Treasure hunters of Equestria

Chapter 10 - Element of Laughter part 2

(From Daring Do's point of view)

    When the jungle finally came into view after another hour of flying, I began to see that flying to the temple was out of the question, since the trees were tall and aplenty. Dart and I landed in front of the jungle, and he got out his idiotic check list, which didn't matter at this point since we weren't going all the way back just because he forgot the rope. (Which he did.) I've attempted to explain to him that he needs to do his check-list before he leaves many times, but he just never listens. The flight had dried him off quite a bit, but he was still had mud all over him.

"Tell me again why you wouldn't wash yourself off at the oasis?"

"I am NOT going in that water."

    I decided not to question him as we came to a landing and entered the jungle. I could feel the temperature drop as we got out of the piercing sun and the trees became more and more common. The air became more humid as the sounds of the jungle creatures became louder and louder. We did not immediately encounter any predators, but we could hear them everywhere. And not just the large ones either, the buzz of potentially poisonous insects filled the air, and I began to hope that disgusting fruit Dart made me eat would work to repel them.

Eventually, we came to a large patch of strange bubbling mud in our path, it stretched on in every direction past our field of view. Just as I was about to take to the air and fly over it, Dart put a hoof on my shoulder.

"Wait, I don't like this."

"Oh relax, it's just mud. We'll be over it in no time."

"Maybe, but this is a jungle, not a swamp. Jungles have soil, not bubbly mud."

"Actually I'm pretty sure the mud in swamps doesn't bubble either."

"You're not helping."

"Okay okay, but what else could we do? Go around it? "

"Normally, yes. But we're pretty short on time here, so all I ask is that you be careful, alright?"

"Hey! We're professionals! I think we can deal with some mud."

  At this point Dart was starting to annoy me with all of his worries, he wasn't usually like this at all, but I decided to cut him a little slack since Rosemary was captured and he probably just doesn't want something to happen to me also. And what can I say? I'm just too awesome, nopony could ever bear losing me. I took to the air, and slowly hovered out over the mud, and as I expected, the mud did not grow arms and strangle me. Dart reluctantly followed, and we began to fly at a speed not much faster than when we were walking, taking care to avoid branches and the like. I was careless, however, and a branch that had barely missed my head knocked off my hat. Luckily, it fell onto a large, brown, mossy log that was half submerged in the mud, so my hat didn't get too dirty. I landed on the log, and bent down to pick up my hat. Just as I was about to put it on, the log suddenly slid out from under me, and I landed in the mud. Dart swooped down and grabbed me just before four gigantic brown snakes rose from the mud, but they were unnaturally large, and very similar looking. Almost like the heads of a-

   "Hydra!" Yelled Dart, letting go of me as soon as I began to flap my wings. We both began to fly as fast as we possibly could,  and we could hear the hydra roaring behind us.  Just as I thought we had escaped and I began to calm down, the roar of the hydra began to echo around the jungle and another of the scaly beasts rose from the mud in front of us, this time with six heads.

"We're in a hydra nest!" Yelled Dart over the mass roaring. We veered to the left, and I noticed that another one was about to lash out at Dart from the mud.

"Heads up!"

Instead of dodging the hydra as I had hoped, Dart simply looked back at my while we flew.

"Daring, that pun was just b-" He was cut short by the monster, which knocked him down into the mud.

  Dart struggled to dry his wings enough to fly, but every time he dodged one of the hydra's lunges, he became more engrossed in the mud. Just as another hydra rose out of it's nest to attack Dart, who was almost completely submerged in the mud, he flapped his wings as hard ans fast as he could. He quickly generated enough momentum to launch him up from the mud, and then back down on the head of the hydra who had narrowly missed him.

  Not wanting to fall back down into the mud, Dart grabbed onto the hydra's neck and grips with all of his might as the hydra swung him around like a bull in a rodeo. Every time I attempted to dive in to save him, a hydra or two would snap at me, forcing me to keep my distance.

"Daring! Throw me the rope, I can't fly with this mud on my wings!" He yelled to me, still riding the hydra.

"I can't! You forgot the rope!" I said while dodging a hydra myself.

"Aw horse-feathers."

   A large 12 headed hydra then joined the fray, causing some of the small ones to back down. With every step of his foot, the ground shook and even the other hydras seemed to cower in fear. With a mighty roar, the beast leaped on Dart and the hydra he had been riding. Dart jumped, narrowly escaping one of the monster's mighty heads. In mid-air, he finally managed to get his wings just dry enough to provide him with an extra boost, and made his way just within reach of my hoof. I held on to him tight, and together we flew above the trees, out of view and reach of the reptilians waiting below.

   Just as I thought I could catch my breath, the twelve heads burst through the canopy and wrapped their necks around Dart  and I. It used it's neck to bring me closer to one of the other heads, which was brandishing a toothy smile. I shut my eyes tight, but even that couldn't stop my life from flashing before me. I was entirely convinced that the end had come at the hooves of this monster, and then, there was silence and darkness.

   Silence except for the sound of mosquitoes and my own exhausted breathing. I opened my eyes to investigate the reason for my well-being, and found that the hydra seemed to be staring strangely at Dart, who was being held upside down and had a look of utter annoyance plastered on his face. Suddenly, the hydra did something nopony could have expected. It spoke.

"Bah! He carries the curse! He is bad eating!" Said one of it's heads, this one looked angrier than the others.

"I sssay jusssst kill him." Said the head wrapped around Dart.

"Wait," Said the head in the middle. "Perhaps they could be of assistance to us."

"They?" Said the head that was holding me. "Does this mean I can't eat the mare?"

The middle head ignored him. "Your name is Dart Dash, correct?"

"Correct." Said Dart. "Would you mind holding me the right way?"

"You heard the stallion!" Barked the angry head to the one holding Dart, who reluctantly obeyed.

"Ssssorry. There issssn't usssually any complantssss."

"We're afraid that we need your help, Dart Dash." Said the middle head.

"And...just curious. Why, exactly is it, that we should help you?"

The hydra used some of the heads on the sides to imitate a shrug, which was sort of funny to watch.

"Because we'll eat you if you don't. Any other complaints?" All of the heads grinned at this.

"Well," Said Dart. "I guess I'll remain open minded. What can I do for you....fellows?"

"In case you haven't noticed by now, this isn't a nest. It's an outpost. We're at war, Dart. And we need your help to end it!" Explained the angry one.

"With who? What in this jungle could possible stand a chance against a hydra?" I asked, no longer fearing death since Dart agreed to help.

"The naga." Said the middle head.

"And what threat do the little snake ponies have to you?"

"Normally? Nothing." Said the head who over pronounces the letter 'S'. "They plan to sssssink our jungle right into the ssssea. This is mosssstly imposssible, however their queen has reccccently dissscovered an artifact of great powerssss. Sssshe controlsss the sssstorm."

"Since we can't exactly swim, it's up to you two to stop the jungle from sinking. And if we know anything about the Daring Duo," Continued the middle head. "it's that retrieving artifacts is your specialty."

"How do you know who we are?" I asked the middle head. It only grinned and ignored me.

"And if you successfully retrieve the artifact and come back, our people will be in your debt. Now go, you can find the ocean palace of the naga right off of the shore to the east of here. Good luck, my little ponies. You will need it against the naga."

  And with that, we were dropped back on top of the mud, and each and every hydra began to sink back below us. Needless to say, we didn't wait around very long.

(From Dart's point of view)

After flying east for just a few minutes, we arrived at a shoreline with crystal clear water, and a dark blue palace could easily be seen in the distance, partly above the water due to the low tide.

"So," I told Daring. "I guess we'll have to fly further over the mud this time."

"What? Aren't we going to the naga castle?" She said, surprised.

"Well, unless you have a way to get us in there without drowning, I don't think that will work."

"Well we could just fly. Part of it is above the surfa-" Daring was cut off by the sound of distant thunder, but not as distant as I'd have hoped. A dark cloud loomed the area surrounding the castle, and the storm was far too intense to fly through.

"That doesn't seem to be an option. The hydra mentioned they control the storm, remember?"

"Okay we can just use a boat." Daring said casually.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not take a boat out into the ocean over hundreds of sharp-toothed serpent ponies."

"I thought you enjoyed danger, Dart. What's wrong?"

"IIIIIII'm afraidoftheocean."

Daring must have gotten used to how I mumble things that embarrass me, since she understood me without asking me to repeat myself like usual.

"But you said we would go to the sea pony ruins on hearts and hooves day!"

"I didn't want to disappoint you!"

Daring sighed and rolled her eyes simultaneously. Then, after a moment of thought, grinned. "Well Dart, there's only one way to cure a stallion's fears."

"Never speak of them again?" I asked hopefully.

"No. By facing them with a smoking hot mare at your side!"

Before I could protest, I found myself being shoved into the water, and landing face first in the ocean. When I attempted to get up and run for it, Daring blocked my path.

"I'm going to go find us a boat, and you're going to stay here and get used to it. You'd better not leave the water, okay?"

"Oh come on! We don't have to do this, Daring! The hydras will never know!" I pleaded.

"Yes we do, Dart. Didn't you hear them? A corner of Equestria is going to sink into the ocean! Besides, I want that artifact, and this is no different from an average treasure hunt." She spoke sternly, yet still with a smile.

   The way her eyes gleamed when she said treasure hunt was enough to make me nod my head, and she flew off into the sky with a wave and a wink.

   It wasn't until a few moments later that I realized she had told me to stay like I was her dog. I stood up, but with my hooves still in the water. Before long I remembered that I was standing in the ocean, and that the ocean is full of giant monsters and fish poop. I scrambled to the shore, and almost climbed back onto the sand when Daring's words echoed through my head. With a loud sigh, I sank back into the water.

   After an hour of pacing up and down the sea shore while making sure to keep my legs in the water, Daring returned with what must have been pretty much the shittiest boat ever. It was a small wooden rowboat meant for Earth ponies who can't use clouds to fish, but it was so old it looked like it could break any minute. Not to mention it was meant for one pony, so it would be quite a tight fit.

"Daring, you have lost it." I decided after inspecting the vessel.

"I haven't lost anything! But I did FIND this great boat, and it was only 10 bits!"

  Despite her enthusiasm 10 bits seemed like a fitting price. The boat didn't even have oars.

"Okay look, maybe I could have faced my fears on a regular day, but this is insane!"

"Insane is what we do for a living. Get in the boat."

"But-"

"Do you want to save Rosemary?"

"Of course! But-"

"Get in the boat."

Finally I could see, there was no more delaying it, and Daring seemed pretty peeved. Needless to say, I got my plot into the boat.

((Quick Author's note: Sorry for the massive delay! I had to visit my family around the world over the summer, then my computer broke, then school started. This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer but for the sake of just getting it out to you guys I decided to cut it short. I didn't get anyone to proof read it so if anyone notices a grammar or spelling error just let me know.))