//------------------------------//
// Stormy Seas 
// Story: Daring Do and the Eyes of the Demon 
// by PegasusKlondike 
//------------------------------//

After her meeting with Agent Charms and a quick confirmation run back to the beneficiaries gala to inform her boss, Daring Do headed back to her most sacred and beloved place in all Equestria, her rundown and ramshackle apartment in a middle class neighborhood of Canterlot. Unlocking the door with the key she cleverly stashed under a fake pile of bills, Daring made her way into Casa de Do.

"Honey! I'm home!" she called out. Her house was an absolute mess. Her entire living room had unintentionally been converted into a research archive, with literal hundreds of books stacked as tall as the ceiling, balanced on every standing piece of furniture. Daring's kitchen was in much worse shape, dozens of artifacts in various stages of restoration lay scattered across the kitchen table; some recognizable and near completion, others more outlandish and hopelessly out of shape. 

She never really used her apartment here in Canterlot, except on those annoying occasions when the museum wouldn't let her go on sabbaticals or when she had to teach classes at the esteemed Canterlot University. Daring passed by her mostly covered hearth, tossing in the dreaded black dress to burn the next time it got cold. "I hope you're ready, I've been thinking about you all day." Daring said in a sultry voice towards her bedroom. 

Stripping off her typical green jacket and tossing it on a pile of at least a dozen of the same jacket, all needing to be laundered, Daring flipped open the door to her bedroom. She leaned against the doorframe, a small grin touching her lips. "Oh baby, you sure know what a girl wants at the end of a long day."

Spreading her wings she took a flying leap to her bed, throwing the sheets up into the air long enough to zip underneath. Laying down her head on her pillow, Daring sighed in the comfort of her own bed. Wrapping her hooves around her pillow, she cuddled it by her head, "You would not believe how much I needed this," she said to her non-sentient pillow. 

Okay, she was a bit lonely at the homestead, talking to a pillow like it was her very special somepony. But like she would actually settle down long enough to pick up a very special somepony. And it wasn't like she was starved of a stallion's touch, she got plenty of that out on her adventures. Heck, sometimes she got a little adventurous and tried swinging the other direction.

"Maybe I should get a cat or something. Oh wait, I did have a cat. Little bastard was a spy for Ahuizotl." Grinning at the fond memories of making Fluffy pay for stabbing her in the back, Daring drifted off to blissful sleep. 


***********************************************


Daring stood at a podium just outside of Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia bowing before her as Daring gave a flawless and tear jerking acceptance speech for receiving her latest award. 

The Princess rose to place the medal around her neck, "Daring Do, for your contributions to modern archaeology and for simply being the most awesome pegasus known to ponydom, I award you Equestria's newest and highest honor. The Daring Do Medal of Valor! And you receive a cash settlement of six million bits and an official apology for me being such a huge, uptight jerk for haranguing you about those obviously harmless artifacts!"

Daring lifted the solid platinum medal around her neck, waving and smiling to the crowds of her adoring fans. "Thank you, thank you. This medal will look great on my mantle, right over my Ahuizotl skin rug, next to all my other awards!"

The Princess tapped her on the shoulder, "Just one thing Daring, WAKE UP IN THERE!"

Daring Do snapped bolt upright in her bed, "Damn it! It always gets cut out at the good part!" Somepony was pounding at her front door, angrily shouting for Daring to get her golden flank out of bed. Slowly and lazily she trudged through her apartment, meandering to the front door. Cracking it open she beheld Agent Charms and that zebra standing on the stoop.

"Come on Daring! We're going to be late for your train!" Agent Charms tried to force his way in. Daring stopped him bluntly with a hoof.

"Hold it buster, what's this about a train?"

Agent Charms removed the mare's hoof from his chest, "We've got to take the ten o'clock train to Manehattan to grab the next ship to Tashim!"

"Woah woah woah, you want me to leave for Zebrica, right now!?"

"That's the idea Daring! What part of 'government contract that must be done as quickly as possible' don't you understand? I hope you have your bags packed."

Daring slammed the door in his face, opening it less than two minutes later with nothing but her pith helmet, green jacket and  a single small bag at her waist.

Agent Charms raised an eyebrow, "That's all you are taking?"

Timur grinned and gave a small laugh, "She travels light, a wise choice Ms Do."

Daring walked out and locked the door behind her, absently tossing the key into some bushes. "Only way to travel."

The trio made their way to the Canterlot train station, Agent Charms dressed incognito and handling everything, including tickets. Taking a private car for the purpose of secrecy, Daring placed her small pouch in the storage compartment and took a seat in the booth across from her zebra guide. 

The engine began to chug forward, the cityscape of Canterlot slowly panning away outside the window. Awkwardly her eyes darted around, thinking of a way to break the silence that engulfed their car. "So, uh, Timur....what are you doing in Equestria? You're obviously a zebra, and you don't really....you know." The pegasus waved a hoof and tried to think of the least offensive way to say what needed to be said.

Timur blinked his eyes, "Talk like a zebra?"

Daring nodded her head, "In a crude sense, yeah."

The zebra chuckled, "I get that question many times a day here in Equestria, and when I meet other zebras, they ask why I do not speak normally." Timur giggled at Daring's squeamishness of the topic. Placing a hoof on his striped chest he calmed himself. "It is simple really. As a young colt in the Gochano tribe, my father, the chief, gave me a Life Quest."

Daring lifted an eyebrow, "Life Quest?"

Timur nodded, his stiff black and white mane shaking as he prepared to explain it. "As son of the chief, it was my father's task to give me a nearly impossible task to complete to prove my worthiness to lead my tribe when he went on the Final Run. My father knew how successful and wealthy the nation of Equestria had become, and how much influence over the world they exerted. So one day my father called me to his hut, and sat me down before his hearth. And he said to me, "Timur my son, go to the west, to the Equestrian land. Learn all there is to know of the ponies, and then come home to our humble band."

"Your dad sent you here to learn everything? Wow, and I thought my job had its daunting challenges."

The zebra nodded wholeheartedly. "That is the problem. I came to Equestria after many months of travel and work for the bits to cross the ocean. I only knew a few words in Equestrian, and with my limited tongue and rhyming ways many ponies couldn't understand what I said. So I got a job at a library, learning as I went about the Equestrian language and eventually your ways. Most ponies grew impatient with my rhyming speech and I eventually practiced my way out of talking like that."

Daring leaned back in her seat, more comfortable with the zebra stallion that sat across from her. "But seriously, learn everything? It would have been simpler just to make it all up."

"Taking the easy way out would have certainly cost my tribe greatly. And yes, my father underestimated exactly how much there was to know about Equestria. But one day, I got a message from my father, saying that he was close to the Final Run, and had to pick a new heir to his title. I wrote back and told him I was fine with that, that I still had not learned nearly a thousandth of what there is to know about Equestria. And besides, I like it here."

Daring glanced over to the other booth where Agent Charms was still reading over the mission specs and making sure he had everything in order. "So, how did Lucky manage to rope you into this?"

The zebra also glanced at the serious earth pony, "I volunteered. I have been reading the newspapers about what is happening in Zebrica, and I believed that there is nopony better qualified to aid my people than me."

Daring felt this to be probably true enough, it wasn't every single day that the prince of a zebra tribe with knowledge of dozens of languages and the know-how to survive Zebrica volunteered to be a guide. The pegasus eventually brought out a daisy sandwich she had bought at the station, offering half to the zebra. Timur took it gratefully. Chomping down on the cheap train station fare, a thought occurred to Daring.

"I've got a question Timur, I pick up a lot of ancient artifacts from the demons, and I've had a few unicorns check them out for magic. But not a single sign of magic has shown up in any of their stuff. If they didn't use magic, how are the Eyes of the Demon magical?"

The zebra stopped chewing on his half of the sandwich, raising an eyebrow over his blue eye. Both eyebrows shot up as he finally understood what she asked. "Oh! The word 'demon' means something different in Zebrica, it describes a creature that Yeye has banished to Tartarus. What you call demons, we call Wale Mrefu, the Tall Ones. The Tall Ones left this world long before Grinwa ever played his tricks on the zebra."

Daring's eyes opened up wide, quickly pulling out a pencil and pad of paper from one of her jacket pockets, she hurriedly scribbled down some notes.

Note to self: Demons=Tall


*******************************************


The train pulled into the station in Manehattan, the odd trio of the famous explorer pegasus, a zebra and an obviously undercover government agent grabbing what small amounts of baggage they brought. 

Agent Charms checked a pocket watch, "Okay, we have half an hour to get to the port to take the next scheduled ship to Zebrica." Leading his two charges, Agent Charms took off down a street.

After about ten minutes of running behind Charms, Daring gave up and flew a few feet off the ground. Going above the roof level she took a look at the Manehattan city skyline, but something disturbed her about that view. Fluttering down to fly next to the RIS agent, Daring voiced her concern. 

"Call me crazy, Lucky, but if we want to take a ship, shouldn't we be heading to the docks?"

Agent Charms huffed and puffed from this exertion of running through the crowded streets of the city, "You're not going by ship, that would be too slow."

"What other way is there to get to Zebrica?"

Agent Charms nodded to the huge, hangar-like buildings they were coming up on at the edge of town, "Airship. Retired military airships that do cargo and passenger runs over the ocean. I've already got two spots booked on the Storm Rider."

The trio came to the gate of Equestria's only non-military airship port. Daring landed in front of Agent Charms and braced herself for impact, the stallion crashed into the mare and both went tumbling into a pile of wings, briefcases and pith helmets. Charms stood up and dusted himself off, "What in Tartarus Daring?!?"

Daring waited for the birds to stop circling her head and tweeting, "No way am I going on one of those rickety sky tubs! Change that boarding pass to a  seabound ship and then I'll think about it!"

Timur and Charms stood flabbergasted, "Daring, if you haven't noticed, you're a bucking pegasus! You fly all the time! Sometimes while you're asleep!"

Daring scooped her helmet off the ground and plunked it on her head, "Yeah, what I do is natural, I'm built to fly. Those airships suffer more fatal crashes than carts, wagons and chariots combined! If it doesn't have wings, it ain't meant to fly!" 

"You cannot be serious...you are one of Equestria's most bold and adventurous explorers, yet you're afraid of heights!"

Daring had to control the urge to slap Agent Charms, "I'm not afraid of heights, I just don't trust those half rotten wooden tubs that somepony, probably an earth pony with no flight experience, deemed safe to fly."

Timur shoved past Agent Charms, "Ms Do, the alternative is much less preferable to what Mr Charms has planned out for us."

Daring sat down on her haunches, folding her forelegs. "Oh yeah? How much worse could it get than exploding in a fireball and falling down ten thousand feet to a watery oblivion?"

"Much worse. The seas are a dangerous place, there are things that live there, things too horrible to describe. Sea dragons that will capsize your ship to drown all the sailors and gobble them down whole. Makura crabs which will crawl in through open portholes and dig their way into your brain to suck out the juices. Krakens as long as Canterlot Mountain is tall, able to create maelstroms with their water powers. There are entire empires of naga and mer creatures which will fight over the right to plunder your ship and take you prisoner as food for their devilish pets. Trust me Ms Do, when crossing the ocean, you want to be as far from the water as possible."

The pegasi's eyes opened a little wider, Daring stood from the sidewalk and walked to the gate to the airship port, "I still won't like it." she muttered.

Charms leaned close to Timur, whispering to his ear, "Wow, you've seen all that?"

Timur grinned, "Old mare's tales can be very persuasive if told the right way, Mr Charms." Charms proffered the pair of tickets for the zebra, who took them with his mouth and placed them in his saddlebag. The zebra readjusted his saddlebag and walked out into the large dirt field which contained the various passenger airships.


*********************************************************


Though every airship in the field was an outdated model that had been retired from Equestria's military and sold to the private sector, the ships themselves were still impressive. It was like somepony had taken a normal ship out of water, torn off the mast and attached a massive balloon to to the keel with chains. Powered by a set of magical thrusters, the airships could move much faster than a normal ship on water with the added bonus of not having to muck about with ground level monsters. 

The pegasus hardly noticed, and was hoping deep down that Charms had actually managed to secure a class of airship with a decent track record. With a sigh of mild relief she spied the Storm Rider, a Falcon class sky frigate that looked fairly pristine. Timur caught up to Daring, passing a boarding ticket with his hoof.

A short line of ponies, zebras and even a pair of minotaurs stood waiting to board the frigate. What appeared to be the skipper of Storm Rider was taking boarding passes and passing off luggage to one of the airship's mates. 

While waiting, Daring noticed the intelligence agent was absent. "So, I take it that Lucky is going to sit this one out."

The zebra nodded, "His presence would indicate Equestria's involvement. He cannot be around if this is a 'private' venture."

"Gotcha." Daring handed off her boarding pass, flapping her wings to land on the deck of the frigate. Her legs began to shake as her hooves touched down on the hard wooden deck of the airship, and almost immediately she scrambled for the belowdecks passenger quarters. Picking out the numbered room she had been assigned by the skipper, Daring opened it and slammed the door behind her. Laying down on the rock hard mattress, Daring was determined to make this unnatural flight go by as quickly as possible. 

A brass horn looking device in the corner of the room magically blared the voice of the captain. 

"This is your captain speaking, all passengers please take your place in your rooms. We will be departing for Tashim on the western coast of Zebrica, a slight journey of around six days, if the winds are in our favor. We thank you for choosing Equestria Airways, Storm Rider will be departing in three minutes."

Daring pulled a musty pillow over her head. In less than three minutes, the ship lurched upwards as the ground crews cleared her for take off and cut the guide lines. "Okay Daring, you've faced off with some of the most horrendous creatures known to ponydom, toppled governments, and discovered too many long lost temples to shake a stick at. You can handle a little airship flight." Peeking out from under the pillow she glanced out the porthole. The city of Manehattan was becoming a city of toy sized buildings, with gigantic walls of clouds passing by. 

With enough altitude gained, Daring felt a sideways lurch as the captain engaged the magic thrust systems at the aft section of the airship.

"Zebrica here I come." she murmured. Daring felt something rising in her stomach. "Breakfast, here you go." she threw open the porthole and emptied her stomach, queasily shutting the window and laying back down on her bed.


*******************************************************


"I'm dying. Princess Celestia must have hit me with a curse that one time in Canterlot and now I'm dying." Daring rolled over on her bed, contemplating her last hours alive. Fond memories passed through her addled mind, mostly memories of opening a can of whoop-ass on various enemies. Closing her eyes, Daring smiled. "I'm ready."

Somepony knocked on her door, "Ms Do? Are you alright in there?"

"Go away Timur! I want to die in peace!"

The door cracked open, the zebra poking in his head, an eyebrow quizzically raised. "Die? Oh, look how cute you are. A pegasus getting airsick, a palpable irony." Timur smugly trotted over to her bed, laying the back of a hoof on her forehead. "No fever, a little green in the gills though." Timur reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a bottle, uncorking it and taking a whiff. Satisfied that he had gotten the right one, he offered it to Daring. "Drink up, this should clear your little case of airsickness right up."

Daring took the offered bottle and sniffed, her face squelching. "No way am I drinking this piss," she croaked.

"Drink it, or I will have those two minotaurs come in and hold you down while I pour it down your throat."

Daring's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't dare..."

"Oh? Aelos and Kazin are nice fellows, I've already had a chat with them, they would do it with a smile on their faces."

Daring grimaced as she pinched her nose with a wing, downing the potion. Draining every drop, she threw the bottle against the wall. Shaking her head, Daring began to work her tongue around her mouth. "Hey, is that ginger? I love ginger."

Timur nodded as he turned to leave, "Pure extract of ginger; smells terrible by itself, tastes like good old ginger. Cures airsickness, arthritis, seasickness and is good for pains related to pregnancy. Now come along, dinner is in ten minutes."

Daring lay back on her bunk for a few minutes, letting the ginger work its way through her gut. Standing up, Daring exited her single bed room and shakily made her way to the galley with the other passengers. The pleasant smell of fresh breads and warm stew would normally have sent her running in that direction, but all the pegasus wanted was to lay back down. 

Entering the galley, only one seat was left open at the dining table, right next to Timur and one of those minotaurs. Placing herself with as much ladylike demeanor as possible, Daring waited to be served. The other passengers seemed to ignore the creak and groan of the ship, conversing easily over their stew. Timur chatted rapidly in some Zebrican language with one of his fellow zebras also on the way back home. 

An old pegasus with an eye patch was boasting to a veiled pony which Daring guessed hailed from Saddle Arabia. "Of course the Falcon class has its advantages, but nothing could beat the current Seahawks in a dogfight or in a barrage! I myself was a pilot for a Seahawk under Princess Celestia's Royal Army, we downed both raider and monster with nary a scratch on our hull."

The large brown minotaur next Daring downed his mug of ale, belching loudly. "Bah! Equestrian Seahawks have nothing on a proper Knossian Osprey! With a good minotaur crew at the helm nonetheless!" He and the other minotaur slapped a fist against their chests in pride. 

"I'll have you know I downed three Ospreys in my tour of duty!"

"Then they must have been piloted by blind minotaurs if a one eyed pony could shoot them down!" Both minotaurs set about in their roaring laughter. 

Daring clasped her head with her hooves, trying to keep the noise from aggravating her headache. "Could you guys tone it down a bit? I'm dyin' over here."

The old Seahawk captain and the minotaur looked closely at the pegasus. The minotaur broke out in a large grin. "I know you, you're Daring Do! A pleasure to meet a real hero. I'm Kazin, my brother and I heard about your antics with the Cult of the Sacred Heifer."

"In a good way or a bad way?" 

"A most entertaining way! None of us minotaur take the Sacred Heifer seriously except those too weak to join the army. Isn't that right Aelos?" The black minotaur nodded, not really focusing on anything except his mug of ale. "So what are you doing heading to Zebrica?"

Daring clenched her jaw a little, "Tourist, just wanting to go over and see the sights. What about you?"

"A dangerous time for sight seeing, what with the war between the tribes and all. My brother and I have been hunting manticores here in Equestria, most of the cargo hold is our haul. We would have just taken the airships straight over Zebrica, but the war is preventing us from safely going it overland. Aelos and I have to recharter at Tashim to hopefully get a seabound ship to Knossos."

Daring lifted a mug, feeling her headache slowly dissolving. "Well, good luck to you."

Other than the heated debates between Kazin and the Seahawk captain, dinner was uneventful. Timur learned much from his fellow zebras that were on board, not much of it was helpful in their quest though. Rising from her seat, Daring excused herself and went back to her quarters to sleep away the night and hopefully digest something before the ginger wore off. 


*******************************************


The former shaman N'dutu leaned back in his great throne made of elephant tusks, pleased with his luxury, but annoyed at the slow progress with his army. The Blackclaw gnolls acted as his elite guard, standing outside of his tent and just inside, loyal to their alpha who provided so many of their favored bones. The trio of big cats provided by his new ally lay around to either side of the warlord, relaxed, but ready to pounce at a moments notice. Four months since he had drafted the small pack of gnolls and his army had grown to over ten thousand strong. 

Shifting the itchy leopard skin that adorned his shoulder, the warlord clapped his hooves. Almost instantly a zebra mare pushed aside the tent flaps and entered, prostrating herself. 

"Fetch me a skin of wine, make sure it is cold." The mare shuffled out of the tent, quivering as the gnolls snapped their jaws at her. 

The scarred warlord grinned, with power like this, who needed friends? The warmth emanating from the massive sapphire told him that he needed one friend in particular. Lifting the gem with a hoof, N'dutu turned his attention to the gnolls standing at the doorway and nodded. The two hyena brutes nodded back and exited.

The warlord looked into the depths of the gemstone. The face of Ahuizotl emerged from the swirling mists, "You have heard my call, and this time actually bothered to answer."

"I have been busy, conquering six whole nations of Zebrica has been no easy feat."

Ahuizotl slammed a fist into something that the warlord could not see, "Yet you still have time to indulge yourself in whatever tickles your fancy! I could choose another zebra for my pets to aid, then we shall see who is needed!" The three big cats stood from their rest, raising their hackles at the warlord.

N'dutu glanced at the cats with no concern in his eyes, "Calm yourself, my army is nearly large enough to challenge the guardians of Talib's tomb. Once I have the Eyes, nothing will stop me."

"As long as the Eyes end up in your hooves, I do not care who leads your army. But there is one I have come to warn you of. One who could single-hoofedly destroy everything we have worked for." The trio of cats visibly calmed and laid back down, their yellow eyes still on the warlord.

"How can one stand against many? I have ten thousand warriors of six tribes, monsters of the savanna and the jungle under my lash, and the force of nature at my call!"

"Do not underestimate the power of one. My spies in Equestria have told me that their Princess has sent Daring Do to find the Eyes before you."

N'dutu opened his mouth and began to laugh, "Daring Do! A great joke you lay upon me, dear friend."

The blue face within the gem snarled, "Do not underestimate Daring Do! She has foiled my plans too many times to count. Even the thought that Princess Celestia has chosen Daring to come and stop you means she is aware that I am aiding you. If you are not careful, she will steal the Eyes from right under your muzzle! And more, the Lost Prince is coming home."

N'dutu quivered with anger, the image of Ahuizotl fading from the depths of the gemstone. Lifting his head, he shouted to the guards outside. "Bring me my shaman!"

His servant from before shuffled in with his skin of wine, angrily he punched her with a hoof, spilling his drink everywhere. The mare cried and fled the tent as six shaman from captured tribes entered the tent. Falling to their knees they presented themselves to their lord. "There is one who would threaten me, on her way here as I speak. Send her a gift, courtesy of N'dutu!"

One of the shaman lifted his head, "Who do we send the masks to, great warlord N'dutu?"

"Use your rituals to call to the vultures, tell them they are to bear the spirit masks to Daring Do!"