Big thanks to little guy for proofreading this story. This fic is still far from perfect, but he helped make it just a little less awful.
Unseen clouds hang high above in the night sky, smothering the stars and obscuring Luna's rays. Below, unchecked darkness drapes the valley like a suffocating blanket. An unnatural stillness seems to have seized the jungle and its inhabitants, as if some grave injustice had been wrought and the world could nothing but hold its breath.
No creature, large or small, stirs.
No wind blows this late hour.
Not even a leaf dares rustle and disturb this silence.
A great river, the architect of this ancient valley, flows through the jungle like an artery. Fed by distant mountain springs, it snakes through the primeval forest and feeds into the adjacent sea, with the occasional rapid, waterfall, and lake in-between. Connecting the river and coast is one such lake, a shallow lagoon deep within the very heart of this untamed wilderness.
A solitary ship sits low in the water, heavy with ill-gotten cargo. Faint light issues forth from its few lanterns, giving the impression that the ship itself is adrift in a sea of darkness. A motley crew of crooked Sea Dogs, marine variants of the terrestrial Diamond Dogs, mills about on deck in varying degrees of slumber.
Near the ship's bow, a pair of canines had fashioned themselves a makeshift set of fishing rods from twigs and rigging and had begun casting into the black waters below. They huddled against each other to ward off the night's chill and chuckled softly at the prospect of fresh fish for a midnight snack, all the while downing grog just barely distinguishable from stagnant seawater.
One of the pair had started nodding off when he felt the slightest tug on his line, a sensation that extinguished any notions of sleep from his mind and nearly sent him hopping up and down with excitement. The tug gradually turned into a pull, and that pull eventually turned into a test of the hound's very strength. When the veritable tug of war threatened to nearly drag the would-be angler overboard, his companion desperately grabbed at the straining rod as well.
Even with their combined strength, this absolutely monstrous catch pushed the two to their absolute limits. As the struggle reached its apex and the rod risked slipping out of the pair's paws, whatever was at the other end of the line seemed to finally concede to the drained pirates. Emboldened by the slack on the line, the two began rapidly pulling the line in by grabbing at pawfuls of twine, eager to get a view, as well as taste, of this undoubtedly record setting behemoth of a catch.
In their excitement, they had failed to notice as the blue coated, vaguely canine-like Ahuizotl crept up behind them.
Snarling, Ahuizotl bellowed at the oblivious sailors, "Mangy mutts! Flea bitten mongrels! This is how the night watch thinks their time is best spent?!"
The sailors yelped in surprise, letting go of the line and sending the fishing rod flying overboard with a faint splash to the murky depths below.
"Turn!" Ahuizotl commanded.
He was so close the pair could feel his ragged breath on the backs of their necks. Whining pitifully, at both the harsh scolding and their lost prize, the pair slowly turned around to face their master and all his fury. They could only whimper as Ahuizotl escalated his fiery tirade.
"Here we are, alone and adrift with enemies all around us! And the two of you, the idiots that I as well as your fellow crew-mates entrusted with our safety, decide that fishing is a more pressing matter than our lives!?"
In a more nonchalant tone, he continued, "I do not ask much from my minions, I hope."
Ahuizotl's restraint is short-lived however, as he turns towards his entire dozing crew and roars, "Only your total obedience and loyalty!"
The gang reaffirmed their master's declaration with a chorus of snores. At the same time, one of the anglers felt his stomach growl audibly, interrupting Ahuizotl in the middle of his outburst.
"Ah, it was food that compelled you both to disobey me? Then perhaps you will be more appreciative of the food I do give you after I've fed your breakfast to the fishes!"
Afraid of any further punishment, the pair bit their tongues and tucked their tails between their legs in fear driven unison. They dared not even look their master in the face. They could only stare down at the ground in front of them dejectedly, which only served to anger Ahuizotl further. With a burst of lightning speed, Ahuizotl reached out with his hands and grasped their muzzles, wrenching their heads upwards so that the sky filled their vision.
"Incompetent curs! Look to the heavens! That is where our enemy will attack from, carried on wings of hate!" He let go of their snouts, adding to the collection of unsightly bruises already on the sailors' faces.
"Now then, to the stern with the both of you! So that I may better watch over those who should be watching over all of us. Move!"
The pair quickly ran around Ahuizotl. They met each other again immediately, face first, as they slammed into each other hard enough to send both falling onto their rears. They instantly recovered with nary a whimper and bolted across the ship, up the stairs to the stern-castle above the captain's cabin and hastily took up lookout positions, craning their necks to stare at the darkened skies above.
The now lone Ahuizotl felt his chest rumble with a base, animalistic growl as he muttered under his breath, "Imbeciles."
He glanced at the floor and picked up the remaining fishing rod. With a roll of his eyes, the azure canine casually tossed the stick and hook overboard to join its recently departed cousin, before turning around and returning to his place at the helm behind the ship's wheel.
Once more, the night fell silent. Lantern flames flickered in the encroaching darkness, sending merry shadows dancing across the ship's deck.
Even if a Sea Dog were to sober up and look carefully, they would just barely spot the hook and rope of the discarded rod fly onboard and noiselessly wrap around the ship's exterior railing. The rope grows taut and the makeshift fishing hook turned makeshift grappling hook bends dangerously as it supports the weight of a certain, intrepid pony climbing aboard. A single beige hoof wraps around the rail and Daring Do swings over, her hooves landing on the decrepit wooden boards with a dull thud.
She wipes away at the water around her eyes and surveys the deck. Thankfully, the watchdogs seemed too preoccupied with trying to find the distant stars, while the rest of the crew were slumped over leaking barrels or battered crates. Their dreaded captain was curiously absent as well. Satisfied that her presence hadn't been noticed, Daring took advantage of the moment to breathe a hushed sigh of relief and catch her breath after the chilly swim.
She shook her head vigorously and pressed a hoof against the gray hair bang in front of her face, trying to squeeze the water out. Water ran down her neck in driblets, matting down her gray-scaled rainbow mane and adding to the growing puddle beneath her. Daring thought about how naked she felt without her pith helmet atop her head. She had also exchanged her usual safari jacket for a sleek, form-fitting gray swimsuit that covered her entire body, save for her legs, wings, and head. Though the suit was a necessity for the frigid waters, she disliked how it concealed her compass rose cutie mark. What fur that was visible was dark amber with the slightest hints of gold, reminiscent of desert sands.
A nearby barrel toppled over with a crash, dumping out a wave of watery rum and a wet, unconscious buccaneer. Daring swiftly crouched down and narrowed her sharp, raspberry-red eyes, ready to launch herself at the nearest threat.
The hound responded with a loud snore. He moved no further and neither did any of his crew-mates care enough to get up and help him.
Daring Do relaxed, actually feeling the tension drain from her limbs, and decided that it was just about time to move on. Keeping to the shadows, she stealthily moved along the length of the ship, being careful not to rouse any pirates from their slumber. She cautiously stepped over and around slumbering pooches. Here and there, she managed to spot the dim glint of a rusty cutlass or a waterlogged pistol. Before long, she had reached her objective, a hatch concealing a set of stairs leading to the decks below.
The steep stairs were practically ladders, a necessity on a sailing ship in which space was at a premium, though it made an ill fit for her equine body. Luckily, they were designed with large canines in mind, so each step was wide enough to rest a hoof on. Still, progressing downwards was awkward, forcing Daring to keep careful. The foremost lower deck was empty, populated only by a few flimsy benches and tables. A sorry state for a chow-hall, she thought.
She continued down the stairs to the next deck and found herself staring down a dimly lit hallway with vague, white shapes lining either wall. The light seemed to be getting weaker and weaker as she descended further down into the bowels of the ship. She paused to give her eyes some time to adjust to the darkness.
The gloom gradually faded and it dawned upon her that the shapes were hammocks, each one containing a passed-out canine. One dog in particular was tossing and turning about in his sleep. He eventually managed to flip his hammock completely, tossing him out and sending him sprawling down onto the floor with a thump. An adjacent rack gave a low, guttural laugh and mocked the fallen sailor with a colorful expletive. Evidently annoyed, the sailor groggily got up and yawned, exposing a maw filled with jagged teeth. He rubbed his groin and started unsteadily making his way towards the stairs.
Daring frowned and quickly went down to the next lower deck as quietly as she could, stepping off the stairs into the spacious cargo hold. She glanced back up and saw the sailor climbing upwards in the opposite direction, eventually passing out of sight.
Having finally reached her ultimate goal, the caramel colored pony turned around to inspect the blackened cargo hold. Daring grabbed a nearby torch with her mouth, being careful not to burn her face and to let the loose embers fall into a nearby puddle. The light was faint, but enough. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.
Cages and tanks of various sizes lined the cargo hold from wall-to-wall, each one containing a young creature.
Daring crouched down to get a closer look at a cage. Inside was a softly mewling kitten with coal dark fur, a young pantherling that was no doubt wondering where its family was. It looked up at Daring and reached a tiny paw out towards her, a desperate plea for help.
In another cage was a baby manticore that had only just begun to grow the fine hairs that would eventually compose the wild mane of a full grown adult.
And beyond that lay another prisoner, a puny three-headed puppy held captive in a cage several sizes too small. The two outer heads were both weeping faintly, while the middle head took turns licking the crying ones' faces.
Everywhere Daring looked, she saw little creatures in heavy chains. She trembled with indignant rage and bit hard into the torch in her mouth, leaving deep marks in the wood. It took every fiber of her being and a reminder of the promise she made to the jungle creatures to stop her from marching upstairs, pummeling every Sea Dog in sight, and throwing Ahuizotl overboard. No, she told herself, there would be time enough for that later. For the moment, nothing was more important than helping the poor animals around her.
Daring moved forward, igniting any extinguished torches she came across, before finding a rickety table hidden away within a recess in the wall. Resting on top of it were the waxy remains of a well-used candle, several roughly drawn charts of the region, and a large set of rusty iron keys. She grinned at the sudden turn of long overdue fortune. Moving quickly, she deftly spat her torch out into a nearby empty sconce and picked the keys up with her vacant mouth. Returning to the stairs, she unlocked the cage of the black pantherling.
Speaking through clenched teeth due to the metallic tasting keys in her mouth, Daring said, "Come on kid, let's get out of here."
Despite the promise of imminent freedom, the kitten shivered and made no move to escape. Daring Do paused to think for a moment, before bending down beside the cage and gently wrapping a warm wing around the kitten.
She said softly, "It's alright little guy, it's alright. My name's Daring . I'm here to help."
The kitten's ears perked up at the affection in her tone, a rarity aboard this ship. Gingerly, Daring nudged the tiny thing along and out of the cage. It began crawling forward, eventually coming out of the enclosure completely. It looked up at her with wide eyes filled with new-found hope and trust.
"Attaboy! Hey, I know you want to find your parents, but I need you to wait here while I get all the other animals out. Think you can do that for me?"
The kitten nodded in response and parked itself next to the stairs, meowing optimistically.
Daring gave it kindhearted smile and said, "I'll be back before you can say kalima!"
With that, she turned and proceeded to move down the length of the cargo hold, unlocking every cage as she went. Young paws, wings, and hands wrapped around her in a flurry of hugs. The young prisoners had seen her exchange with the kitten and went to go sit alongside it after they were freed. Before long, a considerable crowd of mythical and worldly creatures had formed at the base of the stairs, ready to depart at Daring's say-so.
All that was left was a single, noticeably larger cage, shrouded in darkness near the back of the hull. It dwarfed Daring herself.
"Gee, I wonder what Ahuizotl's got in there. A giant ape? Well, big guy, let's get ready to blow this pop stand, as soon as I get this thing open."
With a turn of the keys in her mouth, the cage unlocked with a sharp *click* and the door creaked open. Daring leaned into the cage and squinted her eyes, struggling to catch a glimpse of whatever was in there.
A long, monkey-like tail tipped with a blue hand shot out of the dark and wrapped around Daring's neck before she could react. It lifted her up and held her aloft with uncanny strength, squeezing tightly, giving her barely enough air to breath. Just barely.
Daring thrashed her hooves against her assailant's ironclad grip in a futile effort to break free, even as she felt the stamina drain from her body.
A shrewd laugh laced with malice issued forth from the gloom, accompanied by a voice saying, "Well, well, if it isn't Daring Do. Oh, how predictable you've become."
In a strained voice, Daring tried to say, "Ahui..Ahui....Ahuizotl."
With that, the azure hound's face came out of the shadows.
He smirked and responded in kind, "Hehe, in the flesh."
The last thing Daring saw before she blacked out was the sight of pirates harshly ushering baby creatures back into their cages.
Frigid water doused Daring Do, tearing her away from the comforting embrace of sleep. She woke with a start, wild eyed and gasping for breath. She tried to move her hooves and realized that she could not, having been tied spread-eagle to the ship's main mast, her body and legs forming a X figure against the tall wooden pillar. She tugged at the ropes binding her hooves. She had to admit, if there's one thing a Sea Dog can do, it's tie a good knot.
Looking about, she saw that a mass of Sea Dogs had gathered around her, the entire crew having apparently woken up amidst her rescue attempt. Next to her was a hound with a coarse eyepatch, an empty bucket in his paws. Icy water glistened her gray wetsuit, and already she could feel it freezing against her exposed fur. And standing at the forefront of them all, in all his ignominious glory, was their nefarious captain, Ahuizotl.
"Finally awake, are we? Oh Miss Do, how many times have we had this conversation? With you restrained and at my complete mercy. As much as I enjoy your company, I must tell you that I certainly do not appreciate your meddling in my affairs."
"Cram it Ahuizotl, I'm not gonna stand aside and let you kidnap all those innocent creatures. And save the sweet talk for your cronies, you and I both know you intend to add those kids to your animal army."
"Miss Do, you don't know how deeply your sharp words cut! And once again, you've completely misread my intent. It's obvious that we merely have a misunderstanding."
"That's right, I forgot. The kids that don't make the cut? You're going to sell them off as rare pets. Or worse," she shuddered involuntarily at that last word.
"Once again, I am a victim of your misconceptions. What you call raising an army, I call raising a..a..." Ahuizotl closed his eyes and lowered his head mournfully, "...a family."
Daring raised an apprehensive eyebrow at her captor's claim.
"Hehe, yes, I see the doubt in your eyes. Oh my greatest foe, you more than anyone else should know that I am utterly alone in this world. All these years, all the magical artifacts I've acquired, all the knowledge I've attained, and never have I come across so much as the name of my own species. Much less another individual like myself," he said, as his distinctive tail slipped into his hands, "How wretched my existence is, to never father a child to call my own. Well, if I can not bless this world with my own flesh and blood, then I can at the very least construct a family of my very own."
Daring flared her nostrils and snorted, "If you really cared about the critters in those cages, you'd understand that taking them away like this will only lead to sorrow down the road."
"Oh there you go again, always thinking of others first. Believe me when I say you should be more worried about your own well-being."
"I don't care what happens to me. Keep me here if you want, just let them go."
"Miss Do, are you proposing a trade? Hmm, every family does need a loving wife and mother."
Ahuizotl drew closer to Daring, his hungry eyes roving across her exposed and vulnerable body. His tail left his hands snaked through the air, the hand planting itself square on top of Daring's damp chest.
"I see you've updated your wardrobe. Not the most regal of outfits, but I must say you do look quite ravishing in it."
The unwanted sensation of the hand on her body, amplified by her inability to do anything about it, drove Daring crazy.
"Ugh, keep dreaming Ahuizotl. I see past your crocodile smile," Daring said, rolling her eyes at the unwelcome advances.
"You surprise me Miss Do, have you forgotten our little confrontation in Saddle Arabia? I know your tastes occasionally treads into the realm of the exotic. I can give you exactly what you want."
Ahuizotl's tail-hand began slowly creeping up Daring's chest, stopping just short of the swimsuit's neckline. The intrusive appendage felt pleasantly warm after her cold wake-up, which only annoyed her further. Daring bent her neck, unsuccessfully trying to give Ahuizotl's tail a chomp.
Heedless of her futile attempts to cause him pain, he stated flatly, "Nevertheless, you are in no position to be negotiating." Ahuizotl leaned in further, his face merely inches away from hers, and whispered closely, "Think of it this way. It's either me, or my crew," gesturing to the rowdy mutts around them.
Daring winced at the implication. Then, she audibly gasped as Ahuizotl's hand slipped upwards and then down into her swimsuit. Trapped between gray fabric and her wet fur, the invasive organ wiggled against her chest like a slimy multi-headed worm, sending waves of revulsion through her.
"Ironic, isn't it? That I should happen to know your most intimate of secrets, where your buttons are and just how to push them."
Daring pulled desperately at the ropes restraining her hooves, and shook uncontrollably when she realized that Ahuizotl's hand was gradually slipping further and further down her body. Her eyes followed the tail slithering into her suit and she realized that it was more than long enough to reach her most private of places.
With a sneer, Ahuizotl said, "Tell me, of all the lovers you've ever had, is there any that knows you half as well as I do?"
One of his finger circled Daring's bellybutton, almost affectionately, before his hand continued its steady journey southwards. Daring started panting softly despite herself, as Ahuizotl's hand finally reached her marehood. He simply smiled as he effortlessly slipped a single finger into her wet slit, before having to stop due to stiff resistance. He tried to force his finger through Daring's hymen, and found he only could push the solid surface deeper into her, causing her to shudder with pleasure.
"What in the world?" he said, the confusion evident in his voice.
Daring gasped sharply when Ahuizotl shoved another finger into her and pinched the solid, rod-like object occupying her cunny. He pulled it out in one smooth motion, eliciting a lusty moan from Daring's lips as her velvety walls gripped at the withdrawing rod. Ahuizotl's tail slid back up her body and out of her swimsuit, and with it came a slippery red shaft, both thin and long.
"What..what is this?" he asked, raising it up for his entire crew to see.
He brought it close to his face, inspecting it closely. Written on the side, along with directional arrows, were the words 'this side up.' He turned it around in his hand so that the arrows pointed towards the heavens. With a free hand, he unwittingly fingered a depression at the other end of the red stick, inadvertently pressing an unseen button. With a panicked cry, Ahuizotl realized it was a signal flare. Too late to do anything about it by then, the flare ignited with a flash of blinding white light and rocketed into the the night sky, narrowly avoiding striking him in the face. The flare hung in the air for a brief moment, before descending slowly, its pulsing light illuminating the ship, the lagoon, and surrounding jungle.
"What. Did. You. Do," Ahuizotl growled, stretching out his words as anger seeped into his visage.
Daring smiled, "I didn't know who the kidnappers were. Had a hunch it was you, but I had to come aboard to make sure. And did you really think I'd let you put your greasy paws on me without my permission?”
“Y-you let yourself get captured? Wait, you know this would happen! You had this all planned out from the start!”
“Hey Ahui, what do say we take our relationship to the next level? I think it's about time you met the folks."
With that, a monstrous roar filled the air. Two enormous, winged shapes flew out of the treeline, flying low and headed straight for them at high speed. They ascended as they approached, before curving down and crashing onto the deck with a thundering boom, knocking several Sea Dogs into the air. Amongst the splintered boards and torn rigging were the rising forms of two massive manticores. They looked at the gathered crowd of pirates before them and gave another deafening roar, so loud that the entire ship seemed to tremble.
The pirates looked to their leader, only to find him petrified with fear. Without his guidance, they could only scamper away and dive into the bay as the manticores started swiping at the corsairs, sending terrified mutts flying. Blades and bullets bounced harmlessly off the beasts' thick skin. The battle, if one could even call it that, ends almost as soon as it begins, with nearly every Sea Dog in the water and swimming for shore, and the deck empty save for a bound pony and the two manticores.
The smaller of the two beasts crouched down to examine Daring 's restraints, using a single razor sharp claw-tip to carefully slice the rope binding her hooves.
Daring's forehooves settled onto the floor as she returned to her more typical quadruped stance and said, "Thanks. Hey, where's Ahuizotl?"
The larger manticore pointed at the lagoon. Daring walked towards the railing and spotted a distinctive blue head sticking out of the water.
"We'll meet again! Daring Do!" the head shouted in her direction.
A large fin broke the surface and began encircling the head, provoking a shrill scream from Ahuizotl and compelling him to start swimming for the distant shore. Daring gave a hearty laugh at another victory and a job well done, before leaning over the railing and knocking on the side of the ship with her hoof. The head of a purple-scaled sea serpent rose out of the water. It proceeded towards the stern of the ship and began pushing them towards the riverbank.
As they got going, Daring returned to the two manticores, saying, "You two stay right here, there's something down below that belongs to you."
Somewhere else in Equestria, Celestia awoke from her nightly slumber and brought her sun over the horizon, bringing dawn to the world.
It was well into the morning when Daring opened the last cage, sending an energetic infant gorilla barreling down the cargo hold and launching itself into its mother's arms. They embraced each other in a tear-jerking reunion that lasted well over several minutes. The she-gorilla cradled her child in one robust arm and waved at Daring with the other. Daring waved back, now completely alone in the empty hold as the mother ape climbed back up the stairs and departed.
Daring sighed as an entire night's worth of nonstop exertion started to take its toll on her sore body, exhaustion finally settling in after the adrenaline in her veins had long since worn off. As much as she loved a good adventure, nothing sounded better right now than a warm bed and a fresh cup of pine-needle tea. Both of which were sorely lacking in this dank, dark compartment.
Still, Daring wanted to give the cargo hold one last once-over before she left for good, just to make she wasn't forgetting anything. As she neared the back of the hold, close to where Ahuizotl had captured her, a large cream-colored egg set in a crate filled with straw caught her eye. The egg, about the size of large potato, was bespeckled with tiny bumps on its rough shell, as well as thin veins that criss-crossed its surface.
Odd, she thought. She was sure the mother gorilla was the last parent. And neither could she recount any creature that could have laid such an egg.
Regardless, she quickly found a suitably sized pack and gingerly placed the egg within it.
Slinging the pack onto her back as delicately as she could, she proceeded down the hallway filled with empty cages and climbed up the stairs, shouting, "Hey! There's still an egg here! Is anybody missing an-"
"-egg?"
As she stepped outside, sweet sunlight filling the air, Daring saw that all the parents had already left by now, leaving her alone on the ship.
Well, not completely alone.
"Guess I know what my next adventure is," the hazel pony said.
Daring turned her head to look at her back and at the pack containing the mysterious egg. Doing so, she also spotted her safari jacket and beloved pith helmet, neatly placed next to the gangplank, no doubt left by a thoughtful animal parent. She walked over and expertly flipped the helmet into the air and onto her head.
"No point in burning daylight. Let's get started."
Author's Note
Constructive criticism is always welcome. Leave a comment if you like. I don't often respond, but know that I read each and every one. Also, sorry to disappoint if you came here for good smut, I wanted to focus on setting up the plot. Expect proper clop in the next chapter. As to what kind of clop, don't hold your breath for vanilla male on female whatever from me. See you next time, till then, the silk road beckons.
