Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore Page 5

  WHAM!

  Daring Do hit the ground, angling her body to avoid landing on her bad wing. The shallow, sulfuric air or perhaps the fall itself made her lungs begin to seize up. A fit of uncontrollable coughs expelled themselves from the pony and echoed across the cavernous interior of ruddy volcanic mud and dripping water. Daring’s dirtied cloak was tangled around her waist. If only she could reach her flagon of water from her utility pocket, she’d stop coughing. There was no way of knowing if Mojo was waiting just around the corner, ready to pounce on her while she was down. It was not a good idea to make so much noise.

  But it was already too late. She’d been heard.

  A legion of fluffy and feathered creatures came at her from all directions and bore down on the fallen hero. Puppies, kittens, and birdies of every breed were barking, hissing, and squawking. Each one seemed filled with nothing but an urgent desire to destroy her. Their eyes had glazed over bright yellow, with red swirls spinning—entranced by the wicked Mojo.

  “Nice animals…” she cooed, backing up. Daring’s dream from the inn rushed back to her—the horde of baby animals crying out to her, begging for help. These were the stolen pets of the Tricorner Villages! And she had to find a way to save them, too.

  “Stop!” Daring commanded, leaping to her feet. “Stay back! I mean it, you rascals!” She cracked her leather lasso at the horde, creating the space of several hooves between them. “I know you all aren’t really like this!” she continued. “Mojo did this to you, didn’t he?!” The pets fell silent and stopped dead in their tracks. A few puppies cocked their heads to the side in confusion. An orange kitten perched on a stalagmite began purring.

  “I can free you if you lead me to him.” Daring knelt down to a large white rabbit with brown spots all over his fur. “Fluffy Bun, I take it?” At this, a blue-colored smoke enveloped him, and when it disappeared, the red glaze drained from his beady eyes. He blinked a few times and looked around at the underground prison as if he was coming out of a dream. Fluffy Bun turned back to Daring Do and nodded. “Bruno? Denise!” Daring called out, recalling the names she’d heard in the village.

  A basset hound and a gigantic white goose emerged from the pack. Yellow and red smoke covered them, and the glaze faded from their eyes just as Fluffy’s had. The bunny, dog, and bird stood before Daring, now eager to please her.

  “Welcome back! Now hurry up and get the others to help, too!” Daring said, pulling out some rope. “I have an idea. But first, I’m going to need you to tie me up.”

  CHAPTER 12

  The Belly of the Beast

  The two other prisoners, Golden Rule and Tater Tot, were already in the cage when Daring arrived in the belly of Mojo’s volcanic lair. She craned her neck to try to see if the locks would be easy to destroy. But it was too difficult to assess from the position she was in. Her legs and wings were bound with ropes, and she was being pulled along on a cart by twelve possessed puppies and a large bunny who was pretending to be possessed. It was an unusual plan, but Daring trusted her instincts enough to know it had a chance of success. Either way, it had gotten her to Mojo and the others.

  “Daring!” Tater Tot cried out, his voice a mixture of panic and relief.

  “Ah, my faithful servants! I see that you have brought me a gift,” Mojo smiled in delight. “Treats for everyone later. I have a feeling there will be plenty of bones available then.” He locked eyes with Daring Do. She did her best to seem like she was struggling against the ropes. It was all part of the act, and it would only work if Mojo believed it.

  “You won’t get away with this, Mojo!” Daring shouted. She gritted her teeth and let out a low, animalistic growl.

  “Yes, I will.” Mojo summoned Fluffy Bun and pointed him toward the cage. “Because it appears I get everything I want.” Fluffy Bun hopped over to Daring Do. A pair of sheepdogs trotted over and tore the ropes off the pony with their teeth. Fluffy opened the cage and the dogs threw Daring in. Daring whined convincingly, giving the dogs a sly wink. Tater Tot ran over and hid behind her. Golden Rule looked even grungier than when she’d seen him in the forest. His golden mane was matted, clinging to his head in stringy strands. There was black volcanic ash smudged across his cheeks, and his green velvet cloak was missing. Daring could see that he had a wound across his right hoof, possibly inflicted by Mojo, but she couldn’t be sure. After everything she’d learned about Golden Rule from Tater Tot, she knew that he was smart enough to have a plan of some sort. He locked eyes with Daring and gave a tiny nod. So he was on her side. Daring wondered what exactly his plan was and whether it would interfere with her own.

  “Of course I wanted to steal back all three of the Flankara Relics,” Mojo continued, completely oblivious to the silent conversation going on behind the bars of the enclosure. He trotted over to a stone pedestal covered in a black velvet cloak. “And look! The powerful Sword of Lusitano, the Staff of Ponypeii, and your old friend—the Arrow of Marapore.” He reached up, swiping the swathes of fabric off to reveal an ornate metal stand. It had three slots, each filled with an elusive relic.

  The silver stallion paced around the glowing trifecta of artifacts. The brilliant light shooting from their tips was almost too bright to behold. It lit up the entire room, which Daring now took in. The blackened volcanic walls were arched and completely smooth—a vast contrast to the passageway Daring had unceremoniously landed in. There were several wooden benches facing the platform that were now filling up with the hundreds of pets that Mojo had stolen from Lusitano, Ponypeii, Marapore, and possibly other distant places. It was as if they were going to watch some sort of show. A captive audience. Daring remembered the words from the encyclopedia. He’s bewitched the animals to take his orders and watch him perform the Vehoovius Hex!

  The only thing that separated the benches from the platform was a pit of bubbling molten lava. The whole space looked very much like the belly of Captain Pony’s ship, if it had gone upside down. The sailors called it “keeling over.” Hadn’t Tater Tot said that long ago, the Stalwart Stallion of Neighples was once a commander in the Royal Navy?

  “Mo?” Daring whispered to herself. She thought of Steel Anchor and Sea Storm’s conversation back on the ship. They’d said a pony had “turned.” Now she understood what they had meant.

  Mojo continued to pace back and forth, his hideous scar of a cutie mark appearing even more terrifying in the ghostly light of the relics. He turned to Daring, the corners of his mouth turned up in a devilish smirk. “And I wanted you, Daring Do.” He walked closer, trying to crack her stony expression.

  “Is that so?” Daring replied, unyielding. Though inside, she was trying to make sense of what he’d confessed. Why would the evil stallion want to lure her there, knowing full well that she had the capabilities to put a stop to his plans? There had to be more.

  “Oh yes…” Mojo continued, savoring each word that left his lips. He walked over to a large glass vial that had multicolored smoke swirling around in it. He stared at it as he spoke, mesmerized. “That’s why I had my friend Golden Rule here pay you a little visit. Naturally, after I pried all the information about the power of the relics out of him, I was hoping to use him as my witness, my very own ‘Golden Pedagogue.’ But when he showed me that I had it all wrong—that it had to be a golden Pegasus with a cutie mark of a volcano on her flank, naturally I was a bit… upset.” Mojo’s face morphed into one of rage.

  Daring looked to Golden Rule in confusion. Her cutie mark was of a compass rose. Surely, he knew that if he had heard of Daring before. Why had he lied about the fact that it was a volcano? Golden Rule coughed and caught Daring’s eye. His wink was so fast that she almost missed it. It was a signal for her to just go with it.

  Mojo composed himself and continued on. “Alas, I have a tender heart. The poor little schoolteacher pleaded for his life, and I gave him a way to save it. I told him he had to find me that Pegasus or else”—Mojo motioned to the filthy, defeated pony slumped in the corner—“I won’t m
ention what fate he would have had in store, because lucky for him, whatever he did to get you into my clutches worked. And I have even bigger plans for you, my dear. You’re to be my new assistant!” His eyes flashed with wicked delight.

  Daring struggled against the bars of the cage. “You won’t get away with it, Mojo. And I won’t let you hurt those innocent villagers by taking away the only protection they have against a volcano that is minutes away from erupting!”

  The cavern rumbled, loosening some wayward rocks from the shiplike stone rafters. They hurtled toward the lava, which churned and bubbled in response. Black smoke rose up and wafted over them. Daring couldn’t suppress another fit of coughs.

  “Aw, somepony got a bit of a sensitive throat?” Mojo twisted his face into a look of faux concern. “But let’s call a little weak Pegasus what it is: weak. This was never your game, Do.” Mojo sneered. “You might as well give it up now! And Golden Rule here said you were the bravest in Equestria!” Mojo shot Golden Rule a nasty look. “I have to say I’m sorely disappointed.”

  He trotted over to the cage and brought his face in close. Daring struggled against the cage and let out a low growl. Mojo dramatically tossed back his green-and-black mane and laughed. “But still, since you are the Pegasus that fits the bill, I suppose you’ll ‘Do.’”

  Mojo paced back over to the glass vial and gave it a gentle tap. “Aw, look at my little animal souls! Aren’t they pretty? Hundreds of them. Took me forever to collect…” The colored swirls inside began to pick up speed, turning into a miniature tornado. As if the two were connected, a larger tornado of lava spiraled up from the pit, nearing the ceiling of the cavernous room. Mojo watched with glee, the flickering fire visible in his glossy, greedy eyes. “This means Vehoovius is almost ready! Then I can perform my spell and the deed will be done. I will have my cutie mark restored, and I will be more powerful than anypony!”

  Mojo lunged for the cage and blasted the gate open with a powerful bolt of magic from his horn. “Now let’s see that cutie mark of yours!”

  “Daring! Cover your cutie mark!!!” Tater Tot cried out in despair. The colt shielded his eyes as Mojo tore Daring’s cloak away from her flank. Daring Do and Mojo both gasped at what they found. Daring Do’s cutie mark was gone!

  CHAPTER 13

  Escape from Mount Vehoovius

  “But… but…” Mojo took a step back, dumbfounded by the new development. He grabbed Daring’s cloak by the neck, brought her muzzle up to his, and growled. “What have you done, Daring?! This ruins everything!”

  The golden Pegasus wished she had an answer, but for the first time, she was actually nervous. Where had her beloved compass, the very essence of her pony identity, gone? Daring Do suddenly felt a whole lot weaker. She looked back at her flank in shock. It had to be some sort of trick of the light, right?

  Mojo tore out of the cage and rushed over to the relics, his eyes full of fiery rage. He didn’t even notice little Tater Tot slipping out and darting toward the entranced animals. Mojo snatched the Sword of Lusitano from the stand, held it high over his head, and placed it on the ground horizontally. It appeared he was going to try to perform the spell anyway!

  Golden Rule gasped. He knew what this truly meant—if Mojo succeeded, the power of the relics would be gone… forever. Nothing else would ever be able to protect Marapore, Lusitano, or Ponypeii from Mount Vehoovius again.

  Everything was falling apart. Golden Rule dashed over to the distracted Daring Do.

  “Daring! I know you don’t know me, but you have to trust me. Your cutie mark is still there; he just can’t see it.” Golden Rule gestured to Mojo. “Remember the hide ointment I left for you? It was special; it hides your cutie mark. It takes a few days to work, but I was hoping you’d figure it out or at least use it.” The golden-maned professor smiled. “And you did.” He had done a lot of careful planning to make sure she would be safe if she came to rescue the villages.

  “What?” Daring replied, coming back to life. “Well, why didn’t you say so sooner, Bucko?! Anything else you want to clue me in on?”

  Golden Rule spoke very fast. “I actually am the Golden Pedagogue. I tricked him so I could get you here. I knew it would confuse him and you’d save us. I was under a silencing spell when I visited, but I resisted it enough to leave you some clues.…”

  “Not to be rude, Professor, but we need to cut this lecture short!” She threw the cloak off and snapped into action. “We have work to do! Come on!”

  Across the platform, Mojo had the Staff of Ponypeii in his hooves. He cackled maniacally as he lowered it onto the sword in the proper formation. The walls of the cavern rumbled again, and more debris rained down. The smell of sulfur was becoming stronger. Clouds of black smoke rose from every surface.

  “Taaaater!” Daring shouted across the bubbling lake of lava. The red baseball cap actually made him easy to spot amid the smoke. Maybe that kid knew what he was doing after all. “You and GR lead the animals out! I’ll take care of the rest! Hurry!” Tater nodded, and Golden Rule rushed off to help.

  Now it was time for Daring Do to save some villages.

  “MOJO!” Daring hollered over the thunderous volcanic activity. “Hand over the arrow. Now.” She proceeded toward him with caution. Negotiations were a delicate matter.

  “And why should I do that?” Mojo twirled the arrow in his hooves like a baton. “I’m mere moments away from getting what I want. All I have to do is put this arrow there.” He pointed to the pile of relics, which were now pulsating with a strange green light. Something was definitely happening, but Daring Do didn’t want to stick around to see what it was. Or to become a molten Pegasus, for that matter.

  “I’ve dealt with Ahuizotl, and I can deal with you!”

  Mojo froze. “Whose… name… did… you… SAY?!”

  “Ahui—!”

  “RRRRRRAW!” Mojo dropped the arrow and lunged toward Daring Do. “Don’t you know who made me this way?”

  “Ahuizotl did this to you?” Daring replied in awe. “But why?” Daring Do knew the doglike monster was evil. He was her nemesis, even. But she never expected him to be the answer to this riddle.

  “He scarred me!” Mojo lamented. “All because I tried to leave his clan of henchponies. I didn’t want to live that life anymore! I wanted to go back to the Navy. Back to my ship with Captain Pony!” He growled, the sound low and guttural.

  “You can still fix this!” Daring shouted, wiping away sweat from her forehead. A geyser of lava shot up and almost reached the top of the cave. A considerable drop landed near the relics and sizzled on the hot stone. “You don’t have to hurt anypony else. Just give me the relics!”

  Mojo looked back at the relics and then to the crumbling cave. He knew that she was right. This was over. He might as well go down with this volcano, as a sea captain would with his ship. That much, he remembered. He looked back at Daring Do. “Take them,” he growled. Daring took a small step forward, unsure. “I said, TAKE THEEEEEEEM! Get out of here! Leave me!”

  The Pegasus zoomed forward and snatched the three relics with one swift motion. She grabbed Mojo’s leather quiver and threw them into it. She hovered in the air for a moment, then swooped back down for the glass vial as well. She soared off through the black smoke and out the top of the volcano. She didn’t let herself look back at the poor beast she was leaving behind. It was too tragic.

  When she had put enough distance between herself and the volcano and could finally breathe again in the delicious fresh air, Daring Do looked back. Smoke billowed from the top of the roaring monster. It looked surreal against the lush tropical backdrop. If the aftermath of its impending doom weren’t going to be so sinister, it would have been pretty. But there was only a matter of minutes before Mount Vehoovius was going to explode for real. She knew what she had to do. Three villages. Three relics. One Pegasus. It was worth a shot.

  Her heart was beating almost as fast as she had flown, but Daring Do had successfully reinstalled the Swo
rd of Lusitano in its rightful place. The statue of a beautiful and powerful mare wasn’t hard to find—it was right in the center of town, like in Marapore. And though she hadn’t had time to explain how she’d retrieved their precious sword, she could hear the villagers cheering with gratitude as she zipped off toward Ponypeii to do the same.

  As she slid the Staff of Ponypeii into the hooves of a stone pony who looked like an old magician, a group of uniformed ponies galloped by. One of them was calling out orders like it was some sort of rescue party. “You ponies take the groups on the left; I’ll go to the right. Gather everypony up and usher them to the coast!”

  “Captain Pony? Is that you?” Daring Do couldn’t believe it. The famous sea captain she’d just spent weeks with was here with his crew! Right now.

  The bearded captain stopped in his tracks. “Do I know you, madam?”

  “Of course you do, I—” Daring suddenly remembered the whole “stowing away” thing. “I think we met once in Trotterdam at the port. Anyway, really have to fly!”

  She soared into the great blue and off to her new home village of Marapore. A loud crash came from the mountain. The volcano was starting to flow! The red geyser shot up into the air in powerful spurts, landing against the mountain’s sides and heading straight for the villages. Daring Do clenched her teeth and picked up even more speed. That lava wouldn’t reach them. Not under her watch.

  When she saw the town square of Marapore come into sight, she didn’t know what to expect. But there everypony was, waiting calmly. Golden Rule and Tater Tot had made it home and were surrounded by the hundreds of pets that still needed to find their ponies. There was a clear path to the statue. Daring Do didn’t even bother to land. She flew straight for the stone stallion and slammed the arrow into its hoof in midair. The moment the arrow touched the stone, the relic lit up and two beams of light shot across the town, creating a perfect sixty-degree angle and one corner of a very special triangle.