Preparing did not take very long at all. I wrote up a quick little “contract”, because having things in writing is an important lesson I learned while trying to navigate the Canterlot bureaucracy. And I familiarized myself with my newest guest.
Unfortunately, the panther was just as unhappy to see me as the last time we met. Lucky for me, I still had the note from the previous incident. One look at that and she changed her tune like a jukebox.
She changed from hissing and aggressive to purring and content the moment I showed her that paw print. It was slightly unsettling, but also reassuring. If just a paw-print could elicit this much of a change, there had to be quite a bond formed there.
Right now, the only thing I have to do is wait. But that’s no issue, I’m a very patient mare.
I didn’t have to wait long, Ahuizotl was likely still nearby looking for his other big cat. I only had to let her out in the yard once before she started acting all jittery and frequently glancing toward the tree line.
It was hard to get her inside once evening fell, but some cooked salmon did the trick. A few other pieces left out made up the trail.
I had my bait, I laid out the red carpet, and if the tension in the air was any indication, the guest of honor was on his way.
And here I sit, in that same cell I kept the first cat in, panther lounging behind me on an old mattress.
The only hint I had company was the momentary pause in the sounds of the wind, gently blowing by the doorway down the hall.
Anyone else may have brushed it off as a momentary lapse in the wind outside. But I had learned a while ago how to listen to my instincts, to that little sixth sense that tells you when something isn’t normal.
My suspicions were confirmed when a set of slitted eyes peered out from the darkness of the open door.
Hello again, mister tiger.
A second set appeared beneath the first, our little white cat.
And finally, a set of almost sickeningly yellow eyes creep around the doorframe into view, the white of massive fangs just visible in the waning light of my candle.
“Ahuizotl.”
I speak his name out, looking for signs of recognition. Sure enough, his eyes widen slightly and his head lowers.
I raise my hooves, attempting to seem as non-confrontational as possible despite the situation.
“Yes, I know who you are. I read about you in this little book I found the other day in the city. I learned a lot, but I’d like to hear it from you as well.”
The cats stay where they are as he lumbers into the room soundlessly, stopping to tower over me, close enough I could make out the markings on his arms and face, but not enough for me to smell his breath.
“I am called Ahuizotl, as that is what I am.”
OK that was NOT what I was expecting his voice to sound like. His speech was flawless, only a few traces of an accent that I could not place. He sounded almost.. refined? Proper?
He lifts his paw, not the tail one, to his chest and turns to face the wall, speaking as if he's reciting lines from a play on-stage.
“It is likely that much of what you have read is true, though the accuracy of the details is very.. debatable.”
“So.. you’re not a criminal forest demon that steals ancient artifacts and tries to take over the world, along with your small army of jungle cats?”
Nearly growling, he whips back to face me. The firelight from my candle dances in his eyes as he glares at me.
“I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THOSE ARTIFACTS!”
He booms, clearly offended.
“It is my duty to protect the Basin and ensure the secrets and treasures held there do not fall into the wrong hands!”
"Hands like… Daring Do's?"
His eyes narrow at the sound of her name.
"That blasted mare has been a thorn in my paw for years. She claims to 'liberate' and 'recover' the sacred items I am sworn to protect, and then vanishes without another word."
"According to the book, she donates them for study and safe-keeping at the Canterlot museum."
He huffs dismissively. "A likely story. Had I not already tried to steal them back from said museum, I'd almost believe it."
Gears turned in my head.
"So you're saying…"
"Indeed. The artifacts on display are all fakes. Even snooping in the so-called 'sealed archives' revealed none of the genuine items. And the registry only has notes about the frauds."
"That is… mildly troubling…"
"More than mildly. I have not the foggiest clue what her real intentions are, what plans she has in motion. And since she can seamlessly blend in with the populace, I am unable to track her and find out."
The large creature's shoulders slump ever so slightly, and the corners of his eyes bend imperceptibly downward. He was exhausted.
"The only course of action I have is to keep her from getting any other artifacts, lest her plans come to fruition."
A thought jumps in my mind. "Wait.. what about the other treasure hunters? Dr. Caba-something. She fought and stopped him multiple times, at least according to the books."
"Just because she stopped other nefarious ponies does not mean she was acting morally. Enemy of My Enemy only goes so far when she then steals the treasures for herself." The tail hand waves dismissively. "Enough talk of her. Our business here is much more pressing at the moment."
We had gotten off on a bit of a tangent…
"Right, sorry. I didn't lure you in here just to interrogate you. I wanted to offer you a deal."
His head cocks to the side, and his pointy ears somehow seemed to perk up more.
"A DEAL?"
I unfurl the contract and slide it over to him. He picks it up gingerly, most if not all of his earlier aggression having faded. His guard is down.
Judging by the gentle waving of his tail, he's interested.
The kitten pads between his legs to join him in inspecting the parchment, though I doubt it could read any of it. The tiger, moving much more confidently now, interacts with the panther. All so… friendly. Familial.
Despite it all, I might actually be making the right choice.
"If I am understanding this correctly, you are offering asylum and care for my cats without expecting any kind of payment. And in return, you only ask that I keep them out of danger as much as possible?"
I keep my voice even, confident.
"That is correct. I understand they're your… minions, lacking a better word. I can understand bumps and bruises, the occasional scratch or dislocated shoulder."
Icicles dripped from my words, my demeanor taking on a hardness. "But if I see signs of a fight or any serious injury, you and I will trade more than words."
I let the threat hang in the air between us, and it was definitely a threat. While most ponies would consider that a very bad idea, considering the size difference between us, I am not most ponies.
Over this lovely little chat, I'd been analyzing his language, spoken and unspoken. I'd studied his actions in the books, his demeanor in-person, took in all of the information I could.
If I was anything, it was a very observant pony.
This was the best way to get my point across, and I'd know soon enough if it worked.
Ahuizotl's eyes drilled holes through my skull, piercing and assessing.
A smile spread across his face a moment before it broke into a deep laugh.
"I LIKE YOU, PONY."
He brought his bellows under control, holding up the contract.
"I find these terms agreeable. But I am a beast of higher standard, and will sign no agreement without knowing your name." His claw jabs in my direction. "To whom have I been speaking? Who dares to level a threat at me so casually? I demand to know before I agree to anything."
"My name is Keen Eye, Canterlot Animal Control." I extend a hoof and he shakes it vigorously.
"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kee'Nai. Your skills are wasted here. Had I not already tamed the beasts of the Basin, I would gladly seek to employ you for such services."
"I'm pretty sure that was a compliment."
"It was." He signs with another flourish. This time, though, his signature glows with a faint golden hue for a moment before fading.
He saw it as well, but was not surprised like I was.
"It is a binding agreement, Kee'Nai. I am a creature of my word, bound by sacred oaths." He waves his paw through the air and the document splits down the middle, each separate piece magically regenerating its missing half. "This is now one of them. A copy for each of us."
He tucks his copy away somewhere. "I shall teach my cats to come here should we ever be separated again, and this shall be the first place I look for them."
I take my copy, "And I will watch and care over them until you come to retrieve them, as long as our agreement is kept."
"Then our business here is done. May we meet again someday."
We bid each other farewell and he disappeared into the forests with his furry crew.
I slept really well that night.
It was only a week before I got my next visitor. And this time, it wasn't a big cat.
This strange mare kept snooping around the neighborhood next to my shelter. I noticed her when coming and going, or when peeking through the shutters on the windows. She was always in a different place. Always looking nonchalant and distracted elsewhere.
But she wasn't really good at it. It was like watching an inexperienced hunter. She had a lot of tells, and was obviously unsure of herself whenever another pony came near.
I had a few ideas as to her identity. New paparazzi? I did meet a princess a short while ago. Maybe they were looking for some gossip I may have heard in the palace.
Maybe it was a private investigator, following some lead about the sudden appearance of a couple of large predatory felines.
Or, judging by her gold-colored coat and gray-scale mane in perfect likeness to a certain storybook heroine, this was the famous Daring Do.
If you bet on option three, you'd have won a mound of bits.
She made her move on the twelfth day.
I was checking the mail that morning, as I usually did, and took the casual glance around the neighborhood in case I could spot the often poorly-hidden mare. And for the first time in over a week, I didn't see her snooping anywhere.
Peaking through the blinds once back inside yielded no results either. Needless to say I was immediately suspicious.
As I recall, Daring Do was a pegasus. With Canterlot residents being predominantly unicorns, this would mean that they are less likely to look skyward when searching for something.
Pegasus, on the other hoof, are just like birds in many ways. Cloudsdale may not be made of wood, but that doesnt mean the interlacing cloud structures and skyways were dissimilar to the branches of a large tree.
Tuning my mind to the thought processes of a bird lead me to the now obvious location of my snooper. One block over, hovering just far enough off of the ground to seem normal, was a fluffy white cloud. It wasn’t the only cloud in the morning sky, but it was the smallest and the lowest flying.
Bingo.
It was now a game of cat and mouse, and our mouse here thought themself the cat.
The usual trap was arranged with Bump, hiding her between the wall and an open door. I hitched up my cart and left, casual but with purpose, leaving the perfect opening for somepony to sneak in behind me.
Set.
I walk for two blocks before looking back, just catching a hint of gold flicking over the fence.
I approached as quickly and quietly as I could, opting for the grass to hide the sound of my cart behind me. I wasn’t in a particular rush, trusting bump to be more than a suitable distraction, but I will admit I was excited.
Sounds of a struggle echoed down the hall, leading me just outside the new-arrival room. And there on the floor, tangled in five feet of snake, was the mare I believed to be Daring Do.
Match.