My entry for the writing contest. It is not a complete story, but I am too busy to finish it. So it is a short story which can turn into something longer. I hope you like it.

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Daring Do pulled the aged lever and gasped. The layers of dust and dirt coating the slab fell in a cascade of fog as it began to move, withdrawing into the wall like a door. Through the dark hallway beyond, a single light shown down on her prize—the Mask Of Gymkhana. Its surface silver and its eyes black and cold, it stared back at Daring with a haunting expression. The longer she stared, the more it seemed to beckon her, encouraging her to traverse the dark and take it. But as Daring took a step, her breath left her body in a frantic heartbeat. The mask began to move, and out from the darkness did two massive claws emerge, gripping the edges of the doorway.

A beast, with five centimeter long claws, stepped into the beam of light that had illuminated the mask. The creature was standing upright and was twice Daring’s height and easily three times her mass. It was covered with fluffy brown feathers on the top half of its body, which became more fur-like on its lower half. It had giant bird eyes and a beak, upon which the Mask did not fit well, having been made to fit a pony. Daring recognized the creature as an owlbear. It was not intelligent and therefore would have no desire or ability to communicate. If owlbears weren’t sleeping then they were hungry.

Daring’s blood ran cold and she swallowed the lump in her throat. The owlbear growled and took a slow step toward her, while Daring began to take a step back. The beast lunged and Daring dived to her left. The frame of the entrance offered just enough cover as the owlbear landed on all fours next to her. The hungry beast’s claw scraped into the stone floor. Thinking fast and moving faster, Daring snatched the Mask off the beast’s face, stepped onto its back, and darted for the stairs that she had recently came down.

Her hooves kicked up dust as she made her way to the stone steps. She took them two at a time. The passage was too narrow to use her wings. The owlbear lumbered behind her with the thud-thud of its steps. The stairs turned to the right and ended in a stone passage. The light from her helmet lamp cut a beam through the dusty air. The entrance was only a few seconds away. She had uncovered the stone doorway, which had been buried under vines and dirt for untold years. Her lungs burned and she coughed on the dusty air. She skidded to a stop and almost slipped on the wet floor.

But where was the entrance? It must be right here! The thumping of the owlbear’s footsteps got louder as it reached the top of the stairs. Daring looked down the passageway and saw her lamp light reflect in the creature’s eyes. Turning back to the wall she searched frantically for the entrance. Here it was! The stone slab had been replaced! Some one had sealed the door.

“No,” she said between gulps of air. She had been followed, most likely by Dr. Caballeron’s goons. She had thought she had lost them back in the village. But there was no time to worry about that now, there was an owlbear making its way to its dinner.

Daring tried to push on the stone slab but her muscles were strained and the stone wouldn’t budge. She ran her hoof down the side of the wall and felt mud. Of course! She remembered a small river nearby; the water must run underground here. There was a tree root that had worked its way through the stone ceiling, following the path of the water. She pulled on the root and it came loose, knocking down stone and rocks.

Behind the wall was a natural tunnel. Daring stuffed the Mask into her satchel and pushed her way into the tunnel. She managed to get her hind hooves in just as the owlbear slashed at them, leaving a painful cut on her ankle. Pushing, pulling, and digging, Daring crawled into the tight space. The water had carved out an underground stream. The tunnel became larger. There were tree roots dangling down into the water. She managed to pull a knife from her belt and cut her way through the roots.

The light on her helmet became covered in mud so she was crawling in darkness. The water got deeper and at this point she was wading. The current also became stronger, as other streams converged. The current became strong enough to pull her, but she had to tread water to keep herself from going under.

From time to time, she was able to hold onto a large root and rest, using her other hoof to feel that the Mask was still in her satchel. She contemplated her options: go back and hope the owlbear had forgotten about her, or let the underground water take her to its destination. She even laughed at her predicament. “What have you gotten yourself into now?” She decided to follow the water.

It was probably only about an hour from the time she entered the tunnel to the point where she thought she saw light. The current carried her to an exit. Some ponies pay money for a ride like this, she thought. She grabbed for the sides of the tunnel, but her hooves found no hold. She held her nose as the water ejected her into a pool some four meters below. She went under and kicked her legs, swimming to the surface. Breaching the surface, she gasped for air. She then paddled her way to the shore.

She was at the bottom of a rocky cliff, perhaps six meters high. The water was pouring into a small pond that fed a river. Around her was the jungle of Moo Forest, part of the Farasia region. She crawled up onto the muddy shore and flopped on her back. She took in lungfuls of air and stared up at the blue sky. There were a few clouds and the sun was high. Her heart began to return to a normal rhythm and she could hear more than just the flow of her blood. The chatter of insects and the flow of the waterfall filled the air.

Her helmet floated beside her. She put it on and sat up on the shore. She checked her satchel once more to make sure the Mask was still there. She retrieved a compass from her pack and tried to orient herself. Judging from the direction of north, the time of day, and the time she spent crawling through the tunnel, she estimated that she was just south of the village.

Five days prior, she had come into the large sized village by boat. The native ponies of the region lived a simple life. There were no paved roads, no air strips, and no fast ways to communicate with the outside. Her search for the Mask Of Gymkhana had led her to this land, to this jungle, to this village. She was able to get a boat to take her there, where she stayed with a nice family. She didn’t know she was followed by somepony, who must have snuck into the village by night. There was no way that stone door moved itself.

This meant that she wasn’t sure if it was safe for her to return. Mostly likely, whoever was after her expected that owlbear to finish her off. They would then open the tomb, allow the owlbear to escape, and pick the Mask from among her bones. She shuddered at the thought. How many times had she come close to death? This week alone? One of these days her luck would run out, she feared.

She started her trek back to the village. It would take her a couple hours to return, and by that point she hoped she would have a plan. As it was, her initial plan was to take the Mask back to Professor Joneshoof at the School Of Antiquities, part of the University Of Manehatten. Joneshoof had gotten a lead on the old relic. His contacts had lead Daring across the ocean to Saddle Arabia, then to Farasia. And, as usual, she was trailed by somepony else who wanted the treasure for their own profits. Standard affair, really. Even so, she wished she could retrieve one lost artifact without having to fight off a giant monster or a group of evil henchponies.

She sat on a fallen tree to take a break in the shade. The air was humid and insects buzzed around her. What was it that Professor Joneshoof had said? The Mask had the power to bring great prosperity to whomever could unlock its powers. Undoubtably somepony wanted to use it to get rich.

Standing up and wiping the sweat from her eyes, she continued. Flies buzzed around her and birds would circle overhead. The village was built on the river, which was easy to find. It was just a matter of walking up stream until she came to the village. After a couple hours of walking, she estimated that she had to be close. Indeed, she spotted the first hut on the outskirts of town.

Overall the community had about 1000 residents, some of whom were farmers who lived away from the main part of town. This was the kind of house she now saw. Obviously Daring was not able to meet everypony who lived there, but everypony did know of her, and all seemed friendly to her.

The house was wooden with a grass roof. It was surrounded by rice patties. A farmer was walking one of the paths between the patties. Daring approached him. “Greetings, friend.” She had learned their language before her trip.

The farmer, an elderly pony, squinted at her under his wide, straw hat. He leaned on his hoe. “Oh my, you must be the one they are looking for.” He became nervous and looked around. Looking back to her he said, “Come with me.”

The old farmer led her into his small house and closed the door. He led her to a simple wooden chair, then proceeded to close the shutters on the windows. When that was done he spoke to her, “Some outsiders came into the village this morning. They were big, ten of them. They asked about you. They said you were a wanted criminal and that there was a reward.”

Daring stood up, “What? What outsiders?”

The farmer tried to calm her, “You will be safe here. I know of you, co Do,” he used his native dialect. “My wife will be home soon. We will help you.”

“Thank you, uh..”

The pony smiled. “My name is Tran Buu. Now you sit here and I will fix you something to eat.”

It was then that Daring realized how hungry she was, “That sounds wonderful, thank you ong Tran.”

“Please, call me Buu,” he said from the kitchen area. “We don’t get many outsiders. I mean, ponies from such far away. Visitors from the city are common enough. I had heard you were searching for something, is that right?” He had prepared a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables for her and placed the dish on the table. He also got her a cup of water.

Daring instinctively grabbed her satchel. “Oh, uh, just doing a little exploring.” She had been told by Professor Joneshoof that he had been in collaboration with a local university in Farasia. She had the proper documentation to search the jungle and export the Mask as a historical relic. However, often locals did not like foreigners taking items from ancient, often sacred, sites. She had to be careful for the time being.

She ate the meal and thanked Buu again. She yawned, “I’m exhausted. Do you mind if I take a nap?”

“Not at all,” Buu replied. “There is a mat in my room. I will wake you when my wife Chi returns.”

“Thank you,” she said and went to the back room. There was no door but there was a curtain, which offered some amount of privacy. The mattress looked comfortable but Daring realized that she was dirty from her swim and walk through the jungle. Instead of getting the bed dirty she decided to lie on the floor next to it. She placed her satchel by her head and closed her eyes.

“Co Do?” the farmer’s voice woke her. “My wife Chi has returned from the village.”

Daring stretched her sore legs and yawned. “Oh, how long has it been?”

“Oh, I’d say an hour,” Buu said.

Daring entered the front room to meet the farmer’s wife: a short pony with a pleasant smile. “Oh my,” she said upon seeing the dirty explorer, “you look like a mess. Please, get cleaned up and I will find you something to wear.” She led Daring to a small washroom. “I’m sorry there is no hot water prepared.”

“It will do.” The older pony left Daring alone to clean up. When she was done, Chi placed a bundle of clothes on the counter. “These are my husband’s. I’m afraid my clothes wouldn’t fit you.”

Daring examined the pants and robe. “These will work just fine.”

“You must stay for dinner, I insist.”

“Yes, I am still hungry. I believe that I will.” Daring went to sit at the table in the main room, not knowing what else to do.

“Buu will prepare the food while I clean your clothes.”

“You are both too kind,” Daring responded. She was uneasy. She needed a plan. She had to get back to the village and get on a boat headed up river to the city. From there she could get another boat north to Maretania. And from there a boat to Equestria. But for now, food.

“What brings you to our village?” Chi asked.

“Oh, just research,” Daring replied.

“You’re from one of the schools, then?” Chi said.

“Yes, the University Of Manehatten.” She supposed it was true, even if she technically wasn’t a student or member of the faculty.

“Must be nice,” said Chi. “Your clothes should be dry enough now. I will get them for you.” The pony left the table and returned with Daring’s clothes neatly folded on top of her satchel. But Chi stumbled on a loose floorboard and dropped the bag. “Oops!”

The bag slid across the floor and the Mask fell out. The older ponies both stared at it. Daring’s heart stopped. Chi looked at her while Buu bent down to pick up the Mask.

“What is this?” he asked. He was not angry, but had a genuine sense of curiosity.

“Oh, uh, just a souvenir from a gift shop,” Daring dissembled.

Buu examined the Mask, then recognition came to him. “No, it can’t be! The Mask Of Gymkhana! It has been lost for centuries.” He turned the mask over and examined the inside. “Legend says that a pony of virtue can bring prosperity to his village. Where did you find this?”

It looked like the jig was up. Surely now the couple would turn her over to the goons that were after her. She decided to come clean. She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m an explorer, working for the University, like I said earlier. But those ponies who came to your village, they’re the bad guys. They want the mask for their own greed. You have to believe me!”

Chi smiled and patted Daring on the shoulder. “Relax, child. We just want to know where you got it and what you plan to do with it.”

Daring looked into the eyes of the couple and relaxed. “I’m going to bring it to Goc Cay City, where I’m to meet with an archaeologist there.”

Buu and Chi relaxed. “For the past year,” Buu said, “foreign ponies have been coming to this region looking for something in the jungle. Some of the rumors said they were looking for the Mask. They definitely weren’t from any university. This morning when I was at the market, somepony told me about our recent visitors.”

“When I was in town,” said Chi, “these foreigners were questioning ponies, offering a reward for you. Here,” she pulled the hood over Daring’s face, “Stay safe.”

“Don’t worry,” said Daring, “I have been staying with a family.” She slung the satchel over her neck. “Thank you. But now I really must be going.”

“Take care, co Do,” Buu said.

By this time the sun was below the tree lines and the forest was full of shadows. The air was a bit cooler and less humid. Nocturnal insects were now adding their cacophony. The village was only 30 minutes away and Daring soon saw the torchlights that were set up along the roads. The smell of jungle gave way to the smell of smoke from heating and cooking fires. The sounds of insects were replaced by the bustle of a town winding down its day. Though this town was not very big, it was busy at night. Boats would arrive almost daily and it took most of the evening to unload cargo and prepare new cargo for the outgoing ship.

She felt that it was unlikely that she would encounter these goons, but she kept to the shadows as much as possible. The streets were hard packed dirt or stone. The buildings were mostly one-story and wooden with grass or wooden roofs. There were a few two-story buildings near the docks. Crates and barrels were stacked outside of shops.

Ponies passed her in the street and didn’t seem to notice her. She had been staying with a family who had a house in an area that was a short walk away. Professor Joneshoof had set up the arrangement. They knew she was working for the University and they had hosted researchers before.

The houses in this area had modest yards with trees and gardens. Most of the homes had light leaking through shuttered windows. Some had screens over the windows, which kept out the bugs and allowed the homeowner to keep the shutters open. Luckily for Daring, she didn’t encounter anypony.

It was not long before she found the house she was looking for. By this time the sun had set and the only light in the neighborhood came from the homes. The house she went to had its shutters closed. She followed the gravel path to the front door and knocked. A few moments later the door opened and Daring met her filly friend Hoa.

“Ba Do!” the small pony said.

Daring put her hoof to her lips, “Shhh!” She stepped inside and closed the door. “Are your parents home?”

The filly’s father Minh came from the kitchen to the living room. “Daring, where have you been? What’s going on?”

Daring took off her cloak and sat on the couch, a wooden seat with cushions. The small home had framed pictures of friends and family hanging on the walls. There was a well-worn rug on the wood floor. The smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen. “I need to get back to Goc Cay,”

Hoa sat on the couch. She was in her last year of school and was exploring her new talent in botany. “What did you find, ba Do?”

Minh saw that Daring was tired and upset, “Hoa, go see your mother in the back. Ba Do and I need to talk.” The filly pouted but did as she was told. “Co Do, what is going on? There are ponies asking for you.”

Daring took a deep breath. “Yes, I had heard. I need to get a boat to Goc Cay as soon as possible.”

“The next boat leaves tomorrow morning. But these ponies are hanging around the docks. When I knew they were looking for you I followed them for a bit. They want you and are willing to pay. Why are they after you?

“Well,” Daring said, “everywhere I go there is somepony right behind me, wanting to take my archeological discoveries for their own gain.”

“What did you find?” Minh asked.

Daring didn’t want to put this family in danger. The less they knew, the safer they would be. “Just a small bag of coins. Nothing significant,” she lied. “I’m taking it to the university in Goc Cay.”

Minh frowned but decided not to question it further. Daring had spent a few days with the family. What’s more, this family had sponsored students from the university before, and they trusted Professor Joneshoof and his associates in Goc Cay. A friend of his was a friend of theirs. “Fine. Rest here. We will find a way to get you to the city tomorrow.” Daring nodded and yawned as she stretched out on the couch. Minh pulled a blanket over her, while Hoa peeked around the door frame.

 

Daring awoke to the smell of cooking breakfast. “Good morning, Daring,” said Thu, Minh’s wife. Daring stretched and pulled the blanket off of her.

“What time is it? Did I miss the boat?” Daring asked.

“No, it won’t leave for a couple more hours,” answered Thu. “That leaves you enough time to eat and get cleaned up.”

That sounded like a good idea. Daring stood up, stretched again, and went into the kitchen. “Mm, that looks good,” she said of the plates of food on the table.

“I have some clothes for you in the washroom.”

“Thank you, Thu.” Daring availed herself of the washroom and then returned to the kitchen. Minh and Hoa were already eating the rice and fruit that Thu had prepared. “I should get going soon,” Daring said.

“I hope you make it back to the city. Send us a letter letting us know that you are safe,” Minh said.

“I will,” Daring promised. She finished her breakfast. “I will collect my things.”

“I will pack you some food for the road,” Thu said.

“I also put some items in your pack,” Minh said. “Some things that might be useful.”

“Thank you, Minh. I’m sure I will be fine. I’ve dealt with far worse than a few tugs,” Daring said as she went to the back room where her few belongings were. She decided to leave her extra clothes behind since she had to travel light.

“Your life is so exciting,” Hoa said quietly from the doorway. Daring looked over her shoulder at the girl. “Sometimes I wish it were more boring. It can be too dangerous at times.” She turned back to her packing. Minh had packed some tools in a pouch. Daring was able to fit her important items in her side bag, keeping the Mask safely tucked in at the bottom. She pointed to her other clothes and a few small trinkets. “You can have these,” she said to Hoa. “I promise to come back and visit. But for now, I must leave.” She turned to Hoa and gave her a hug.

“I’m coming with you,” The filly said.

Daring pushed her away and looked at her, “No, you’re not.”

“You need my help,” Hoa countered.

“I need you to stay here. Next year, you can enter the university in Goc Cay. But this is too dangerous for you.

Hoa looked at Daring for a few moments, then looked away and sighed. “You get to have all the fun.”

Daring patted her on the head. “It’s not always fun. Now, I have to go.” She left the room to say goodbye to Minh and Thu, who were sitting at the table. “I must be leaving. Thank you for your hospitality. I promise to write when I get the city.”

“Good bye co Do,” “Good luck.”

Daring was wearing local clothing so as not to stand out. She pulled the hood over her head and stepped outside. The sky was clear and it promised to be another humid day. The sunlight filtering through the trees created a dappled pattern on the hard packed street. There were a few locals wandering about, but nopony suspicious.

Daring kept her head low and took the back streets toward the docks. A few blocks and she was into a more commercial area. The homes gave way to businesses. There were trees and a few fences that provided a buffer between the residential and commercial parts of the village. The part of town she was going to was downhill from where she was coming from. The streets snaked back and forth, rather thang going straight, so as to make the path up the hill easier.

She slipped into an alley between buildings. There were boxes and trash cans, but no sign of anypony suspicious, except herself, she supposed. The docks were one more block away, just on the other side of the row of buildings she was looking at. She looked down the street as she was exiting the alley. So far so good, no goons.

She moved quickly down the street to the cross street and turned left. This short street lead down to the docks. It was fairly busy and Daring spotted a pony that clearly didn’t belong. Foreign ponies, such as herself, stuck out. Not just their looks but their dress. They didn’t wear the local loose pants or cloaks. Instead, this pony was wearing military style fatigues, which were more practical for hiking in the jungle. What’s more, he was looking around and not busy moving crates.

Daring ducked behind some boxes. She crawled behind a stack of crates and peeked over. The boat for the day was at the dock. Some ponies were moving crates off while others were moving crates on. She made note of which stack of boxes was for onloading. She needed to crawl a few meters to that stack, but she noticed two more goons patrolling the area.

They were farther away. She waited for all of them to be not looking in her direction and she quickly moved to the other stack of boxes. A label on the side of the box indicated that it was full of fruit. She slowly pulled off the lid and began removing bags of the fruit. She tossed the bags over behind some other crates. When there was enough room, she crawled inside and pulled the lid over herself. She could see through the spaces between the boards.

Now she would play the waiting game. It would be several minutes before the dock worker got to her crate. She watched the activity through the cracks. Then she noticed that another pony was on the boat opening boxes. One of the boat’s crew noticed this foreigner going through the cargo and he began to yell at him. But the goon pulled some money from his pocket and offered it to the crewpony, who pondered the bribe, then took it.

Daring was about to get out of the crate and change plans when it started to move. While she wasn’t paying attention, a dock worker had picked up the crate with a cart and was moving it toward the boat. By this point, the goon on the boat had searched all of the cargo already on the boat and was now waiting at the gang plank, ready to search each box as it came on board.

It looked like Daring was going to have to fight her way out, when she heard somepony yelling from up the street.

“There she is! I see Daring Do! She’s running this way! I found her; I want that reward!” All of the goons ran toward the sound of the yelling. Meanwhile, the dockworkers continued their work, and the crate Daring was in was taken aboard and secured next to the others.

She was still confused. Had somepony mistook a local for her? She decided to not question her good fortune. Peeking through the cracks, she waited for an opportunity to slip the lid off the crate and crawl out. She went to the back of the boat and sat down. It appeared that she was safe, for now. She had taken one of the citrus fruits from the crate and began to eat it. It would be perhaps another hour before the boat was ready to leave. She just hoped the goons were satisfied with their search of the boat.

After what seemed like forever, the dock workers pulled up the gangplank and began untying the boat. The boat was flat bottomed with an open deck. The fore section had a large cabin that was meant for passengers. The boat pulled away from the dock and Daring sighed with relief. She sat back down and closed her eyes.

Before she could nap, she was startled by a gruff voice. “Ah ha! Think you’re pretty clever, eh Daring Do?” One of the goons was standing over her. He had stayed aboard to check the passengers. He was too thorough at his job and had decided to check the rest of the boat. “Just hoof over the mask and I’ll let you go.” He held a club in one hoof.

“Why do we have to do things the hard way?” Daring said quietly and stood up.

“Eh?” the good said, not hearing her clearly.

“Fine, you win.” Daring began to take off her pack.

“Slowly,” the pony said. “Place it on the deck and back away.”

Daring slowly placed the pack on the deck, but instead of letting go of the strap, she pulled up her other hoof, which was still holding the fruit. She held it toward the goon’s face and squeezed. Juice squirted into his eyes.

“Ahh!” he screamed, stumbling back and rubbing his eyes. Daring put the pack over her shoulder and rushed into the goon, knocking him down.

But this move also knocked her off balance. She stumbled and grabbed a crate to steady herself. By this point, the goon had recovered and was coming at her. He swung his club but Daring was able to duck it. Daring took a swing at the goon but he caught her hoof. She tried to swing the pack at him, but he dropped his club and grabbed the pack.

“Ha ha ha,” he laughed. He was about to pull the pack from her when he was hit in the face with another fruit. Then another. Then a few more. “Oof. Oof oof oof.” He stumbled back as the barrage of fruit continued.

Then there was a “Hiyah!” as a small pony jumped up from behind the crate, onto it, and then into the goon. He dropped the pack and was knocked overboard, splashing into the water. He cursed as the current took him back down river.

Daring picked up her pack and looked at her rescuer. “Hoa! What are you doing here?”

“Saving your flank,” Hoa said and laughed. “This really is exciting!”

Daring frowned. “I appreciate the help, but I had everything under control.”

“Sure you did. Face it, ba Do, you need my help.” She looked at Daring’s frowning face. “Please!”

Daring’s frown turned into a laugh. “Ha ha, fine. But only if you follow some rules, ok?”

Hoa almost jumped with joy. “Ok, whatever you say.”

“First,” Daring said, “Call me Daring.” Daring felt that it was unnecessary for younger Hoa to refer to her by the respectful ba, and instead wanted Hoa to treat her as an equal. “Second, you do what I say. I’m the seasoned professional, and your parents would kill me if something happened to you.”

“Deal,” Hoa said.

“Speaking of, won’t your parents be worried?” Daring asked.

“I left them a letter. They will be mad, but I decided to make the decision to help a friend. I will deal with the consequences later.”

“That’s not a wise way to make decisions,” Daring chastised. “It sounds just like me,” she grinned and patted Hoa on the shoulder. “Now,” she brushed herself off, “It will be a few hours before this boat gets to Goc Cay. Let’s relax.”

They spent slept on the deck, hidden behind some cargo crates.