Daring Do and the Absent Artifacts
Ahuitzotl sighed contentedly as he made his usual rounds. Though he had seen great fame and success in recent months as a result of publishing his life story, and quite enjoyed the attention he received as a successful writer, he had never lost sight of his position as a guardian. Which of course meant he would make regular inspections around the Tenochtitlan Basin, making sure that all of the artifacts he had been charged with protecting were still safe and sound.
"Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh, check." He smiled, the artifact bringing back memories for him.
Now that he had made peace with Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron, Ahuitzotl's job was a lot easier. He no longer had to go chasing after one or both of them in pursuit of the artifacts that they had pilfered for one reason or another. Now his job amounted to little more than taking inventory, allowing him to relax, and give him plenty of free time to focus on his newfound writing vocation.
As he continued his rounds, flanked by the group of big cats (and one small cat) he had long held the loyalty of, he discovered something unnerving.
"What is this?" He frowned, checking the insides of an ancient casket, which was empty. "The Hammer of Hefton, it's gone!"
The big cats yowled with distress.
In a panic, Ahuitzotl rushed to the next hiding place, and found the artifact placed there was also gone. A rushed examination of the remaining ruins showed several others were also missing.
"This is not good." Ahuitzotl shook his head. "I just got back into my fellow guardians' good graces. If they found out about this..." He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the possibilities. "I need to find those artifacts quickly. And to do that, I will need some help..."
Two days later...
Daring Do and Dr. Caballeon, in their guises of A.K. Yearling and Groom Q. Q. Nightingale, were preparing to depart from a book store after a reading of their latest joint book.
"What a day." Daring adjusted the glasses of her assumed identity.
"Very true." Caballeron agreed. "Sometimes, I feel like our old clashes over ancient artifacts were less stressful than days of answering questions and signing books until our hooves cramp up."
"But definitely less dangerous." Daring noted. "So y'know: pluses and minuses..."
The sound of the door's bell ringing filled the air, indicating that somecreature had entered the store.
"Sorry, but the reading's over." Daring called over her shoulder. "Ask the store's owner when the next one's going to be."
"I'm afraid that's what I'm here for."
Daring and Caballeron turned to see Ahuitzotl standing before.
"Ahuitzotl." Caballeron smiled awkwardly, still not used to seeing the guardian on friendly terms. "What brings you here? Do you have a book signing of your own to attend to?"
"I'm afraid not." Ahuitzotl said, deadly serious.
"What's going on?" Daring Do asked, adjusting the fake glasses of her alter ego.
"You can't possibly think it was us, do you?" Caballeron frowned.
"We swore on the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh that we wouldn't take any more artifacts from the basin!" Daring Do pointed.
"I know." Ahuizotl nodded. "I'm not here because I suspect you of taking the artifacts. I'm here because I need your help to find them."
"You do?" Daring asked.
"Of course." Ahuitzotl declared. "Between the two of you, you know every type of pony who would desire such artifacts. Either to put in one of your 'museums', or to own for themselves in some insipid private 'collection'."
"The second option seems to be far more widespread." Caballeron noted. "You'd be surprised just how many ponies there are out there who are willing to pay under the table for something shiny and encrusted with jewels."
"Somehow, I doubt I would." Ahuitzotl said humorlessly. "So, can I count on your aid?"
"I'll help you any way I can." Daring Do announced. "It's the least I can do to make up for all those years of treating you like a villain."
"I will help also." Caballeron smiled. "Being a best-selling author has its perks, but I must admit I'm missing the thrill of being out in the field. I'd love the chance to see some action again."
"Excellent." Ahuitzotl smiled gratefully.
"So what else was taken?" Daring Do asked.
"One of the Rings of Scorchero." Ahuitzotl answered.
"Oh, you mean from the time you tried to engulf the Basin in 600 years of scorching sunshine?" Daring recalled.
"A deterrent." Ahuitzotl declared. "I was hoping all that heat would keep you and the doctor from looting any further artifacts."
"It just might have." Daring nodded.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Caballeron said jokingly. "I know where to get some really good sunscreen..."
"Whoever it was also stole the Hammer of Hefton." Ahuitzotl continued.
"I've heard of that." Daring declared. "According to legend, it can create earthquakes with a single strike to the ground."
"Definitely not something you want to fall into the wrong hooves." Caballeron mused.
"If you come with me to the Basin, I can provide you with a more thorough summary of our missing artifacts." Ahuitzotl declared.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Daring smiled, dropping her disguise. "Let's get moving!"
"My thoughts exactly." Caballeron smiled, removing his own disguise. "That fake beard was starting to get itchy anyway..."
Soon after, the unlikely trio were making their way back to Ahuitzotl's temple. With practiced ease, Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron navigated the wilds surrounding the basin.
"just like old times..." Daring grinned nostalgically.
"A little too much, if you ask me." Caballeron sighed as he noticed a pollen stain (from some exotic flower, no doubt) on his shirt.
"I'll admit this feels a little odd." Ahuitzotl mused. "Actually inviting the two of you here. Not so long ago, I would have thought the very idea to be absurd."
"No more absurd than me actually writing a book alongside my oldest foe." Caballeron joked.
"Yeah, life's funny sometimes." Daring acknowledged.
As they cleared the thicker part of the jungle, Ahuitzotl spotted some members of the native pony tribe who also called the Basin home.
"Ah, perhaps we should go this way." He suggested.
"And why would we want to take the long way around?" Caballeron scoffed dismissively.
"I'd prefer we kept this business just between us." Ahuitzotl admitted. "The natives here have always held me in high regard. But if they were to learn the artifacts were lost on my watch..."
"Hey, I get it." Daring nodded. "The opinion of my fans matters to me, too."
"You know, I often wondered why ponies would have allied themselves with you, what with your seeming aspirations for conquest and destruction." Caballeron admitted. "I suppose that should have been our first clue that things with you weren't as they seemed."
"Instead, we just took their being on your side at face value." Daring acknowledged. "Imagine that: An archeologist not bothering to look below the surface."
"Their tribe has lived in this Basin for many generations." Ahuitzotl declared. "They have long revered me for my position of Guardian. A position I may lose if we don't do something about these thefts..."
"Chin up, big guy." Daring smiled. "We're gonna figure this out, together."
Caballeron nodded in agreement, and Ahuizotl felt his spirits lift slightly.
Soon after, they arrived at the temple where Ahuitzotl had found the first artifact had gone missing. Daring and Caballeron got to work in examining the area for any sort of clues.
"Whoever did this knew what they were doing." Daring noted. "No signs of forced entry, no other objects seem to have been disturbed..."
"Indeed." Caballeron mused. "Almost like the kind of heist I would have pulled, not too long ago..."
"And yet..." Daring took note of a hoof-shaped smudge near the door. "There's no such thing as a perfect crime."
"So whoever did this was a pony." Caballeron noted. "I suppose that narrows our search down, if only slightly."
"Let's check out the other crime scenes, just to be certain." Daring declared.
One by one, they scoured the areas where the other lost artifacts had been taken. Some were clean, but one or two held small amounts of evidence which corroborated the idea that the same thief had been there.
"So what now?" Ahuitzotl asked.
"I have a few old contacts in the black market." Caballeron declared. "Not quite as skilled in the game as I once was, mind you. But I can think of several who would have dared such an act."
"I know a couple of folks in that area too." Daring added. "Mostly the crooks I ran down, looking to keep from selling the artifacts for themselves. Pretty sure we can get some intel out of them if we ask politely. And by 'politely', I mean 'firmly demand they comply'."
"I can get behind that." Caballeron smirked.
"As can I." Ahuitzotl grinned. "I have a few choice words for whoever it is that dared steal from me."
The unlikely trio departed from the Basin (making sure to avoid any other tribe members), and began their trek to the heart of Southern Equestria. Their first stop was a small coastal town known as Moss Isely, a town well known for being frequented by smugglers and thieves, and one that both Daring and Caballeron had visited many times in the past.
"So, who's this contact of yours?" Daring asked Caballeron.
"His name is Trot." Caballeron declared. "Whether that's his first or last name, I have no idea. Never bothered to make sure."
"Sounds like you had a very strong bond with him." Daring snarked.
"He was just a client." Cabalelron shrugged. "And a thoroughly unpleasant one, to boot. Never appreciating my efforts. Only ever complaining about how long it took me to bring him his precious trinkets - of which he had a near-insatiable appetite for..."
"Our first suspect, then." Ahuitzotl glowered. "Where can we find this Mr. Trot?"
"At this time of day? Most likely indulging in his hobby of raising Somnambulan blue roses." Caballeron declared. "He has a small greenhouse on the outskirts of the city."
"Then let's pay your botanist friend a visit." Daring nodded.
Soon after, the unlikely trio arrived at the small glass structure. As they entered, Daring briefly took a moment to marvel at the multiple plan species on display.
'Why is it the worst kind of slime so often have the nicest hobbies?' She thought.
In the center of the greenhouse, a middle-aged, overweight Earth Pony stallion with an ash-gray coat, navy blue mane and tail, and a Cutie Mark of an open treasure chest, was tending to some flowers.
"Hello, Mr. Trot." Caballeron announced their presence.
Trot looked up, and yelped with shock at the sight of both Daring and Ahuitzotl.
"Hope you don't mind me bringing some company along for this little visit." Caballeron smirked.
"N-not at all!" Trot trembled, clearly intimidated by Ahuitzotl (who was casting him a less-than-friendly look). "Wh-what can I do for you, my old friend?"
"This isn't a social visit, pal." Daring scowled.
"You see, our large friend here recently found that some of the artifacts under his care had been taken." Caballeron announced. "And while I may out of the artifact-appropriating game, I know full well that I was not the only one of my 'profession' for you to hire."
"So what we're basically asking is: did you send anypony to the Tenochtitlan Basin recently?" Ahuitzotl demanded fiercely.
"N-no!" Trot trembled. "Not recently!"
"There is one way for us to be sure." Ahuitzotl produced the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh and placed it around Trot's neck. "I ask again: did you order the stealing of artifacts from my Basin?"
"...Yes." Trot's eyes glowed green under the Talisman's magic. "I did hire somepony. A week or so ago."
"Who?" Daring demanded. "Give us a name, pal."
"Stealth Stickyhooves." Trot said resignedly, knowing fighting the Talisman's magic was useless.
"That overblown showoff?!" Caballeron scoffed in disgust. "Seriously?"
"Well, you were no longer an option, so I had to make do with what was available." Trot retorted.
"Where are the artifacts he stole from me?" Ahuitzotl growled. "Where?"
"Not here!" Trot quivered. "I was just the middle stallion for this operation. I was contacted by an anonymous collector who offered big Bits if I could get him some artifacts. 'The older and more impressive, the better', he said!"
"How did you correspond with this 'anonymous client', Trot?" Daring asked.
"He sought me out, while I was meeting some other associates at the local tavern!" Trot replied. "After Stealth got the artifacts, I meet with the client there again."
"And who is this client?" Ahuitzotl snarled, his patience almost at an end. "What is his name?"
"How should I know?" Trot trembled. "He didn't tell me his name! And he stayed hidden under a cloak the whole time!"
"Clever." Caballeron admitted.
"Which room in the tavern was he staying at?" Daring inquired. "Can you at least tell us that?"
"Room 17C, third floor." Trot declared."That's all I know, I swear!"
Ahuitzotl removed the Talisman from Trot's neck.
"Looks like we have a lead." Caballeron declared. "Perhaps if we're lucky, this mysterious client is still there."
"Either way, we're on the right track." Daring nodded. "Let's get moving!"
Daring and Caballeron raced out of the greenhouse. Ahuitzotl made to follow, but briefly stopped and looked back at Trot.
"If I were you, I'd make botany your only hobby." He glared. "It's a lot less dangerous, if you know what I mean..."
Trot cringed fearfully, knowing exactly what Ahuitzotl meant.
The Moss Isely tavern wasn't a very inviting place. But it was the only place visitors could stay at in town. And it had a "no questions asked" policy, which worked out well for the many ne'er-do-wells that passed by those parts.
Daring, Caballeron and Ahuitzotl entered through the front door. Aside from the reception, the ground floor of the building also boasted a dingy bar.
The receptionist pony, a tan Pegasus mare with a dull blond mane and pale green eyes, barely looked up from her magazine as she took note of Daring and Caballeron. Though Ahuitzotl's presence caused her eyes to widen in horror.
"M-may I help you?" She stuttered.
"Let me take point on this." Caballeron declared. "I was... something of a regular here in days gone by."
"Play on, maestro." Daring nodded.
Caballeron approached the receptionist.
"Ah, Poppy." He smiled charmingly. "You're looking as lovely as ever."
"Whattaya want, Doc?" Poppy growled, her gruff voice greatly contrasting her appearance.
"Just some information." Caballeron continued, unfazed by Poppy's hostility. "I understand you recently rented out room 17C to the client of a... friend of mine."
"What of it?" Poppy sneered.
"I don't suppose this fellow gave you his name?" Caballeron suggested. "Or possibly even lowered his cloak during his stay here?"
"Nope, and nope." Poppy retorted. "Now if that's all, I'm very busy right now." She promptly returned to her magazine.
"So much for taking point." Daring snarked. "What now?"
"I don't see you offering any solutions." Caballeron pouted.
"Better nothing than your 'solution'." Daring scoffed.
"Don't give me that superior attitude!" Caballeron snarled. "You always did enjoy looking down on me."
"Well, maybe if you didn't always act like such a big shot..." Daring retorted.
"Why, you..." Caballeron growled.
"Enough!" Ahuitzotl snarled. "This is not the time for petty arguments and old grudges! My artifacts are still missing, a matter in which you both promised to aid me with, remember?
Daring and Caballeron, shared a regretful.
"He's right." Daring sighed. "Sorry."
"As am I." Caballeron nodded.
"Friends?" Daring smiled, offering a hoof.
"Friends." Caballeon shook her hoof.
"Great." Daring grinned. "Now, let's think about our next mo-"
"Well, well, well." A gravelly voice cut in. "If it isn't Daring Do."
The trio turned to see everypony who was previously seated at the bar standing before them, identical scowls on their faces. Several of those faces were familiar to her, and not in a good way. Clearly, Daring and Caballeron's brief argument had proved sufficient to draw their attention.
"Been a while, hasn't it, Daring?" The owner of the gravelly voice, a grizzled dark blue unicorn with a gray mane and orange, declared.
"Slate." Daring smiled humorlessly. "I haven't seen you since-"
"Since you exposed my smuggling operation and got me arrested?" Slate growled. "I've been waiting a long time for payback. And you literally walked right into my path. Lucky me..."
"Lucky all of us." A burly marble-colored Earth Pony stallion smirked, several others nodding in agreement.
"You know all these ponies?" Ahuitzotl asked Daring.
"What can I say?" Daring shrugged. "Took down a lot of crooks in my time..."
The assembled thugs started to advance on them.
"Now, now, folks." Caballeron stepped forward, once again flashing a charming smile. "Let's all just calm down. For old times' sake?"
"You wanna talk about 'old times', Caballeron?" A tall cerulean Pegasus stallion with a jet back short mane and cold gray eyes stepped forward. "Like the time you sold me out to the authorities to save your own hide?"
"Or the time you stole from me?" A short green Earth pony with a red crew cut mane spat.
"Looks like I'm not the only one they're pullin' out the welcome wagon for." Daring joked.
"And that's another thing." The burly Earth pony scowled. "You're with her? After everything she did to hard-workin' crooks like us? You ain't no friend of ours!"
"I say we pummel 'em both." Slate snarled. "All in favor?"
"Yeah!" The crowd roared.
Ahuitzotl stepped.
"Whatever business you may think you have with these two, we really don't have the time to deal with right now." He announced. "So just this once, I'm asking you nicely: step aside."
"Get lost, weirdo." The cerulean Pegasus spat. "Unless you want some of what we're dishing out."
Ahuitzotl shook his head.
"After my more recent experiences, I had hoped a little diplomacy would settle matters." He sighed. "But it seems the time for talk is over."
"Good try anyway, big guy." Daring smiled, stretching out her hooves in preparation. "But some ponies just can't be talked to."
"A shame." Caballeron shook his head. "I so wanted to avoid getting my hooves dirty..."
"Get 'em!" Slate roared.
The crowd of crooked ponies charged the trio. Daring leapt over the burly Earth pony, landed right behind him, and swept his hooves, knocking him down. When another Earth pony, who had the color and looks of a brick wall, threw a hoof at her, she grabbed it, and used his momentum to throw him into another two thugs who were trying to attack her from behind.
Caballeron's fighting style was a lot more tricky than Daring's; he kicked a nearby stool into the path of tall Pegasus, tripping him up. He promptly vaulted the thug's prone body, surprising the crook behind him with a kick. He then grabbed an abandoned drink and flung into the face of a third thug, using his temporarily lack of vision to get in a quick sucker punch.
Ahuitzotl didn't have much need for technique, simply grabbing those foolish enough to attack him and flinging them across the room.
Before long, the group of thugs had been whittled down to just Slate, who was staring with incredulous horror at the change of odds.
"Your call, Slate." Daring declared. "You really wanna settle things now?"
"Another time, Daring." Slate scowled as he backed away. "Count on it."
Slate ran out through the back door.
"Well, that was fun." Daring stretched.
"Yes, quite a nice bit of exercise." Caballeron agreed. "But now it's time to get back to the job at hoof. Any suggestions?"
"I say the time for asking questions is over." Ahuitzotl growled, marching back to front desk.
Poppy had been reading her magazine through the entire fight (as impromptu brawls were actually quite common at the establishment). Ahuitzotl slammed the hand located on the end of his tail on the desk, startling Poppy.
"We'll be needing the key to room 17C, if you please." He demanded.
"S-sure." Poppy cringed, swayed by Ahuitzotl's dark glare. She held up the room key. "Here you go."
Ahuitzotl snatched up the key with his tail hand.
"Thank you." He smiled. He turned to Daring and Caballeron. "Shall we?"
The trio made their way up to the third floor, and found room 17C. Ahuitzotl carefully unlocked the lock, then shoved the door open.
"Surrender the artifacts, fiend!" He yelled as he burst into the room.
He was greeted with silence and darkness.
"What?" He frowned.
Daring and Caballeron entered the room, the latter switching on the lights. It was completely empty.
"No!" Ahuitzotl growled. "We came all this way for nothing!"
"Easy there, big guy." Daring assured him. "It's not over yet."
"She's right." Caballeron agreed. "Let us search the room first. You never know..."
"...Very well..." Ahuitzotl sighed.
The trio turned the room upside down, searching for any kind of clue as to what became of its occupant. But it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary was there. That is, until Daring noticed something odd about the floor.
"Wait... what's this?" She leaned forward, noticing a cut in the room's carpet, one that seemed to go on for a significant length. "Help me with this, guys!"
Ahuitzotl and Caballeron joined her. Clearing away everything nearby, they lifted at the tear in the carpet, revealing floorboards below. Floorboards which also had an unusual gap between them.
"Could it be...?" Caballeron mused as Ahuitzotl's tail hand lifted the boards away.
Below, in a small space, lay the missing artifacts.
"I don't believe it!" Ahuitzotl smiled, picking up the Hammer of Hefton. "They're here!" He picked up one of the Rings of Sorchero with his tail hand. "They're all here!"
"Why would whoever was here just leave the artifacts, after going to all the trouble of getting them?" Caballeron wondered.
"Maybe they figured somepony was onto them, and decided to skip town." Daring posited. "They could have come back later and picked up the goods."
"Well, if that is the case, whoever this crook is will be in for quite a disappointment." Ahuitzotl grinned. "I wish I could be here to greet them, but I must return these artifacts as soon as possible." He carefully placed the artifacts in a burlap sack. "Thank you both for helping me on this matter."
"No problem." Daring smiled. "That's what friends are for."
"Besides, it was fun to get back into the action again." Caballeron grinned.
"And if you ever need help in the future, you know who to call." Daring nodded.
"I will keep that in mind, my friends." Ahuitzotl nodded. "But all the same, I shall be performing a thorough overhaul of the traps and safeguards surrounding the artifacts. If any future thieves think they can steal the Basin's treasures so easily, they will be in for quite a shock. I will do all I can to ensure it will be a long time before my artifacts end up in the wrong creature's possession..."
Meanwhile, far away from the unlikely trio, Grogar and Bray were taking shelter in an old shack.
"Not a bad week's work, huh, boss?" Bray smirked.
"Indeed." Grogar chuckled darkly. His long-lost bell was attached to his collar, and glowed with newfound power. "Draining ponies and other creatures would draw too much attention. But taking the magic from these dusty old artifacts, hidden away from the eyes of many, is the perfect means for me to start building back my power without drawing suspicion. Even those possessed of great magical powers are usually placed in one form of containment or another, meaning that even after they are recovered, nocreature will notice they are without magic for a long time!"
"Genius thinking, boss." Bray nodded.
"Very true." Grogar sneered. "Soon, I will have enough magic to make my first move. And before I'm done, this land will once again quake in terror at the very mention of my name!"
Grogar's dark laughter erupted through the walls of the old shack, echoing through the dark forest outside.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- EileenSaysHi · 3k words · 70 4 · 905 views
- Scotishbro · 3.6k words · 35 2 · 518 views
Stats
Page generated in 0.039 seconds
Total duration
1,036 users online
1,786,166 hits today, 2,130,388 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
All in favor of Grogar assembling the unredeemed antagonists of Friendship is Magic into an army against the Mane Six and their associates, raise her hand/hoof/claw/paw/front limb up and say "I"!
It's always nice to see how he's been doing ever since that episode
Disguise
Yeah pretty crazy how your enemies can be your allies
Caballeron
Of course the classic hiding your identity when you try to do something Shifty
They could be helping him for the smae reason Bray is helping Grogar or because they have themselves aspirations for conquest and destruction like Somra and Cozy Glow to name 2 ponies.
I have never been a fan of retconning Ahuizotl as a good guy so Grogar being clever is the only positive aspect of this chapter.
Another fun update. Derring Do teams up with her old foes, and Grogar increases his own power by draining the magic from ancient artifacts. I guess that's one difference between him and Tirek, since Tirek can only absorb magic from living beings.
"I say we pummel 'em both." Slate snarled. "All in favor?"
"Yeah!" The crowd roared.
Well so much for making the peace
Actually yeah that's pretty suspicious what was the point of that 🤔
Oh I guess that explains it yikes
Nice to see the story here and also nice to see those three again so Ahuitzotl was checking the artifacts till he noticed two of the artifacts are gone and he had to ask the two ponies for their help and that will be Daring Do and dr Caballeron which makes sense for their help since they are archaeologists so far they went to across Equestria to find any clues even asking a couple of thugs and thieves about this situation of course they didn't go quietly but with all the three skills of fighting technique they overcome it and they found the two artifacts and why was anybody not take them with them and just hide them well apparently we found a answer grogar drained the magic of those artifacts and now he doesn't need them apparently he's going to try any other artifacts to gain his power this is really not good I got to say this is pretty intense situation I wonder what's going to happen next guess we'll find out next time