(Welcome back to my next installment. Two days away until the 4th of July and I sure can't wait for the fireworks. Hope you enjoy this.)
Last time with Cody, Spike, and Jeremy bored out of their minds, Discord zapped them away into a jungle where they get ambushed by pony thugs. Though they had no hope of defeating them, who should come to their rescue but Daring Do. Afterward the adventurer pegasus offered them a chance to join her since they were looking for adventure. Will they recover the next artifact Daring Do is out to acquire before her arch nemesis gains it? Tune in now.
As Daring Do led Cody, Jeremy, and Spike through the jungle, the two humans were using the machetes they lifted off two of the thugs to cut through some vines and bamboo, "How much further is this temple?" Spike asked as he walked behind them.
"Not too far now." Daring answered.
"So how long have you known about this temple and whatever it is you're looking for?" Cody inquired.
"About a week ago. I got tip from a reliable source about it, unfortunately so did Ahuizotl," Daring explained, "But luckily I made it here before him, and as long as we avoid anymore unnecessary confrontation with his thugs this should go smoothly."
"But they never do, do they?" Jeremy asked.
"Unfortunately. But that's the life of an adventurer."
"Obviously." Cody agreed, until Daring Do stopped and they saw they were outside the temple.
"We're here." she said.
"Look there!" Spike noticed an entrance.
"Ok guys, this is it. Remember to stay close." she ordered them.
"Right." they nodded.
And so the four travelers entered the temple. Daring lit a nearby torch with fire, as Cody used it to light the way, "Watch your steps, there always booby traps in these places." she warned them.
"We know that much. We've seen movies." Jeremy replied.
They continued walking, until Daring stopped them, "What's wrong?" Spike asked her.
"Remember what I said about traps?" the boys nodded. Daring tapped one spot on the floor and suddenly more of the ground caved in creating a large hole.
"Yikes." Cody gasped.
"Come on." Daring flew across the hole.
Jeremy saw enough stepping space on the wall for them to creep along. So they started along it making sure to go nice and slow. When Jeremy and Cody made, it Spike suddenly slipped and was about to fall, until Cody grabbed his claw, "Gotcha bro!"
"Thanks." Spike said, as he was pulled up.
"Close call there." Jeremy chuckled.
"Too close." Darin said in worry.
"Not use to these kind of adventures. Believe me, I've been left out on over half the real dangerous types."
"Is that why you were looking for adventure?" Daring Do asked, as they pressed on.
"Well not exactly like this, but still... Twilight and the rest of the girls seem to go on all the real fun adventures and such. Me I'm left to look after the library." he said dryly.
"Ouch," Daring cringed, and looked to the humans, "And what about you guys?"
"Since we were brought here, Jeremy and I along with our third member have been jamming in our band, and twice in a row tangled with a mob of creatures. You'd think that's adventure? I call that fighting for our lives." Cody explained.
"We still don't even know how we got here in the first place." Jeremy added.
"That's some mystery." Daring noted.
"Yes, one we aim to find out. Should we survive this place of course." Cody said.
"Hey, what's that?" Spike pointed ahead to a stone wall with moving tiles and a blank space.
"Some kind of puzzle." Cody said.
"It's our only way to get into the next room." Daring said, as Jeremy approached.
"Please, permit me, Ms. Do. I happen to be good at puzzles."
"Ok." Daring Do said, as she stepped back.
Jeremy looked at the sliding tiles puzzle, as if analyzing each piece to determine which pieces are supposed to be connected, and how to get them lined up together. Spike watched and spoke to Cody, "Is he sure he can do this?"
"Puzzles are his specialty. He could clear a daily crossword puzzle under twenty minutes." he answered.
"Ok, guys. Here it goes." Jeremy said, as he started moving the tiles around to line them up. Cody, Spike, and Daring Do watched as Jeremy was starting to match up some of the tiles. When Jeremy aligned the last tile the picture was almost complete save for a last corner piece.
A compartment on the wall opened up and revealed the final piece, "This is it," Jeremy picked up the piece and inserted it into the blank spot. With all tiles together they formed an image of a chalice. The area started rumbling, as they looked cautious until they saw the wall with the puzzle on it started opening up revealing a passage way, "Success!" Jeremy cheered.
"Good job, Jer." Daring smiled.
"Come on, let's get going." Cody said, as they were about to continue only for a spear to almost hit him.
They looked back seeing the thugs from before. They suddenly make way for their boss; Ahuizotl, "Nopony's going anywhere."
"Ahuizotl!" Daring frowned.
"Whoa, he's even more gruesome up close." Cody backed away with Spike.
"A thousand thanks for leading me up to this point, Ms. Do," Ahuizotl said pleasantly, while she frowned. He spotted the ones accompanying her, "Well, now what have we here? A baby dragon, and... hmm... If I'm not mistaken these are the other two creatures you told me about?" he asked one of the thugs.
"Yes, sir."
"I recognize them now." Ahuizotl said.
"You do?" Jeremy asked in confusion.
"Yes. You two are part of that band, Summer Fun was it?" they nodded, "A pleasure to meet such fine musicians of your caliber. Such a shame I have to take you out of the picture."
"Not gonna happen." Daring said, ready to fight.
"On the contrary, Daring Do. It can and it will." he pressed a part of the wall activating a trap.
Suddenly the floor below the adventurers opened up and they fell into quicksand, "Quicksand!" Cody called, as they struggled to get their legs out, but it only made it worse.
"Stop moving!" Daring ordered, and they did so.
"Enjoy what time you all have until you sink," Ahuizotl began, "And if you're still surfaced by the time I come back could I have your autographs, boys?" the two humans only frowned at him, "Is that a no? Oh, well." he walked off with his thugs.
"When I get out of here, Ahuizotl, you're gonna pay!" Daring shouted.
The four explorers stood there with their legs sinking slowly, "So this is it, huh? Sinking in quicksand inside a temple." Spike sighed.
"It can't end like this!" Jeremy cried.
Cody looked at Daring Do who seemed calm, "How can you be calm at a time like this?"
"I've been through a lot worse than quicksand." she answered.
"Then I assume you have a plan?"
"No." she answered bluntly.
"You don't have a plan?!" the three boys shouted, and she shook her head in response.
"Great, now what do we do?" Jeremy asked in frustration.
"I don't know, but we better do something fast." Spike said in worry.
"Like what? It's not like I'm gonna reach behind my back and pull something out to save us," Cody said, as he reached behind his back and pulled out a whip like Indiana Jones. When he saw what he was holding he was shocked, "This wasn't behind my back was it?"
"I don't think so." Jeremy answered.
"Who cares if it wasn't? We got something to use now!" Spike cheered.
Daring Do smiled, "See, you just had to be calm."
"Did you know this was gonna happen?" Cody asked.
"I'm not a psychic," she answered, before seeing a nearby pillar, "But I am a good tactician. Cody, try and use that whip to wrap around the pillar."
"What? I can't do that kind of stuff." Cody said.
"No time for that. Just do it!" Daring ordered.
"All right," Cody said, as he gripped the whip before swinging it forward, and it suddenly wrapped around the pillar tightly, "I got it!" he gasped.
"That's amazing." Jeremy gasped.
"But how?" Spike asked.
"Must've been beginners luck." Cody suggested.
"Or your inner adventurer self kicked in." Daring smirked.
"Whatever it is, we can get out." Cody started pulling on the whip allowing him to get out of the quicksand and onto the temple floor again. He handed the end of the whip off to the others who each used it to pull themselves out.
"We made it!" Jeremy cheered.
"It's not over yet. We still have to go after Ahuizotl!" Daring said, as she headed off.
"Wait for us!" Spike called, as the three ran after her.
As the four hurried down the tunnel, they quickly stopped seeing Ahuizotl and his thugs up ahead. They hid around a corner and watched them, "There they are." Daring whispered.
"That room they're going into must contain what you're looking for." Cody noted, and she nodded.
"What do we do?" Jeremy asked softly.
"Shadow them quietly." she whispered, as they crept forward.
When Ahuizotl and his thugs entered the chamber, they saw atop a pedestal a unicorn's horn made out of crystal, "There it is the Crystal Horn," Ahuizotl gasped, "And it's all mine." he snickered.
As Ahuizotl ascended the stairs, the adventurers watching knowing they had to do something. Spike spotting a rock at his feet picked it up and threw it into another corner creating a sound. Ahuizotl froze as he and his thugs looked in the direction they heard the sound, "They escaped? Get them!" he ordered his thugs who ran to the corner from where the rock landed.
With their attention diverted, Daring smirked as they sneak around behind some more support pillars. One of Ahuizotl's thugs spoke up, "They're not here, sir."
"What?" he growled, "Stupid old temple."
"Actually, the only stupid one here is you!" Cody called, as they saw the adventurers standing tall.
"What, how did you escape?!" Ahuizotl roared.
"Ahuizotl, you'd think after all the exploits you've endured with Daring Do here you'd understand it by now." Jeremy explained.
"Yeah. Daring Do always gets out of a situation!" Spike added.
Ahuizotl growled before shouting, "Get them!"
The thugs charged at them, "Arm yourselves!" Jeremy called, as he and Cody pulled out the machetes, while Spike started building up fire.
The two humans were using the machetes to parry the thugs weapons, forcing them back, while Daring Do flew around Ahuizotl, keeping him from trying to get the artifact, "I still don't understand you Daring Do. What happened to working alone?"
"That is what I'm all about," Daring admitted, as she dodged a pounce from Ahuizotl, "But when there's somepony willing to lend a hoof. There's always room for another."
"This sentimental side of you is really unattractive." Ahuizotl said.
"Actually, I like it!" Spike called as he spat fire which lit Ahuizotl's tail.
The creature's eyes widened, and screamed while running around trying to put the fire out. Daring Do seeing she had a chance snatched the artifact, "I got it!"
Suddenly the whole temple started shaking. Jeremy spoke up, "This is the part where the temple collapses right?"
"Right." Cody nodded.
"Let's get out of here!" one of the thugs screamed, as they ran for the exit.
Cody, Jeremy, and Spike were running around as the ceiling started coming down. Suddenly Cody spotted a hole in the ceiling with sunlight peeking in, "There's a way out!"
"Come on!" Spike called, as the three started climbing up some fallen pillars before reaching the hole. Cody was the last to climb out, only for Ahuizotl to grab his foot.
"You're not getting away!" he tried pulling Cody back in.
"Let go of my foot!" Cody used his free one to kick Ahuizotl's face, resulting in him letting go. Cody watched as Ahuizotl fell to the floor of the temple before he climbed out.
Daring Do flew out of the hole, and they started running down the slanted temple walls to avoid the cave in. They finally reach the bottom as the whole temple cave in. They continued hurrying off, as Ahuizotl climbed out of the rubble, "Curse you, Daring Do!" he shook his arms around in anger.
On top of a hill side, the four looked out at the ruins of the temple, "Another adventure closed." Daring said triumphantly.
"You were amazing back there, Daring." Cody smiled.
"I was amazing? You guys helped me out in your own ways. I never could've it without you guys. Thanks." she said.
"We should be thanking you for allowing us to share this adventure with you of all ponies." Cody offered her his hand, to shake with her hoof.
Daring Do looked at it, before she pulled Cody into an embrace, much to his surprise. She then let him go to give a hug to Jeremy, who returned it. She flew down to Spike's level and gave him a big hug to. When she let the dragon go, she flew above them, "Well, I gotta get started on my next book. Hope you guys buy a copy." she flew off.
"Bye!" the three waved goodbye.
"Well, that was fun wasn't it?" Jeremy asked.
"It was sure exciting." Spike admitted.
"It was awesome!" Cody chuckled.
"So then I take it you all enjoyed your little adventure?" Discord asked, as he walked out from behind a tree.
"Discord, how long were you there?" Spike asked.
"Long enough to watch your heartfelt goodbye with Ms. Do there. So then was your adventure enough to ease your boredom?"
"It actually was." Jeremy nodded.
"Good, I was afraid you might've gotten into too big of trouble." Discord said.
A thought suddenly crossed Cody's mind, "Hey, did you make it so that whip was suddenly on my back when we were trapped in the quicksand?"
Discord just pulled out a pocket watch, "Oh, my is it that late already? Well it's time to bring you boys back to Ponyville. And if you're ever bored just talk to me and I'll find something fun for you to do." he chuckled, and with a snap of his digits the three disappeared.
They appeared back in Ponyville no longer in their exploring attire. Jeremy looked at himself, "Man, I wanted to keep that machete I stole." he grumbled.
"Hey, it wasn't meant to be." Cody patted his shoulder.
"Cody, Jeremy, Spike!" twilight's voice called out.
They looked over seeing the girls approaching, "There you all are. We were wondering where you were." Sabrina said.
"Hey, girls. How was the spa?" Spike asked.
"It was simply fabulous." Rarity giggled.
"So what'd yall do today?" Applejack wondered.
The three looked at each other smiling, as Cody answered, "We had an adventure."
Pinkie popped up, "An adventure, what kind of adventure?"
"We'll tell you girls all about it," Spike said, as the boys stomachs growled, making the girls giggle, "Uh, after we get something to eat."
"Yeah. Let's all have dinner and hear about their adventure." Rainbow said.
Jeremy smirked, "Oh, you'll flip when you hear what we're gonna say Rainbow Dash. You'll be jealous."
"Jealous, of what?" she wondered, as the boys walked on while she flew around them pleading to tell her.
(And there's the chapter. The boys had a very exciting adventure with Daring Do, and will be featured in her next book. Don't miss next time, when the three humans meet a unicorn who's not what he makes himself out to be to them. See ya then.)