As soon as they got out of the room, they then start to notice the deep staircase, and there was a sign right next to it. When Diamond got up to the sign, she reads it out loud.
As these stairs you go on down, is the royal crown that you're looking for. But beware, there are more down there as there was before.
“What does it mean by that?” Diamond asked with a little bit of confusion.
“I don’t know, but if it says ‘beware’, then we do need to be careful.” said Daring Do.
Diamond nods in agreement, as they both went down the long stairs, it lead them to the most beautiful cove that is known to Equestria. They soon got down stairs, and looks around the cove before looking at the pond that actually goes down so deep that leads them to the underwater cove. They can pretty much tell by the light on the pond that’s sparkling around it, the pond’s water must be so blue and clear that’s really easy to see what’s underneath it. They can see a cave deep down the pond they can go through. The only problem is that there is no oxygen tanks for them to use in order to breath underwater, luckily, Daring was able to bring one for herself, just in case if this stuff actually happened.
“You wouldn’t happen to have an oxygen tank with you, do you? Cause we’re gonna need it, if we want to get the crown.” said Daring Do, with a raised eyebrow.
“No.” said Diamond, as she searches in her bag for a pack of pills. “But I do have a pack of pills on me.” Diamond takes out the pills that Zecora gave to her a few months ago.
After a few seconds of silence, Daring Do then finally broke it with a bit of confusion.
“How are those ‘pills’ supposed to help you?” Daring Do asked confusedly.
“Well, I visited the Everfree Forest where the zebra Zecora lives a few weeks ago, she said that these pills would not only let me breathe, but also talk underwater while submerged.” Diamond explained. “I tested out to make sure it works perfectly, and it really did, I was kinda shocked at first. She let me keep them just in case of this type of situation.”
“Pills that let you breathe and talk underwater? You actually don’t need an oxygen tank for that?” Daring Do asked.
“Nope, all it takes is one pill, but it only works once we dive in.” Diamond explained.
“Hmm…” said Daring Do as she thought about it.
Diamond looks at Daring Do, who was thinking about either using an oxygen tank or using one of her pills, before looking at the sparkling lake.
“Alright, let’s go with the pills.” said Daring Do as she put down the oxygen tank.
Daring Do holds out her hoof for the pill. Diamond opens the pill bottle, and pours out two pills, one for each of them. She gives one to Daring. They both took the pill and swallowed it instantly, before looking at the lake.
“Adventure ponies first?” Diamond asked as she made a hoof motion, telling her to go first.
Daring Do gave a bit of a smile, and nodded, before diving into the pond first, then Diamond. After a few seconds of being underwater, they started to feel a little tingly. Being a little tingly was a little side effect on the pills, showing that it’s started to work. After a few minutes of silence, Daring Do broke it, and was able to talk clearly.
“Did it work?” Daring asked before she covered her mouth a bit.
Diamond smiles knowing that it works on Daring Do as well.
“It definitely does alright.” Diamond said, able to talk clearly as well.
“Do these pills have limits?” Daring Do asked.
“No, it only wears off once we get up to the surface. So we pretty much can stay underwater as long as we like.” Diamond explained.
“Perfect, come on, we’ve got a crown to recover.” said Daring as she swam down to the cave, using her hooves and wings.
Diamond followed behind her, and swam the same way Daring was doing to catch up with her. They soon swam through the cave without any problems, and at the end was an underwater city that nopony has ever seen before. They swam to look around the old city, searching for the crown. After sometime, Daring was able to find it, by a building which looked like an old home that nopony had lived in for years.
“Diamond, over here!” Daring called out to Diamond.
Diamond swam right next to her, looking at the crown in awe.
“Just like in the book.” said Diamond.
They both looked at each other, then back at the crown. As they were about to get it, a cage then came out of nowhere landing around the crown, and there were lasers around it, preventing them from getting it. Then the two hippogriffs came pointing spears at them. Daring and Diamond got into their fighting positions, getting ready to fight them, but before they could do so a girl hippogriff came in. Looking at the two ponies, she was able to recognize one of them, so she called out to her guards.
“Guards, stop!!” said ????
They all stopped in shock, before looking at the girl hippogriff with dark purple fur, and a kind of a light purple mane, wearing the same necklace the other hippogriffs were wearing.
“Let them go.” said ????, pointing at Diamond and Daring Do.
The guards then put the spears away, and Diamond and Daring looked at the hippogriff in confusion.
“Um, would somebody tell what in the hay is going on here?” Diamond asked.
“The name’s Princess Mythical; I’m the mystery hippogriff of this temple.” said Princess Mythical, introducing herself. “Forgive my guards, they’re doing this to protect the crown from any intruders who tries to take it, like you two are.”
“As due respect, your highness, but we need that crown. Somepony is after it, to try and keep it for himself.” Daring Do explained.
Princess Mythical was shocked on what Daring said about somepony after the crown trying to keep it for himself.
“Wait, hang on a second, there’s three more hippogriffs here, I thought all of them lived in Mount Eris.” said Diamond, looking at the three hippogriffs.
“Mount Eris?” Daring asked, looking at Diamond in confusion, she knows almost all of Equestria, but Mount Eris is the only place that she doesn’t know about.
“Mount Eris, is a mountain where Hippogriffs live.” Diamond explained. “It’s on the other side of Equestria.”
“I see.” said Daring Do.
“Wait, how do you know so much about Mount Aris?” Princess Mythical asked, looking at Diamond with a raised eyebrow, with a tone of confusion, and wary.
The guards, even Daring Do, looks at Diamond with a raised eyebrow. When Diamond heard that tone that Princess Mythical was giving her, she was starting to get a little worried. She rubbed the back of her head nervously, before answering.
“Because Princess Twilight told me about it while the Storm King tried to take over Equestria.” Diamond sighed.
“Princess Twilight, you say? Hmmm… can I ask you a few questions, princess?” Princess Mythical asked as she pointed at Diamond.
“Of course.” said Diamond.
“Was Twilight the one who tried to take the pearl to use it to defeat the Storm King, and, are you one of the new princesses that, what was her name, Princess Celestia has been telling everyone about?” Princess Mythical asked.
“Yes, but that’s all in the past now, Queen Nova had forgiven her, and let her and her friends visit anytime.” Diamond explained. “And yes I am one of them, the name’s Diamond-Chi, and that’s Daring Do, your highness.” She pointed at Daring Do, introducing her to Princess Mythical.
Daring Do tipped her hat as in greeting to her.
“Wait, Diamond-Chi?” Princess Mythical asked with a bit of confusion, and shocked, feeling like she actually knows her.
Diamond nods yes.
“The Diamond-Chi? The one who is known as the Princess of Tai-Chi, the one who would save anypony no matter the cost?” Princess Mythical asked.
“The one and only.” said Diamond.
Diamond’s eyes then popped open for a bit, before looking at Princess Mythical with raised an eyebrow.
“Wait, how did you know who I am?” Diamond asked.
“My cousin Princess Skystar has been telling me about you. I can’t believe you’re actually here.” said Princess Mythical excitedly, before she hugged Diamond tightly.
Diamond was shocked at that for a bit, before she hugged her back.
“After what Skystar told me, I recently started becoming a fan of you.” said Princess Mythical.
Diamond was kinda shocked hearing that Mythical is a fan of her, cause nopony she knows said that she/he was a fan of her before. Diamond then broke up the hug, before looking at her.
“Well that’s a first time somepony, or some creature ever said that to me.” said Diamond.
“About being your fan?” Princess Mythical asked.
“Yeah, cause’ it’s been 2 years ever since I became an alicorn.” said Diamond.
“Oh, I see.” said Princess Mythical. “Quick question, how are you and Daring Do breathing underwater without any oxygen tanks?”
“Oh, um, I had these pills given to be by my zebra friend Zecora, and these pills helps us to not only breathe, but also talk underwater, and it doesn’t wear off until’ we get up to the surface.” Diamond explained.
“So, you can stay underwater as long as you like without any problems?” Princess Mythical asked.
“Exactly.” Diamond exclaimed.
“That makes sense.” said Princess Mythical.
“Uh, I hate to break up the conversation, but we need the crown, so we can protect it from our enemies.” said Daring Do.
“I’m sorry, but we’re afraid that if we give it to you, it can ended up in the wrong hooves, or claws for that matter.” said Princess Mythical, disappointedly.
“What if we do something for you, something important, then would you let us have the crown?” Diamond asked.
“Hmmm…” said Princess Mythical, thinking about it.
Diamond and Daring looks at each other, before they looked back at Princess Mythical.
“My cousin does need cheering up, she’s been lonely for the last few years ever since we’ve been into this temple, if you two can cheer her up, then I’ll give you the crown. Deal?” said Princess Mythical with a small smile.
“Really?” Diamond asked, a little confused and concerned.
“Uh, could you excuse us for a few minutes?” Daring Do asked as she swam up to Diamond, grabbing her arm, and was pulling her, telling her to come with her.
Princess Mythical nods yes, as Diamond and Daring Do swam a little far from them for them not to hear, and Daring looks at Diamond with a bit of a glare.
“Are you serious, asking to make a deal with them? You know as much as I do, that since you never know how you can trust, it’s best to never trust anypony, or any creature for that matter.” said Daring with a little anger in her tone.
“It’s better than not getting the crown at all, besides, we need to protect it at any cost, especially if it ends up to either Caballeron’s or Ahuizotl hooves/claws.” said Diamond. “And, it’s my job to help ponies in need, and I know more about hippogriffs than you. This could be our chance to get the crown, and keep it safe from Caballeron, even from Ahuizotl.”
Daring Do looks at Princess Mythical and her guards, and then back at Diamond, and groans a little.
“Come on, Daring, her cousin has been alone ever since they came to this temple, this could be your chance to get to know them better, and to get a better view in the underwater city.” said Diamond.
Daring Do looks at the princess again, she heaved a sigh, looking back at Diamond, before answering.
“Fine. But only because we want to protect the crown.” said Daring Do.
Diamond nods in agreement and they swam back to Princess Mythical and the Guards.
“So, where is your cousin?” Diamond asked with a smile.
Princess Mythical smiles at them, knowing that they got themselves a deal.
“Follow me.” said Princess Mythical, as she swam more into the abandoned underwater city with her guards to find her cousin.
Diamond and Daring Do swam behind them.