//------------------------------//
// A Princess's Trials - Part 6 
// Story: The Princess's Captain 
// by PresentPerfect 
//------------------------------//

A Princess's Trials
by Present Perfect

Part 6: ...And the Crown of Sacanas

The next morning, they agreed another day spent recovering would be for the best.  An early rain added to their desire to stay put, though Tempest and Twilight still went out foraging, leaving Skystar to rest.

It was during Twilight's first sojourn that Skystar rolled onto her side, gave Tempest a contrite look, and said, "I'm sorry, Tempest."

Taken aback, Tempest could only ask, "Sorry for what?"

"For..." Skystar's eyes closed.  "For being dumb and nearly getting myself killed." She exhaled a long, raspy breath.  "I guess I really wasn't as ready to come on an adventure with you and Twilight as I thought I was."

When she opened her eyes, they were sparkling with tears.  "I just don't want you to be mad at me."

'Mad' did not begin to cover the range of anguish, frustration and torment Tempest had struggled against over the past day.  But as Tempest gazed into the earnest guilt wracking the eyes of the young princess before her, she could only sigh.

"You don't have to apologize," she said slowly.  "I admit I was upset, but it was with myself.  I expected too much of you, didn't give you enough coaching to ensure your success.  Survival isn't something a person can just intuit."

She bowed her head.  "My own rash actions endangered your life.  I know we haven't gotten along well, but I want to say I am sorry, and I'm glad you're all right."

In the moments that followed, Skystar regarded Tempest with disbelief etched on her face.  It was only broken when she rushed forward and grabbed Tempest up in a crushing hug.

"Oh, Tempest!" she cried, sobbing into Tempest's mane.  "I'm so glad we're friends now!"

"I am too," said Princess Twilight, smiling from the entryway.  She moved into the shelter, depositing a leaf filled with fruits on the floor.  Winking at Tempest, she mouthed, "Good job."

Tempest did not know how to feel about any of it.





The next day, they made a steady if leisurely pace, just glad to be travelling again.  Even Tempest seemed to be in good spirits; she taught Skystar how to make a water vessel out of a large leaf.  Twilight did aerial recon, something the younger princess wouldn't be helping with until she was feeling a hundred percent.

During one such trip to check their bearings, Twilight spotted the last person she had ever expected to see out here in the Griffon Lands.  A lone pegasus popped in and out of the treeline some distance away.  Baffled, Twilight made her way over.  By the time she recognized the grey feathers and pith helmet, her heart was racing.

"Daring Do!"

The pegasus stopped halfway into her next dive, crashing onto the forest canopy instead of through it.  She lay, blinking, tangled in a half dozen tree branches and a bird nest.

"Princess Twilight?  What are you doing out here in the Griffon Lands?"

Laughing, Twilight gave her a hug, which Daring returned with distinct awkwardness.  "You won't believe how much I've been hearing that lately.  It's a long story.  I'm sure you're busy, but come with me just a minute, you can meet my traveling companions!" At Daring's suspicious look, Twilight amended, "Who are most likely not crazed fans."

Daring relented, and after a few minutes, all four were assembled on the forest floor.  There was, however, one small problem as Daring Do spread her wings threateningly at Tempest.

"What's she doing here?"

Twilight cleared her throat and gave a nervous giggle.  "Um, Daring, calm down just a second and I can give introductions!"

"No need." Daring lowered her head and pawed at the ground.  "I'd know Commander Tempest Shadow, right hoof of the Storm King, anywhere!  Give me a good reason why I shouldn't lay you out here and now!" She snorted and gave a shout as Twilight encased her in magic and lifted her off the ground.

"Okay, just calm down!"

"Former Commander of the Storm King's fleets," said Tempest, words tumbling out of her mouth like boulders off the edge of a cliff.  "I go by Captain of the Friendship Guard now.  It's a... pleasure to meet you?  Miss..."

Daring snorted.  "Put me down, Twilight!  Do you know what this pony's done?"

"Yes," said Twilight darkly, "I do.  And I stopped her, and now she's my friend.  That's kind of what I do, Daring."

"Ooh, ooh!" Skystar bounced up and down on her hooves, waving her claw.  "Can I guess?  Is she that Daring Do pony you told us about?  Was that a play on words with her name just now?  That was really funny, Twilight, good job!"

Clearing her throat loudly, Twilight said, "Daring, meet my bodyguard and captain of my royal guard, Tempest Shadow.  And this is Princess Skystar of Mount Aris.  Tempest, Skystar, Daring Do."

"Charmed," said Tempest in a way that suggested she was anything but.

"I'm so excited!" Skystar cried, rushing up and shaking Daring's hoof even though she was upside-down.  "I've heard so much about you!  Okay, I've heard, like, two things about you, but they're both true!  That's the pithiest pith helmet I've ever seen!"

"I..." Daring went slack in Twilight's magic.  "A hippogriff?"

Keeping a close eye on her, Twilight set Daring back on her hooves.  "Another long story.  If you don't mind some company, we could walk and talk?" She cast a look to Tempest, who was struggling to maintain an impassive mask.

Daring shook her head slowly.  "Give... give me just a second, please."

Without another word, she rocketed up into the treetops.  Twilight sent a questioning look at Tempest, who shook her head.

"My reputation precedes me," she said softly.  "I'm used to it."

Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder, but Daring returned through the trees before she could say anything.

"Well, I'm in luck," said said, grinning.  "I've been using this to search for the Lost Temple of Omeyocan for the last three days."

She held up a bronze chain, at the end of which dangled a thin, cracked lens.  Twilight thought it looked like an ancient monocle, in extremely poor repair.  "Legend says that the last light of the sun, when seen through the Amulet of Coyolxauhqui, will reveal the path to Omeyocan's temple.  And I just spotted the mountain pass!"

Tempest and Skystar exchanged glances.  Twilight just laughed.

"I guess I wouldn't mind some company," Daring said slowly.

"Your Highness," said Tempest with as much imperiousness as she could muster, "we aren't exactly at liberty to gallivant around this jungle looking for ancient legends.  We should try and get back to Equestria as soon as we can."

Daring raised a questioning eyebrow at Twilight.

"We're trying to get back home," Twilight said, lowering her eyes.  "We've been lost in the Griffon Lands for... Well, I can explain while we follow you."

Daring nodded.  "I'd be happy to do whatever I can to help you get back to Equestria once I've finished my business in the temple..."

Twilight, sensing Tempest remained unconvinced, said, "Come on, ladies.  Going to the mountains won't take us too far out of our way, and it'll be nice to have a fourth pony to talk with, right?  Just a new, friendly face to help speed the journey along!"

"Yes!" Skystar cheered and clapped her claws.  Tempest merely glowered at Daring.

"I don't like you," she said flatly.

"And I don't trust you," Daring returned.  "But I trust Princess Twilight.  And if she trusts you, then I guess we can get along.  For now." She hefted her saddlebags and took off east toward the mountains.  "Follow me."





"...and we've been trying to get home ever since.  It's just crazy happenstance we ran into you where we did!"

"It sure is." Daring chuckled.  "Good thing for me, too, since you got me into the right position to find the mountain pass."

"Speaking of..." Tempest grunted.  "Just what's so special this temple you're looking for?"

Daring glared at her, but soon relaxed into a look Twilight recognized, all too familiar with the joys of expounding on one's field of study.

"The Temple of Omeyocan was an important sociological and thaumaturgical hotspot in the mid to late Paleopony Period.  It was the capital of Tenochtitlan, for starters.  Once the Tenochtitlan civilization fell, the temple became the go-to site for any wizard cockamamie enough to want to use its fell power to fuel their dark rituals.  Most of its power is gone now, but pretty much every big bad from early pony history has gone there and left a piece of themselves behind: Axayacatl, Beezin, Stygian, Ahuizotl himself, Sacanas, Matlatzinc--"

"Wait," said Tempest, bringing them up short.  "Did you say Sacanas?" She gave Twilight a look as worried as it was excited.

"Yeah," said Daring, confused.  "Rumor has it he left one of his relics there.  I'm more interested in the Twin Goblets of Meztli and Tonatiuh myself.  Oooor the Great Cornucopia of Tonacacihuatl, if it's still there.  Why the interest in Sacanas?"

"We've found two of Sacanas's relics very recently," said Twilight, growing serious.  "We're trying to find the rest.  If we didn't have a reason to follow you on this adventure already, we sure do now."

Tempest nodded.  "If there's a chance we could find one of his relics in this temple, there's no better time for us to go looking for it.  I won't risk it falling into anyone else's clutches, whatever it is."

Daring appraised Tempest with what Twilight hoped was a modicum of respect.

"Well, the bad news," said Daring, "is that with any luck, it already has.  My last encounter with Caballeron led me to believe Ahuizotl had his eyes on his old stomping ground, which means he's got a major head start on me."

The trees began to thin out as the mountains rose before them.  Skystar let out an appreciative "Oooh!" once their full majesty became apparent.

"We'll have to make camp here in the foothills," Daring continued, her face darkening, "but the temple isn't too far beyond them.  We can reach it by midday tomorrow, and then we'll see just what Ahuizotl's up to."

Unbidden, Tempest broke off to follow the treeline.

"Princess Skystar, remember what I told you about foraging this time."

"Aye-aye, Captain!" said Skystar with a salute.  She whizzed off into the canopy, and Twilight laughed.

"Seems you've got a regular survival crew with you," said Daring with a chuckle.  Flapping her wings, she led Twilight over to an outcropping of rock that would provide shelter.

Twilight rolled her eyes.  "Times have been rough, but we're managing." She lowered her voice.  "Please don't try and antagonize Tempest.  I know she's done terrible things in the past, but she's really trying to change.  I'm never quite sure if she's hurting or ready to snap at a moment's notice, but I swear, she's not a bad pony once you get to know her."

Daring paused in unpacking her bags.  She rolled her tongue around in her mouth.

"The Storm King was a major destructive force outside Equestria for a very long time," she said, matter-of-fact.  "I've been lucky enough to avoid him and his cronies during my travels, but I've seen time and time again his effect on towns, cities, countries, you name it.  He never left a civilization without wreaking some kind of destruction on it.  I guess he didn't like sharing."

She narrowed her eyes.  "But everything he did to those people over the last decade, he did through her.  Mark my words, Princess, Tempest may be a changed pony now, but back then?  Back then, she was a force of devastation.  And she liked it."

Twilight swallowed but said nothing more as the others came back with camp-making materials.  They would have a proper lean-to and warm food tonight, at least.

While the four of them got the campsite ready, Twilight couldn't help but notice Daring sneaking glances at Skystar at every opportunity.  It took the other princess quite some time to notice.

"What?" shouted Skystar, whipping her head around.  "Is there something in my mane?  I'll bet there's tons of stuff in it, actually.  Just so long as there's no bugs.  Are there any bugs?"

"Nope!" said Daring, nervous.  "No bugs."

"Oh, whew." Skystar wiped her brow.  "Because I hate it when bugs crawl on me.  So many legs!" She shivered.

"So," said Daring, clearing her throat.  "You're, uh, a hippogriff, right!"

"Last I checked!" Skystar looked down at her claws, tapping the ground with them.  "And also this time.  Yup, definitely a hippogriff."

"And, you're from Mount Aris," said Daring slowly.

"I sure am!" said Skystar cheerily.  "It's been really nice getting to live on land since Twilight and her friends defeated the Storm King!"

Daring mouthed 'Defeated the Storm King?' at Twilight, who gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged.

"Ah," she said aloud.  "Well, you see, the thing is... Mount Aris was kind of abandoned for a long time, and nopony had heard from you hippogriffs in ages, so..."

Casting glances at her companions, Daring coughed loudly.  "Uh, I might have pilfered an artifact or several from you that will need to be returned once I can get on the diplomatic channels back in Equestria."

Skystar gasped.  "Is that where my mom's earrings went?  She's been on my case about them ever since we got back to the surface!"

Daring mumbled something about a museum.  Twilight laughed.





The Lost Temple of Omeyocan seemed somewhat misnamed now that they had travelled through its labyrinthine inner passages.  It hadn't been an easy trek, thanks to the requisite slew of traps and hazards, but they'd succeeded at every turn.  The place was feeling all but familiar, if Twilight were being honest.

Princess Skystar had been resoundingly impressed every time Daring or Twilight had passed one of the numerous death traps they'd encountered.  Twilight couldn't help but be rather impressed by herself; after all, Daring was able to get as far as they'd gotten by years of personal experience and danger.  Twilight was simply copying what she'd read second-hoof from the mare herself.

Also impressed was Daring, at the exploits of Tempest Shadow.  Despite being a new hoof at dodging traps -- Twilight had asked -- she nevertheless took to temple-delving with aplomb.  Twilight suspected there was a grudging respect budding between them, even, ever since Daring, preoccupied with solving a glyph puzzle, had activated a swinging mallet trap, and Tempest had saved her with a powerful double hindleg buck.

If this little journey got Daring or Tempest more friends, then it was worth it to Twilight.

But as their group reached the top of yet another uncountable flight of steps, a very familiar voice stopped them.

"End of the line, Daring Do."

Daring crouched low, flaring her wings.  "Caballeron!"

Caballeron scowled.  "How many times must I remind you to use my honorific?"

"You have to finish a degree to become a doctor," said Daring with the hint of a smirk.

"Is he a bad guy?" Skystar stage-whispered to Twilight.

"Yeah," she replied.  "Doctor Caballeron and Daring Do have been nemeses since Terrifying Towers."

Skystar let out a quiet squeal.  "I'll bet they're secretly former lovers, playing out their age-old lovers' spat as the hunt for ancient artifacts!"

"I can hear you, you know," said Caballeron, his face wrinkling.  "That is disgusting."  He spat on the ground and waved his hoof, as though that would wash away the conversation.  "No matter.  While you and your friends were busy dealing with the booby traps, I made some friends of my own."

From the shadows behind him emerged the trio of his usual loyal henchponies, along with three very tough looking griffons.  The largest strode up alongside Caballeron and cracked his knuckles.

"As we speak," Caballeron continued, "my employer is uniting the Twin Goblets of Meztli and Tonatiuh.  Imbued with their power, he will become the true ruler of night and day." With a little chuckle, he shined his hoof on his vest.  "And make us all very rich."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Daring cried, leaping into the air.

Tempest cracked her neck.  "Shall I dispose of these interlopers, Your Highness?"

Twilight opened her mouth to say "yes", but a deep voice from back in the shadows cut her off.

"That will not be necessary."

From the gloom of the archway strode a tall, lanky being.  Blue, with an angular head and tiny face, he walked on his knuckles like an ape.  Twilight hadn't gotten a chance to really drink Ahuizotl in the one time she'd faced him, having been far too concerned with his followers and a collapsing temple.

Now, at short range, she wasn't too proud to admit he was imposing, intimidating even.  He exuded the sinister confidence of an antediluvian creature with untold power.  Right now, it was clear to everyone in the room that he didn't just think, but knew he'd won.

She noted, with no small amount of satisfaction, Tempest's surprise at his appearance.

Daring had whirled around the moment he spoke.  "Ahuizotl!"

"Daring Do," he said, not bothering to disguise his contempt.  "So good of you to join me for my moment of triumph!  Ah-ah-ah!" He lifted a finger as the pegasus moved to intercept him.  "Attacking me will do you no good this time.  The ritual has already begun, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!"

He reared back, fingers clenching and unclenching as he laughed and laughed, his minions joining in.

"Seize them!"

The griffons and ponies strode forward, and both Daring and Tempest rushed to meet them head-on.  Despite the odds, the fight might have gone their way, too, had Caballeron not reacted quickly, tossing a small pouch over his minions' heads that exploded in the center of the melee.  The henchponies covered their noses and the griffons took to the air as Daring and Tempest fell to their knees, coughing. 

It all happened so fast, Twilight didn't have a chance to react.  The next thing she knew, Ahuizotl's tail was around her neck.  His fetid breath washed over her, stifling her own as he hissed into her ear.

"Princess." The word was spoken with utmost contempt.  "Call off your lap dogs."

"Tempest!" Twilight's voice came out as a hoarse squeak.

Tempest shook off the effects of whatever powder had laid her low, and her eyes went wide as she saw Twilight at Ahuizotl's mercy.  To her credit, she did not struggle as the henchponies chained her legs to Daring's.  Skystar was covered by the last henchpony, held at bay by the fear writ plain across her face.  Ahuizotl released Twilight, and two of the griffons flew over, taking one of her wings in each of their claws.

"Don't do anythin' stupid," said one of them.

Ahuizotl swept dramatically to the side, snapping the fingers of his tail-paw.  "Come, my enemy!  Watch as the goblets merge, and the strength of sun and moon makes me the most powerful being in creation!"

Daring gave them a defeated look.

At the minions' prodding, they all filed into a long, dark tunnel with a single point of light at the end, which grew larger with each step they took.  Once or twice, Twilight thought Daring was going to do something reckless, the pegasus's wings rustling beside her.  But she remained surprisingly calm and collected as she followed her greatest nemesis to who knew what terrible fate.

Eventually, they were brought into an expansive chamber.  At least as wide across as the throne room in Canterlot, the caldera had an open roof, letting the sunlight pour down into a seething, riling cauldron of boiling lava far below.  Their little rabble was perched on a stone platform, just large enough to hold all of them, which jutted out of the ragged stone walls that sloped up above them.  And in the middle of the area, hovering in midair, were two goblets the size of Twilight's head.

One was silver, the other gold, and a bright beam of sunlight shone down directly atop them, as though the clouds had parted just to let it through.  True to Ahuizotl's word, the lines of each cup intersected the other, and as they watched, the pair was slowly merging to become one item.

"Just a few more minutes," hissed Ahuizotl, a note of proud triumph in his voice.  "The powers of the sun and moon!  Just think of it, Daring Do!"

"You'll never get away with this, Ahuizotl," Daring said, though her heart didn't seem in it.

Ahuizotl barked a sharp laugh, shaking his head.  "As if there were anything you could do to stop me.  The ritual has already begun, and it cannot be undone." His voice rose to a howl of victory.  "My ascension is inevitable!"

"'Inevitable' isn't the word I'd use," said Twilight.

All eyes turned to look at her.  Her horn was aglow, and her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth due to the effort she was exerting.  Ahuizotl, panicked, looked from her to the goblets, which she held in her aura.  With every ounce of her magical strength, she was keeping the goblets from merging further, and, hair's breadth by strenuous hair's breadth, the process was reversing.

"What?" shrieked Ahuizotl.

"It's simple, really," said Twilight, grunting under the strain.  "You yourself gave me the details I needed to identify the ritual you enacted.  Not that stopping it is easy -- nngh -- but understanding is nine-tenths of the process!  I'm sure somepony famous said that."

"Twilight!" cried Daring Do.  "You're amazing!"

"Stop her!" screamed Ahuizotl.

Before the words had left his mouth, Twilight felt the griffons at her sides wrench her wings down.  She shrieked, and the goblets shuddered, her magic losing its grip on them as pain took over her mind.

Then there was the sound of a hoof breaking through a chain, and the pain suddenly stopped.  The griffons fell back, clutching their bruised beaks.  The other goons rushed in, but Daring and Tempest, now free of their shackles, were on them in a heartbeat, punching and kicking anypony who stood in their way.  They put up a threat display, standing vigil over Twilight as she worked on undoing the ritual.

"Are you all right, Twilight?" Tempest asked, breathless.

"I'll live," Twilight grunted.  She strained to reassert her magical control over the ritual.  "Skystar!  I need you to fly out here and catch the goblets when they fall."

Skystar nodded and lifted into the air, eying the griffon mercenaries warily.

Daring spread her wings, glaring at the griffons.  "I'll fly air interference."

"And I shall interfere on the ground," said Tempest, lowering her head.

"Idiots!" Snarling like a caged tiger, Ahuizotl stomped toward Twilight, his fur bristling.  "I will end this meddlesome princess myself!"

There was a flash of lightning and a yelp of pain.  Tempest was on top of Ahuizotl, forelegs wrapped around his neck, biting down hard on his ear.  The thug ponies moved forward to assist their boss, but Daring menaced them back.

Ahuizotl was at the savage mercy of Tempest Shadow.

One by one, the mercenaries and goons backed off, faces blanching.  Caballeron tugged at his collar, unable to take his eyes from the carnage.

"N-next time, Daring Do," he said after a long, terrible minute.

He turned for the tunnel and fled, ponies and griffons hot on his tail.

Twilight's eyes flicked from the interrupted ritual to the... Wow, Tempest was putting a lot of pressure on that joint!  And she wasn't sure she'd ever seen teeth utilized in that way.  Or hooves.  Or...

Twilight drew her wings across her eyes.  "I can't watch this!"

Beside her, Daring Do groaned.  "I can't publish this."

"YEAH TEMPEST!" shouted Skystar, pumping her fists in the air.  "KICK HIS SORRY BUTT!  WHOO!"

Twilight and Daring stared at her.  They remained staring until Ahuizotl let out a weak and pained "I surrender!"

Tempest immediately disengaged and snapped a smart salute.  "I have subdued the opponent, Your Highness."

Twilight felt queasy.  "Thank you... Captain..."

Ahuizotl lapsed into unconsciousness.  Then three things happened all at once.

Twilight's magic separated the goblets.  Skystar swooped up and caught them.  The temple around them began to shake.

"Oh, come on!" cried Twilight, rubbing her horn.  "Do any of these ancient temples not suddenly start collapsing when you stop the magical whatchamacallit?"

"Not in my experience," said Daring, taking the goblets from Skystar and stowing them in her saddlebags.  She moved to Ahuizotl's side.  "Come on, Princess, help me out."

"Skystar, get Tempest out of here," Twilight said.

Skystar shouted, "Okay!" and zipped over to where the mare was digging through the mercenaries' packs, left behind in their haste to flee.  Skystar shoved her claws under Tempest's forelegs, earning a cry of surprise and a brief struggle before she slowly lifted them out of the caldera.

Turning to Daring, Twilight frowned.  "Not to be overly dark or anything, but why go to the trouble of saving your greatest nemesis?" She moved forward and took one of Ahuizotl's arms over her withers.  "He's caused you and the world so much trouble.  Why save him?"

Daring snorted.  "He may be my nemesis, but that doesn't mean I want to see him dead." She juked to the side as a large boulder went tumbling down the walls into the pit of lava below.  "I'll take him to the nearest settlement to be locked up.  Maybe he can finally be put on trial.  It's what he deserves."

Her face darkened for a moment, and the two of them were silent as they struggled to lift the giant creature between them, Twilight fighting against the pain in her wing joints.  Then Daring smirked.

"Besides, when he finds out I saved his sorry butt from certain death?  He'll never live it down."





The four of them set down in a tiny griffon village a short flight over the mountains.  Ahuizotl was passed off to the village chief, who, after being paid a hefty sum, promised he would be kept in irons.  Daring stowed the goblets and made sure to give Twilight the Crown of Sacanas, which Tempest had pulled out of one of the packs along with some provisions.

"Well," said Daring, hitching up her saddlebags and their precious cargo, "I have to say, I was impressed by your display back there, Captain Tempest."

"I could say the same for you, Daring Do." Tempest gave her a small smile.

Daring held out a hoof.  "I'm not too big a pony to say I misjudged you.  Twilight was right, you're really changing.  Friends?"

Tempest looked to Twilight, who gave her a vigorous nod.  Taking the hoof in hers, she said, "Friends."

Nodding to Twilight and Skystar, Daring adjusted her hat.  "Griffonstone's a short flight or a few days' walk from here.  I'll be heading there first, then flying or taking the train to Equestria.  I expect you'll do the same?"

"That's the plan," said Twilight, looking to Tempest and Skystar, who nodded at her.

"Well," said Daring, flaring her wings, "if I find anyone who can help you get home faster, I promise I'll send them your way.  Good luck, Twilight!"

With that, Daring took off, leaving Twilight, Tempest and Skystar to contemplate their way home.

"At least this trip wasn't completely fruitless," said Twilight, nodding to the Crown.

It was large enough for any of them to wear.  Forged of dark metal and inlaid with silvery lines and spikes, it was far more menacing to behold than any previous relic they'd found.  Tempest had warned that, while not as corruptive as the Orb, it was still dangerous, and so they decided the three of them would carry it in shifts, to minimize the risk.  Griffonstone would be a few days' trot, but with their new provisions, they felt more than up to the challenge.

As Daring Do vanished over the horizon, Twilight caught a sigh from behind her.  She turned to see Princess Skystar gazing off at where Daring had disappeared to, a wistful look in her eye.

"Skystar?" she asked.  "What's up?"

"Oh, I was just thinking," said the hippogriff, as though in a dream, "isn't it such a great story, how Daring Doodle saved her arch-nemesis Avocado from the collapsing temple?"

"Uh," said Twilight Sparkle.

Skystar let out a high-pitched giggle.  "It's the kind of thing I read about in my mom's romance novels all the time.  Former enemies, united by a common foe, finding something in each other beneath all the animosity.  Hey, do you think they're secretly--"

"No!" shouted Tempest and Twilight.