//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Jungle Hijinks // Story: The Phoenix King // by Turtlehaus //------------------------------// The Royal Carriage from the Frozen North sped down the dusty landing strip, kicking up a small cloud of dirt as it passed, revealing Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing off to the side watching it go by. The Royal Guard Pegasi leapt into the air, the carriage lurching after them, traveling higher and higher into the air before losing sight of it from the sun overhead. Applejack and Rainbow Dash remained seated where they were, looking around at the small airstrip they had been left at. Vegetation, trees, plant life lined the edges of the field, having been cut back by ponies from past years to make the landing strip. A small wooden hut, held together with cement and stone blocks stood in shambles off to their right; the wind moving the loose boards. "What are we supposed to do now?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I ain't too sure about that myself." Applejack replied, taking another look around. "Do you still have that paper Floe gave us?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, turning to her. "I got it right here." Applejack replied, lifting her hat and producing piece of parchment. "Does it say where we're supposed to go?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking over her shoulder to see it better. "It doesn't say much, it just says 'Swordfish', and has his signature." Applejack reported, looking it over. "Where the hay are we going to find a swordfish around here?" Rainbow Dash asked flatly, looking rather annoyed. "Why don't you fly up and see if you can find anything interesting while I go check out the hut, okay?" Applejack suggested, tucking the parchment back under her hat. "Solid idea, Applejack." Rainbow Dash replied, throwing her a quick salute. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, soaring high overhead, leaving Applejack to deduce the hut's secrets; if there were any. Approaching the hut, Applejack could see that it had not seen use in quite some time. No more than a simple press of her hoof upon the sun faded wooden door caused it to fall forward, breaking into several splintered pieces kicking up the dirt and dust that covered the floor. Fanning her hat back and forth to clear the air, Applejack stepped into the hut, the floorboards groaned beneath her weight. It was missing part of its wall, a turned over table, a shattered window, and some lidless wooden boxes carelessly stacked in the corner. "Nuts." Applejack mumbled, looking rather disappointed. Turning to leave, Applejack's hoof broke through a floor board. Struggling to free her hoof, Applejack pulled it loose to find face staring back up at her. "Guah!" Applejack gasped in surprise, back quickly away from it. Nothing moved from the floorboards, giving Applejack pause to approach it once more, but slowly stepped closer to have another look. Peering into the hole in the floor once more, Applejack could see a rather ghoulish face still staring back up at her. It looked rather stiff, giving her the confidence to reach through the floor boards to fish it out. With some tweaking, Applejack was able to work it through the hole in the floor and found herself holding a mask. It was wooden, lacquered black, carved to have fangs, and an unpleasant smile. There were two eye holes within the mask allowing a pony to see through it, the color had faded quite a bit but it seemed to have been painted red. "I wonder what this was for?" Applejack asked herself curiously, examining it. Flipping it over, Applejack could see indentations where a strap would have been pulled through to allow a pony to wear it. Deciding to try it herself, Applejack lifted the mask to her face, peering through the eye holes, looking around the room. "Well, it gets the job done I suppose." Applejack remarked. "Hey Applejack, I took a look around and I- AUUUUUUGH!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Rainbow Dash had stepped in with Applejack still holding up the mask and scared herself silly. Applejack didn't have enough time to drop the mask to tell her it was only her, as Rainbow Dash bolted from the hut in a blind panic. Stepping out of the hut, Applejack looked around for Rainbow Dash to spy a familiar rainbow colored tail poking out from behind a tree. "Rainbow Dash, it's only me!" Applejack called out, waving the mask overhead. Rainbow Dash's head peeked out from around the tree, deciding it was safe to leave her hiding spot she floated back over cautiously. "You nearly gave me a heart attack with that." Rainbow Dash mentioned as she came closer. "Nearly gave me one too when I found it." Applejack replied, holding it out to her. "Was this in the hut?" Rainbow Dash asked, taking the mask from her. "It was underneath the floorboards, I don't rightly know why it's there but it's left me with more questions than answers." Applejack explained. "Applejack, Applejack, Applejack… tell me, is this a good look for me?" Rainbow Dash asked quickly, holding the mask up to her face. "I think I like you better without it." Applejack replied, frowning at the ghoulish mask. "It's kind of cool." Rainbow Dash mentioned, examining it some more. "Did you see anything when you were flying around up there?" Applejack asked curiously. "Oh! Yeah, I saw a little clearing a mile or so from here, it could be a village or something." Rainbow Dash reported, pointing in its direction. "I guess it's a start, let's get going." Applejack said, heading off in the direction Rainbow Dash pointed. "Seriously though, Applejack, this could be my new Nightmare Night costume." Rainbow Dash said, floating alongside her. Having to navigate through the jungle was a bit of a chore for Applejack, with all brush, vines, mud, and roots getting in her way. Rainbow Dash did her best to karate chop as many as the vines as she could to clear the way, lifting Applejack over some of the mud pits, but it was just difficult going ten steps without running into something else. "Remind me again why we picked the jungle?" Rainbow Dash asked, kicking some brush aside. "Would you have preferred freezing up in the Frozen North?" Applejack asked, following her through the brush. "Point taken." Rainbow Dash replied. With another kick, Rainbow Dash made an opening from the tree line that edged the clearing she had seen earlier. Stepping out, Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked around the clearing to see several wooden huts on silts spotting the area, several wicker baskets, some dirt paths, and even laundry lines connecting from hut to hut; except something seemed off to them. "Where's all the ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked looking about. "Hello?" Applejack called out. Other than the ambient noise of the jungle, it was deathly quiet within the village that made Rainbow Dash and Applejack uneasy. Deciding that another investigation was needed, Applejack headed for the stilted huts while Rainbow Dash flew high over heard to try and find out what was going on. "Maybe we should have stayed up North." Applejack mumbled, not liking how things were going so far on their trip. The stilted huts had some stairs leading up to each one, noticeable hoof prints in the dirt made it clear ponies were here at some point, but to why they weren't anymore was what she was hoping to find in one of these huts. Unlike the hut near the landing strip, these particular huts were more lived in, and better kept. It almost seemed as if every pony had dropped everything right in the middle of the day and just left for one reason or another. Feeling that it was rude to start rummaging through some ponies home when they weren't there, Applejack decided to look elsewhere for clues. Nothing seemed odd about the village; there was no noticeable damage, no signs of a fight, or even a hurry to leave. It was as if every pony had vanished. Turning the corner of a silted hut, Applejack saw the ghoulish mask staring at her from the tree line. Frowning at the idea that Rainbow Dash was attempting to scare her once more, she waved a hello before moving on. "The next time I agree to go anywhere there best be a pony waiting to welcome us or I'm giving them an ear full." Applejack mumbled, annoyed at this impromptu hide and seek. Entering the area that would be considered the center of the village, Applejack looked around to see if there was any sign of where every pony went. From the hoof prints, it seemed that every pony had gathered here before heading off towards the jungle. Scratching her head at the wonder of what made them all decide to leave at once, a sudden gust of wind blew past her as Rainbow Dash flew down beside her. "Find anything?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously. "I reckon that these here ponies got together and headed off into the forest." Applejack mentioned. "Why?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously. "No idea. Did you find anything?" Applejack asked curiously. "I found a strap for my mask." Rainbow Dash replied, sliding the ghoulish mask over her face to show her. "If you spent more time looking for clues then hiding behind trees with that dumb mask, we might actually get somewhere." Applejack remarked, sounding a bit agitated. "I wasn't hiding, and I was looking for some clues. That's how I found the strap." Rainbow Dash said in her defense. "I saw you hiding behind that there tree, Rainbow Dash, I even waved at you." Applejack pointed out. "What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking rather confused. "Over there near the tree line, you were standing over behind that there tree." Applejack explained, looking rather surprised by her look of confusion. "I wasn't near the trees." Rainbow Dash replied. There was a moment of confused looks at one another, then some panicked ones as they started to realize what it really meant. Applejack rushed over to one of the stilted legs of the hut, glancing around the side to look at the tree line; Rainbow Dash following close behind her. The tree line had nearly twenty ghoulish masks peering from behind trees, all looking their way. "Who the hay are they?" Rainbow Dash asked nervously. "How am I supposed to know?" Applejack asked, sounding equally as nervous. "Do you think this is their village?" Rainbow Dash asked in hushed voice. "Could be, we found that mask not too far from here." Applejack pointed out. "What if it's cursed?" Rainbow Dash whispered in horror, pulling the mask off her head. "Don't be ridiculous." Applejack replied, dismissing the idea. Applejack turned her gaze back to the tree line to see one of the ghoulish masks had stepped out. It was draped in a black cloak, the mask staring right at them. Applejack could feel Rainbow Dash clinging tightly to her arm, it did little to settle her nerves but felt lucky to have a friend here to share in this heart pounding experience. "H-H-Hey, partner." Applejack called out nervously to it. "Ooga-chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga-Chaka!" The ghoulish masks started to chant together. "Let's get out of here!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Applejack didn't need to be told twice. Turning on the spot, Rainbow Dash and Applejack bolted from the village, following the same direction of all the hoof prints from the villager ponies. Nearing the tree line Applejack dared to glance over her shoulder to see if they were being followed and to her horror, they were. The ghoulish masked creatures were in pursuit of them, already running past the village in a straight line after them. "Keeping running, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack shouted. "Hooves don't fail me now!" Rainbow Dash shouted in response. Deeper and deeper into the jungle they ran, not knowing which way they were headed, but knowing they didn't want to get caught by those mask wearing creatures. Through brush and mud, Rainbow Dash and Applejack tore through the jungle, adrenaline keeping them from realizing how tired they were. "Did we lose them?" Applejack asked aloud, looking over her shoulder. "I don't know, maybe we- AUUUUUUUGH!" Rainbow Dash shrieked. Applejack looked back to see Rainbow Dash no longer in front of her. Throwing on the brakes, Applejack looked about frantically to find her. "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out in worry. "I'm up here." Rainbow Dash's voice drifted from up above; almost sounding annoyed. Looking up, Applejack could see Rainbow Dash caught in some sort of makeshift net, suspended from a tree branch high overhead. "How'd did you get way up there?" Applejack asked curiously. "I don't know! One minute I was running and the next minute I was in this dumb net." Rainbow Dash snapped at her. "Alright, alright, don't get mad, I'll get you down from there." Applejack replied, looking around for where the cord to the net might be. Tracing the line from the branch down the trunk of the tree, Applejack could see a wooden spike with a cord wrapped around it. Stepping over to it, Applejack reached down, taking it with her teeth and yanked it loose. The sound of rope being pulled very quickly was heard, as Applejack looked up to see if Rainbow Dash had been freed but she still hung high overhead. "Well that didn't-HEY!" Applejack had begun but was suddenly snared in another net underneath her and pulled high up into the trees. "Nice one." Rainbow Dash mumbled. "How was I supposed to know there was two traps?" Applejack asked, sounding frustrated. Rainbow Dash didn't reply, she was trying to chew her way through the net. Spitting at the taste, Rainbow Dash wiped her mouth and folded her arms fuming at the situation they were in. "Now what are we supposed to do?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding extremely annoyed. "I guess we're stuck here until who ever laid these traps come back to check." Applejack replied, getting comfortable. "What if these traps were set by those weird mask wearing creatures?" Rainbow Dash asked nervously. "Unless you got something sharp to cut us out of this, I guess we don't have much of a choice then to wait." Applejack replied bitterly. "HEEEEEEEELP!" Rainbow Dash shouted as loudly as she could. "What are you shouting for? It's only going to bring those mask creatures here quicker." Applejack hissed at her. "This is not how I saw things going today." Rainbow Dash said defeated, slumping in her net. Several hours had passed with no sign of mask wearing creature, pony, or animal to be seen. The sun was beginning to set as Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat miserably in their nets. "I want to be out of this thing already!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily, thrashing about. "This is murder on my back." Applejack mumbled, trying to adjust her position but the net had other ideas. "Looks like I caught two ponies in my traps tonight, how unfortunate for you that my pet Chimera hasn't had a proper meal in days." A voice echoed around them. "Who said that?" Applejack asked aloud. "Who cares who said it? They're going to feed us to a 'Shy Bear-a!'" Rainbow Dash shouted in fright. "It's Chimera, not 'Shy-Bear-a'! That doesn't even make sense!" The voice shouted back. "Wait a gosh darn minute, there ain't no Chimeras in this here jungle." Applejack said aloud. "Uh… yes there is!" The voice shouted back. "No there isn't!" Applejack shouted again. "I don't know what to tell you, but I've got a Chimera standing right in front of me!" The voice shouted. "I know there ain't any Chimera here cause the last one I saw was in Flame Geyser Swamp!" Applejack snapped back. The voice didn't reply back right away. "Did I say Chimera? I meant a Bugbear!" The voice shouted. "How dumb does it think we are?" Rainbow Dash asked bravely; having realized there was no Chimera. "Who's dumb? You're dumb!" The voice shouted back, sounding insulted. "Why don't' you come say that to my face you big chicken!" Rainbow Dash shouted back. "You don't want me to come up there! I'll knock you so hard you'll be eating apple sauce the rest of your life!" The voice shouted back. "I bet you couldn't even smoosh a moldy apple you limp armed pony!" Rainbow Dash shouted back. "Rainbow Dash! Are you trying to start a fight? Have your forgotten we're still stuck in these dumb nets?" Applejack asked in disbelief. "Wait… Rainbow Dash?" The voice asked in surprise. The nets suddenly dropped from the treetops, sliding their way down to the ground before stopping short a few inches above it. A sudden flash of metal reflected from the setting sun, a large machete being held up over the net. With a quite swipe, the machete cut the top of the cord, unraveling the net and letting Rainbow Dash and Applejack plop onto the ground. Applejack rubbed her back, stretching it out, as she looked at their captor and rescuer. "Well I'll be, you're-" "Daring Do!" Rainbow Dash cut her off in a sudden squeal of excitement. "Shhhh!" Daring Do hissed at her, covering Rainbow Dash's mouth with her hoof. "I don't want the whole jungle knowing I'm here." Daring Do stepped back, sporting her trademark safari clothes, her grayscale mane, similar in that to Rainbow Dash's and cutie mark compass rose. Her soft yellow hide was lightly layered with dry mud and dirt as she looked at the two of them with confusion. Rainbow Dash immediately jumped at her, hugging her tightly, although Daring Do didn't seem at all in the mood for hugs she cracked a smile at seeing a friend. "What in the Equestria are you two ponies doing here?" Daring Do asked, looking between the two of them. "You're not going to believe this, Daring Do, it all started back when Applejack found this Flame Pony wandering around her farm. I just so happened to be floating by on a cloud when I smelled some of Sweet Apple Acre's apple pie and thought I'd stop in for some lunch when-" Rainbow Dash was once more silenced by Daring Do's hoof being placed over her mouth. "So what are you doing here, again?" Daring Do asked looking at Applejack, in hopes for a more direct answer. "We were sent here by the Court Wizard Floe from the Frozen North to help find two Obelisks." Applejack replied. "You got to be kidding me; you two are his research team?" Daring Do asked in disbelief. "You bet." Rainbow Dash replied, moving her hoof off her mouth. "If you're the research team, then… then he would have given you the password. O-O-Otherwise, I'll have to send you two home, tough break, but hey, rules are rules." Daring Do said quickly; looking anxious at the idea of having them on this expedition. "I don't know anything about no password, but he did give us this here parchment that reads 'Swordfish'. Could that be the password?" Applejack asked pulling it out from under her hat. "Give me that!" Daring Do shouted, swiping it from Applejack. Daring Do looked it over again and again; looking absolutely livid. With a defeated sigh, Daring Do turned back to them and did her best to smile. "Welcome to Team Swordfish." Daring Do mumbled. "Alright! Team Swordfish!" Rainbow Dash shouted in delight. "Shhhh!" Daring Do shushed her. "Sorry." Rainbow Dash whispered, covering her mouth. "Follow me. I've got a camp not too far from here." Daring Do said, motioning them to follow her. Daring Do's campsite was way up in rather large tree, no pony would notice it from a first look seeing as it was hidden in the branches of leaves of the tree. It was more of a tree house, but no pony was going to argue about it. Taking Applejack by the arms, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do carried her up to the treehouse. It was a rather modest looking treehouse, made mostly from precut wood, some camouflaged jungle tarps that roll off the sides of the roof and walls. It seemed to house two ponies easily, a third would be the limit. Inside there was a desk, a hammock, a chair, several books stacked in the corner, a map of the jungle with several hoof drawn markings upon it and one window void of glass. There was a small lantern upon her desk that she used for light late at night. Striking some flint and steel together, she lit the lantern and hung it from a hoof on the ceiling to give them some light. "You ponies hungry?" Daring Do asked curiously, opening a crate near her bed. "Starving." Applejack replied. Daring Do returned with some trail mix and canteens of water. It wasn't much of a spread but no pony was complaining. "I was expecting Floe or some Ice Ponies to be showing up around here. You ponies were the last ponies on my list to see in this jungle." Daring Do remarked, eating a hoof full of trail mix. "There's a lot to explain, some things have come up and we really need to find the Obelisks as soon as possible." Applejack replied. "I'm actually dealing with something a little more important than research expedition right now; you couldn't have come at a worse time." Daring Do replied, looking a bit solemn. "Why? What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well…" Daring Do began, getting up from the floor and heading over to her map of the jungle. "Last week I was following a possible lead on where the Obelisks might be located, the lead turned out to be a bust but I found something I was expecting." "What?" Rainbow Dash asked already enthralled in the story. "Ahuizotl." Daring Do replied with a sneer. "No!" Rainbow Dash replied in a gasp. "I stumbled upon him leading a group of his henchponies deep into the jungle. He was spouting his usual monologue, nothing I haven't heard before, up until he mentioned the Heart of the Jungle." Daring Do explained. "What's that?" Applejack asked. "Legend speaks of a power hidden within the jungle, a power so great that it could be used to defeat any adversary. That this power conquered every warring jungle pony tribe, and brought them into an age of peace. The legend goes on to say that once fighting had stopped the jungle ponies hid this power deep within their jungle, protecting it from all those that sought after it; earning it its name Heart of the Jungle." Daring Do elaborated further. "Now Ahuizotl is looking for it!" Rainbow Dash gasped in disbelief. "That's what I'm thinking, he seems to have a good idea of where it might be, but he's been here for almost a week and hasn't turned up squat. I left those traps out in the jungle hoping to capture some of his henchponies, but you can see how that turned out." Daring Do said looking rather disappointed. "What about the village ponies?" Applejack asked. "What about them?" Daring Do asked curiously. "They're all missing." Rainbow Dash replied. "What?" Daring Do asked in shock. "We found their village on our way to the pony on the research team and found it completely deserted." Applejack explained. "It must have Ahuizotl, that blue faced weasel! He probably captured the villagers and is forcing them to help him search for the Heart of the Jungle!" Daring Do hissed bitterly, grinding her teeth in frustration. "Or it could have been those creatures with the masks." Rainbow Dash added, getting a nod from Applejack. "What masked creatures?" Daring Do asked in surprise. "We were chased by a bunch of creatures wearing these ugly masks; they looked a lot like this one here." Rainbow Dash explained, showing her the mask they had found. The color in Daring Do's face drained away, taking the mask slowly from Rainbow Dash. It was as if she was looking at a ghost, she seemed disturbed by the mask; as if it was something she had seen before. "You know who they are, don't you?" Applejack asked. "There was a part of the legend that I never took seriously, I never found proof of it anywhere, no mention of it. But this… if what you say is true, and you have seen the creatures that wear these masks, then we're in unbelievable trouble." Daring Do said, sounding very serious. "Why? What are they?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding a bit scared. "The legends say that if the Heart of the Jungle is ever threatened, that if any pony tried to take it for themselves, the Hom Dai would rise in its defense and cleanse the forest." Daring Do said uneasily. "You mean like… a bath or something?" Rainbow Dash asked optimistically. Daring Do shook her head no. Taking her hoof she slid it across her throat, making a cutting sound with her mouth.