As you and Grandbuggy look over the Tomb Raider that your pet robot fox accidentally knocked out, you begin to panic a little.
“I swear I didn’t mean to do this, but Mangle got jealous of another pet, the kitty curb stomped her and threw her down the Garbage chute, and-and…”
“Hey hey hey kiddo, calm down, it’ll be alright,” Grandbuggy comforts as he puts a hoof on your shoulder.
“Alright? How can this be alright? I knocked out Daring Do! I mean, I know that’s like an accomplishment or something, but now we’re going to be villains in her next book,” you moan.
“Eh, with copyright laws and all it won’t be exactly us…but yeah, she does hold a grudge,” Grandbuggy nods.
“Ugh,” you groan. “I’m gonna be labeled as a freaking villain. I mean buck, I brought her inside Ahuizotl’s house for crying out loud.”
Falx_of_Lume’s Comment
"Wonderful!"
You and Grandbuggy whip around in surprise and see an ecstatic Ahuizotl.
"Ahui? Were you eavesdropping again?" Grandbuggy asks in annoyance.
"Yes I was, a bad habit I know, I know. But I just can't resist knowing what others are talking ab-,"
"-talking about because you worry it's about you, behind your back. Yeah, I know. But you seriously couldn't just give me a moment of privacy with my Great Granddaughter?" Grandbuggy interrupts Ahuizotl.
"...Sorry." He apologizes sheepishly. Which looks weird on a massive cat amalgamation like him. Then he turns serious in his expression. "Now then, I'd say it's time to address the issue at hand." He says with an evil grin down towards the knocked out Daring Do. Hearing this, you leap between him and the pegasus with a large bump on her head.
"Not a chance!" You declare up at him fiercely.
His face... does an interesting slew of transformations. First it looks like he's surprised, then it looks like he's going to start laughing, and finally it pulls up short and settles on a face that just says "oh wait, I can't actually do anything to her." You briefly contemplate how you’re able to read his face so well, but shove it out of your mind to keep focused on defending Daring Do.
"What if... I said please?" Ahuizotl asks hopefully.
"Nope!" You respond.
"...Pretty please?" He tries.
"Uh-uh." You shoot down.
"What if..." He starts
"You can have her if you give us the artifacts we need without any argument." Grandbuggy speaks up.
"DEAL!" Ahuizotl agrees with a pointed finger at him.
"Grandbuggy!" You exclaim in disbelief as the old Changeling magically lifts you to his side away from the knocked out pegasus.. “What the buck?!”
“Calm down kiddo, this works out well for both of us,” he answers nonchalantly.
“Grandbuggy, we can’t just let him have her! He’s a villain! Who knows what he’ll do to-“
"Blackmail shall be mine!" Ahuizotl declares while popping the cap off of a black marker that he pulled... from somewhere. He then begins to draw cat whiskers on Daring's face with the marker using his tail hand thing.
"Wait what?" You say in confusion at this and stop struggling in Grandbuggy’s grasp.
"Ahuizotl here likes to draw faces on unconscious ponies and put pictures of the end result in a scrapbook of his. Shameful I know, but everyling has their hobbies,” he chuckles and releases you from his magic.
"This will be my twenty-third masterpiece of Daring Do!" Ahuizotl informs you giddily, drawing away on her face and giggling like a child.
This wasn't in any of the books…you blink in confusion as he pulls out a camera and snaps a photo of her.
“Tee Hee Hee! Oh Magnifico! Look at her little whiskers, hee hee,” he giggles.
You look at Grandbuggy with the most dumbfounded look you’ve held since that time when all those Pinkie Pies were jumping around Ponyville.
“Wh-What is…I can’t even…”
Grandbuggy chuckles and ruffles your mane. “I know it’s weird, but in the long run relatively harmless. The guy just really likes cats is all.”
*CLICK* “Oh Ha Ha! Her tongue is hanging out. She’s doing a blep!”
“I…The books and movies…He was all evil and scary and…” you stammer as your brain tries to process this information.
“Heh, don’t count him out. He can be real terrifying when he wants to be…or at least act like it,” Grandbuggy relays.
Ahuizotl continues to take more photos of the passed out mare and you shake your head.
“Grandbuggy, how the Tartarus did you even meet this guy?”
Kersey475’s Comment
“Actually it’s kind of a funny story,” he starts. “You see back when your dad was just the littlest larvae and…his folks were still around, I got a mission from the former Queen.”
“Wait,” you interrupt, “Queen Chrysalis is that old? I thought she and Dad went to school together?”
“Nah, not little Chryssy,” he clarifies, “Her bitch of a mother. And if you thought Chryssy was bad…” His eyes take on a hard edge as unpleasant memories come to him, but he shakes them off and continues his story.
“A-Anyway, I was sent as basically an envoy of the Hive to try and procure Magical Artifacts from my good buddy here.”
“An envoy?” you ask in confusion.
“Yeah. See, Ahuizotl here has a keen sense of smell, so transformations don’t work on him. So we decided to drop the subtlety as a “sign of good faith” to him and the other less than stellar Archaeologists. Heh, that stupid old moth actually thought she could make allies of Tomb Raiders,” he spits.
“But…isn’t that what happened?” you ask as another camera flash goes off, followed by a giggle.
“Heck no. That mission was a failure because I decided it to be so. I met Ahuizotl and the rest over a game of poker and I knew I’d rather run around with them than give any help to the crown.” Grandbuggy smirks. “Well, aside from Cabelleron that is. Pegged him the moment I played cards with him.”
“He’s that bad huh?” you ask.
“Oh he’s much worse in real life. The guy’s a Grade A Flankhole. Not only that, but he’s a fraud. The Dr. in his name isn’t even official, he forged a Doctorate. He just likes the way it sounds,” he grunts and spits. “Not only that, but he cheats at cards!”
You quirk an eyebrow at that.
“Is that why you really don’t like him? Did he beat you at cards?”
“Oh no, he didn’t “beat” me kid. Just because you cheat, doesn’t mean you’ll win. Especially when you know the tricks I know. I slaughtered his flank and took over half of what he’d brought to the table,” he says in nostalgia with a huge smile before it falls, “Of course that’s the same game where Gallant True won my box of Cubhayen Cigars…”
“Gallant True?” you ask in shock and point to the passed out pegasus. “As in her Uncle Gallant True?”
“Oh yeah. Guy can definitely be a stick in the mud, but was nowhere near as bad as “the good doctor”” he says with air quotes.
“Eh hee hee. No you can’t haz Cheeseburger Daring Do. Only good kitties get that, not ones that steal names and likenesses and gives them to two bit writers,” Ahuizotl says as he places a shaming poster in front of Daring.”
“So, Gallant True isn’t so Gallant, Cabelleron is a fraud, and Ahuizotl is just a troll?” you ask watching the display.
“Sounds about right,” Grandbuggy nods.
“Why was none of this in the Daring Do books then? Is A.K. Yearling just making stuff up or something?”
“Well you gotta remember kid, this is all from one perspective of the story. There’s always another angle, if you’re willing to look,” he says sagely.
“Right…just like how it is with all of us,” you say in understanding.
“That’s right kiddo,” he smiles. “Ahuizotl can be overdramatic, but back in the day, running around with him was comforting. It took me back to the days of my adventures with the Doctor and your Great Grandmother.”
Your eyes widen at that, “My Great Grandmother? She traveled with you and the Doctor?” He gives you a confused look.
“Wait, your Dad ain’t told you yet?”
“Told me what?” you ask noticing the look in his eyes.
“Oooh boy,” he rubs the back of his neck. “Listen, remind me to tell you that tale after we’re all done visiting here OK?”
“I-“ you start before you are interrupted.
“I’m finished!” Ahuizotl exclaims as he snaps his fingers and a guard runs up. “Bring me a fresh rope.” The stallion nods and runs off while Grandbuggy rolls his eyes.
“Always with the bondage,” he mutters as his friend walks up to you two.
“I got some good shots this time. I even have enough to mail to several museums, hee hee. Her coat looks so good in the light too. Now all we need is to get some tight rope to really accentuate her body and…”
“That’s great,” you interrupt, “But what are you going to do to her now?”
“Oh, well I’m going to tie her up and throw her in a cell of course. She did just try to steal from me I’m assuming…by the way where exactly did you find her?”
“Down the garbage chute by the cats,” you answer truthfully.
“Wow, truly?” he asks in amazement as you nod.
8BitMadness’s Comment
"Dios, how did you manage to drag her all the way over here without exhausting yourself? I know that Alicorns are stronger than a stubborn burro, but she’s a full grown mare!"
You say nothing and just smirk as you immediately take your inventory off and pull out Mangle, your Kendo Stick, Daring Do’s Pith Helmet, and several other things before putting them all back inside.
"That's how,” you say plainly. Ahuizotl looks at you with a slack jaw for several more moments before he places a paw/hand/whatever to his head and shakes it.
“Amazing…”
"Did I break him?" you ask Grandbuggy with a trollish grin.
“Just a little kid,” he chuckles. As he does, the guards return with the requested rope.
“Ah, excellent. Now we’ll bind her and keep her somewhere safe until I can get a trap room ready for her.”
“What, you don’t just have one ready?” Grandbuggy asks curiously.
“Oh, we do…but it hasn’t been reset after the test run. It’s very hard to replace sand back into a filling room trap,” he explains.
“OK, but I thought you weren’t going to hurt her,” you point out.
“I’m not going to hurt her, I’m just going to leave her in a situation where she has to struggle to get free using what is available to her in the given situation while I watch.”
“…Why? What’s the point of that if you know she’s going to escape?”
“Truthfully? I like to watch her work. Tis fascinating,” he admits.
“And entirely creepy ya dang voyeur,” Grandbuggy rolls his eyes.
“I…Ugh, grownups are so weird,” you mutter not quite understanding the situation.
You three then proceed to carry the unconscious mare into a caged cell, where Ahuizotl flops her on the floor mattress, and she begins to stir.
“Oooohhhh…what hit me?” the adventurer moans as her eyes blink blearily.
The three of you look to each other in nervous silence before looking back at the trussed up pegasus.
“Huh? Why am I tied up? What’s going...?” her eyes blink and she spots her arch nemesis beside you and Grandbuggy. “Ahuizotl!” she snarls. He clears his throat before sporting a sneer as he gloats,
“Oh Hai Daring Do, so good of you to drop in on me in my Summer Home, even if you weren’t invited.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t see your name on it. Not like you left me a key to get into the place,” she snarks as she struggles in her bonds.
“Oh Daring Daring Daring, we’ve done this dance multiple times, you can’t escape my knots so easily.”
“Oh I know your knots alright you perv,” she chides. “I’ll get out sooner or later and…What? What are you snickering at?” she snaps as you and Grandbuggy struggle to hold in laughter.
“N-Nothing. Nothing at all,” Grandbuggy snickers.
“Yup. Totally nothing happening right meow,” you joke, which causes the both of you to laugh out loud.
Daring is confused at first at the random Changeling and Filly laughing, before her eyes widen and she glares at Ahuizotl.
“Did you draw on my face again?!!!” she snarls.
“What? No…” Ahuizotl unconvincingly lies with his own smirk, and all three of you burst out laughing.
“Ugh,” the pegasus groans. “What is it this time? More glasses and moustaches?”
“Nope. You look like you’re trying to join Josie and the Pussycats though,” you giggle. She casts her gaze upon you and squints at you inquisitively.
“And who exactly are you?”
“I’m the one who knocked you out,” you giggle before stopping and your eyes widen.
“What?” she exclaims.
“Um…accidentally?” you try to save face.
“You should feel honored, it takes effort for her to do anything accidentally,” Grandbuggy chuckles. Daring Do looks from him, and back to you before looking back at Ahuizotl.
“Who are these two Ahuizotl? More minions?”
“Heh, no dear Daring, they are mi amigos. Guests in my house, unlike sneaky you,” he scolds. She glances back over you two with a raised eyebrow.
“Guests huh?”
“Eyup. We’re not actually villains or anything,” you say trying to smooth things over. “In fact, I’m kind of, well…I’m a huge fan of yours.”
She raises another brow at that.
Falx_of_Lume’s Comment
PrinceDuskRiser’s Comment
"Yeah…so Ms. Daring Do, I know it’s kind of an awkward situation and all…but I was wondering if I could have your autograph?" You ask the tied-up pegasus with a nervous grin.
Daring stares at you for a few seconds, "You knock me out, then you hand me over to my greatest rival, and now you want me to give you, my autograph?"
You shuffle your hooves in embarrassment,
"Well, I am REALLY sorry about knocking you out. Really it was Mangle’s fault for getting all jealous… and I was trying to get you help," you explain. Daring stares at you.
"...suuuuure..." She answers. She doesn't know what to feel about you. On the one hoof, you knocked her out, but on the other... you're just a kid, asking for an autograph.
"Thank you!" You exclaim in excitement. “You have no idea how awesome this is…well, despite the knocked out and tied up part,” you chuckle nervously.
"...Eh," She shrugs, "I've had worst Mondays before."
You then put your saddlebags on the ground, open them up and climb inside to go grab your copy of "Daring Do and the Saphire Idol". When you get out, she's staring in shock at how you managed to fit inside your bags. You pull out a pen and stick it gently in her mouth and open the book for her to sign. Daring scribbles out her signature for you carefully, but quickly.
“Thank you so much. To tell you the truth, I don’t read much, but the movies really got me wanting to read the books,” you admit.
She rolls her eyes at that, “Ugh, that actress looks nothing like me.”
“You’re right, she’s got a better flank on her,” Grandbuggy trolls causing Daring Do to look up at him in shock and anger.
“Hey!” she growls.
“What? I calls it like I sees it,” he chuckles and you facehoof.
“Grandbuggy…just…Ugh,” you shake your head in embarrassment.
“Yes…well they are my guests, and no I will not tell you there names Daring Do,” Ahuizotl states.
“Oh I already know who they are,” she states.
“You do?” you ask in surprise.
Kichi’s Comment
“Yes, you’re obviously The Hooded Offender and Nightmare Moon resurrected,” she exclaims.
You and Grandbuggy look at each other and back at her.
“Say what now?” asks Grandbuggy.
“It’s obvious really. A criminal changeling, who we’ve all learned is the new host of Nightmare Moon, has been running around for nearly three years. You’re obviously scum if you’re hanging around with Ahuizotl, and there’s an Alicorn Filly that looks like the chibi version of the Boogey Mare.”
“Hey! I’m not the boogey mare, and that title is slanderous!” you shout.
“Let me guess, you tried some ritual to give you a body, but you ended up as a child again?" she interrogates.
“I’m not Nightmare Moon!” you insist.
“Oh really?” she says unbelievingly before looking to Grandbuggy. “What about you Hooded Offender, are you still under her control?” Granbuggy just stares at her for a few heart beats before he breaks out laughing.
“What? What’s so funny?” she asks.
“Amazing. Every word of what you just said is wrong,” he chuckles. “I’m way too old to be the Offender. I mean seriously, why was that your first assumption?”
"I’m not assuming, I’m deducing. It’s second nature with my career, and after everything I’ve been through in my life, the outlandish doesn’t surprise me," she answers.
“Hmmph. Well your deductions missed the mark a bit lady. I ain’t the Offender, that’s my Grandson.”
"Grandson?!” she says surprised. “So, I guessed correctly then? This is Nightmare Moon reborn?"
“No! Quit suggesting that!” you groan.
"Yeah, this little bundle of joy you’re looking at is her daughter," Grandbuggy clarifies.
“Her…Daughter?” Daring asks extremely flabbergasted.
"Grandbuggy!" you shout in surprise. “Don’t go telling others things like that!”
"What? She already suspected something, and it’s better to clarify things before more rumors of your Dad circulate. Besides, she’s technically a fictional character, so who’s gonna believe her?”
“Her infuriating writer for one thing, always exaggerating things,” Ahuizotl harrumphs.
“Still…” you trail off thinking about how secretive you and your family have been for the last three and a half years.
“It’s a better situation kid. I’d rather stupid assumptions like you being your Ma reborn were put to rest so them Do Gooder Mares don’t try to blast you with their rainbow of death.”
“Oh…good point,” you nod at his wisdom.
“Now, I have a serious question for you," Grandbuggy turns back to the still shocked Daring and looks her in the eye. "How did you get past the curse in the Temple of Bastet in the Fourth book?"
"Wait, What?" asks Daring in surprise over the change in conversation.
"The book didn’t explain, and I know for a fact Bastet liked cursing his stuff" She stares inquisitively at that statement before she thinks back.
“I, uh, was wearing the Amulet of Apophis.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Grandbuggy nods. “Weirdo did love his snakes.”
Not understanding how that logic works, your own Plot Hole seeking mind fires up.
“OK, but here’s a question. What happened to Roundabout, your Neighsan colt sidekick between books two and three?”
She looks away in embarrassment at that, “We don’t talk about Roundabout little filly.”
“Oh Come On! What happened? You can’t just introduce a character and then not explain what happened to them when they disappear!”
8BitMadness’s Comment
While you bother Daring Do with questions about plot holes and lack of details in the books about her, Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl converse behind you.
“Your Grandson is the Hooded Offender? Dios…I’d heard the tales even this far south of the Changeling possessed by the Mare in the Moon.”
“Many of those tales are flat out wrong, but the power he possesses is no exaggeration,” Grandbuggy explains.
“But what about that Stallion that helped you from the Quicksand in the 6th book?” you ask the frustrated mare.
“Quit trying to ship me with random background characters!”
"So she's Nightmare Moon's daughter?" Ahuizotl asks. "That seems a bit far-fetched to me."
"It's completely true though. Also she goes by the name Selena now." Grandbuggy responds. "Turns out my grandson won the jackpot in terms of partners. She's smart enough to keep him from doing his usual stupid antics. Lemme tell you what, he got my insanity, but he didn't get my intelligence."
"Truly? He courted a godess and had a child? But wouldn't the princesses of Equestria have caught on if she was resurrected in a new body?" Ahuizotl asks.
"...Truth be told, that's what this here mission is for," Grandbuggy answers after a delay. "Her spirit currently inhabits the body of my boy. He’s working on his end to accomplish that, and me and the kiddo are doing what we can to help.”
"Wait a minute, then how was your Great Granddaughter made then?!" Ahuizotl asks in confusion.
"Dunno, magic apparently."
“That sounds highly improbable,” he insists.
“Yeah it does sound that way. But it’s true,” Grandbuggy shrugs.
“Alright, but what about that time you thought about how hard it would be to write what you saw. You’re not a writer, that’s A.K. Yearling,” you grill.
“I, uh…I meant about how I would tell A.K. about seeing the beast that should not be…It’s complicated “Daughter of Nightmare Moon.””
“You don’t have to call me that you know?” you say, putting your hooves on your hips disapprovingly. “Just call me…Shadow. Evening Shadow.”
“Alright…’Shadow’ will you stop nitpicking? I have things to do.”
“Like what?” you ask.
Down With Chrysalis’s Comment
“Like recovering the destructive Borealis Orb of Duchess Aurora herself. It’s said to hypnotize the masses with enchanting light, before causing massive conflagrations, and you’re friend Ahuizotl here has it.” Grandbuggy snorts at that.
“Aurora’s Borealis? At this point in time, at this time of season, in this vast jungle, located entirely within this Ancient Temple?”
“Yes!” Daring answers. “And I’m not going to let you people use it to cause untold destruction for your Dark Goddess and-“
“Yeah, I’m just gonna stop you right there. That little trinket isn’t that big of a deal D.D. The legends about it are false. All it does is get you extremely high. Those massive, glorious fires were caused by intoxicated numbskulls kicking over a lantern.” She seems extremely shocked at this, but no more so than Ahuizotl.
“Wait, really? Mierda! I paid 50 Grand for that stupid orb!”
“And who sold you that?” Grandbuggy asks.
“…Cabelleron,” he reluctantly answers.
“Well that’s your own gorramned fault then,” Grandbuggy chides.
While they argue over their choices in allies, your eyes kind of sparkle.
“So wait a minute, you were sneaking in to get an artifact?”
“Yeah…I was until your Grandpa or whatever just explained what it really was. How does he even know?” she asks you.
“Time Travel I think,” you say nonchalantly.
“What?” she gasps, but you ignore her and continue on.
“But still, that’s so cool. We’re kind of getting our artifacts easily, but it sounds fun doing the whole adventurer thing to get them.”
“I…” a conspiratorial smirk suddenly adorns her face. “Say Shadow, if you untie me, I’ll take you with me to get the orb. Even if it’s just ancient LSD, it belongs in a museum.”
“Hmmm…” you ponder as you look back to Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl and back to the pegasus. “Eh, sounds like fun. Just so long as you don’t take the Ring of Scorchero that we need.”
Her eyes widen at that. “He’s gathering the Rings of Scorchero?! Sweet Celestia, that will bring extreme heat waves to the Jungle.”
“Yeah, whatever, that’s not my problem. You deal with that in your next book, we kind of need one,” you explain.
“I…Alright fine. Let me out and we’ll go get the Borealis Orb “only” OK?”
“Sure. Why the buck not?” you shrug and walk towards her.
“Whoa, wait kid, watch your-“
“Don’t tell me to watch my bucking mouth! I don’t take that guff from anyl-EYAH!!!” you squeal as suddenly a net falls on top of you.
“…I was going to say watch your step, there’s a trap there,” Daring finishes.
“AH! Get it off, get it off!” you flail as the net trips you. Grandbuggy looks over at the situation and laughs.
“Now what’d you go and get yourself caught up for?” he guffaws.
“I was trying to have an adventure!” you whine as you try to fling the accursed net off of you.
“Ah, so Daring Do, you seek to corrupt the young to do your bidding? For shame,” Ahuizotl shakes his head as he helps take the net off of you.
PuzzlingFrost’s Comment
“Oh you’re one to talk. Working with the Hooded Offender’s family! You’ll never get away with this Ahuizotl! I’ll stop you, just as I always have!” Daring says with a smirk.
“That’s where your wrong miss Do! I have the advantage here! Your wings are bound, rendering you unable to fly! And what’s more you have no equipment, no allies, and no way ou- would you quit laughing Fix!” Ahuizotl yells, as Grandbuggy is just over in the corner laughing his flank off. Pounding his front hoof away at the ancient floor.
“I’m sorry zotl it’s just too much! Haha!” Grandbuggy wheezes. “You’re acting is like a Hammy Villain right out of a cheesy foals book!” He says calming down.
“Isn’t he technically one already?” You say with a giggle at how silly this all was. Your, Grandbuggy stumbles as he laughs again, not noticing the pressure plate he stepped on.
“Quick no! The trap!” Ahuizotl says in alarm. As the floor beneath all of you gives way to a deep dark pit. Your grandbuggy stops laughing as he realizes what he’s done,
“Oh buuuuucccccckkkkkk!!!!!!” He shouts as you, Grandbuggy, Darring, and Ahuizotl fall down the pit. Moments later the floor seals back up just as two guards come in with snacks, “Hey boss we just spotted Caballeron and his guys heading this way. Also we may be out of food for next few weeks… wait where’d he go?”
TartarusFire’s Comment
Thankfully, you’ve all landed on the mattress that was in Daring Do’s cell, though Ahuizotl did end up on the bottom of the dog pile. Groaning, you look around you, but there is only darkness.
Daring do laughs and rolls around on the floor. "Haha! Caught in your own trap. I didn't even have to try this time!" More chortles escaped Daring while Ahuizotl stares stupified in the nearly lightless pit.
“I…Well…this has literally never happened to me before.”
“Yeah, sorry about that folks. My bad,” Grandbuggy chuckles nervously.
“Now I know where Dad get is. Mangle, come on out and give us some light girl,” you say aloud. Mangle pops out of the inventory to sit next to you as light beams come out of her eyes, illuminating the room better.
“What in the world?” Daring asks in surprise.
“This is my pet Mangle. She’s the one who landed on your head,” you explain as you pet said fox.
“What is that thing? It was heavy enough to knock me out through my helmet…have you seen my helmet by the way?”
“Uhhh…Nooo?” you lie as your souvenir sits within your Inventory.
“Alright alright, so what’s the trick here Ahzui? Where’s the exit?” Grandbuggy asks.
“Well, the trap door above should still be openable,” he answers.
"Gorramit, what do we do now Granbuggy?" you ask as you stare at the ceiling far above you.
"Still thinking like your pops huh?" Granbuggy snarks. "We can fly remember?"
The sound of your hoof to face contact in the rather echo-y trap pit makes the two other 'guests' cringe. "Gor.Ram.It. I can't believe I forgot about that already!" You throw your hooves into the air. "But what about Ahuizotl and Daring?”
“Untie me and I can fly too,” she orders.
“Yeah, no, the last time I tried that I had a net fall on me,” you point out.
“I tried to warn you!”
“Still…also, Cat Guy here can’t fly. Should we put them in the inventory?"
"Nah. We'll get the pit open and they can climb out. No free rides from us two."
A bit confused but nonchalant, you and Granbuggy fly up to the crack in the floor, only to hear crying.
"I- We can’t be friends anymore! You've done this to me too many times!"
"But I brought extra snacks this time..."
“What the buck?” you say in confusion.
"Every-" An extremely emotional breath echoes down "- time. Every time I get to one, you call me out for it! It's sickening!"
"Look, it's not my fault you always forget to call uno right after you put the card down--"
Grandbuggy, with an annoyed look on his face calls out, "Hey boys, you can get back to your emotional problems after you open this pit up; we've got your boss here."
"Whoa, it's that guy from before."
“Yes, and if you don’t listen to him, he and I will kick your flanks you idjits!” you shout.
After hearing a resounding “EEP!” you hear one of the two guards fumble about for something. "Okay, so how do we open this thing up? I don't know about you but I'm not strong enough to move a thousand pound slab of stone." Grandbuggy looks back down into the Mangle Illuminated chamber.
“You don’t teach them how to operate the traps?” he chides Ahuizotl.
“They’re primitive buffoons. Would you trust them?” he shoots back.
"Good point,” Grandbuggy nods before calling back through the floor. “Okay, so there's a plate on the back left wall there, that if you step on it, it will open this floor." Some hoof steps retreat away from the crack. "Yeah just press it then leap backwards before-"
"AAAAAAHHHHHH" The guards scream as the door opens and they fall down, hitting Grandbuggy as they fall to the bottom
"BUCK!" Granbuggy yell as the three of them fall and land on Ahuizotl.
“OOF! Why me?” he groans while Daring Do laughs. The floor then beings rumbling shut, and you make a snap decision and fly through it. From below, you hear Grandbuggy growling in frustration.
"You two idjits better hide before I rip your--"
"Heyyy Granbuggy!" You yell into the crack. "I'm up here, I can press the switch, and I won’t wall in like those goofs.”
"Oh, Good job kid. Looks like you've managed to survive by pure luck. Atta girl! Just step on it and open it." “OK,” you call down and walk over the pressure plate that started this whole mess. A few moments pass in relative silence, but nothing happens.
"What's taking so long?" Grandbuggy asks.
"I, uh…I don’t think I’m heavy enough..." you admit as you bounce up and down on the plate.
PuzzlingFrost’s Comment
You jerk back at a sudden *smack* noise you hear come from the pit.
"Alright hang on sweetie we need you to go and find something heavy to put on the plate." You hear Grandbuggy shout. But before you can respond you hear a shout coming from outside.
"AHUIZOTL!!! It’s me, Dr. Cabelleron. I’ve arrived with the cargo! Where are you?” As his gruff voice echoes throughout the temple you groan in frustration.
“Great, just great. Another bucking fictional villain to deal with!” You then run back to the crack and look through it.
“Guys, I’m assuming you heard that?”
“Yeah I heard it alright,” Grandbuggy spits in anger. “How could I not?”
"Dios Mio NO! Caballeron is early?!" Ahuizotl cried out in annoyance. “My schedule didn’t plan for three unexpected visits! My daily planner will now be out of synch!”
"Oh right that's why we were looking for you sir. He's early,” responds guard one.
"Yeah. And again, we’re sorry about the trap boss," apologizes the other guard.
"Bob! Steve! You idiotas!" Ahuizotl yells.
"Actually my name is Strawberry Sunshine,” says "Steve"
"And you wonder why I call you Steve..." he sighs as he massages his head.
"Wait Caballeron is here too?! What's your game Ahuizotl?" Daring interogates despite still being tied up and on the floor.
"Daring can we call a timeout on this? At least till we get out of this mess?" Ahuizotl asks, grabbing her and bringing her to his eye level.
"Fine, but don't think this is over you fiend," she says with a glare, which is somewhat less impactful with the cat whiskers on her face.
“Oh it will never be over my Dear Daring Do, for I will never let you or your infringing stories ruin my plans,” he promises.
“As long as you have so called plans, I will never rest until-“ she starts before Grandbuggy just shouts.
"BY THE GODS, JUST BUCK ALREADY!!"
“What?!” they both say taken aback.
“This sexual tension is so thick you could cut with a knife,” he says in frustration while the two guards snicker. “If you’re not going to do that, then just quit squabbling so we can figure a way out of this mess.”
"I! But she/he! We would never!" the adventurer and the villain stammer with blushing faces. Before things can get any more awkward though, “Bob” speaks up,
"Hey I think there's a hidden passage back here!"
“Wait really?” Grandbuggy asks as he picks up Mangle and points her eyelights in his direction. Sure enough, there appears to be a hidden door.
“How come you didn’t say anything before?” he asks the still blushing Ahuizotl.
“I don’t know what’s at the bottom of every one of my traps. This temple is huge,” he answers as he runs over his minion and into the passage, forgetting that he still had Daring in his tail paw thing.
"Oi! Wait for us!" Grandbuggy shouts before turning his head to the ceiling and shouting to you,
"Kiddo, we found a way out! We'll meet you up there. Don't do anything your father would do OK?"
“Al-alright. Mangle! Watch over everyone in the dark alright?” You receive a mechanical bark in reply.
“Boy this thing is creepy,” Grandbuggy says nervously as he points the fox forward and walks through the hidden passage way following the two love birds with Tweedledee and Tweedledum following behind him. As the light fades, you pull your face away from the crack and frown.
“Oh sure. THEY get to go into secret hidden tunnels and I gotta wait up here. This is such Bullspit,” you huff and cross your forelegs. You’re pouting is interrupted as you hear the accented voice call out again.
"Hello? Ahuizotl?! Where are you?! This isn't how you do good business friend. You’re supposed to greet your guests!”
“And then there’s this flankhole,” you groan.
WHAT DO YOU DO?