CHAPTER 12

The Belly of the Beast

The two other prisoners, Golden Rule and Tater Tot, were already in the cage when Daring arrived in the belly of Mojo’s volcanic lair. She craned her neck to try to see if the locks would be easy to destroy. But it was too difficult to assess from the position she was in. Her legs and wings were bound with ropes, and she was being pulled along on a cart by twelve possessed puppies and a large bunny who was pretending to be possessed. It was an unusual plan, but Daring trusted her instincts enough to know it had a chance of success. Either way, it had gotten her to Mojo and the others.

“Daring!” Tater Tot cried out, his voice a mixture of panic and relief.

“Ah, my faithful servants! I see that you have brought me a gift,” Mojo smiled in delight. “Treats for everyone later. I have a feeling there will be plenty of bones available then.” He locked eyes with Daring Do. She did her best to seem like she was struggling against the ropes. It was all part of the act, and it would only work if Mojo believed it.

“You won’t get away with this, Mojo!” Daring shouted. She gritted her teeth and let out a low, animalistic growl.

“Yes, I will.” Mojo summoned Fluffy Bun and pointed him toward the cage. “Because it appears I get everything I want.” Fluffy Bun hopped over to Daring Do. A pair of sheepdogs trotted over and tore the ropes off the pony with their teeth. Fluffy opened the cage and the dogs threw Daring in. Daring whined convincingly, giving the dogs a sly wink. Tater Tot ran over and hid behind her. Golden Rule looked even grungier than when she’d seen him in the forest. His golden mane was matted, clinging to his head in stringy strands. There was black volcanic ash smudged across his cheeks, and his green velvet cloak was missing. Daring could see that he had a wound across his right hoof, possibly inflicted by Mojo, but she couldn’t be sure. After everything she’d learned about Golden Rule from Tater Tot, she knew that he was smart enough to have a plan of some sort. He locked eyes with Daring and gave a tiny nod. So he was on her side. Daring wondered what exactly his plan was and whether it would interfere with her own.

“Of course I wanted to steal back all three of the Flankara Relics,” Mojo continued, completely oblivious to the silent conversation going on behind the bars of the enclosure. He trotted over to a stone pedestal covered in a black velvet cloak. “And look! The powerful Sword of Lusitano, the Staff of Ponypeii, and your old friend—the Arrow of Marapore.” He reached up, swiping the swathes of fabric off to reveal an ornate metal stand. It had three slots, each filled with an elusive relic.

The silver stallion paced around the glowing trifecta of artifacts. The brilliant light shooting from their tips was almost too bright to behold. It lit up the entire room, which Daring now took in. The blackened volcanic walls were arched and completely smooth—a vast contrast to the passageway Daring had unceremoniously landed in. There were several wooden benches facing the platform that were now filling up with the hundreds of pets that Mojo had stolen from Lusitano, Ponypeii, Marapore, and possibly other distant places. It was as if they were going to watch some sort of show. A captive audience. Daring remembered the words from the encyclopedia. He’s bewitched the animals to take his orders and watch him perform the Vehoovius Hex!

The only thing that separated the benches from the platform was a pit of bubbling molten lava. The whole space looked very much like the belly of Captain Pony’s ship, if it had gone upside down. The sailors called it “keeling over.” Hadn’t Tater Tot said that long ago, the Stalwart Stallion of Neighples was once a commander in the Royal Navy?

“Mo?” Daring whispered to herself. She thought of Steel Anchor and Sea Storm’s conversation back on the ship. They’d said a pony had “turned.” Now she understood what they had meant.

Mojo continued to pace back and forth, his hideous scar of a cutie mark appearing even more terrifying in the ghostly light of the relics. He turned to Daring, the corners of his mouth turned up in a devilish smirk. “And I wanted you, Daring Do.” He walked closer, trying to crack her stony expression.

“Is that so?” Daring replied, unyielding. Though inside, she was trying to make sense of what he’d confessed. Why would the evil stallion want to lure her there, knowing full well that she had the capabilities to put a stop to his plans? There had to be more.

“Oh yes…” Mojo continued, savoring each word that left his lips. He walked over to a large glass vial that had multicolored smoke swirling around in it. He stared at it as he spoke, mesmerized. “That’s why I had my friend Golden Rule here pay you a little visit. Naturally, after I pried all the information about the power of the relics out of him, I was hoping to use him as my witness, my very own ‘Golden Pedagogue.’ But when he showed me that I had it all wrong—that it had to be a golden Pegasus with a cutie mark of a volcano on her flank, naturally I was a bit… upset.” Mojo’s face morphed into one of rage.

Daring looked to Golden Rule in confusion. Her cutie mark was of a compass rose. Surely, he knew that if he had heard of Daring before. Why had he lied about the fact that it was a volcano? Golden Rule coughed and caught Daring’s eye. His wink was so fast that she almost missed it. It was a signal for her to just go with it.

Mojo composed himself and continued on. “Alas, I have a tender heart. The poor little schoolteacher pleaded for his life, and I gave him a way to save it. I told him he had to find me that Pegasus or else”—Mojo motioned to the filthy, defeated pony slumped in the corner—“I won’t mention what fate he would have had in store, because lucky for him, whatever he did to get you into my clutches worked. And I have even bigger plans for you, my dear. You’re to be my new assistant!” His eyes flashed with wicked delight.

Daring struggled against the bars of the cage. “You won’t get away with it, Mojo. And I won’t let you hurt those innocent villagers by taking away the only protection they have against a volcano that is minutes away from erupting!”

The cavern rumbled, loosening some wayward rocks from the shiplike stone rafters. They hurtled toward the lava, which churned and bubbled in response. Black smoke rose up and wafted over them. Daring couldn’t suppress another fit of coughs.

“Aw, somepony got a bit of a sensitive throat?” Mojo twisted his face into a look of faux concern. “But let’s call a little weak Pegasus what it is: weak. This was never your game, Do.” Mojo sneered. “You might as well give it up now! And Golden Rule here said you were the bravest in Equestria!” Mojo shot Golden Rule a nasty look. “I have to say I’m sorely disappointed.”

He trotted over to the cage and brought his face in close. Daring struggled against the cage and let out a low growl. Mojo dramatically tossed back his green-and-black mane and laughed. “But still, since you are the Pegasus that fits the bill, I suppose you’ll ‘Do.’”

Mojo paced back over to the glass vial and gave it a gentle tap. “Aw, look at my little animal souls! Aren’t they pretty? Hundreds of them. Took me forever to collect…” The colored swirls inside began to pick up speed, turning into a miniature tornado. As if the two were connected, a larger tornado of lava spiraled up from the pit, nearing the ceiling of the cavernous room. Mojo watched with glee, the flickering fire visible in his glossy, greedy eyes. “This means Vehoovius is almost ready! Then I can perform my spell and the deed will be done. I will have my cutie mark restored, and I will be more powerful than anypony!”

Mojo lunged for the cage and blasted the gate open with a powerful bolt of magic from his horn. “Now let’s see that cutie mark of yours!”

“Daring! Cover your cutie mark!!!” Tater Tot cried out in despair. The colt shielded his eyes as Mojo tore Daring’s cloak away from her flank. Daring Do and Mojo both gasped at what they found. Daring Do’s cutie mark was gone!