Daring Do at Forty Fathoms Deep

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

In a large courtyard within the numerous avenues of Venice, Bitaly, a large market was under way. In front of the six hundred year old family estate of the once powerful Maredici family, various ponies were selling, buying, or pawning goods outside canvas tents. At one stall Floating Ace the pegasus was asking the grocer how much it cost for a pound of cherry tomatoes.

“Seven bits,” the merchant answered.

“Right,” said Floating Ace as he reached into his saddlebag. “Now I know I have exact change somewhere...."

“Hurry up colt!” piped one of the stallions further down the rapidly growing line. “Some of us have places to be!”

“I am perfectly aware of that, but if you could please just - oof!”

A yellow-coated, red-maned unicorn stallion barreled through the line, knocking Floating Ace to the cobblestone ground. The pegasus lay there in a stupor, and before he could recover, a brown coated, black-and-grey-maned pegasus wearing a purple kimono leaped over him.

Daring Do, violet eyes alight in pursuit of her target, chased the the yellow unicorn through the market stalls. The unicorn pushed through another crowd, floated up an urn of olive oil and threw it at Daring. The mare deftly dodged the missile and put even more power into her hooves as she weaved in between shoppers.

The stallion cast a quick glance back to see Daring only a few dozen feet away. His eyes widened in fear at the determined grin that Daring was wearing. Thinking quickly, the unicorn used his magic to pull out a log from the bottom of a pile of timber. The pile collapsed, slowing down the pursuing mare just enough for the stallion to safely turn into an empty alleyway.

With nothing in his way the flame-colored stallion bolted with all his energy in an attempt to get away from his chaser. He didn’t even dare to look back as his legs pumped against the dull ache that was forming in each of them. The stallion rounded another corner to find himself at a sheer drop into the canal below. He cast a look backwards just as the mare turned around the corner.

Seeing that he was in a dead end, Daring took her time walking towards the unicorn. She let each of her hoofsteps resonate through the alley. The white stucco on the walls and the red tiled roofs of the city were cast under a slight orange glow as Celestia’s sun began to set in the distance.

“Hand over the real bracer, False Tooth, and nopony gets hurt,” Daring said as she continued stepping towards the stallion.

False’s ear twitched as he heard a dull roar coming from below him. He smiled, showing his wooden teeth before he offered a response to our heroine.

“Phah! Good luck catching me now!” With that he hopped back into the canal below, landing in a gondola that was being piloted by a young blue pegasus. False turned to the colt and yelled “Get us the buck out of here Runt Wings!”

“Right away!” the little pegasus shouted. His little wings began beating like a humming bird, pushing the gondola forward faster than any paddle could.

False Tooth turned to the mare on the overlook and smiled. “Better luck next time!”

Daring Do rolled her eyes as she stepped backwards. With a shrug of her shoulders, her kimono slipped off her athletic frame. She galloped to the edge and leapt into the air with a smile on her face as she broke into flight.

“What?! She’s a pegasus?” False shrieked as Daring began flying towards them. “Why didn’t the boss tell us that?”

“How should I know?” Runt Wings responded. “You’re a unicorn. Shoot her down!”

Without further prompting, the yellow stallion’s horn glowed as he shot bolts of magic at the flying menace. Daring Do dodged a bolt with a swift lean to the right, then made a small dive below another. Daring Do reached over a with a hoof and pushed her mane out of her face as she continued zooming ever closer the the gondola. The waterway became more difficult to navigate as bridges, balconies, and awnings obstructed the narrow passage.

Daring barrel-rolled to dodge another blast of magic. When the adventure mare looked back, she saw it hit an awning and disintegrate the fabric. She looked forward just in time to dive below a particularly high-set bridge as another bolt of magic flew over it. Daring looped around the bridge and resumed, gaining on the fleeing gang ponies.

“Hold still... so I can... hit you!” the unicorn grunted as he fired off another spell. It hit the roofing of a building, causing the tiles to fall down in a wide avalanche just behind Daring. The stallion smiled, again showing his wooden grin as he began shooting all the roofs around him. Daring had to dodge around several red tiles as they fell into the waters below. Daring shifted to the left before she realized her mistake as she plowed through a clothes line.

She entered a tailspin as the clothing wrapped around her and stole her momentum. She disentangled herself just in time to pull up from the water, a foot from falling in and losing her chance to get at the artifact. She frowned as she saw that the distance between her and her mark had grown considerably. As she tried to catch up though, a smile formed on her face and she slowed to a hover.

Runt Wings looked back and gave a panicked laugh. “She gave up! She’s not following us! You did it False Tooth! Now we just have to-- WAAAGH!” The gondola struck the white stone of a dock and flipped over, launching the young pegasus and the older unicorn into a pile of barrels. The dock was small and enclosed, with an alley leading one way and a door opposite of it with an awning over it. Daring Do glided towards the dock as Runt Wings managed to pull himself out of the barrels and hobble towards a building.

False Tooth tried to move but yelled as his left hind hoof sent a shock through his system. “Wait! Don’t leave me!” he shouted as Runt opened up a door.

The blue pegasus turned to his partner in crime and shook his head. “Too late for that old chum.” He entered the building and slammed it shut. False could hear the bolt slide the door locked as Daring landed on the dock.

“Thoroughly unreliable,” Daring stated. “Suppose we both realize that’s all the Empty Hoof Clan is.” The adventure mare stopped in front of the pile of barrels as the stallion finally managed to drag himself away from them.

Black powder leaked from the barrels as the stallion reached into a saddlebag and pulled out a bracer. It was more of an armlet, or a gauntlet really. It was mostly black steel, with brass colored decals covering it, deliberately unremarkable, a soldiers adornment. Daring stepped over to the colt and swatted the bracer out of his mouth, placing it in her own saddlebag.

“Please!” the stallion pleaded. “Don’t do this! The Empty Hoof, they’ve already taken all my teeth! I-I don’t want to find out what they take when you fail after they take all your teeth!”

“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you started selling shoddily made counterfeits that anypony with a year in archeology training could realize was fake,” Daring replied. “But if you’re really scared for your future, I hear the Bitalian police force could always do with informants. Now go on, get.” She gestured with a hoof down a side alley.

False Tooth limped down the alley with his tail literally between his legs. Daring took a deep breath and let the salt-flavored air pervade her nose as she sighed. She sat down and brought out the bracelet again. “Ten years father,” she said. “Ten years and I’ve finally been able to find a small piece of the puzzle. I just hope finding the other pieces will go faster than this.” Daring’s ears pinned back as she heard hoofsteps come from the door the blue pegasus had entered.

The door creaked open to reveal Runt Wings as he looked around. “I don’t see either of them!” he hissed. “Go on out there and see if you can tell where they went!”

The door swung fully open as a brown earth pony and a brown unicorn stepped through it. The earth pony looked about. “Why the hell did you bring us out here if there wasn’t a threat!” he exclaimed irritably. “Last thing we need is to be taken away from our posts on some wild goose chase!”

“I told you,” Runt responded, “Daring Do was right here along with False Tooth! See if you can find a sign of either of them.”

The brown unicorn gave a sigh as he lifted a hoof to his brow. “And now they’re both gone. Sorry little foal, but we aren’t putting our necks on the line just because you couldn’t get away from some mare. Use the scrying crystal in our shop and let us get back to watching over the shipment. Empty Hoof is going to be ticked off, but it was False Tooth who botched the job; you’ll get off easy this time.”

With a downturned face Runt followed after the two older stallions back inside, shutting the door and locking it behind him. When Daring could no longer hear their hooves beating on the ground, she slipped off the awning and landed softly on the ground. She looked over to the barrels in the corner and the black powder that had leaked from them.

“Shipping eh?” Daring said to herself. “Suppose I should remind Mr. Empty Hoof that smuggling never gets anypony rich.” With that Daring bucked the door in with her hooves and entered hastily, diving behind a crate and listening to see if anypony came to investigate.

Daring looked at the crate beside her and squinted her eyes in the dim light to make out the label. “Fireworks grade black powder,” she muttered. Her eyes moved upwards to see an oil lantern casting a soft light over her. “Smuggled in to avoid taxes, and then stored in the worst possible way. Amateurs,” Daring whispered as she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Daring crept behind the crates and and made her way out of the hallway into the main storage area. All around crates filled with smuggled goods. Daring sighed in relief to see that it wasn’t all black powder. “Alright,” Daring began, “knock out Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and the colt, leave an ‘anonymous’ tip, and be back to the Bittish Isle and Do Manor in time for a late supper come tomorrow.” With that Daring continued among the crates until she saw a room among the catwalks running above her. In it a light the shadows of an earth pony, and unicorn, and a slightly smaller pegasus against the grimy window panes.

“Now listen boss, I know that bracelet was real important to ya, but we can get it back! Honest! She couldn’t have gone far.”

“Damn straight you’re going to get it back!” yelled a far-eastern accented voice. “The number of bits I could make selling knockoffs of that artifact would make me rich enough to swim in a pool of gold!”

Daring hovered up to the roof of the room and continued listening until the conversation stopped. After a few seconds she folded her wings in and let herself fall through the roof and into the room. She landed right in front of the earth pony and grinned.

“Knock...” Daring spun around and bucked the stallion in the chest. “Knock.” He flew into a wall and slumped, unconscious.

“Damn! Get her!” Runt yelled as he tried to get out through the door, but he had trouble reaching the handle set out of his reach. His wings buzzed as he hovered up to it. He was too scared to properly work the handle, and landed on his rump as Daring engaged the unicorn stallion.

Daring jumped to the side as a spell flew by her head. She jumped over the stallion and did a flip, planting her hooves in the small of his back in the process, then launched herself off and landed behind him. She kicked out with her hind hooves, and the unicorn was launched out of the window, into the cargo bay.

Daring looked over at the small pegasus and furrowed her brow at him. “Shouldn’t you be with your mother?” When the colt looked down, she walked to the scrying crystal and told him not to move.

Adjusting the dial with her hoof, Daring set the crystal to the Bitalian police department. When she hit the dial button a white-coated, blue-maned earth pony in uniform was on the other end. He looked over Daring and gave a gasp. “Daring! Is that you? Oh no, you went and found something didn’t you?”

“Indeed I did Clear Shot, there’s a smuggling ring that I’ve found. Do you think you can send a squad here to investigate? Three suspects, including...” With this Daring looked over at the colt who was still quivering in the corner. “A minor.”

“Haaaaahh,” Clear Shot sighed. “I’ll be sure and send over a squad. Hope the colt’s not in too deep. Tracing your call now.”

Daring looked behind her to the broken window as she eyed a sparking light fixture that the stallion had hit. Right over a crate packed with black powder.

“Tracing won’t be necessary!” Daring yelled as she grabbed the unconscious earth pony and the young pegasus in her hooves as she flew out the back entrance and dumped them into the water. The intrepid adventurer darted back in, weaving amongst the crates, and grabbed the earth pony just as a nearby crate caught on fire. She flew with all her speed as a rumbling emanated behind her. A shockwave blasted her out of the building, knocked the earth pony out of her grasp and sent her careening through the air.

Daring shook her head after a few moments of sailing through the air and leveled herself off to a dive into the canals before a second explosion rocked the city’s bridges. Daring surfaced and used her wings to paddle through the water to a dock. Clambering onto the white stone, she looked over. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw the pegasus colt clinging to a piece of driftwood in the canal a few hundred feet away. The mare shook herself dry as the sounds of sirens became audible from far off.

“Lovely day for a swim, isn’t it Miss Do,” a voice stated behind Daring in a posh accent. The mare spun on her hooves to see that three pegasi and two unicorns in black suits and sunglasses were looking at her.

A unicorn reached over to an earpiece and whispered, “We have located the package.”

One of the pegasi reached up to his suit with a hoof and wiped off a fleck of water.

“You certainly have caused a big amount of trouble in little old Bitaly, Miss Do,” a pegasus at the front of the group continued.

Daring grinned at the apparent leader. “Please, just Daring will do.”

“Regardless, our employer would like very much to meet with a mare of your talents,” the pegasus responded, leaning to the side to look at the former warehouse in the distance. “She is always on the lookout for those who show an exceptional talent in the field of... special item retrieval.”

“Well I’m afraid your employer is terribly mistaken as to what I do. I don’t do commission work,” Daring said. She took a step to the side when the unicorns levitated out crossbows.

“I’m afraid that we have to insist Miss Do.” The pegasus leader shifted his wings uncomfortably as Daring looked between his fellow agents.

Daring looked behind her to see the brown unicorn and earth pony smugglers get hauled out of the water by the police and placed beside the blue colt. Daring could see they were still breathing. She turned back to the black suited ponies in front of her and smiled. “Well I suppose if you insist.”

Daring Do

Forty Fathoms

Deep

Chapter 2

Daring Do was led down a large hallway by the pony agents. Leading her was the main pegasus. His mane and coat were both a deep purple and the corner of his suit had lifted to reveal a single flame as his cutie mark. Behind Daring were the two unicorns, their crossbows lowered. To the sides were the other two pegasi.

The hallway itself was a testament to Bitalian architecture. Massive columns supported a vaulted ceiling that was adorned with one large fresco. Daring couldn’t quite make out was was being depicted from the occasional glances she gave to it. The fresco was a twisting mass of scaled purples, silvers and golds, like a great serpent whose ends could not be found.

Daring Do looked at the stained glass windows. Themes became apparent as she gazed at each in turn. Several panes depicted a horde of diamond dogs dressed in armor and armed with swords and bows. Halfway through the hall the windows depicted the sun and moon, the curled form of Princess Celestia and Luna depicted in each. The frames then showed Gryphons and ponies facing the diamond dogs, draped in the trappings of war.

The Triumvirate War, but where are the dragons? Daring thought as her hooves continued to strike the marble floor, creating echoes throughout the massive hall. Father wouldn’t have wanted to be here, it’s much too recent in construction. He always wanted to learn about where ponies first came from. The mare was pulled from her thoughts when the massive head of a full-grown dragon occupied a pane in the windows. Glass panels depicted curls of fire leaping from it’s mouth.

Daring realized that the dragon’s head attached to the ceiling fresco, and that it alone had stretched the full length of the ceiling. The gold and silver dragon's depiction had ended on the opposite wall with both dragons tearing at each other’s throats.

Daring was led down a side hall and into an office. In it was a lone oak desk with a large cushioned chair in front of it. The wall opposite the door was made completely out of crystal. To the left of room was a fish tank, and on the left a large pedigree chart.

“Have a seat Miss Do,” the pegasus leader instructed. “Our employer will see you shortly.”

With no further bidding Daring sat on the chair and faced the crystal wall. She recognized the two pillars on the side as a scrying crystal. Great expense must have gone into excavating a crystal so large as to hold the projected images of well over a dozen ponies. Daring looked over at the pedigree and started reading the names. Several great pegasus lines were traced on it, with several lines denoting inter-marriages among them. Far down along the parchment Daring saw names that she recognized as belonging to the Do family.

“I always look up on prospects before revealing myself to them, Miss Do,” emanated a voice from the still blank crystal wall. “I hope you don’t mind my digging through your past?” The voice was feminine, yet deep from sheer mass, like a mother with eons of tending to her children weighing down on her.

“My only problem is that this pedigree is an original,” Daring answered as the wall began flickering to life. “The owner of this must be heartbroken that a piece of themselves has been stolen.”

“Regal Flame was more than happy to contribute this little bit of his past to my collection,” the voice replied. The purple pegasus stepped forward as a fuzzy image appeared on the wall.

As the view came into focus the pegasus bowed to the ground and closed his eyes. “Matriarch,” he recited as Daring Do looked at the wall.

In front of her was the projected image of a massive purple dragon’s head. Dozens of tendrils covered her muzzle as she blinked slowly. Her eyes were golden and her pupils were narrow vertical slits.

“Matriarch of the dragons,” Daring Do nodded her head at the Great Wyrm. “I should have guessed you would have the resources to pull me out of there so quickly.”

“Millennia of existence has taught me to plan far in advance, Miss Do--”

“Please, just Daring will do,” the mare interrupted with a raised hoof.

“As I was saying, Daring, I plan in advance, and when I set my eyes to a goal I have the luxury of time. Now I have chosen to act, and you shall be my champion for this.”

Daring rolled her eyes as The Matriarch brought up a massive fist full of gems and gold. “Twenty years ago a diamond dog by the name of Bearatooli made the mistake of stealing from my hoard. Needless to say he never saw the next Hearth’s Warming Eve, but I was too late. That fop had already managed to lose what he had stolen.”

The massive dragoness heaved a mighty sigh that would have shook the room had she actually been present. “A mistake of underlings unprepared, but I am nothing if not patient. My servants have been able to locate the cruise ship, The Santa Mare. Sunk and lost in the Equus Sea.” The dragon yawned, a few pieces of spittle dribbled over her teeth.

Daring Do idly glanced at a hoof that she brought up to her face. She breathed on the hoof as though to polish it and then lowered it. “Twenty years might be a short period of time for you, but it's a long wait for me.”

“Finding a Sea Pony who was willing to reveal the location of a ship they claimed was part of the ocean proved... impossible. I have found a different way though, and now you will be the one to retrieve my treasure.” The Matriarch reached over to an unseen pile of treasure and pulled out a painting. On it was a lone pink diamond surrounded by a platinum sculpture of a dragon. “The Dragon Jewel of Kal’phet. Find it, and I shall pay handsomely.”

Daring’s eyes brightened slightly at the promise of adventure, but then leaned back. “I’ve told your contacts before,” Daring said as she pointed a hoof at Regal Flame, “I’m not in it for money, I do it for the thrill of finding something new. The thrill of examining a lost artifact, not to simply let it rust in some cave in the far north.”

“Do not presume to know the location of The Matriarch!” Regal Flame yelled as he stood up.

“Hush Regal Flame,” the dragon cooed. “Rest assured Daring would never hurt me.” The massive eyes focused on Daring Do before she continued. “I knew saving his great grandfather all those years ago would benefit me. Just as I know giving you this opportunity shall benefit me at the end of all things.” The Matriarch reached off-screen once more to draw out a black and bronze bracer. “A piece of your people’s history for a piece of mine, Daring.”

“Commander Hurricane’s bracer!” Daring exclaimed, looking back to her satchel where its partner lay.

“Indeed.” The dragon nodded.

“But why not have one of your own followers do this?” Daring questioned. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at The Matriarch.

“Because,” the dragon answered, “I have come to know the great thrill of hoarding not lumps of gold, but the indenture of you mortal races.” The purple head inclined to Regal Flame and the others. “Though your dear Princesses have the love of their ponies in excess, I no less love the thrill of getting what I want through a bargain. It's like hunting prey through the forest, or tearing apart a rival’s trove.”

“And if I refuse to do this?” Daring asked.

“Then I shall perform such acts against your house,” The Matriarch answered without missing a beat. “So the choice is this: find my gem and receive this bracer or learn the danger of drawing my ire.”

“Second time today I’ve been given the illusion of choice,” Daring commented with a wry grin on her face. “Very well, I’ll do it. I hear the Equus Sea is beautiful this time of year.”

The Matriarch smiled, revealing row after row of razor-sharp teeth. “Excellent.”

Chapter 3

Daring was lying on her cabin bunk. A small desk was the only other furnishing in the bare steel-walled room. Outside the window she could see the waters of the Equus Sea calming down from the storm the ship had just navigated through. The overcast skies cast a dim light by which Daring examined the bracer she had recovered. Not a single scuff, she thought as she turned the piece of armor over in her hooves. Thousands of years old, dating back to the founding of Equestria.

Daring cast a sidelong glance around her room before she slid her hoof into the bracer. The armor felt cold against her fur as it hung loosely from her leg. She turned her hoof over as the adornment continued to hang loosely. Daring breathed on the bracer, brought it down to her khaki jacket, and rubbed it a little like some professor fussing over their glasses.

“Now how do I get you to fit? I don’t see any straps.” Daring spun the bracer a few times before she lazily slipped it off. “For something father was so convinced was important in the years just after Equestria’s founding, you’re certainly the mundane little thing aren’t you?” Daring set the bracer on the side of the bed and lay her head back into the pillow.

Daring kept her eyes open as she listened to the creaking of the ship’s hull. The moans of strained steel seemed to match the pegasus’ breathing when she looked back at the bracer. On the inside she noticed several runes. They were mostly lines set at forty five degree angles to one another, with dots punctuating them every so often.

The mare squinted as she let her inner linguist assess the markings. “Ancient Equestrian. Let’s see...” she muttered as waves lapped against the sides of the ship. “That’s the symbol for weather, but set above it is the rune for armor, and below it one for weapon. Ah, I see!” Daring took the bracer in her hooves and shut one eye as she scrutinized the markings further. “This bracer was given a name. Typical habit for pegasus generals back in the day.” She rolled her eyes at the eccentricity of her forebears as she continued. “Thunder. Hmm.” Daring brought the bracer away from her face as she pursed her lips. “Nothing else, no smith’s mark or other epithets, just ‘Thunder’.”

Daring was snapped out of her musing when a hoof knocked against the cabin door. She placed the treasure back into her satchel and called out, “Come in!” The door opened, and a teal unicorn stallion with a black mane and spectacles on his face stepped in. His cutie mark was a picture of a globe with a pile of scrolls lying around its base.

“Miss D—”

“Daring, yes, and don’t feel the need for formal titles,” Daring interrupted. “I get enough of those when I’m at home.” She got out of bed and adjusted her satchel so that it fit snugly below her croup.

The stallion reached up with a hoof and adjusted his spectacles. “Very well, Daring.” He reached a hoof over his chest and bowed. The sight made Daring roll her eyes. “I am Zippy Travels, but you may call me Zip if you feel so inclined.”

“You matriarch henchcolts are certainly sticklers for formality, aren’t you?” Daring asked as she moved her forelegs and stretched her wings.

“Yes well... The Matriarch eventually instills a certain eloquence that might be...” Zip trailed off as Daring gave a huge yawn and arched her back. Her wings stretched out as she smacked her lips. “Lacking in others,” Zip concluded.

“So, to what do I owe this visit Zip?” Daring asked as she popped the joints in her neck.

“I was told by the ship’s cook to inform you that lunch shall be served shortly. The captain also asked that I bring you there so as to prevent any wandering like last night.”

Daring walked by the scholar and opened the door. “It wasn’t so bad. I only managed to find out where this ship has been for the last five months. What’s in Oxlo that the Matriarch has you going there so frequently?” Daring stepped out of the cabin and began leading the way. She navigated the corridors easily, having become intimately familiar with the layout of the ship over the course of the last few days.

“That is really none of your concern Miss Do,” Zip answered with a tinge of irritation marking his voice.

“I hear that it has amazing fisheries. Does The Matriarch like herring or cod? Oh, what am I saying? Dragon, she’d probably much prefer a giant diamond from her hoard. Must be terribly irritating for them to want to have their gem and eat it too.”

“Miss Do,” Zip stated flatly.

“Please, I told you, Daring will—”

“If you would step out of the armory,” Zip interrupted. “I would like very much to lead you to the mess hall without the the crew having to bring back several hooffulls of weapons.”

Daring smiled knowingly as she turned out of the part of the ship she knew was restricted, and led the way to the mess hall. When they arrived, two dozen ponies were already seated around four rectangular white tables in the large room.

Daring and Zip took a seat with the ‘captain,’ Regal Flame, when an orange unicorn wearing a chef’s hat walked into the room. The chef floated a large bowl behind him, and began scooping out generous helpings of soup into each crew-member’s bowl. When he reached the table Daring was sitting at, he carefully poured some soup into Regal Flame’s bowl. When a few drops of soup splashed up and landed on the purple pegasus’s suit, Regal reached up and curtly wiped them off. The chef chuckled sheepishly as he quickly served Daring and Zip, and then hastily retreated back into the kitchen.

“Personnel retrieval, contact liaison, ship captain, and residential cook frightener,” Daring said before she clucked her tongue. “You certainly do a lot for your Matriarch.”

“The Matriarch is nothing if not loyalty-inspiring,” Regal Flame responded as he bent his head to eat his meal. He downed a few mouthfuls before raising his head and turning to Zip. “Have you told her about the Santa Mare?”

“Oh!” Zip exclaimed, “Not yet.” Zip turned to Daring and cleared his throat. “Now, as you may already know: the Santa Mare was a luxury ship of the diamond dog Bearatooli, a powerful crime lord back in the day.” Zip scowled when Daring lowered her head to eat. “Now after he stole the Dragon Jewel of Kal’phet, The Matriarch sent agents to retrieve it, but the Santa Mare sunk in a massive storm.” Daring gulped down a mouthful of soup rather loudly, prompting Zip to ask, “Are you listening?”

Daring lifted her head from the bowl and smiled as she felt the warm minestrone flow down her throat. “Yes, Bearatooli owned the Santa Mare; it sunk before the Matriarch could get her jewel back.”

“Exactly, and most of the crew was rescued, along with Bearatooli, by the Sea Ponies.” Zip’s stomach growled loudly making him pause briefly in his lecture. “However, they never reveal the location of a ship’s final resting place — part of their not wanting to disturb the spirits of the dead or some such nonsense.” Zip’s stomach growled again, making the stallion sigh in exasperation. He lowered his head to his bowl of soup and ate quickly.

“So that leaves the question of how you found where the Santa Mare is located,” Daring said before lowering her head to her soup again.

Zip lifted his head to respond. “Yes. I was able to determine the ship’s final resting place from the heading it would have had, its estimated speed, ocean currents and its last radio transmission. Now the ocean floor beneath the Equus Sea is riddled with caverns, some filled with water, others not.” Zip’s voice began to flow at an exuberant pace as he began speaking of academia. Daring smiled and remained silent as he continued.

“So I believe that the Santa Mare crashed into one or more of these cave systems, partially burying it. That is why The Matriarch’s previous attempts with scanning the ocean floor turned out less than satisfactory.”

“But you’re certain the ship is at the coordinates we’re heading to?” Daring asked, growing more excited at the prospect of the part where she would come in.

“I’d stake my life on it,” Zip replied.

“Perfect. I always wondered what the bottom of the ocean would be like.” Daring leaned back on her seat as she thought on the matter. “But, wouldn’t the pressures crush us?”

“The Equus Sea is only a few hundred feet deep at it’s lowest depths,” Regal Flame answered. “We go to the coordinates, head down in this ship’s submersible, find the Santa Mare, and begin searching it. Imagine it Daring, an entire luxury cruiser, and you’re looking for one single treasure.” The purple pegasus brought a hoof down on the table with a satisfying thud.

“Quite the sales pitch,” Daring commented.

“Must you make light of my families work—”

Regal Flame was interrupted by the audible ping of the intercom. “Would the captain please return to the bridge? There is something you need to see.”

Regal stood up from his chair and nodded to Zip. “If you would excuse me, duty calls.” He then turned to Daring. “Stay put,” he grunted before turning and walking to the bridge.

A few moments after he left, Daring stood up.

“Hang on!” Zip cried out quickly. “You’re supposed to stay here!”

“Well I figured you’d want to be there for when they find whether or not you’d actually found the Santa Mare,” Daring said coyly before she sauntered off after the captain.

Zip sat at his chair for a few moments, pondering the statement. After a few moments he shrugged. “Well I did stake my life on it.” With that, he trotted after Daring.

A few minutes later they reached the bridge. Daring poked her head through the door and saw the captain and another crew member, a unicorn, looking out to sea. The unicorn was levitating a pair of binoculars over Regal Flame’s eyes. Daring turned her attention to what the captain was looking at. In the distance she could see a massive black cube floating in the distance.

As the ship drew closer Daring could make out the details of the ominous figure in the distance. Four massive pillars jutted into the sea. On the side of the cube, the group could see windows and walkways covering the exterior.

“An oil rig?” Regal muttered to himself, prompting the unicorn to lower the binoculars. Regal squinted at the rig and sighed. “Must be a construction in the last five years. How far are we from the coordinates?” Regal turned to face the unicorn. In an instant his eyes darted to see Daring and Zip peeking through the door. With an irritated grunt he awaited the unicorn’s response.

“Twenty miles sir.” The unicorn cast a quick look to the rig before continuing. “Shall I hail them? Let them know we’re not pirates?”

“Go ahead,” Regal answered irritably. “It’s probably just a waypoint for gryphons. As long as they keep away from our ship, I’m happy to leave them alone. Pull to a stop and hail them.”

The other pony obliged and pulled a few levers before he lifted up a radio set and adjusted a few dials. “Attention unidentified oil rig located at thirty five degrees north by twenty eight degrees east, this is the Crest Knocker calling to inform you of our presence, please respond. Over.” The unicorn waited for a response for a full minute before he called over the radio again.

After another minute Regal Flame grabbed the radio and began to speak. “Listen here, this is the captain of the Crest Knocker and I expect an immediate...” The pegasus trailed off when he noticed several dots on the sea come towards the ship. As they came closer Daring and the others could see they were motor boats. Aboard each were several diamond dogs. Most concerning to them all were the weapons each of them held aloft.

Acting quickly, the captain reached over with a hoof and flipped a switch. The intercoms thrummed to life and Zip brought his hooves to his ears as the captain yelled through the intercom. “Attention all crew, report to the armory and ready yourselves, we are about to be boarded!”

Daring spun around and ran past Zip. “Where are you going?” the unicorn asked as Daring skidded to a halt in order to make a corner.

“Getting prepared to welcome guests!” she answered before bolting down the corridor.

Zip stood there briefly before stamping all of his hooves. “Hynngh!” he whined, before running after Daring. They ran out to the exterior of the boat. As Daring reached the door at the other end, three grappling hooks launched over the safety railing. Daring continued through the door as three diamond dogs climbed up and halted Zip’s progress.

The boarders leered at the unicorn and surrounded him. “Little pony come with us now!” a grey diamond dog bellowed.

“Yes! Yes! Little pony never tell about bosses’ plan!” another piped up.

While Zip was captured, Daring continued to run through the ship. At one intersection a unicorn was launching spells before he was hit in the chest with a crossbow bolt. Daring took a left to avoid the scene and pressed onward. When she passed the mess hall a pegasus was fighting off an axe wielding diamond dog. His wings were encased in armor that came to a sharp edge and wing blades. Daring galloped across the room while the diamond dog parried a blow from the crew member and hoisted him by the neck. The adventurous mare ran through a door as the other pegasus was thrown head first into the door frame next to her.

Taking a right, Daring Do finally reached the armory. She bolted in, grabbed a quartet of hoof-gauntlets, and fastened them quickly. The specially weighted weapons would turn a regular buck into a bone crushing blow. Daring was prepared to fight back.

As she started back to the door, a diamond dog stepped into the doorway. Before he could register Daring’s presence, she launched herself at the dog, bruising his chest. Bending her back legs, she landed two blows to his gut and kicked off into a backflip. She struck him in the jaw, knocking him out, and then darted out the door as he slumped to the ground.

Daring ran out of the ship and lifted off into the air with outstretched wings. After flying a short distance, she turned back and flew into a diamond dog that was standing on the deck of the S.S. Swagger. She carried him over the ledge and left him to fall into the waters below. Turning back, Daring landed on the deck as two more diamond dogs approached. One was wielding a sword while the other brandished a crossbow. The dog with the crossbow leveled his weapon at Daring. She ducked to the ground and rolled to the right, dodging the bolt as it flew by, and kicked off the ground. She planted her forehooves into his muzzle, the extra weight of the gauntlets breaking his nose.

The diamond dog reached up to his face and screamed in agony, dropping the crossbow. Thinking fast, Daring grabbed the weapon in her mouth and spun around. She let go of the weapon and sent it flying towards the other diamond dog. He tripped on the impromptu missile and bashed his chin against the hard floor of the deck. Daring leaped into the air and landed on his back, prompting a rather undignified yelp. She curved her hooves under his arms and lifted him up into the air. She hovered over the side of the deck, and she dropped him into the water.

She landed on the deck again and faced off against another diamond dog. Before she could move though, a voice called out, “Don’t move or we kill the hostage!”

Daring turned to see that a diamond dog was holding a sword across Zip’s neck. Daring glared for a moment. Zip’s eyes were filled with fear as he whimpered softly. With a defeated sigh, Daring eased the tension in her muscles. The diamond dog with the smushed schnauz grabbed his crossbow. With a swift motion, he struck Daring in the head with the stock. Daring hit the ground cold as a large welt formed where she had been hit.

The dog holding Zip gave a satisfied grunt and pushed the unicorn towards the unconscious pegasus. He reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a scrying crystal. In the small device, a massive diamond dog with a slightly purple coat was scowling.

“We've captured the ship sir. We also caught one the pony that knocked out some of our dogs. Your orders?” the diamond dog asked.

The purple dog in the scrying crystal replied, “Bring all the prisoners aboard and begin interrogations.”

The crystal faded to an opaque white, and the diamond dog on the deck set about to his task.

Chapter 4

Daring winced at the splitting headache as she finally pushed her way back to consciousness. She opened her eyes and looked around to see that various crates were stacked around her. Daring rolled onto her stomach and was hit with a wave of nausea. As her vision swam, the mare’s eyes partially closed. After a minute she took a deep breath. Staring ahead, Daring flexed her wings experimentally.

Okay, not broken. Daring flexed her neck and looked back, she whipped her tail back and forth for a bit before smiling. “All seven limbs intact.” She gave an approving nod before she realized her satchel, and the bracer, were missing. Frowning, Daring turned to face forward again. She stood up and was hit with another minor pang of nausea. This time it passed quickly and Daring was left to explore her surroundings.

Walking around several crates, Daring noted they were all stamped with food labels. Daring gave a tentative sniff and wretched as the stench of befouled meat invaded her nostrils. “Ugh! Diamond dogs and their eating habits.” The mare shook her head and turned to her left. There was a steel door that must have been the entrance. Daring walked over to it and gave the handle an experimental tug with her mouth.

“Locked,” she commented as she pulled her head back. Daring paced around the crates, examining the walls and ceiling, and making sure to breathe through her mouth. “Come on, there has to be a way out,” she muttered.

After a few minutes Daring gave an exasperated moan as she bucked a crate tucked against the wall. The box slid back and few inches and Daring turned to see a wire mesh. A light twinkled in her eyes as she braced her forehooves against the crate and pushed it another few inches. Taking another deep breath, Daring gave another heave and saw a small ventilation grate.

Daring sat back and placed a hoof on her chin. I could probably fit, but I have to get the grate out of the way. Daring lay on her back and braced a hoof against the edge of the grating. Glancing at the boxes of meat, she gave a shudder. I really don’t want to know why they decided to put me here. She brought back her hoof and bucked at the grating.

Her ears waited attentively, listening for anything approaching to investigate the sound. When none came, she kicked the grate again, and this time it gave out a little. Three kicks later and the grate had been worked loose from the vent shaft. Daring got back to her hooves and gripped the edges of the vent. Barely finding purchase, Daring managed to pull the grate out the rest of the way. Getting down on her belly, the black-maned mare crawled into the shaft. It was a tight fit, and the cold steel brushed along Daring’s back as she shuffled through the air vent.

As she progressed, the ventilation became wider and taller. She was eventually able to stand up and walk down the steel passage. She made sure to go slowly though, so as not to make a racket that anything nearby might hear. Every few feet there would be a grate or the vent would branch off. Daring continued to follow the straightest path. Eventually she heard voices echoing through the vent and slowed to a crawl. As she approached the grate the voices were coming from, Daring stopped and looked around the corner.

Two diamond dogs were in a room. One had a brown vest on and was leaning on a crate. The other had a black collar and was standing.

“So, how’re you doing?” the collared one asked.

“Ugh,” the other responded. “Fine, until you showed up. You smell like wet... well us!”

“Hey!” The collared dog threw his arms out in irritation. “The boss told me to go dive and check on the support pillars, and I did. Not my fault I got wet when I went swimming!”

“Bah, well, I suppose it could be worse, that mare we captured could be making noise.” The vested dog shifted along the crate before hoisting himself up to sit on it. “When the brig master heard one of the prisoners was a mare, he almost had a panic attack,” he chuckled, then snorted.

The other dog’s mouth fell open and he sat down. “A mare? Really? My mom told me about those things. I hear, that if you listen to them, they steal your soul!”

The vested dog kicked out with a leg that connected lightly with the other’s. “Don’t be an idiot!” he yelled, rolling his eyes. The diamond dog sighed. “So you got picked out by the boss for maintenance duty? You know what that means.”

“Yeah,” the other one muttered, “Scrounging around the bottom of the sea for some boat for the next month.”

“It’s not so bad,” the dog on the crate said, “Least you get a spear gun for the sharks, remember the first sods who went down there?”

The collared dog laughed. “You make a good point. Maybe I’ll bring back some shark for us to eat?”

“Sounds great.”

Shaking her head as the conversation descended to discussions of fried shark with onions and pineapples, Daring continued down the vent. As she progressed, the fur on her forehead grew damp with sweat from the increasing temperature. Various mechanical sounds began echoing through the vent, aggravating her headache. Daring stopped by another ventilation grate and looked through it. From what she could tell, it was a generator room, various pistons rose and fell in a monotonous pattern and several gears slowly rotated. She could hear steam hissing out occasionally.

“Good a place as any to start trying to find the rest of the crew.” Daring bucked at the grate with her hind hooves and gradually dislodged the cover. It fell to the ground below with a clang that was barely audible among the various machines whirring and grinding away. Daring dropped to the ground with a soft thump and looked around. Several generators were in a line, the walls were lined with gauges, and steam permeated the room, giving it an occlusive, oppressive feeling.

Daring walked by the generators until she reached a wall. She reached up with a hoof to wipe some more sweat out of her eyes. She looked up at a pressure gauge to examine herself in the faint reflection of the the glass. Smiling, she stepped to the right just as a wrench swung past her left side. The mare grinned smugly at the diamond dog that had woefully missed her.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to interrupt a lady when she’s examining herself in the mirror?”

The diamond dog hefted the wrench and growled, scowling at her. Hoisting his tool overhead, the dog stomped towards Daring and tried to strike her. Daring deftly dodged the attempted blow and chuckled at the dog’s somewhat mechanical motions.

“You’re not one to talk are you?” Daring quipped. The dog swung the wrench to the left and Daring jumped out of the way, landing on the dog’s head before entering a double flip that landed her behind the dog. Rubbing the back of his head, the thuggish assailant made an overhead swing with his wrench, turning towards the mare in the process. Daring stepped back quickly as the wrench uselessly clanged to the ground. Before he could pull back the wrench, Daring swung around and bucked his wrist. The diamond dog yowled and grasped his broken wrist with his good paw.

Sniveling, the dog eyed Daring before he grabbed the wrench with his good hand. Daring avoided the next attack with ease, but the diamond dog’s following move was a feint. He quickly adjust as Daring moved, and he almost struck her head. Daring ducked below the wrench as it flew over her head and struck a valve. A jet of hot steam screeched out from the valve and scorched the diamond dog’s face. He wailed and waved the wrench about uselessly.

He planted the wrench into a spinning cog. He heaved at the tool in an attempt to dislodge it. Not thinking, he focused on the wrench before Daring used the opportunity to buck at his other wrist, a dull crunch could be heard as it snapped and broke. The dog yowled in agony as he released his grip. The last thing that registered in his thoughts was Daring bucking him in the head, sending him into a face plant with a nearby wall lined with gauges.

Daring gave a sigh of relief before she walked to a door they had reached during the tussle. She opened it, and stepped into a hallway that led in two directions. She took the path that had fewer machine noises emanating from it and followed the blue-painted, concrete floor of the lower maintenance decks of the oil rig.

Chapter 5

Daring Do walked down the blue hallway, following the yellow line until she reached a door. The door was solid steel, and beside it was an access pad. Daring looked to a small sign beside the door that simply read, ‘Pump Room.’ Sighing, she rubbed her left eye with a hoof.

“As good a lead as any in order get to the exterior of this place.”

Daring stared at the pad. The buttons were large enough to accommodate her hoof, but she was concerned about the possibility of an alarm. She scrutinized the buttons, and found the numbers that seemed to be the most faded were four, two, one, and three.

“Two, one, three, four,” Daring whispered as she pushed the buttons. A small beep and and a red light informed her that the code was wrong. “Three, two...” Daring facehooved as it dawned on her. Clearing the selection, she entered in the passcode. “One, two, three, four.” The panel flashed green twice and the door unlocked. “Typical.”

Daring walked through the door and wandered into a room with a ramp leading downwards, and a walkway to the left. After she went down the ramp, she turned to the right and saw a pool filled with water. It looked to be about thirty feet deep, with an open pipe nestled in one of the corners. Across the pool, Daring could see a cement pad that held of few tanks, machinery to the right and a few steps leading to a door further along. Beyond it was yet another pool, but this one was empty. Daring leaped over the pool and glided to the concrete platform.

She fluffed her wings nonchalantly before walking to the door and trying to open it. When the door failed to yield, she looked at the side and gave a disheartened sigh when she saw that there was a keycard reader for this door.

“Now where am I supposed to go?” Daring fussed before a clicking sound made her ears flip up.

She spun around and saw a diamond dog with a flame thrower. Daring jumped to the side just as a jet of flames blew towards her with all the enraged heat of a dragon pining over the loss of a gem. Daring cried out as the fire grazed her wings and set them alight. Acting quickly, she dove into the pool of water, breathing deeply before plunging in. She felt the flames extinguish as they were cut off from the air.

Before she could declare victory though, there was still the matter of the fire-dog. She flipped around only to see a constant stream of fire pushing at the water, trying to get at her. Daring looked about for some way to get out of the water without immediately re-exposing herself to the torrent of burning death. She looked at the pipe in the bottom and panic shone in her eyes before they hardened to a determined glare. She flared out her wings, which stung from having been nearly cooked. She flapped them and propelled herself towards the pipe and kept swimming.

The pipe had grated openings on the sides every so often, but Daring continued, not wanting to waste time opening potential dead ends. As she continued, a pulling sensation tugged at her mane when she realized that the water was being pumped somewhere. Daring tried to backpedal with her wings to a grate, but was pushed along the tunnel. A dull ache in her lungs marked her body reaching its limits.

As she approached another grate, she flipped about and aimed her hooves to buck it on the side where it was sticking out. The kick landed with a solid, but ineffective thud that failed to move the grate. The current continued to drag her down the pipe before she saw it terminate in another grate. Her eyes widened as the ache in her lungs built to a burning agony.

She almost breathed through her nose before pushing the salty water out with a precious bubble of air. Opening her wings, Daring began to go with the current, gaining speed and momentum. Moments before making contact, she tucked in her hind hooves and bucked the grate, knocking it loose. She passed through, lungs screaming in agony before the pipe entered the flow of water into a filling pool. She gasped for air as the water level continued to rise. Her lungs began to calm as she listened intently.

“Stupid pony! Drown in pipes!” Daring looked up to the ledge on her left and recognized the door from earlier. She was still in the pump room.

A great big circle, but I doubt he knows that. The water continued to fill the pool while the diamond dog gloated over his unproven trophy. Daring pulled herself out of the water as slowly as she could, making sure not to make any unneeded amount of noise. She stalked towards the diamond dog, who was now hopping up and down, singing a jig in celebration.

“Down came the flame and burned the pony out!”

Daring noticed a card sticking out of the pocket of the diamond dog’s trousers. Daring carefully picked it out of the pocket with her teeth. Smiling, Daring continued the ditty with her own improvised line.

“Up came the mare and bucked the dog’s snout!”

The diamond dog turned around just in time for Daring to make good on her promise. Her hooves planted themselves cleanly in the middle of the dog’s face, knocking him into the water. The diamond dog struggled as the flamethrower’s weight dragged him down to the bottom of the pool. Daring casually slipped the keycard into the reader, opening the door. The diamond dog surfaced, sans flamethrower, just as Daring closed the door and locked it behind her. She casually walked past the panels of the control room while the diamond dog bashed his fists into the metal wall. Daring opened a door at the opposite end of the room and trotted out into another corridor.

Daring breathed a sigh of relief before she turned back and stretched her wings. They stung in protest from the motion, but extended fully. Almost all her feathers, and all her primaries, were charred, blackened or otherwise useless for flight now.

Continuing on, she soon saw a door with a large window set on the top portion. Bracing her hooves on the frame, she peered outside to look at the mottled sky and churning teal of the ocean. She turned the handle, smiled to find it was unlocked, and opened the door to step outside.

“Ahhh!” The wind slapped at her face and ruffled her coat and mane. The crisp bite of salt in the air stung at her nostrils and tongue. She listened to the breeze whizzing by her ears as she opened her eyes, and went down the stairs to the rest of the catwalk.

The walkway clung to the underside of the rig in a haphazard fashion, with chunks missing and the whole affair creaking as waves lapped at the rig, like a hungry hound begging its master for a scrap.

Taking a step to the first gap, Daring mentally calculated the distance. I need to be careful; I mess up with my wing like this, and I’m out for the count. She bent down into a crouch, then uncoiled her legs in a leap towards the rest of the walkway.

Thwip-Tang!

She landed on the walkway and turned to see what the noise had been. Buried three inches into the steel exterior of the oil rig was a steel bolt with patches of rust along its length.

Following the direction of the bolt, she saw a diamond dog fiddling with what looked like a massive crossbow. He was covered in a waterproof rubber frog-suit, with two air tanks strapped to his back and attached to his face via a hose and mask.

Placing a bolt into the crossbow again, the ‘frog-dog’ aimed at Daring. She hopped back in time for the bolt to cut through the catwalk and embed itself in the rig. Trotting to the next gap, and keeping an eye on the dog, Daring braced herself to jump. When she saw the water-logged canid aiming, she leapt of the the gap to the satisfying sound of another bolt missing her.

She poked her head over the side of the catwalk, and stuck out her tongue. “You’re going to need a bigger crossbow!”

Just then, three more diamond dogs surfaced and pointed more weapons at Daring.

“Oh dear.” Leaping away from the threat, she began galloping down the catwalk as two more dogs poked their heads out of the ocean and joined the attempts to shishkebab the mare.

She leapt onto another portion of the catwalk just before one of the cables supporting it snapped. The walkway tilted quickly, and Daring had to grasp at the safety rail with her hoof as more bolts sailed past her head. Summoning the strength of her forehooves, the injured pegasus hoisted herself back onto a flat section of the catwalk as a bolt brushed against the frog of her hoof.

Wasting no time, she kicked off the shaky walkway and up the stairs.