Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do and The Sapphire Stone

Chapter 5: "The Roads Of Dhartan."

Rolling onto her back,Daring searched her satchel and removed her treasure. It was perfectly fine,save for a few small scratches. She had done it. The sapphire Stone was hers. But then...

A loud roar above her head, had Daring back on her feet in seconds. She cried out as she saw the same tiger from before was now glaring at her and snarling ferociously . “I thought I left you on the other side of the canyon.” Daring exclaimed,annoyed and surprised to see the tiger here. She heard another roar and saw that the other cats from before had followed as well. She scrambled up a tree,kicking two of the cats as she went. They snarled at her for a moment. That’s when she heard it. Loud footsteps,that signaled the approach of something very big and angry. The creature stepped out from the shadows and Daring’s eyes widened for but a second. It was her old rival, the bizarre ape creature capable of crushing bricks with his bare hands. The creature spotted Daring in the tree and let out a deep sinister laugh. “Ohh…is this the great Daring Do then?” the creature sneered. Its voice was deep and surprisingly versed, like that of a foreign gentleman. The creature stood on its legs and continued to mock daring who only scowled in reply. “Caught in a tree like a scared little squirrel?” The creature said mockingly.

Daring scowled before sneering back. “Oh hey there Ahui.” She said casually. The creature narrowed its eyes. “It’s Ahuizotl.” The creature corrected with a snarl. Daring smiled as she chuckled. “Yeah I know. I just like calling you Ahui,cause I know it ticks you off.” She said mockingly. Ahuizotl was indeed ticked off. He let out a ferocious roar that sounded like that of an ape monster,rocking the tree slightly. “Give me the stone Daring.” Ahuizotl demanded menacingly. “And I might just spare your life.” He said narrowing his eyes.

Ahuizotl was once an archaeologist and treasure hunter like Daring. His name was Dr.Ahui Zote Sr,and he was a sort of rival of Daring's. However he had always been in it for money,rather then the adventure,and he always had this deep lust for power. One day,while he and daring squared off to see who would get the cursed Golden head of Quetzalcoatl,Ahui’s greed finally got the best of him. Upon trying to snatch the idol from its pedestal,Ahui’s skin suddenly turned black. His body warped and changed into a hideous and grotesque ape creature. At first Ahui was horrified by his transformation. But seeing how powerful he was,he grew to love it. For this is what he really wanted: Power. Soon he abandoned his former self and name and became Ahuizotl. With how strong he was now,he felt there was no treasure he could not claim for his own.

Back in the jungle,daring smirked at Ahuizotl. “I knew you’d show up once the cats started bugging me.” She said smartly. “Its funny really. I can find the stone all by myself,but you apparently need a whole squad of helpers.” Daring joked,further angering Ahuizotl. “Don’t test my patience Daring!” Ahuizotl yelled. But Daring was just getting started. “And even when you tracked me and found the temple,you still couldn’t get the stone could you? You had to wait for me to get it.” Daring mocked,smiling at Ahuizotl’s furious expression. “I think I'll kill you slowly.” Ahuizotl snarled. Daring's plan was working! She just needed to push Ahui a little bit more. “Y’know what I think Ahui? I think you’re a pushover. I think you’re an idiot and a wimp,who doesn’t know the first thing about treasure hunting.”Daring mocked a final time. Ahuizotl was completely enraged now. He let out a terrifying roar and wrapped his enormous arms around the trunk of the tree and heaved it with all his might. “GET DOWN HERE!” Ahuizotl bellowed.

Daring Do leapt from the tree,hoping her rival would remain distracted for a few more moments.

The cats were behind her again as she ran as fast as her legs could move her. She approached the canyon,but there were no vines to be seen.

The ground suddenly shook as Daring glanced back to see Ahuizotl running at full speed toward her,knocking tree after tree out of his path. In a few moments he'd be on her,and shed be done for. There was no time to waste. Daring pulled out her journal page from before,looked it over ,and leapt over the side of the canyon.

With only one wing, Daring could not hope to fly. There was only one way out. She took the statue in her hooves,and touched the Sapphire Stone.

“Sahn Tha-sa rae-Ma!”  Daring yelled out as loud as she could. Upon saying those words,it took only half a millisecond for the Stone to shine like the sun, engulf Daring in blue light,and when that half millisecond had passed Daring Do was gone.

Fillydelphia Harbor (2000 Miles away from The Marenti Basin)

A brilliant flash of blue light suddenly burst from nowhere and in its spot was Daring Do. She was no longer about to fall to her death over a canyon in a jungle in the middle of the Marenti basin. She was now standing in an inch of snow on a shipping dock,with snowflakes gently billowing around her. Daring breathed heavily for a moment,as a colt in a snow parka came over to see if she was alright. “Hey,uh…Are you feeling okay?” He asked concerned. Daring looked up and everything was different. The canyon was gone. The jungle was gone. Daring laid there in the snow till she finally got up and cheered for her victory. “It worked? It worked! Haha! The roads of Dhartan! It worked!” She exclaimed,possibly having never felt this happy,relived and exhausted all at once in her life. The parka wearing colt was completely confused. “Um…yes,um… What worked exactly?” he asked. Daring was standing on her hind legs completely ecstatic. “The roads of- nevermind. Where am I?” Daring asked still happy,relived and exhausted all at once. The colt was still very confused but answered her anyway. “Fillydelphia. Hoofington to be precise.” Daring was over the moon.”Hoofington! That’s amazing! Which way is Canterlot?” Daring asked the now very,very confused parka wearing colt.

2 Weeks Later

Two Weeks later,Daring arrived at the university,and she was quickly summoned before Mazra,the school’s headmaster,who was NOT in a good mood. Daring sat in Mazra’s lavish office as the headmaster was beside herself. “You were gone for nearly two months,Daring! Two Months!” She scolded. Daring was about to speak,but Mazra kept talking (well,yelling almost) “Your supposed to be a professor!” Mazra exclaimed.

Daring didn’t speak,but could tell Mazra was fuming. Mazra sat down at her desk in a huff. “Do you have any reason at all why I shouldn’t fire you?”Mazra asked,still very upset. Daring thought for a moment. She felt like a student in school,who'd just got sent to the principle’s office for being late. Nearly two months late. “I'm…lovably eccentric?” Daring gave a weak smile. Mazra scowled,unamused.

  “And…the students love me?” Daring reasoned. She wasn’t winning Mazra’s favor,but she knew what would. Daring reached into her satchel. “And I have this,priceless artifact with me.” Daring said holding the Sapphire statue from her adventure up for Mazra to see. Mazra was stunned. “Where…did you,get that?” Mazra asked not taking her eyes off the precious treasure. Daring smiled. “The Sapphire Stone. Yeah its pretty cool.”  She said slyly. Daring put the artifact back in her satchel. “Now as an employee of the university, I was recovering this for the school museum that everyone’s so proud of.” Daring smiled as she sat her satchel to the side. “But I guess if I don’t work here anymore,well…I could just keep it. Take it home with me. Use it as a doorstop or something.” Daring said nonchalantly. Mazra looked at the satchel then at daring,knowing she could never live with herself if she allowed such an amazing treasure to not be displayed proudly in the school museum. She sighed out of defeat. “Fine. But your on probation,do you understand?” Daring got up from her seat beaming. “Works for me!” she said taking the statue out from her satchel. “Catch!” She said tossing the statue to Mazra,who nearly fell out of her seat trying to catch the artifact. “W-what? No! b-be careful with that!” She exclaimed holding the treasure delicately in her arms. Daring smiled,gathered her things then walked out the door,leaving Mazra to her newest exhibit for her museum.

Daring walked down the hall,only to come face to face with Storm who was less then happy. “So…you found the stone.” He said gruffly. Daring apparently was too excited to talk about her adventure then notice how quite ticked Storm seemed to be. “The roads of Dhartan! And the magic words that take you to Hoofington.” Daring exclaimed. Storm seemed taken aback a bit. “Whats in Hoofington?” he asked. “Nothing really,but that’s not the point.The point is I proved these stones are real!” Daring said,still very excited. Then she remembered how shed used the stone to transport herself to Hoofington. “But I cant use that one anymore,it burned out. Ran out of magic,but I expected as much.” Daring said taken aback a bit. “Still! That was awesome!” Daring said beaming. Then she sighed happily. “I love my job.” She said dreamily. Storm gave her a moment before talking. “Well,I must say you are a very capable explorer.” He said admirably.

Daring looked a little surprised. “Storm? Was that a compliment?” Daring asked smiling. Storm gave a weak smile. “It was.” Suddenly he narrowed his eyes. “ Now comes the criticism.” Daring was surprised. “Huh?” She asked. Storm suddenly looked quite ticked off. “You made me take care of your students for nearly TWO MONTHS!” He exclaimed rather loudly. Daring looked sorry. “I know,I know. I owe you one.” She said appreciatively. Storm looked less ticked off now. “You'll be organizing my files for a year. And the next time I want to go on vacation YOU’LL be watching MY students.” Storm stated aggressively. Daring gave a weak smile. “I can do that! I can totally do that.” She said in her defense. Storm huffed,then began to walk down the hall towards his classroom while Daring walked alongside him.

“But you have to admit. I’m pretty awesome.” She stated proudly. Storm gave a weak smile. “I didn’t say that.” Daring laughed. “But you did. You totally did.” She said slyly. Storm gave a chuckle. “Daring,don’t get started with me.” Daring shrugged. “Your right.” She said clearly.

The two professors walked out into the main hall,as Daring smiled and said to herself.

“I’ll save it for next time.”