The S.S. Destiny sat in a shipyard at a small coastal town by the Yocatlan Jungle. Normally, the shipyard would be bustling with activity as shipbuilders busily repaired and assembled all kinds of sailing vessels, but today, the only sound to be heard there was that of a certain red-haired mare arguing with the shipyard’s owner.
“What do you mean we’re stuck here for two days?!” Scarlet shouted.
“I’m sorry, but the yard is low on building materials, and we won’t be getting another shipment for two days, so unless you want to keep sailing with two gaping holes and a lodged harpoon in your hull, you’re going to have to wait,” the shipyard owner said.
Scarlet groaned, putting a hoof to her face. Then, reluctantly, she nodded.
“By the way, keeping your ship here for that long isn’t going to be free,” the owner gruffly continued, holding out his hoof.
Scarlet once again groaned, louder this time, and slapped both front hooves to her face. Then, she grumpily rummaged through her saddlebag for some bits. Having two gaping holes on the side of the ship could potentially cause problems later on that she’d rather not deal with. Scarlet finally found a bag of bits and hoofed them over to the shipyard owner with a huff before returning onboard the ship.
“Well?” asked her husband who had been waiting for her on the ship along with their friends.
“Well, looks like we’re not going anywhere for at least two days,” grumbled Scarlet.
“Hey, since we’re already here, maybe we can use those two days to do a little sightseeing,” suggested Love Tap. “Daring, Quibble, would you care to join us?”
“I don’t know,” Quibble Pants replied. “Dare and I are still waiting to hear word about Caballeron’s next harebrained scheme to quote ‘retire from archeology in splendor’ unquote.”
“Maybe the two of you won’t mind looking after the ship while you wait then,” said Scarlet.
Daring Do suppressed the urge to gasp, squeal, and totally make a fool of herself and said, “It would be an honor, Captain Plume.”
“We’ll be back by noon,” said Cinnamon, getting off the ship with his wife. “We’ll bring lunch if we find anything good.”
“Wait!” Daring cried before sheepishly holding out her trademark pith helmet. “Umm, before you and the captain go, would you mind, well, signing my helmet?”
“If the ship is still here undamaged when we get back, then yeah, why not?” Scarlet dismissed while carefully pushing Punch’s wheelchair down the gangplank to solid land.
As soon as the two older couples were out of earshot, Daring squealed and enveloped her husband in a hug that even a fully grown bear would have found too tight.
“This is soooooo awesome,” she gushed, still crushing her husband. “I can’t believe that I’m being asked to watch the S.S. Destiny for four whole hours!”
Then, she suddenly released him, her eyes widening as she gasped, “I’m going to be watching the S.S. Destiny for four whole hours. Oh my gosh, I cannot screw this up!”
“This is going to be the longest four hours of my life,” Quibble groaned, massaging his temples.
Meanwhile, the others had ventured to a nearby marketplace, and unlike the shipyard, it was practically brimming with activity. Numerous stalls lined the streets selling all sorts of goods. One group of stalls sold an assortment of delicious-smelling street food, another group sold various hoofmade toys and trinkets, and still others sold array after array of crafts and artwork, each stunningly beautiful.
“Let’s split up and then meet up by the food stalls in two hours. That way, we’ll cover more ground,” suggested Cinnamon.
“What’s the rush?” Love Tap pointed out. “We’re sightseeing, not treasure hunting.”
“Still, we do only have a short amount of time to take it all in,” her husband countered.
Love Tap rolled her eyes but didn’t object. “Come on. Let’s see if we can find a souvenir for the girls,” she said, pulling her husband towards a stall selling rag dolls.
“Remember food stalls in two hours,” Cinnamon called out as he got dragged away.
“Hey, Scarlet, let’s check out those masks over there,” Punch wheeled himself towards a stall that sold colorful masks, some made of wood and others made of clay. Punch pointed one with a blue face, a red and yellow beak, and rainbow feathers sticking out of the sides.
“Check that one out,” Punch chuckled.
“It would look great as part of Nightmare Night costume,” Scarlet agreed.
“Quick, try it on.” Punch rummaged through his pack for his camera.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Scarlet carefully took down the mask and held it up in front of her face as Punch positioned himself and the camera.
“Don’t make me look ugly,” flirted Scarlet.
“Oh, honey, you couldn’t look ugly even if I had you try on the pig mask with the tusks,” Punch joked back. “By the way, guess what you’re trying on next.”
Scarlet let out what could only be accurately described as a groan mixed with a giggle and posed for her husband. While Punch was taking the picture, she looked past him and saw a group of stallions enter a tavern led by a stallion with a gold skull cutie mark.
“Punch, stop taking pictures,” said Scarlet, putting the bird mask back in the stall. “We have a situation.”
“Say what?” Punch flatly replied.
“I just saw Caballeron walk into that tavern,” Scarlet pointed. “If we’re careful, we could spy on him and find out what his next move is.”
“I’ve got just the thing.” Punch reached into his pack and pulled out a familiar-looking cloak, a pair of dark glasses, and a crutch. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”
Scarlet was about to ask her husband why he felt the need to pack such a seemingly unnecessary disguise but decided that the two of them had other priorities at the moment.
“There’s just one problem,” Scarlet explained. “The last time you wore that thing, you were able to walk, and nopony else in this part of the world uses a wheelchair. The moment you roll in there, Caballeron’s going to get suspicious.”
“Which is why you’re going to be the one wearing the disguise.” Punch once again reached into his pack and pulled out a gray wig and a brown eyeliner pencil.
“Me?” Scarlet cried.
“Yes, you. Now, hold still while I draw some wrinkles on you. Don’t worry. I won’t make you look ugly, just old.”
“Wait. Hold on. If I’m going to be doing the spying, then what are you going to do?” Scarlet exclaimed as her husband drew wrinkles on her face.
“Simple. I’m going to find Cinnamon and Love Tap, notify them about the present situation, get them disguised, and send them over to you. Afterwards, I’m going to buy us some lunch and head back to the ship to tell Daring and Quibble.”
“You packed disguises for all four of us in there?” Scarlet asked, pointing at Punch’s pack, her face wrinkling for real in confusion. “And more importantly, how were you able to fit so much stuff in there?”
“A friend of mine from the circus got this pack for me a few years back. Said he got it from an up and coming joke shop in Canterlot.”
Punch gently tucked Scarlet’s vibrant locks under the drab wig and lovingly draped the cloak over her shoulders. Despite knowing how capable she was, Punch couldn’t help but feel incredibly uneasy about sending his wife into a bad guy bar to spy on a notorious treasure thief and attempted murderer. Scarlet added the last touches of her disguise herself, putting the crutch under her arm and the glasses on her face.
Scarlet asked, “Well, how do I look?”
“Old and harmless,” Punch replied.
From behind the glasses, Scarlet rolled her eyes before taking a breath and getting into character. She hobbled her way towards the tavern as convincingly as she could, but Punch held a hoof out to stop her.
“You forgot something,” said Punch, quickly giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. “For luck.”
Scarlet blushed underneath her fake wrinkles as she and her husband momentarily went their separate ways. When she entered the tavern, she had to fight the urge to spew the contents of her stomach out of her mouth. The malodorous fumes of the bar were so strong that she could have sworn that she just smelled the color brown. Eventually, Scarlet won the battle between herself and her gag reflex and began to scan the premises for Caballeron. She had to keep her scanning as subtle as possible. She was supposed to be an old, blind lady for crying out loud.
Finally, Scarlet spotted them in a booth near the back. She staggered over to where they were sitting and stumbled into the booth next to them. The barmaid noticed her seating herself and went over to her booth.
“Doña, I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing at a place like this?” the barmaid asked.
Using her best vocal imitation of a cranky old mare, Scarlet griped, “Look at me. I am so elderly and infirm, and the weather is SO HOT! I just came inside for some shade and maybe some cold water, and what do I get? Some disrespectful, little brat wanting to kick me out, that’s what!”
“Okay, okay, you can stay here to rest a little while. Just don’t bother the other patrons, sí?” The barmaid conceded, gently pushing Scarlet back into her seat. “I’ll go get you your water.”
When the barmaid had left the booth, Scarlet perked her ears up and turned them towards the booth next to her. For a group of stallions who were probably planning a crime, Cabelleron and his cronies were talking pretty loudly, so loudly that Scarlet could have easily eavesdropped on them from the far side of her booth.
Meanwhile, outside of the tavern, a mustached stallion with a curly black mane and a rapier and a dark-haired mare stood waiting near the door. The stallion was dressed in an ivory blouse with a brown vest, brown pants, and boots. The mare wore a flowing red dress with a pink trim, a white underskirt, and a gold belt. She had a fan tucked into her belt, and small orange flowers adorned her hair.
“I hope Scarlet finishes spying on Caballeron soon,” Love Tap said to Cinnamon Swirl, resisting the urge to yank off her “mane”. “This wig is getting really itchy.”
“You should try wearing mine,” huffed Cinnamon. “I mean, when was the last time Punch washed this thing? On the bright side, this moustache is muy guapo if I do say so myself.”
His wife could only stare at him quizzically.
“It means—,” Cinnamon began.
“I know what it means,” Love Tap retorted with an eye roll.
Not much later, the two of them heard hoofsteps approaching the door and tensed in alarm.
“Quick, act natural,” Cinnamon gasped, stiffly draping himself on the nearby wall while Love Tap pulled out and snapped open the fan, awkwardly covering her face with it. Thankfully, the only pony approaching the door was an elderly blind mare.
“Psst,” Cinnamon called, tapping the mare on the shoulder. “Did you find anything?”
The mare turned to face him and said, “I’ll tell you when we get back to the ship.” She paused and added, “By the way, that’s one tacky ‘stache.”
After the three of them returned to the S.S. Destiny and took off their disguises, Scarlet shared what she had learned with the rest of the group over a lunch of beans and tamales.
“They said something about getting a huge shipment of dynamite and using it on a temple hidden in the jungle nearby,” Scarlet recounted before turning to scold Cinnamon. “Will you take that off already? I’m telling you. It doesn’t make you more guapo.”
Cinnamon ignored Scarlet’s protests and said, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but excessive use of explosives doesn’t sound like Caballeron’s usual modus operandi.” He gave his fake moustache two long, appreciative strokes while his wife rolled her eyes yet again.
“Whatever treasure he’s after must be indescribably valuable enough that he’s willing to risk possibly destroying a portion of the plunder,” reasoned Quibble, “but what could possibly be out here that would be worth that much?”
“Nothing,” scoffed Daring. Then, her eyes widened as she remembered. “Except...” She trailed off and then gasped. “No, he wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t what?” inquired Love Tap, noting the worry in Daring Do’s voice.
“Your Highness, Captain,” Daring addressed Cinnamon and Scarlet with a nervous chuckle. “I don’t mean to insult your years of wisdom and experience in the adventuring business, but the two of you wouldn’t happen to know anything about a place known as the Temple of Olmec, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course, we have,” bragged Cinnamon. “It’s rumored to have the loot of a thousand lands, but it’s history is so dark only a complete idiot with a death wish would dare to actually look for it.” His jaw dropped as realization struck him like a slap from an angry mare. “Oh Faust no! That’s the temple he’s looking for, isn’t it?”
“Wait. I think I’ve read about that place before,” added Love Tap. “It wouldn’t by any chance be associated with a king known as Olmec the Cunning or, as his enemies called him, Olmec the Greedy or Olmec the Ruthless, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s the one,” Daring answered flatly.
Punch looked at everypony with a blank stare before blinking a few times. Then, he said, “I’m sorry, but I have no idea who or what you are talking about. Who the hay is Olmec the Cunningly Ruthless and Greedy, and what’s so terrible about a temple named after him that has the three greatest adventurers known to ponykind utterly terrified?”
“Well, a long, long, long time ago, the Yocatlan Jungle was home to a powerful empire ruled by King Olmec,” Love Tap began. “Now, Olmec was famous for two things. One was his brilliant strategic mind. That’s how he became known as Olmec the Cunning.”
“He became known as Olmec the Greedy for his love of exotic treasures, which he would steal from anyone and everyone passing through his empire,” Cinnamon continued. “He earned the name Olmec the Ruthless because very few souls who encountered him were lucky enough to live to tell the tale.”
“One day, the empire just vanished without a trace and a thick jungle grew in place of what was once the heart of the empire,” Scarlet finished.
“Wait a minute,” huffed Quibble Pants. “How in Equestria does an entire empire just vanish?”
“No one knows,” added Daring, “but legends say that Olmec may have dabbled in dark magic in order to keep anyone from getting their hooves on his treasure and that the empire disappeared because of it.”
“Legends also say that Olmec stored all his treasure in an elaborate temple that is still hidden somewhere in the jungle and that the temple is protected by a curse,” said Love Tap.
“I don’t know if the legends are true or not, but I do know that no one who has gone looking for that temple, good, evil, or indifferent, has ever returned,” Scarlet added. “Not even the search parties who went looking for the missing adventurers came back.”
“Which is why we repeatedly turned down the every commission asking us to look for that place,” Cinnamon explained.
“Wow,” replied Quibble. “That place has got to be bad news if not even the two of you and Dare are willing to go after it.”
“In our defense, it’s kind of hard to argue with several hundred years’ worth of missing ponies,” Daring retorted.
“So, Caballeron’s plan is to basically destroy the temple along with any dark magic protecting it and then sift through the wreckage for any treasure that might have survived,” Love Tap deduced.
“And if he succeeds, he’ll destroy thousands of years’ worth of ancient history, sell whatever survives on the black market, and retire in splendor,” Daring further explained. “If he fails, he’s a goner plain and simple.”
“Here’s a crazy idea,” Quibble interjected. “Why don’t we just let him go through with his plan just this once?”
“What?!” his wife cried.
“Think about it,” Quibble continued. “If he succeeds, he’ll end up destroying a cursed temple that everypony would be better off without, and he’ll retire and be out of our hair for good. If he fails, he’ll definitely be out of our hair for good.”
Daring Do merely stared down her husband. Quibble Pants stared back. Finally, after several tense seconds, Quibble cried out, throwing his hooves in the air, “AUGH! We’re going to have to do the right thing, aren’t we?”
“Maybe Scarlet and I should come with you,” Cinnamon suggested. “I mean, four ponies have a better chance of stopping Caballeron than two.”
“Actually,” Scarlet faltered, “I’m going to have to sit this out. I want to stay and keep an eye on the Destiny, especially with the kind of damage that she’s got.”
“Maybe I should go with you,” Love Tap offered.
“Love, are you sure?” Cinnamon asked hesitantly. “I mean, this could be dangerous and a little, eh, A LOT out of your comfort zone.”
“We’re just going to be talking him out of going after the Temple of Olmec, right? I mean, how bad can it end up?”
“Umm, Love Tap, I don’t mean to put a damper on your enthusiasm, but plans tend to go astray in the middle of an adventure. Meaning you’re either going to need a backup plan ready or the ability to make one up on the fly,” Scarlet butted in.
“In other words, adventuring is a lot like running a kingdom then?”
“Well, actually, if you put it that way, yes,” Cinnamon conceded, “but dear, you’re terrible at coming up with plans on the fly.”
“I know that. That’s why I have you.”
Cinnamon put a hoof to his face and groaned, thoroughly out-argued. “Fine. You can come. Just stay close to us, please.”
“Noted,” said Love with a nod. “By the way, honey, you’ve got something on your face.”
“What?”
Love grabbed hold of his mustache and smugly yanked it off. “Got it.”