by G. M. Berrow
“Fascinating…” Gallant said, eyes growing wide. “The flora is instantly able to restore itself after exposure to fire.…” He pulled a small notepad from his chest pocket and furiously scribbled down a note. “Makes sense for an environment where the primary occupants are dragons.” He smiled with sheer delight, his golden mustache glinting in the midday sun. “I can’t wait to tell Thaddeus! He’ll be so jealous.”
“Come on! We have no time for botanical research. There’s only one plant we’re interested in finding right now.” Daring Do slid along the arch of the beast’s back, her golden hooves gliding easily along the slippery, iridescent scales. The Pegasus spread her wings, letting them do the rest of the work as she flung her body into the air and landed on the soft soil.
She nodded to her uncle to do the same. His attempt did not go as well, given the lack of wings and general clumsiness of a pony who’d been holed up in a library for the majority of the past few years. “Thank you for the ride, Knucker,” Daring said, bowing to the dragon. “One day I will find a way to repay you for your continued aid.” It was hard to believe she’d known the dragon for so many years now. Though he’d given her the summoning shell, Daring didn’t use it unless there was no other way. This was only the second time she’d invoked its powers.
The beast closed his enormous azure eyes and nodded that he understood. A second later, Knuckerbocker took off again, vanishing into the sky. His green outline dissolved into the misty atmosphere. At the same time, two purple dragons drew closer. They looked like they were going to land on a different island.
“Amazing creatures, dragons,” Gallant True marveled, shielding his eyes as he watched the pair soar across the sky. “And so fortunate that you know one so we could come here, Daring! What a wild adventure! The Eternal Flower is within our reach.”
Daring Do turned around, surveying the dense foliage with focused intent. The sweet scent of blooms and freshwater attacked her senses. Every direction was a blossoming oasis filled with a hundred different shades of green, punctuated by bright bursts of exotic color. The trill of insects filled the air, and the warm sunlight permeated the growth in small, glowing patches. Daring Do took a step forward and accidentally put her hoof down right on a group of Dindiwigs. The little red bugs crawled up, pincers poised. Daring stomped her hoof down again, and they all went flying off. “Argh!” she grunted in frustration. “Can you please do the thing with the leaves so we know where we’re headed at least?”
“Oh yes. Of course!” Gallant True brought out the Everleaves and placed them on the diary again. They began to spin, just as they had before. When they stopped, they tilted into each other, projecting the green beams of light in the direction of a small clearing. “Straight ahead to the Eternal Flower!” Gallant chirped, trotting toward the path. When his niece didn’t follow, he stopped and called out, “Aren’t you coming, Daring?”
But Daring Do didn’t reply.
Instead, a familiar voice called out, “Just lead the way, Professor.…”
Gallant True whipped around to find himself face-to-face with Ahuizotl! The monster was grinning wickedly, holding Gallant’s beloved niece hostage in his big tail claw. There were two henchponies by his side, lugging his wares, and another pair lurking in the shadows behind them.
“Surprised to see us, Mr. True?” Ahuizotl cackled. “You aren’t the only one who knows how to be persuasive with dragons, it seems. Surrender yourself now or be taken by force!”
The beast wasn’t alone. “You’d better listen to him, Gallant…” said Mr. Thaddeus Vine, walking into the light, “… or suffer the consequences.” His pale green complexion and cutie mark of a curled ivy vine seemed to fit into the lush environment perfectly. Since Daring Do had only seen him in his formal suit at the banquet, the pony’s tan utility shirt looked odd, especially since he still wore his monocle along with it.
“Thad?” Gallant’s face fell. “What in Star Swirl’s name are you doing?”
“I’m taking what belongs to me.”
“Release me!” Daring demanded. Vine watched the Pegasus struggle to free herself from Ahuizotl’s grasp. Vine sighed. “This will all be much easier if you two just cooperate.”
“Never!” Daring shouted back. “I’d rather suffer the wrath of the Ketztwctl Empress’s dark enchantments than help you for one second!”
“I told you she’d say that,” said a sweet voice from the shadows. “Maybe I can convince them to help us. After all, we’re old friends.…”
“Good idea.” Vine motioned to somepony behind him. “I do believe you’ve met my sister, Miss Rosy Thorn.” The blue Pegasus stepped forward, looking prim and put together. Her dirty old vest had been abandoned for a shiny gold blouse, and her orange mane and tail were slicked back, smooth and sleek. A ridiculous outfit for a journey into the unknown, thus proving that Rosy was a total amateur.
“Nice to see you again, Gallant.” Rosy batted her blackened eyelashes with practiced perfection. “Though I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. The last time we graced each other’s presence was when you and your selfish niece were abandoning me after I helped you escape. Not very nice…”
“Hey!” Daring thrashed her body against Ahuizotl’s grip. “We said it was everypony for herself!” It was one thing to be a traitor, but to be a revisionist as well? Despicable.
Gallant loosened the blue scarf around his neck. He looked crestfallen. “I… uh…” He stared at Thaddeus Vine, trying to read him, to understand his motives. How could his own colleague, his friend, have betrayed him like this? He puffed up and shouted out in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, “Vine, you filthy conspirator! Do our years of careful research mean nothing to you?! Think of the Eternal Flower!”
“On the contrary, my dear colleague,” Vine replied. “They mean everything to me. And to my top benefactor here, Ahuizotl, as well. That’s why you and your ‘darling’ niece are going to take us to it. We plan to see if your theories really do hold up, since you would never share all your research with me before.” Vine smirked and raised a brow. His monocle moved with it. “Now’s your big chance to be right, Gallant.”
Thaddeus Vine might as well have just uttered a magic spell. If there was anything Daring Do’s uncle loved in this world, it was being proven correct.
CHAPTER 11
An Oasis of Fire and Flowers
The beams of green light continued to highlight the way, growing brighter as they drew closer to the location of the Eternal Flower. The motley crew soldiered on with Daring Do and Gallant True at the helm, followed by the two henchponies pointing spears at their flanks. Then it was Vine, Rosy, and Ahuizotl at the rear.
The island landscape was a beautiful revolving display of palms, grassy patches rimmed in wildflowers, and rocky cliffs looking out onto the choppy waters and purple-sand beaches. If they weren’t being held hostage, Daring Do might have actually enjoyed it.
But there were still so many unseen dangers to be wary of that Daring secretly wondered if any of her captors had bothered to do their research on the Isles of Scaly. Her guess was no, considering none of the ponies seemed too concerned about the possibility of poisonous insects, sinkholes, or acid rain showers, in addition to the dragons lurking everywhere.
Daring Do crept across the island, taking great pains not to disrupt anything. Each hoofstep was mindful. But it was all in vain, as the sound of Vine’s clunky hooves against the ground behind her was the opposite of stealth. Combined with Ahuizotl’s clambering through the trees, touching every plant in his path, they were sure to draw some unwanted attention.
A random blast of fire shot up into the sky in the distance, and Ahuizotl tried to hide his fearful shivers. What a coward Daring’s nemesis truly was, to be afraid of dragons! When Daring considered it, it made sense to her. The biggest bullies were usually the ones who were secretly afraid of everything.
Gallant True stopped in his tracks.
“Keep going, old stallion,” Thadde
us shouted in amusement. “You’re not finished yet.”
“I would, Thad, but it seems we are at an impasse.” Gallant stared down through his glasses at the edge of the land and the mouth of a wide, bubbling river. The green beam of Everleaf light shone straight toward it. “Any ideas? Thaddeus, since you’re so brilliant, maybe you have something to say.…”
“Well, clearly we need a raft of some sort,” Vine announced. “Not all of us are Pegasi.”
“Henchponies!” Ahuizotl thundered. “Build us a raft!” The two stallions panicked, scrambling to gather loose branches from the surrounding area. Ahuizotl laughed as he watched them construct a crude vessel. “Hurry up! I can feel the Eternal Flower getting closer.…” Ahuizotl proclaimed, looking out to the river. “Soon I will be the only creature in all of Equestria who will LIVE FOREVER!” The beast pointed at Gallant True and Daring Do. “And you, Daring Do, are going to help me achieve this feat!”
“Oh, Ahuizotl…” Daring Do hung her head in mock concern and began to shake it back and forth. “You don’t know a single thing about the Eternal Flower… do you? What does it even look like?”
“Don’t insult me, Do!” Ahuizotl roared. “It’s the most beautiful flower the world has ever known. I will know it when I see it.…”
Daring was careful to keep one eye on the double-crossing, slick-haired liar Rosy Thorn and the other on her brother. Daring Do had never really quite trusted Vine. Even back in the reading room at the Botanical Society, the pale green stallion had been a nervous wreck—nothing but shifty eyes and pacing around. Now Daring knew why. She supposed it would be quite difficult to act natural around a pony you were planning to betray later on.
Thaddeus had given Daring a sly nod in the ballroom, one that implied she should let Dr. Caballeron escape with the Everleaf. It had all been part of the grand plan to intrigue Daring Do, have her secure the missing items via the daffodil key, retrieve the other Everleaf, and finally join forces with Gallant True to figure things out. Daring’s fearlessness and cunning paired with Gallant True’s expertise on the Eternal Flower made them the only duo who could solve the mystery. In some ways, Thaddeus Vine should have been applauded for his foresight into the way the events were going to unfold.
But there was no way Daring Do was going to let this journey end the way Vine and Ahuizotl wanted it to. She had to take action now.
CHAPTER 12
Indigenous Plants and Ingenious Plans
“Pssst! Gallant!” Daring tried to catch Gallant’s attention. Now that the henchponies were occupied with building the raft, the two of them could easily escape. Daring readied herself to carry the weight of her uncle again. If it meant flying to another island while holding Gallant True by his wool sweater, then so be it. First, though, she’d have to snatch the Everleaves back, which would be trickier. Vine had them in his hoof, set on top of the blank pages that Gallant had cleverly ripped from the diary in order to keep it safe.
“Uncle Ad!” Daring tried again. But Gallant True was far too busy crouching down, inspecting an indigenous plant to notice that Daring was trying to hatch an escape plan. The brown pony was lighting a fern on fire with a match, watching it burn, then laughing with delight as it grew back instantly each time. It was just like the grass that Knuckerbocker had burned with his fire breath after landing on the island. Gallant bent down and scooped up a few pieces of the fern, roots and all, and put them inside his pocket. Daring rolled her eyes. She’d grab him when the time came.
“If you’re thinking about escaping—don’t.” Rosy flew over to her and landed uncomfortably close. “You’ve seen me in action. I’m fast enough to catch you.”
Daring narrowed her eyes. “What’s in this for you, anyway, Thorn?” Daring should have listened to her first instinct back at Caballeron’s encampment: the one that had told her to stay far away from this mare.
“It’s like I told you.” Rosy shrugged with a wicked smirk. “It’s a job.”
“What? Couldn’t get anypony else to hire you?” Daring Do teased. “Had to get your big bad brother Thaddeus to pull a favor?” Daring adjusted her pith helmet and brushed a black lock of mane away from her dirty face. The contrast between Daring Do and the elegant Rosy Thorn had never been more obvious.
“On the contrary… I recruited Rosy because I knew she’d be perfect,” Vine interjected. Daring spun around to face him. She could tell he was savoring this explanation. Vine was incredibly proud of himself and wanted kudos for setting it all up.
“You see,” he continued, circling around the two mares, “I needed somepony who could play the part with both Caballeron and you. He’s stupid enough not to notice an interloper. But not just anypony could trick you, Daring. I do have to give you credit for that much.” Vine smiled and put a hoof on Rosy’s delicate shoulder. “Rosy here is an excellent actress. Don’t you agree, Do?”
“Vine,” Daring replied, “I think your whole family is excellent at deception and lies. Maybe you should all start a theater company!”
Over by the water’s edge, the two henchponies grunted and moaned as they tied the last section of wood together. Drops of sweat were rolling down their faces. “Fix it now!” Ahuizotl growled in a fit of rage. “Or I’ll make a raft out of you!” The blue one hopped onto the structure to test its strength, and several pieces of wood dislodged, carried away by the strong current.
“Looks structurally sound, boys,” Gallant teased. “Mind if I have a go?” He began to shoot blasts of green magic from his horn at a nearby pile of sticks and jungle vines. They floated over, arranging themselves into a perfect grid. More blasts of magic tied the vines around them. Gallant repeated the steps a few times until it looked secure. “I’ve still got it!” The old stallion grinned, stepping onto his own stable watercraft. It was just big enough for two—him and Daring Do. He trotted back and forth, inspecting the double hoofrail.
The henchponies watched, mouths agape.
Out of nowhere, an explosion of flames burst forth, narrowly missing the rafts. “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!” an angry dragon roared, diving down toward the ponies and chomping its massive sharp-toothed jaw. Every plant in the vicinity swayed back and forth from the high winds caused by the beast’s wings. The gusts were so powerful that they knocked the ponies right off their hooves. Even Ahuizotl came crashing to the ground, limbs flailing.
The scaly crimson brute flew around the fallen travelers, shooting fire at them. He flew up into the sky momentarily and came nose-diving back down again. There was one peculiar thing about the dragon’s behavior, though. Daring and Gallant must have realized it at the same moment.
“He won’t go near the river!” Daring Do shouted to her uncle. “He’s afraid of it!”
“Onto the boat!” Gallant True ordered. He reached his hoof out to her. “Quickly!”
“Just need to grab two things first!” The golden Pegasus darted underneath the wing of the dragon, heading straight for Vine, who was fighting to pull himself up from the ground. The dragon roared again, causing Vine to turn his head away. It was just enough time for Daring Do to snatch the Everleaves from underneath his hoof and take off again.
“Good luck finding the flower now!” Daring shouted. “Or ever getting off this island!” Now, with her prize secured and her enemies disarmed, Daring Do hopped onto her uncle’s raft.
CHAPTER 13
Tears of the Dragon
The two adventurers barreled down the river at top speed, rushing toward the unknown. The tiny yet sturdy raft thrashed back and forth on the gurgling water. Drops of moisture obscured the view from Daring Do’s binoculars, making it difficult to survey the landscape ahead for possible obstacles while stopping every three seconds to wipe them clean on the hem of her shirt. Gallant True was lying on the raft, struggling to align the Everleaves guiding light compass and steady himself at the same time, lest he be unceremoniously thrown overboard.
“Aha!” he finally shouted over the commotion. “Show us the way!” The green
beam pointed straight ahead, parallel to the river and into the deep uncharted territories of the Isles of Scaly. The scenery on either side was becoming denser with trees, and the sky was starting to turn the pink hue of sunset. The scent of blossoms wafted through the air, taunting the two ponies with the notion that they might actually find the elusive flower any moment.
“We’re almost there.” Gallant True looked over his shoulder, pulling himself against the hoofrail. He trotted to the back of the raft and let out a heavy sigh. “I still can’t believe Thaddeus would betray me like that,” he muttered under his breath. “But it wouldn’t be the first time that the search for the Eternal Flower has turned somepony into a monster, I would think.” He wondered where the mischievous group was now. There was no sign of the rickety raft in the distance. “Do you think we lost them, Daring?”
“For now,” Daring replied with a nod. She held her binoculars up to scan the sky for dragons. “But knowing how determined Ahuizotl is to find the Eternal Flower, we’re not safe yet.” She trotted to the front of the raft to survey the area. “Does it seem like the river is becoming narrower to you?” Daring pointed to each side of the raft. “We are closer to shore on both sides, I’m positive.”
“I agree.” Gallant nodded and stood up. “We must be close.” The waters were starting to calm. Up ahead, the river split into two streams. The green beam of light became brighter, pointing them to the right of the fork.
Daring Do steered the raft using a stick as an oar. The duo soon found themselves in a quiet little cove. The sounds of the squawking birds and roaring dragons had ceased. The only noise was that of a bubbling waterfall. Daring gasped when she saw it.
It wasn’t just any waterfall; it was an enormous ancient carving! The stone cliff had been whittled down to mimic the menacing skull of a dragon. Jagged stone teeth jutted out from the roof of its mouth like stalactites, with the bottom hinge of the dragon’s jaw submerged under the water. Steady streams of water fell from its hollow eyes as if the great reptile was crying and the river had been created from centuries of dragon tears. A shiver went up Daring Do’s spine, and she knew they were on the right track. Treasure usually lurked in the spookiest places.