come out of the floor and walls, rendering the passageway unusable and deadly. But Daring had an idea.

"Stand close to the pillar and look away for a second, Scoot. This is going to be kind of gross."

Scootaround obliged, and looked the other way. Daring nodded, and approached the inside of the passageway cautiously. The walls were slimy and wet. Apparently some of the water from a mountain stream ran above that part of the palace, as the walls were covered with a green algae growth, which made them slimy. Daring leaned in closer to one of the skeletons. There was a skull, and a ribcage. The leg bones were strewn across on the other side of the chamber. Daring didn't want to even think of how they had ended up all the way over there. Resisting the urge to vomit, Daring picked up one of the leg bones, and pulled at the radius. It came right off with a sickening pop. Taking the radius with her, Daring returned to the outside of the passageway. She turned her attention towards the torch, which she lifted free with her unoccupied hoof. The torch came free, and Daring placed the radius back in it's place in the holster. She pressed it down, getting the peg that had sprung loose when she had removed the torch to press back down. She placed the torch on the ground, and took out her flint, steel, and char cloth. She placed the square piece of char cloth over the tip of the torch, and readied the steel piece and the chunk of flint, when suddenly the spikes in the chamber shot up, and the radius bone popped up.

Daring stopped what she was doing. Why hadn't the radius been able to keep the peg held down? Perhaps it wasn't heavy enough to counteract the spring. Daring looked back to Scootaround, who was still turned around, idly fiddling with her newsboy hat.

"Give me another minute or so, Scoot. Apparently I need some more weight," said Daring. She set the flint, steel, and char cloth aside and picked up the torch. She went over to where the radius was sitting in the torch holster, and replaced the radius with the torch. Almost immediately the spikes retracted from the floors and the walls of the chamber.

"That's odd..." Daring noted, looking at the radius. She'd need to get a heavier bone. Going back into the moist passageway, Daring looked for something heavier. She looked at the broken skeleton, and decided that the femur would be her best bet. She looked towards where the hips were on the corpse, and pulled out the femur bone. It was gross, but if it allowed her and Scootaround to get through the passageway without meeting the same fate, then it was worth it. Taking the femur bone back to where the torch was, Daring swapped them out. The femur barely fit into the slot, but it was heavy enough to keep the peg held down. The spikes did not shoot up again.

"Alright, Scoot. You can turn around now," said Daring, returning to her flint and steel kit and lighting the piece of char cloth with a spark from the flint and steel. The char cloth grew into a small ember, which Daring was able to use to light the end of the torch. Fire and illumination in tow, Daring and Scootaround proceeded into the passageway ahead of them with caution.

****

As Daring Do and Scootaround continued along, they entered an adjacent passageway that was much drier. No light was let in by the outside, and it was only the burning torch that allowed either of them to see what they were doing. The archaeologist pony and the little orange filly made their way into a side chamber that seemed to have no way out. There was an area that seemed like it was meant to be a threshold, but it was sealed off by a stone door that would not budge. The darkness was oppressive, and there seemed to be no way out of it.

"Where's the way out?" asked Scootaround, pressing against the stone door with her hooves. Daring looked around the chamber, feeling the tiles on the wall, small troughs that protruded from the wall on every side about halfway up on all sides. She was looking for some kind of release lever, but she couldn't see anything of the sort.

"I dunno." Daring said, "I want to say that this slab will slide down and let us pass through, but I've got to find some way to release it." She still couldn't find anything on the walls that looked like some kind of release lever. Perhaps it wasn't a lever?

"What's this trough thing?" Scootaround asked, leaning over the edge of the trough lining the wall on the left side of the chamber. She placed her hoof inside, feeling the edges. With her hoof she could feel that the inside of the trough was filled with some kind of grainy material, similar to sand.

"Dr. Do, there's something in here," said Scootaround. Daring came over to look at where she was, and leaned over with the torch to look into the through. Scootaround removed her hoof and peered over the top, looking down into the illuminated trough. She was able to see some kind of black grainy material, but as soon as she saw it a spark leaped from the torch and landed within the grain, and fire erupted up with a sudden burst, causing the surprised filly to leap backwards.

Within moments the fire had spread along the line of the trough on both sides of the room. There was a ring of fire around the two ponies, and the fire went up and over the doorway. What had moments before been a dark room was now an inferno on all sides, but it was a contained inferno. The fire did not spread from the trough.

"Very interesting," noted Daring, "The fire burns the powder, and then the powder concentrates near the door and-" almost as soon as she had reached that point in her sentence, the stone slab fell free suddenly, slipping down into a slot in the floor below it.

"Good work, kid," Daring said. Together, the two ponies continued towards what was ahead. Ahead was a much more spacious chamber. The troughs containing the flammable powder continued into here, and the same ignition had started the fuel burning in this new chamber. A stone walkway ascended, lined with fire on each side. At the very pinnacle of the chamber there was what appeared to be some kind of pedestal made out of gold and encircled with burning flame. There was a stone walkway around the pedestal, and the edge of this walkway dropped off into a deep chasm that descended below them into darkness.

"This is it," said Daring, "This is where we've got to put the idol. See, the flames are all symbolic of the rebirth of the phoenix. It all makes sense now."

"Rebirth of the phoenix?" said Scootaround, as she and Daring made their way up the stone walkway.

"Yeah. When a phoenix dies, it dies in a burst of flames. But then, a new phoenix is born from the ashes. The sudden burst of flames is the death, which gives rise to new life and the continuing cycle." said Daring. She reached into her bag, taking out the ivory idol of the phoenix, looking as proud and protective as it ever did.

"Well, this is it." said Daring once again, looking at the phoenix statue. It seemed so odd, to think that simply placing an idol of a phoenix carved out of ivory would be able to free and island of ponies and tapirs. That such a simple motion of placing it down onto the pedestal would solve everything. Daring approached the pedestal respectfully, giving the torch to Scootaround to hold onto while she lifted the ivory idol in front of her. She reached over the flickering flames around the pedestal, and placed the ivory idol...

WHAM!

Daring was suddenly struck by something heavy. Her head was spinning, and she could feel the bump rising. She tried to get onto all four of her hooves, but she was far too dizzy from the sudden blow to be able to maintain coordination. She tried to shake it clear. Where was the idol? It was lying to her right on the stone floor. Daring reached over to try to grab it with one hoof, and was blocked by a thick leg, belonging to a tall, slender, white unicorn with a scary demeanor.

"So we meet again, Dr. Do," said Bloodhorn, grinning that evil-looking grin that Daring was quickly learning to despise.

Chapter 10: Up From The Ashes

Daring Do found herself being held against her will by two large stallions, while a single mare had pinned down Scootaround. The three cult members and Bloodhorn had seemed to come out of nowhere, but now Daring could see the hole dug into the wall, and the planks that spanned the chasm around the pedestal.

"Surprised, Dr. Do?" asked Bloodhorn in a smug way. Daring returned the smug smile with a glare, the coldest glare she could muster. All she wanted to do was to break free of the grasp from the two ponies holding her back, and sock Bloodhorn a good one right in the nose.

"You won't get away with this, Bloodhorn!" shouted Daring, still struggling against the hold of the two stallions. Bloodhorn came in closer to her, almost taunting her with the fact that she couldn't reach out and strike him, despite his being within hoof's reach.

"I think I already have," said Bloodhorn, holding aloft the ivory idol for a moment before placing it back onto the floor. There was little walking space on the walkway around the pedestal. There was maybe two yards around the pedestal in every direction, before dropping off to the deep chasm below.

"You see, Dr. Do... without this idol, nothing stands in our way on this island," Bloodhorn said, motioning to the idol of the phoenix. Daring glared, and spat in his direction. The piece of spit landed on the stone only a few inches from Bloodhorn, who raised his eyebrows.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he said, and then proceeded to chuckle to himself. Bloodhorn began pacing, his short black tail remaining motionless and his head held high.

"You see, this island is only the first step. Soon we will spread. This island is just the cradle of chaos in the new age- soon the mainland will fall too. And when south equestria falls, north equestria is not far behind. Oh yes, even your teensy weensy nation of "Equestria" will collapse. The last refuge of harmony does not stand a chance against the forces of chaos," boasted Bloodhorn, emphasizing the word chaos and getting right up into Daring's face.

"Equestria's not some tiny speck, it makes up most of that continent! And we will not fall to chaos that easily, us Equestrians are made of tougher stuff than that!" exclaimed Daring, trying once more to break free, but the strong forelegs of the stallions on either side of her held her in place. She looked sideways to try and see how Scootaround was faring. The filly was squirming, and the mare holding onto her had to keep adjusting her grip.

"You are mistaken if you think that some mamby pamby princess is going to stop us." said Bloodhorn. He turned his attention towards the idol.

"This is only a source of trouble!" he said, looking at the idol carefully. "There's only one thing to do about it, and that is to destroy it."

"No!" came a voice from behind Daring. Scootaround kicked the mare holding her, and dashed towards Bloodhorn, intent on getting the idol back from him. Daring struggled too, but the stallions holding her were made of tougher stuff. Bloodhorn stepped in front of the idol, Blocking Scootaround's path. Frustrated, Scootaround charged him, ramming her head into his chest.

Bloodhorn didn't budge. He glared down at the filly, and with a swat of his lengthy foreleg, she tumbled backwards, and was once again pinned down by the mare. Bloodhorn glared, and turned his attention back towards the idol.

"Thanks for trying, Scoot," Daring said, gulping. Bloodhorn had now picked up the idol, and held it over his head with both hooves.

"I'll deal with you two later, but first things first," said Bloodhorn, "This needs to be destroyed." With the idol lifted over his head, Bloodhorn looked as if he was about to throw it onto the ground and smash it. And a moment later his hooves swung down, throwing the idol down to the ground with a strong force. Daring winced, expecting the idol to smash into many pieces...

Only it didn't. When the idol landed, it clanged to the floor, landing on its side. Instead of even bouncing, it held tight in that position, as if some force was holding it there. The banging sound resounded off the walls of the chamber, and afterwards all was silent for a moment. It was then that Daring heard it. There was a low humming sound, almost like a throb of energy. The idol on the floor quivered, and then suddenly flipped into an upright position all on its own. Something wasn't right, and Daring could feel it.

"What the hell?" said Bloodhorn, scratching his scalp. He raided a hoof above the idol, bent on crushing it. With a cry, Bloodhorn slammed his hoof down on top of the idol. A shattering sound was heard, and Daring winced, keeping her eyes closed for a moment. She peeked after a moment, looking at the idol. It was intact.

Bloodhorn stood above the idol, mouth agape and clutching his right leg. Daring looked closely at him, and she saw that his hoof had cracked and splintered when he had tried to crush the idol. For a moment, Bloodhorn was surprised, but his surprise soon turned to fury. He yelled and cursed, and made a terrible sound of frustration. He swept at the idol, wanting to knock it free from the stone walkway, but it would not budge.

The flames around the pedestal burned brighter, and taller. Sparks flew up from the flickering fires, and seemed to hover in midair. Moments later another spark would fly up, and join with the other spark that had not died out. Soon the sparks formed a ball of flame in mid air that kept burning. There was no fuel source, just a ball of flame hovering over the pedestal. Bloodhorn was not paying attention to this in his temper fits, but Daring took note.

"Why won't this thing break?!" bellowed Bloodhorn in a state of infuriation. "The powers of chaos must prevail!" His last words echoed off the walls and down to the very bottom of the chasm. As the sound faded, it was warped and distorted. Daring listened carefully. It was starting to grow louder, and took on a different tone. Instead of a stallion's yelling, the echoing noise sounded like the war cry of a bird. The noise grew louder and louder, working it's way up the chasm walls until it reached its climax and full volume. At that moment, the ball of flame erupted, taking on the form of a great and mighty bird.

The same war cry erupted from the beak of the bird, and it charged. Swiftly it struck the tall and slender unicorn, knocking him off balance and raking its flaming talons across his flank. The charred streaks could be seen on Bloodhorn as he turned angrily to face the flaming form, but he was too late with his spell. The phoenix was already upon him, striking at the neck. Bloodhorn was thrown back, letting out a choked cry as the bird tore at his throat. He was on the edge now, struggling for balance and to remain on the platform. With another strike, the bird rendered his struggles in vain, and Bloodhorn fell. He fell down into the abyss of the chasm, disappearing in the darkness.

The proud and mighty bird flew around, its flaming wings deforming and becoming a swirling mass of fire. The flame swirled faster and faster, encircling the ivory idol. Slowly it was lifted off the stone floor, and then it descended down onto the pedestal. The flames continued to circle the idol as it was placed upon its proper pedestal, until they fit into its form, merging with the idol. The eyes, which had previously just been carved out of ivory now took on a reddish glow, but all other sound was silent. But then there was another noise, and Daring could feel the floor beneath her quake. One of the tiles on the stone encircling the pedestal began to come loose. Everything in the chamber except for the pedestal and the idol was going to crumble.

"Ugh... what happened?" came a voice from behind Daring. The stallion that had been holding her were no longer grey. One was blue, and the other a bright cherry red. A yellowish mare also stood above Scootaround, a confused expression on her face. Daring winced as the rumbling grew stronger, and she saw cracks beginning to form in the floor beneath them.

"Quick, everypony to that tunnel!" Daring ordered, dashing in the direction of the tunnel that had been dug by Bloodhorn and the chaotic cult ponies. Leaping across the void (as the plank had fallen away) Daring landed safely on solid stone that was not crumbling. She was soon followed by the two stallions, and the mare leaded across and landed shakily, dusting herself off. Daring looked back, and saw Scootaround trying to walk over to jump, but her legs were wobbling.

"Come on, Scoot, jump!" yelled Daring, with an urgency in her voice. "Jump!" Scootaround was at the edge of the crumbling circle. The other side was falling apart, and the floor beneath her gave way. Scootaround leaped towards the tunnel's opening, but it was apparent that she wasn't going to make it. She was too far, and she was already losing altitude. Her wings fluttered with a valiant struggle, but she was unable to get all the way over to the lip of the tunnel. Daring was reaching out her hooves to grab her, yelling loudly, but Scootaround was already too low. The other ponies slipped past her vision as she fell. Scootaround screamed out in alarm, and everything seemed to be going by in slow motion. She could hear daring screaming, but she couldn't see her anymore. Her head was pointing down, down into the void she was falling into. She heard a sharp crack, and closed her eyes, squinting to keep them shut.

A few moments passed. Scootaround opened her eyes again, looking down into the dark recesses of the chasm. The rock wasn't rushing by, and she could clearly see the texture. Why wasn't she falling?

"For the love of Celestia, you've gotta help me, kid!" Daring said. Scootaround looked behind her. Daring was leaning over the edge of the ledge, her back legs being grabbed by a couple of stallions as they held onto her to keep her from falling over the edge. She had her whip out, and the end of it was tightly wrapped around the base of Scootaround's grayish brown tail. Scootaround gulped, and began flapping her wings again, squirming to get herself up. Slowly but surely she was reeled up, and hoisted back up and over the edge, and into the mouth of the tunnel. Daring and Scootaround collapsed, glad to be on solid ground again.

"Dr. Do?" asked Scootaround.

"What is it kid?" asked Daring, rubbing the hat into the filly's hair.

"Thanks for that," said Scootaround, and she meant it. Daring nodded.

"Hey, you've got my back, I've got yours." said Daring, standing herself up. She looked at the other three ponies, who were all in some state of exhaustion. She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose there's a lot of explaining to do. Come on every pony, let's get back to your guy's mining village. There's a lot of fillies and colts that deserve an apology." Daring said, pressing her pith helmet down over her head.

****

The sun was bright on Daring's back as she and Scootaround stepped out into the miner's village. It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. Around her were the sounds of active jungle creatures going about their business. Behind them, ponies of adult age and their fillies and colts filed out of the mines, taking in the fresh air and the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Daring went towards the edge of the village, overlooking the overgrown forest. Down far below was the tapir village, with a column of smoke rising up from it. Undoubtedly life was returning to that village as well, along with the tapirs that had been caught up in the chaotic cult's activities.

Scootaround was talking to Charlie. He and his parents had a reunion, much like the rest of the fillies and colts in the village, which had been very tearful when his parents had realized just how cruel they and the rest of the adults had been while under the corrupt influence of chaos.

"So what are you guys gonna do now? Didn't the mine get wrecked?" asked Scootaround, feeling somewhat guilty for having ruined the conveyor system. In her head she looked back and thought about all the ways she could have upset the adults to the point where they'd bring her in front of the altar without ruining everything. Charlie put his hoof on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it Scoot," he said. "I think that if it was a step that led to everypony being free again, then it was worth it. Besides..." Charlie looked at all the ponies pouring out of the hole in the side of the mountain that served as the worker's exit of the mine. They all looked relieved to some degree, and were very glad that they were free from the oppressive disorder of chaos.

"We'll be able to work together, now. All the adults will get their heads together, and cooperate. We'll get the stuff fixed in no time." said Charlie, "I'd actually like to thank you for what you did."

Daring was approached by an older pony, a grey stallion with whitish hair. Grey was his true coat color, and not a symbol of chaos. He was free like all the other ponies. Daring turned, and faced the elderly pony.

"Young mare, I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you," said the stallion, shaking hooves with Daring, "I'm Mineral Mike, you could say that I'm in charge of this entire operation. What's your name, again?"

"Daring. Daring Do," Daring said. She was aware that all the other ponies had become quiet, and the focus was now on her. The elderly pony smiled, and nodded.

"Yes, well, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don't know how a ruffian like Bloodhorn got the better of us all, but I'm glad to be free of it, as we all are." the pony said.

"Well, thank you sir," replied Daring, as she extended a hoof towards Scootaround, who galloped over to her side, " but I think young Scootaround deserves some recognition, too. I got dragged into the cult kicking and screaming, and if she hadn't stood up and fought, We'd all still be in a world of hurt. I think that we all owe our gratitude to her for not giving up. And I really mean that, kid."

"Well then, I think that these two deserve ALL of our thanks. We are eternally in your debt, Daring Do and Scootaround." said the elderly pony. He turned to the crowd watching. "Three cheers for Daring Do and little Scootaround!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause as they cheered and stomped the ground with their hooves. The throng encircled both Daring Do and Scootaround, full of smiling faces and happy ponies. Life had returned to both sides of the island, and harmony had triumphed over discord.

"Well kid, this is it. Either you die chasing after some piece of history, or you get it back successfully," Daring said, "But every now and then you get the chance... you get the chance to make the world a better place."

"What about what we were after in the first place, in South Equestria?" asked Scootaround, as Daring and her departed the mining village and began to descend the mountain, followed by the ship's captain.

"I don't know. It's getting dark out kid," said Daring, "and that'll just be another day, and another dungeon."