*CANCELED*

Chapter 3

Daring leaned over the rail, throwing up her contents of her stomach. The ship’s horn blared, and she threw up more again.

“Carrots…” she said, leaning back. “Why is it always carrots? I don’t even eat carrots…” she moaned, and almost threw up again when the loudspeaker blared.

“Attention, all ponies. All hoofs to the launch bay. To whoever removed the ‘L’ from the motor pool sign, ha ha, we’re all very amused,” said the voice.

Daring got her bags and descended into the belly of the ship before coming to a room full of sparks and vehicles. She looked around before asking a pony.

“Uh, excuse me, I need to report in,” she said.

“Yes, Daring?” the pony said, turning, revealing to be Fleur.

“Oh, it’s you!” Daring said, hugging her.

“Yes, it’s me,” Fleur said, patting Daring’s back before parting. “Now, what do you need, dear?”

“To report in. To the launch bay.”

“Oh, yes! I’m going there right now to meet my husband. Coming?”

“Yeah, wait up!” she said when Fleur started trotting to the elevator.

They got into the elevator with hundreds of other ponies before the elevator grunted, and began descending. They passed girders and intersecting steel beams before everything went dark. Only a red light could be seen before light poured in again, and Daring soon gasped softly at the massive sight that was presented to her.

There it was, the S.S Celestia, in all of its glory. The span of the submarine looked endless, but Daring soon spotted the tailfin and rudders. In the front, there was a huge golden glass sphere that allowed for observation, and Daring could see inside the huge submarine. She looked down and saw ponies milling around, driving trucks with supplies into the sub; sparks flew down from the ceiling as they welded parts to release the sub.

The elevator finally landed, and Daring hurried after Fleur into the sea of ponies. She looked around before bumping into a cart.

“Oh, hey there, Daring. Didn’t guess that you would be joining this journey as well!”

“Roseluck..?” Daring said, looking a bit closer.

“Who else?” she replied, and whispered, “Don’t bump into me next time. I’ll literally go into a cussing spree for scaring me.”

Daring spotted the cart she was pulling. “ Oh, you’re the explosive expert?”

Roseluck got out a stick of dynamite and began playing with it. “Well, duh. Now, hurry along. Fleur probably won’t wait for you,” she said before trotting away.

She met up with Fleur who was busy conversing with her husband, Fancy Pants, and another creature that looked like a gryphon.

“Ah, Daring Do. The granddaughter of the late Compass Rose. How is it going?” said the gryphon, stretching her claw out.

“Good,” replied Daring nervously.

“Daring, this is Gilda’s sister, Grizelda, commander of the pony and gryphon army. I trust you that you know Daring, right?” Fancy said to Daring first, then to Grizelda.

“I do. Now, your grandfather was nice, wasn’t he?” Grizelda said, releasing the hoofshake. “Greatest pony I met. It’s… sad that he passed away and that no one respected him.”

“Yeah.” Daring said, looking down a bit. “Your sister is joining this expedition as well, right?” Daring said.

“Yes, she is.” she replied, then a horn blared. “ Attention all personnel, launch will happen in 15 minutes.” the speaker blared.

“Well, it’s time to go now,” she smiled, and walked aboard.

Daring hugged Fancy and Fleur before galloping after Griz. “Bye! See you!”

“Bye! Hope your journey is a safe one! And make us proud!” they called out before the loading bay door shut.

“Prepare for dive!” a distant voice shouted before the hatch shut and locking it.

Other ponies shouted as well, relaying the message.

“Lieutenant! Take her down. Diving officers, emerge the ship, and make the diving point one-point-zero-three.” Grizelda said in a commanding tone around the bridge.

The number went around the bridge, and there was the clicking sounds and clanking from the machines in the sub.

“5 degrees down below!” said some one as another pony shouted, “ Take us down!”

The last pony looked around and turned the wheel above him quick, and then twisted the wheel in front of him as well.

Horns blared, and the hooks that held the Celestia drew open, allowing the sub to splash into the water, descending slowly. Daring waved from the bridge, and Fancy Pants and Fleur waved back, smiling.

The sub was now underwater, bubbles coming out from the ballast tanks, and the propellers now beginning to spin. Daring looked out, excited that her trip was going on a good start. The lights of the sub now turned on as they went into the darkness of the ocean.

“... Tonight for dinner is daisy-mustard sandwiches and… bucking damnit, cheese apple pie from Braeburn. Ahh, who wrote this…” Vinyl said over the loudspeakers throughout the S.S. Celestia.

Daring trudged into the cabin reserved for her and climbed into the bottom bunk of the bunk bed. “Way too tired…” she muttered.

She got a few moments of shuteye before she was roughly awoken by a paw and soon got dragged out of bed. “What the…”

“You! You know what you’ve done?!” shouted a rugged voice.

“Uh, me?” Daring said to the face of a Diamond Dog.

“Yes you! You destroyed the dirt of all nations! You know how long this took?” he said, scooping one of the crushed dirt piles together and placing a flag on it.

“What’s that even doing in my bed?” Daring questioned.

The Diamond Dog ignored her question. “You, what’s your name? Why are you on here? Job? Gender? Other things?” he rambled. Daring didn’t even have a chance to answer before he continued again. “Ah, I’ll find out soon enough. Here, give me your hoof,” and took Daring’s hoof and getting out pair of tweezers.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!” she said, pulling back, but the grip was too strong.

“Trying to find who you are,” he said. “Hold still!” He unsuccessfully tried to pick off a speck of dirt before finally picking a tuft of fur mixed with some dirt. “Ah, here you are! Now, to see what who you are…” he said, and looked at it with his magnifying set attached to his head that Daring hadn’t noticed.

“Hmm… you are taking care of a turtle named Tank, who is owned by a pony named… hmm, yes, yes. You held a resignation contract a few hours ago… more like 72 hours… this also appears to be the hoof you use to mast-”

“Okay, you don’t need to know!” Daring said hurriedly, blushing slightly and shutting off the light the Diamond Dog used to see the speck of dirt. “Now, who are you?”

“No, you mustn't be here! Get out, get out!” the dog suddenly said, throwing Daring’s belongings onto her and pushing her. Right into the chest of Dr. Horse.

“Oh, so you sat in the dirt, did you? Did that a few times myself, heh heh,” he said, then looking to the dog. “Driller, you’re trying to find out who she is, right?”

Driller looked around frantically before running back at the arrival of soap, which was thrusted into his face. “Yeah, that’s right! Go dog, get back!” Horse said, whipping him.

“So Daring! How’s it been? No broken bones lately?” he cheerfully said, throwing on his stethoscope.

“It’s been good, thanks,” she replied, recovering from the events that just happened and throwing her stuff onto another bunk.

“Discover anything lately?”

“Nope, other than finding the lost city of Kitezh and some scrolls I decided to keep. How about you? Anything happen lately?”

“Nothing really happened, other than me getting a spot on this trip and this…” he grunted before getting out a duffel bag and dragging out a medical saw. “...saw,”

Daring stared at the serrated tips, thinking back to the moment where she had been close to death by Ahuizotl’s sharp teeth. “Holy crap…” she muttered.

“Right? Trying to set a record for sawing through bone in less than 10 seconds with this beast,” he said, and packed it back into his bag again.

“Attention, all members. Dinner will be served soon in the mess hall. Dinner will be served soon in the mess hall.” Vinyl said over the speakers.

“I guess we’re going now..?” Daring said, beginning to walk out.

“Yep, we are,” Dr. Horse said, and went down the hallways to the mess hall, and Daring followed.