“I have got you this time, Daring Do!” rang out the triumphant voice of the evil Ahuizotl as he raised his arms in the air in victory. He laughed towards the ceiling of his golden temple lair in the middle of the jungle. As he laughed and gloated, his tribal pony servants banged away at ceremonial wardrumbs that lined the walls leading up to the ceremonial altar on which he stood. In the middle of the room, dangling from the black, iron chains, the famous adventuress, Daring Do, struggled against her bonds. One of the tribal ponies spun a stone wheel that activated the mechanism. The floor beneath Daring slid away to reveal a pit full of venomous snakes. The serpents hissed at the sudden flood of light and lashed their long necks upwards, gnashing to get a taste of Daring’s dangling hooves.
“You’ll never get away with this, Ahuizotl!” Daring screamed as she struggled against the chains. The restraints were tight against her broken wing. Luckily her thick adventurer's clothes kept the metal from bruising her skin, but she had lost her lucky pith helmet earlier in the temple along with her trusted comrade.
Ahuizotl continued to gloat and chortle. “Oh but I already have! The Sapphire Statue has already been placed upon the altar and soon I will be all powerful! Nothing in the world can stop me now!”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, you overgrown house cat!”
Ahuiztol’s face was dumbstruck at the mysterious voice. It did not belong to Daring Do. No this voice was deeper and gruffer. The ceremonial drums stopped as well as everypony in the room looked around for who the voice belonged to. One of the tribals ugged and pointed towards the ceiling where a shadowy figure stood tall on an outcropping platform. His frame was bulky and well toned, and he wore an expensive suit and red-bow-tie.
“What!?” Ahuizotl asked in confusion, “Who are you!?”
“The name’s Mane!” the figure announced proudly. He jumped from his alcove and grabbed onto the suspended chains holding Daring Do. He swung across the chains and landed on the steps of the altar right in front of Ahuizotl. Before Ahuizotl could react, the well dressed Unicorn punched the big cat square in his elongated muzzle. Ahuizotl flew back and hit the altar, causing the Sapphire Statue to fall from its perch. “Con Mane.”
Con Mane rushed over to Daring but was surrounded by a few of the tribals. They rushed him with old, pointy spears but Con Mane was able to effortless dodge their strikes and knock them down with a few well placed kicks. He beckoned with his hooves for the others to come at him, but they all shrunk back in terror. Con Mane lit his horn with an emerald green light and pulled from his saddle bag a pith helmet which he proceeded to levitate onto Daring’s head.
“You made it!” she cheered, “But, I thought Dr. Caballeron finished you off with his killer crab robot?”
“I’m afraid,” Con Mane’s teeth sparkled, “the good doctor had to go for a little swim.”
Daring Do giggled. But then the two heroes’ merriment was cut off by Ahuizotl’s looming shadow. Even while he rubbed his aching jaw, the cat creature continued to chuckle. “You are too late, Mr. Mane! The ceremony has already begun! Soon I will be granted the Sapphire Statue’s power!”
Con Man patiently checked the expensive watch strapped to his left hoof. “Oh, I’m not so sure you’ll be sayin that in about… oh, ten seconds.”
Ahuizotl paused and blinked in confusion. He scratched his head with the opposable digits on his tail. “Why? What happens in ten seconds?’
A thundering explosion rocked the temple. The resulting tremor knocked everypony off their feet. Chunks of ancient rock broke off of the ceiling and came crashing down onto the floor below. The remaining tribals screamed in panic and bolted out of the chamber. Ahuizotl covered his head with his paws and tail. “What was that explosion!” he asked.
“Oh,” Con Mane answered, “that was just the sound of your hopes and dreams crumbling down around you!”
“No! Nooo!” Ahuiztol screamed as a particularly pointy rock fell on top of the Sapphire Statue and shattered it to pieces.
“Now what do you say we skin this cat, Daring?” Joe said, proudly.
“I’d love to,” Daring said with a fun loving smile, “but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”
“That’s easily fixed.” Con Mane lit his horn and undid the shackles that bound Daring Do. He then levitated her safely over the snake pit. Daring rushed over and hugged her savior.
“Thanks, Con! Now for some payback Ahuizotl!”
Ahuitzotl was kneeled before his broken altar sobbing over the tiny sapphire pieces he cradled in his paws. He turned around and cowered in the face of the two ponies who stood side by side ready to leap into action.
“No, Please! Stop!” he cried, “I’m sorry! I’ll do anything!”
“On three then?” asked Con Mane
“You bet.” replied Daring Do.
“One…”
Ahuizotl pleaded, “I’ll give you riches beyond your wildest dreams!”
“Two…”
“Or how about your own kingdom?”
“Three!”
The pair of ponies leaped into the air and simultaneously kicked Ahuizotl. Once again the cat creature went flying. Joe and Daring traded punches and kicks with the sniveling villain as he cried out in pain. With one final buck to the rear from Daring, Ahuizotl lost his balance and fell into the pit of snakes. While he fell he yelled out, “Curse you Daring Do! Curse you Con Mane!”
“That takes care of Ahuizotl” Daring Do said with a tip of her helmet. “Now my jungle is safe once again. Thank you.” Daring turned to the handsome stallion beside her and leaned her body in close, wrapping one of her hooves around his. “How am I ever going to repay you?” She batted her eyelashes playfully at him.
Con Mane leaned his muzzle in and Daring closed her eyes in preparation. “You know how.” Con Mane whispered in her ear. Then Con Mane yanked his hoof away and pulled at her collar. “Now spill it!” he said to her in a serious tone.
Daring sighed and stared at the floor in disappointment. “Fine. I get it. I got the information you asked for. Apparently the criminal organization known as DISCORD is led by six masterminds, each named after one of the old Elements of Harmony. I suppose it’s supposed to be some sort of irony. That General Griselda you faced a while back was their ‘Element of Kindness’ and Ironhoof was ‘Generosity’. I don’t know how many more of their operatives are left but what I do know is that their leader goes by the name of ‘Magic’. Beyond that I got nothing. There’s no other information about this pony out there. Sorry, that’s all I got.”
Con Mane smiled and patted Daring Do on the shoulder. “No, you’ve done well, Daring. You’ve been a big help. Maybe one of these days I’ll come back and we can have ourselves another romp through the jungle?”
“I’m looking forward to that. Now I just have to get back to my house and write my next book. Although Ahuizotl did destroy my compass… You and I could be lost in that jungle for quite some time.” She leaned in close with inviting eyes and undid a button on his shirt, “Who knows what could happen?”
Joe touched a button on the side of his watch and it started beeping. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be lost without me, Daring. An airship is en route to extract me from here. I have a reservation at Twilight Beach in the New Lunar Republic.”
Daring Do puffed her cheeks in frustration. “Another secret mission, huh?”
The whirling turbines of a small airship could be heard outside the temple. “Nope.” Con Man adjusted his bow-tie. “I’m going on vacation.”
Agent Con Mane
in
Nightfeather