“There it is,” Daring Do exclaimed getting between the seats and pointing a hoof at her house. “That actually didn’t take as long as I was expecting,” she sat back down and removed her hat, running a hoof through her mane.
Arron pulled his Nissan beside the door, after shutting off the engine, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening his door, so that he could open the doors for his two passengers he smiled when Daring Do dismounted the vehicle. Midnight clapped her hooves in excitement when he opened the door for her.
Daring Do opened her front door and turned around. “You can come in if you want to,” she gestured for Arron and Midnight to come in. “Though,” she eyed Arron. “You might be a bit too big for my house.”
Arron looked at the door and shrugged, “Probably,” he said with a smirk. “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll stay out here.”
“That’s fine,” Daring Do started inside, but turned around. “I’ll only be an hour at the most,” she sighed. “I have a lot of things to pack.”
Midnight kept looking from the open door to Arron and back. Arron answered the question that he knew was bothering her. “You can go in and help her Midnight, I won’t go anywhere without you.”
Midnight blinked and nodded, “Emm,” she squeaked and then she followed after Daring Do. The place reminded Midnight of the Diamond Dog’s camp, it was a mess, but at least it was an organized mess. She heard Daring Do upstairs rummaging around.
She’s probably packing up everything she needs, Midnight thought. She sat down on the couch and waited. I wish I had a house like this, she looked around the living room. A typewriter sitting on a desk in the corner by the stairs caught her eye. Getting off the couch Midnight trotted over to it. “Oooh,” her eyes widened. “I’ve heard about these, but I’ve never actually seen one.” After looking around to make sure no one was watching her she reached out with her hoof and gently tapped one of the keys, she jumped back in surprise when the hammer came up and slammed against the paper leaving a letter in its wake after it retreated.
With a sigh of relief, Midnight went back to the typewriter and looked at all of the keys. It didn’t take her long to memorize where each letter was located. Soon she was typing as fast as her hooves could go. She started writing about the time her parents abandoned her in the jungle when she was a filly. Then she began typing the time she was captured by the Diamond Dogs she was going to continue her story where she met Arron, but the paper was full and she heard hooves coming down the stairs.
“What are you doing with my typewriter,” A strangely dressed pony with glasses trotted over to Midnight.
Midnight looked around confused. “Who are you,” she suspiciously eyed this new pony. “And where is Daring Do?”
The pony sighed and removed her glasses. “I am Daring Do, this is my alter ego AK Yearling!”
“Uhh,” Midnight got uncomfortably close to her, “I don’t think so,” her horn glowed a light white. “Now you tell me where Daring Do is, or else I’ll make you tell me.”
“What’s going on in there?” Arron was looking in from the window.
“Arron,” AK yelled galloping over to the door and quickly opening it. “Would you tell this crazy unicorn that I am Daring Do!”
The look Arron was giving her wasn’t at all reassuring. “Who are you?”
“Ha,” Midnight exclaimed. “See even Arron doesn’t believe you!”
“Oh come on!” AK yelled into the air, she removed her full disguise. “See,” she turned around making Midnight gasp. “It’s me!” She trotted back over to Midnight who stopped channeling magic into her horn. “Now,” Daring said getting into Midnight’s muzzle. “What were you doing with my typewriter?”
The unicorn was only staring at her with her mouth hanging agape and was apparently too shocked to speak. Daring Do rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine if you’re not going to tell me then I’ll just have to see for myself.”
Daring Do was muttering something under her breath, but Arron couldn’t hear her and Midnight was still in shock so she didn’t comprehend the cursing she was getting. Suddenly Daring Do stopped speaking when she started reading what Midnight had written. A sense of guilt washed over her, when she was only a paragraph in she started crying. No pony should have gone through this, she thought glancing up at the still shocked unicorn, before going back to reading. Daring Do was fully engrossed in the story when it abruptly ended.
She set the page down on her desk next to her typewriter, she galloped over to Midnight and hugged her. “You poor pony,” she whispered. “I had no idea you’d been through so much trauma!” She back away from Midnight who had finally regained her senses. “How did you manage to survive all those moons without any pony around to help you?”
Midnight tilted her head in confusion. “I wasn’t alone,” she flatly stated. “It wasn’t long after my parents abandoned me when the Diamond Dogs found me.”
“But—” Daring Do started to say, but Midnight slowly shook her head. “It wasn’t all bad... the only time the Diamond Dogs mistreated me was when I was trying to run away.”
Wow, Midnight thought. Daring Do, or AK is really friendly after you get to know her. She looked past the pony. I hope that one day I can get my own typewriter.
“Is everything alright in there,” Arron asked through the window.
“Yes,” both ponies moved away from each other and said at the same time. They glanced back at each other and started laughing.
“So, everything’s good then?”
Daring Do put back on her disguise and came out of the house, Midnight carried her trunk with her magic and followed right behind.
“I’m more than good,” she turned around and gave Midnight a wink. “I have everything I need to”—
“Daring Do,” a cloaked pony trotted up to them. “I have finally found...” he threw off the cloak and then Caballaron floundered. “Yaaa... I yai yai!” He pointed at Arron. “What is that?” He cried in questioning alarm.
The four hench ponies following Caballaron glanced at one another and started backing away.
“Sorry Caballaron,” AK said ripping of her disguise. “I have a much bigger and more frightening friend now, so scram.”
Caballaron glared at Daring Do who trotted over to Arron and sat beside him with a wide grin on her muzzle.
Midnight rolled her eyes and moaned, while Arron leaned back against his Nissan, folded his arms and shrugged. I wonder what he’ll do now, he thought. By the looks of his hench ponies, I don’t think they want to tangle with me, he glanced down at his 1911’s and Sig 226. I’d much rather use the Sig if I need to, I have a lot more forty ammo than I do forty fives. I already wasted two hallow points on Ahouizotl.
Arron still had seven rounds of forty five in the Taurus, and a full nine in the Springfield. He also had a fully loaded magazine in the Sig which carried fifteen plus the one in the chamber, so he had a total of thirty two shots and he only had five possible targets.
“I know you're here to steal one of the artifacts I recovered Caballaron,” Daring Do eyed the chest that Midnight had set down behind the Nissan before trotting over to join her.
Caballaron narrowed his eyes at her and snorted. “It doesn’t matter that you have a bighoof bodyguard, we still have you outnumbered, and once I have the challis of Tenic...”
“Wow,” Arron leaned down to Daring Do. “Does he always monologue like that,” he pointed at Caballaron.
Daring Do slowly nodded. “Yes, every time we meet it’s the same thing.”
“Gah, what!” Caballaron angrily snorted. “I am not monolauging!”
“Uh, boss,” A big brown hench pony tapped Caballaron on his shoulder to get his attention. Caballaron whipped around to glare at the pony. “Actually,” the hench pony continued unabated. “You really do monologue... like a lot,” the other three hench ponies nodded and muttered in agreement.
Caballaron’s face got red as a tomato and steam poured out of his ears, he sounded like a boiling kettle. “Alright, fine so I monologue! So what... now,” he turned around and pointed at Daring Do. “Get her!” He yelled, but none of his hench ponies moved.
“I said get her,” he commanded, but again the hench ponies muttered to each other and still didn’t move.
“Boss,” the big brown one said. “We don’t mind robbing and taking stuff from Daring Do,” he eyed Arron who smiled at him. “But, we aren’t about to tangle with a bighoof.”
Caballaron glared at his minions. “Fine then I’ll get her myself!” He started walking toward Arron and the two mares next to him muttering all the while.
“Hay,” Arron’s abrupt shout made all of the ponies look his way. “You guys want to ditch your pathetic boss and work for me?”
All of the ponies were completely caught off guard. Caballaron heard his minions murmuring about the offer. He turned around and stomped his hoof. “You wouldn’t dare...”
“To what,” Arron cut him off making the fake archeologist snort. “Come work for a better person who will probably treat them better than you do?”
“What kind of jobs would you have us do,” the big brown pony seemed to be the spokespony for the four of Caballaron’s hench ponies.
“I would tell you that I wouldn’t have you beat up and rob ponies of their property,” Arron eyed Daring Do with a smirk. “Even if said property was previously plundered by that pony.”
Daring Do’s eyes became dots, I don’t know if I should yell at him or laugh because of the way he said that, she thought. I really want to dare him to say that again five times fast, at the same time I also want to throttle him, ugh, this is confusingly infuriating.
Arron gave her another wink making her inner turmoil even more confounded. Damn him, Daring inwardly screamed.
Midnight was giggling the whole time, while Caballaron was fuming again and his hench ponies were even snickering, though if it was because of what Arron said, or because of the way their leader reacted no pony, or person was entirely sure.
While the hench ponies discussed Arron’s offer. Caballaron was to shocked to do much of anything besides glare at his minions then at Arron, over and over again. Arron patted the tops of Daring Do’s and Midnight’s heads on his way around his car where he popped his trunk, picked up Daring Do’s luggage and put it in the far corner, he had to move a few of his weapons around in order to fit the trunk inside of the car’s trunk, but there was still a little bit of room left even with everything in it.
So glad they made the trunk so spacious, Arron thought, looking over all of the ammo and guns inside. He was about to close it, but before he did he opened the ammo case filled with forty fives. After pulling out two of the shiny brass forty fives he pressed the button to release the magazine on the Taurus 1911. Midnight and Daring Do came around the car to watch him. After topping off the magazine, closing the case and then the trunk he pushed the magazine back inside the grip.
“So girls,” he crouched down so he was eye to eye with the pair of ponies. “Did Caballaron’s minions make a decision?”
They both shook their heads. “No,” Daring Do said glancing behind her. “And from the look of things, they might actually abandon their leader.” She turned around and punched Arron in the knee. “What in Equestria were you thinking!”
“I was thinking,” Arron retorted rubbing his knee. “That it would be nice to have some extra muscle, I still need some...pony to go and bury Ahouizotl and find the rest of his minion cats and ponnies to prevent them from picking up where that crazed, dog, ape, baboon... er... whatever Ahouizotl was... left off.” Arron grabbed the rim of Daring Do’s hat and pulled it down over her eyes.
“Hay,” she said pushing her hat back up, eyeing the human and giving him another punch in the knee for good measure.
“Ow,” Arron rubbed his knee. “What was that for?”
“For being so insufferable,” she retorted.
Midnight was chuckling, so Arron picked her up, held her under her forehooves and eyed her. “Oh you think that’s funny huh,” she averted her gaze and didn’t reply. “Well then,” he took a deep breath and blew into her stomach making her laugh while Daring Do looked on in both shock and jealousy.
“You,” the moment was ruined when Caballaron yelled. Arron put the still giggling unicorn back on the ground. “You turned my minions against me,” Caballaron charged at Arron snorting all the way.
Arron stepped around the two mares and walked toward the charging stallion. He dropped his left foot back and with his right foot he kicked the pony right under the muzzle. Every pony watched Caballaron fly several feet into the air, he was spinning end over end on the way back down.
Caballaron’s eyes were spinning as he staggered, attempting to get his hooves back under him. His muzzle was all bloody and a piece of a tooth fell out of his mouth.
“Wow,” Daring Do and Midnight said in unison.
The four hench ponies trotted past their dazed leader and sat in front of the human. They had to crane their necks in order to look at him. Arron noticing their discomfort he squatted down so he was looking at them at eye level.
“I’m Biff,” the brown pony with black mane introduced himself. “These here are my mates,” he pointed to a larger dark grey pony with orange mane and a handle bar mustache. “This here’s Rogue,” the bigger pony nodded “the gray pony with the shades in Withers,” Withers tilted his shades and gave Arron a slight bow. “And the pegasus is Rosy Thorn,” she gave Arron a mischievous wink. “We,” he gestured to himself as well as the other three. “Have decided to take you up on your offer.”
“Really,” Daring Do sounded both shocked and dumbfounded. “I wouldn’t have, I mean I never...”
Arron leaned over and pushed her hat back down over her head to silence her. “Welcome aboard,” he gave them all a warm smile.
“So boss,” Biff was about to say, but Arron shook his head.
“I’m not your boss,” he corrected. “I’m your employer.”
“Oh,” Biff was taken aback. “So,” he rubbed the top of his head. “What do we call you?”
“Arron is fine,” Arron patted the top of Rogue’s head. “Now,” he stood up the first thing I need you four to do is round up all of Ahouizotl’s former minions and...”
“What,” the four of them fearfully yelled. They looked at each other and from their muzzles where thinking that they had made a dreadful mistake.
“Don’t worry,” Daring Do interjected. “Ahouizotl is gone.”
“Gone,” Caballarton was finally coherent once again. “What do you mean Ahouizotl is gone?”
“I mean this guy,” Midnight said with a proud smile while placing a hoof on Arron’s leg. “Killed him.”
The four ponies in front of Arron had their jaws drop and Caballaron fell back onto his haunches. “That’s impossible no pony could take out Ahouizotl he is far too powerful.”
“Uh,” Arron gestured to himself. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m no pony.”
The four ponies turned around to look at their previous leader, muttering to themselves. Rose Thorn flew over to Caballaron and landed in front of him. “If Ahouizotl is gone, then who are you planning to sell all of the relics and treasures you were going to steal from Daring Do?”
“Yeah,” Wither turned and snorted at Caballaron. “You promised us a share after you sold the stuff to him...” he turned back around and gave Daring Do an apologetic nod. “No offense.”
“But, if our old boss can’t pay us, then what about our new...” Biff glanced up at Aronn. “Employer?”
Rose winged herself over to Arron and hovered in front of him. “And you are planning on paying us...” she eyed him quizzically. “Riiigghhhttt?”
Arron smirked and pulled one of his silver one ounce coins from his pants pocket and tossed it to her. She caught it with her hoof and eyed it.
“What is that,” Biff curiously asked, Rose landed on the ground next to her former fellow minions and showed them the coin.
“Wow,” Biff said awestruck.
“That’s real...right?” Wither asked lowering his shades.
“That’s gotta be worth a ton of bits,” Biff took the coin from Rose’s hoof and turned it over a few times.
“What is it,” Caballaron sounded eager to know what his former minions were talking about. “What did he give you?” He trotted over to the four ponies and forcefully took the coin away from Biff making the Earth Pony more than slightly annoyed. “Where did you get this,” he demanded looking at the ponies and holding up the coin, they all pointed at Arron. “Let me try this again,” Caballaron raised the coin in front of Arron “Where did you...” he craned his neck. Wow, he thought. He is a lot bigger than Ahouizotl he might have actually defeated him. “Get this,” he demanded before realizing who, or what he was talking to.
Arron started laughing, I just kicked this pony in the muzzle and now he wants to know about my silver coin...this is too much, he thought. “I brought them from my home planet,” Arron replied after getting his laughter under control.
“What,” six ponies said in unison, while Midnight grinned and chuckled at the other pony’s reactions.
“Arron, I knew you were different, but I didn’t know you were an Alien,” Daring Do glanced at the still smiling unicorn and jabbed her in the shoulder. “You knew!”
“Of course I knew,” Midnight rubbed her shoulder and gave Daring Do a wink. “I thought you knew.”
“No,” Daring Do eyed Arron with a tad more concern. “From what you told me last night I thought you were from Equis.”
“There might have been humans on Equis a long time ago,” Arron reached down and took the coin from Caballaron and gave it back to Biff, one pony frowned the other gave him a grateful nod. “But they either all died out or they all went back to Earth.” He eyed Daring Do. “Either way I’m the last human here... at least, I’m fairly sure.”
Soon Arron Midnight and AK Yearling, Daring Do put back on her disguise were in the Nissan and where on their way to Ponyville. Arron had given a silver coin to Biff, Wither, Rogue, and Rose, they had agreed to go and find Ahouizotl’s minions and round them up, as well as disposing of the former tyrant’s body. It was decided that they would meet Arron and the others in Ponyville after they were done. The former hench ponies were really eager to get the job done so they could find out how much their coin was worth in bits.
Caballaron left in a huff, without any hench ponies to boss around and with Ahouizotl out of the picture he had to find another way to make some quick bits. “Arron you will pay for this,” Caballaron shouted at the vehicle while shaking his hoof in anger. “You cost me my hench ponies and my livelyhood! I will get you!” Caballaron sighed. “Just as soon as I figure out how to do that...”