Another Day, Another Dungeon

by 00Pony

Chapter 6

“Sometimes you’ll find things that don’t make a lick of sense. Usually, it’s just best to not question them.”

“Soooo…. You have a brilliant plan to get us out of this one, don’t you?” Velvet asked; the sarcasm evident in her clearly worried tone.

“Well, I don’t think that begging them is going to help us at all,” the Pegasus responded in a deceptively chipper tone, “I mean, after all, they are cats.”

Twilight Velvet turned her gaze to Daring briefly, aghast at how calm the adventurer was behaving. It was all a front, really. It was clear in Daring’s eyes that she herself was incredibly worried. The cats, about four in number, including a leopard, panther, bobcat and the tiger, slowly began to close the distance between themselves and the two ponies. Saliva coated their lips, and glistened off of their rows of razor sharp teeth.

Velvet swallowed nervously. Not for the first time, and she highly doubted the last, she was regretting this choice. She had been doing that a lot lately, hadn’t she? Regretting everything that had led to this predicament she now found herself in. These thoughts were broken by the sound of yet another creature approaching. The Unicorn mare felt her heart dropping, “What kind of cat do you think that is…?” She asked, quietly.

Daring Do, slowly shook her head, now pressed against the Unicorn beside her as the cats drew ever closer, “I don’t know Vel… Maybe it’s a lion? We’ve already got a few cats you wouldn’t normally find in this kind of place, so why not?” Her eyes widened briefly, “Duck!” She shouted, pulling Velvet down with her.

The sound of jaws snapping together sounded overhead, the tiger having lunged for the space that Daring’s head had once occupied. Velvet had little time to react as she found herself tugged to the side by Daring, though she understood why a second later as her eyes caught the bobcat pouncing at the patch of dirt she had been standing on. That could have been her, cut open by the sharp claws of the cat. The rustling from before grew closer, and the other predatory cats had begun to spread out once more, enclosing the ponies once again. Only this time, there was an evident opening at one point.

And whatever had been approaching, now leapt out of the brush. Twilight Velvet’s nerves got the better of her, and she cried out in dismay, trying to backpedal out of Daring do’s grasp, “Velvet!! Calm down! It’s just a…” Now it was her turn to sound surprised, “Kitten?”

Velvet’s eyes snapped open and she followed Daring’s gaze. Sure enough, standing before them was an admittedly cute little kitten. It was a surprising contrast to the four larger cats that could take a pony’s face off with a single swipe, “What?! A kitten?! What in Celestia’s name is a kitten doing here?!! What purpose could it possibly serve?!?” She shrieked.

Daring Do caught a hold of her again, “A convenient way out, perhaps?!” She said, and shoved her over the kitten, which was now standing as high as it could, hackles raised and teeth barred, giving its own version of its larger cousin’s growls, “Run, Velvet! Run!” Daring shouted. The Unicorn needed only be told once, and promptly took off as fast as she could.

The Pegasus adventurer herself then leapt over the kitten, and took off running after Velvet. She did not need to look behind her to know that the felines had now taken chase. It did not take long for the fleet-footed mare to catch up to her less attributed friend. Daring maintained a pace so as to stay on a level with Velvet, and not leave her behind. The Unicorn mare was doing surprisingly well, considering their current predicament. Tears streamed from her wide, light blue eyes, and were being swept backwards by the wind as they ran. The writer needed no help in avoiding obstacles, her adrenaline certainly helping.

As she ran through the forest, the wet heat sapped her energy, and Daring could feel it slowing her pace. The cats were not far behind them now. Frantically, she glanced about for any avenue of escape. Normally, she would spread her wings, and lift both Velvet and herself into the cool, blue sky, but such things were only dreams and wishes at the moment. Her crash landing had crippled her wing for the foreseeable future. But, it seemed that salvation was at hand. Only about ten feet ahead of them, was a ravine. And while that may be reason for anypony to stop and reconsider their course, Daring knew they could make it.

Not because of her ability to fly, but because ponies had an ability that cats did not: they could grip vines and ropes, and there just so happened to be a vine dangling down over the gaping maw of the ravine. Daring Do glanced back at the cats, who were gaining on them with frightening speed. Only a few seconds more and they would be a feline’s dinner. Twilight Velvet had stopped at the edge of the ravine, and was looking helplessly back at Daring and their pursuers. But Daring had a plan. Catching Velvet’s bag’s straps in her teeth and gathering all of her strength, the intrepid adventurer leapt.

Velvet chanced a look down, and immediately wished that she had not, and shut her eyes tight. The expanse of the ravine below her was black as pitch, and she could only imagine what awaited them at the bottom, in the impossible chance they’d survive a fall. The Unicorn nearly cursed her Pegasus companion. They were going to die anyway, but Velvet preferred not to be able to think back on things as she plummeted to her death! Of course, the writer had not seen the vine, and did not realize that she was in no danger until Daring set her onto solid ground once again.

Slowly, Twilight Velvet opened her eyes, and was relieved to find that she was not about to fall several hundred feet down an opening in the earth. She collapsed, hugging the ground. The humid climate and the mad dash through the jungle had caused her to sweat profusely, but she was too tired at the moment to reach for her canteen. Glancing over at the edge of the ravine, she saw Daring Do sitting down, panting heavily as her own perspiration caused her jacket to cling to her back. The cats on the other side of the ravine, having been quick enough to stop themselves from falling into the abyss, were pacing angrily back and forth along its edge, yowling their lamentations at a lost meal. They only kept up the act for five seconds more before giving up, and slinking back into the jungle around them.

As her heartbeat settled, and the adrenaline left her system, Velvet was finally able to hear the sounds of the jungle again. There were macaws crying out in the foliage above, and the incessant buzzing of the mosquitoes, among other things. One of the bloodsucking insects landed on Velvet’s outstretched leg, and had been about to begin to drink its fill, when Velvet lazily brought her other hoof over and flattened the insect.

Daring Do slowly trod over, throwing herself down beside Velvet and giving a heavy sigh, letting her already heavy breathing subside slightly. The two mares lay like that for a minute more – moving only to swat at the bloodsucking mosquitoes – before finally, they were able to breathe normally. Daring was the first to sit up, and she slowly uncorked her canteen and took a few careful sips, conscious not to let the water seep down her throat too quickly. Velvet hoisted herself up and did the same. As much as she wanted to, the Unicorn refrained from dousing herself with the water from her canteen. It would only provide temporary relief, and would just waste the essential liquid.

She began to laugh shortly after. Daring gave her an incredulous look, one eyebrow raised, before she too began to laugh alongside Velvet. What they were laughing about, neither mare was entirely sure at the time. But they had avoided death twice in one day, and that was cause for a little laughter to ease the mood. Their calming merriment lasted only a minute or two more, and as it died down, Velvet glanced at Daring Do, “Any idea what a kitten was doing all the way out here?”

The Pegasus adventurer shook her head, “Velvet, let me tell you something. If there is one thing that I’ve learned doing this kind of thing, and trust me, I’ve learned a lot, it is that there are some things that just don’t make a lick of sense. And sometimes, it’s better just not to question them.” She chuckled shortly, before sighing, standing up, and stretching.

Velvet mirrored Daring’s movements. It felt good to stretch, especially after a run like that, and then lying around barely moving. The action left her feeling slightly revitalized, and she felt better than she had since they crashed. Or at least, as good as she could feel given the situation. Taking one more swig from her canteen before corking it, Velvet set off at a steady walk after Daring Do, who had already begun to move off.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, save for the grumbling brought about by the mosquitoes or the occasional root tripping them up. However, all of these irritations did not last very long. For as Velvet and Daring broke the tree line, they found themselves face to face with their target: The Temple of Ahuizotl. Daring Do’s mouth broke into a large, triumphant grin, and she pulled her hat tighter against her head, “Sapphire Statue, here we come.” And without further ado, she began to climb the stairs to the temple.

Author's Note:

'Bout time I remembered this.