Heading towards the MythKing Ruin, Ahuizota stopped by a supply store to buy some pieces of equipment and then she resumed her expedition.
Near the dawn, she had reached the entrance of the Ruin, breathing and exhaling she decided to step inside.
Once inside, she noticed how old that ruin was. Scared by some dirt fall, she looked up and saw a giant spider sleeping on its web, looking beside her she saw giant cocoon and by the aspect of it, they were old enough to be there for at least five years. Trotting slowly to not awake the spider, she reached the main entrance. Raising a paw, she wiped her sweat over her head and resumed her normal pace.
A few meters onward, she saw a large dark room it didn't appear to have some kind of sunlight or illumination at all. Grabbing a torch beside her, she entered the darkroom. Trotting carefully, she looked to the left and to the right amazed by the engravings that were drawn on the walls.
Stepping on something soft, she looked down and noticed a hat. Bending down, she grabbed the hat, taking a good look at it she remembered that she had seen that hat before.
A small rock hit the back of her head, grunting and raising a paw to brush the spot where the rock hit, she looked up and for her surprised her evidence was true.
"Derring Do? What are you doing up there?" she asked.
"I don't know maybe catching some air?"
Raising her torch a little higher she saw that he was hanging on a small piece of metal that had caught the back of his shirt.
Raising her paw, she brought it to her mouth to contain a giggle.
"I can see now, you failed some kind of enigma," she said. "Don't worry I'll get it open to you."
Grunting in frustration, he crossed his arms and waited until she solved the enigma.
Looking back at the wall, she noticed strange symbols and a small text written in antique language.
"Step carefully!! What you think it might be, it can't be what you think it might be?"
Raising a paw to her chin, she thought about what she could do.
"Interesting," she said.
"What?" he asked.
Looking back at him, she raised her paw and explained it to him.
"The ground and the engravings, you may think that it's for matching them but no," she said, "You need to pick one that is not on this wall."
Graggin the torch with her tail, she threw it to him.
"Here catch. Keep it high up," she ordered.
Extending his hooves, he grabbed the torch and raised it.
"I'm not helping you, I'm just allowing you to free me," he said.
"Yeah whatever," she said, "I can't get it how you failed this enigma. You rarely fail on something."
He sighed and replied.
"I misunderstood it."
Jumping from piece to piece, the door in front of them began to raise. Looking over her, he noticed a large saw that was slowly descending towards her.
"Huh, if I was you, I would make it quicker," he said.
"What? Why?" she asked.
Holding the torch in one of his hooves, he pointed towards the ceiling, intrigued she looked up and noticed the saw slowly descending towards her. Squeaking in panic, she jumped towards another piece only to make the saw descended violently towards her. Looking up, she noticed the saw closing distance between them. In an act of despair, he threw the torch towards a random tile that made the saw stop. Slowly making its way up, she breathed ferociously and looked back at him.
His eyes widen when he heard a sound and noticed that the small piece of metal retracted, leaving him hanging in the middle of the air. Shacking his hooves in despair, the gravity pushed him down until he hit the floor. Laying flat on the ground, he grunted and got back up.
"The savior became the endangered maiden," he said.
"Oh, shut up," she replied. "I panicked, ok."
Looking back at the door, he rushed past her and entered the main room, noticing this she yelled and followed behind him.
Once inside the main room, they looked around and the artifact was in the middle of the room. The problem was, the ground began to collapse, looking down he saw that if somepony or something falls on it, it can't get back up since it was too tall to climb back. Unfolding his wings, he jumped forward and landed on stable ground.
Grunting in frustration, she walked backward and readied herself to jump. Running and jumping, she reached the other side.
Following behind him, she reached the center of the room. Noticing that he had got there first then her, she rushed towards him.
"Curse you, give me that," she said while running towards him.
Looking back, he jumped and let her get past beneath him. Noticing this, she used her claws to make her stop but it was useless since she was too fast to stop in time. Shacking her paws in despair, the gravity pushed her until she reached the lower ground. Getting back up, she looked up and saw him shaking the artifact in front of his eyes.
"Better luck next time," he said while unfolding his wings, "That's it if you can get out from there, of course."
Grunting in frustration, she raised her voice and replied.
"Curse you, I'll get you next time."
"Yeah, whatever."
Jumping forward, he flapped his wings and made his way towards the exit. Hearing him flapping his wings, she grabbed her bag and she picked a rope and a grappling hook. Using one of the sides of the rope, she tangled it around the grappling hook and started rotating it. Throwing the hook up, she heard a metal sound hitting the ground, giving a little push she confirmed that the hook was securely placed on the ground. Placing herself against the wall, she began to climb back up.
Once on stable ground, she heard voices coming from behind her. Looking back, she saw Caballeron and his man running towards her.
"Where is it?" he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't make yourself unknown to what I am talking about," he said, "Where is it?"
"Derring Do arrived first. I fell on this trap unable me from getting the arfifact before him," she answered.
Gasping in frustration, he looked back at her and said.
"I thought I was clear of what will happen if you failed me again."
"What? It's not my fault that Derring tricked me."
"Again. And again. And again. Always the same excuse," he said, "I was thinking about this since last month. Your specie is so rare or almost extinct. So I was thinking maybe if I sold you to this collector I could pay for all of your mistakes."
Widening her eyes, she backed up and replied.
"You can't do that. I'm a living thing."
"You got no use to me now. Guys get her."
The ponies that were accompanying Cabarellon rushed towards her. Jumping over them, she rushed towards the exit but she felt a rope catching her back leg and being pushed towards Cabarellon.
Grabbing a small bat, he hit on her head making her blacking out.
"Put her in the cage and inform that collector," he said.
Nodding the ponies grabbed her and put her on the cage.
On Derring Do cottage...
He stepped inside his 'museum' and placed the artifact on a table. Heading back to his living room, he sat on the couch and waited for the night to come.
On the next day...
He was awakened up by a ferocious knock on his door, jumping in a panic he headed towards the door. Opening the door, he saw Rainbow Blitz standing in front of him. Pushing him inside, he took a large breath and took a piece of paper from his bag.
"Cabarellon is trying to sell Ahuizota. I got this from one of his man when I notice that they were acting strange around the woods" he said.
Grabbing the paper, he saw that he was offering over one million bits.
"Not my problem," he said while giving him back the paper.
Heading back to his couch, Rainbow Blitz grunted and flew over his head.
"She is a living thing," he said while overing in front of his face, "I thought that you were better than this."
"Why should I help her? Tell me why," he asked.
Laying back on the floor, he raised his hoof and placed it on his chin.
"I don't know but you can't deny that you are..."
Placing a hoof on his mouth, Derring tried to shut him up.
"Don't you dare say that," he said, "We're rivals. And besides, she is not turned to that side."
Smiling, Rainbow pushed his hoof down.
"Are you sure about that?" he asked, "Should I remind you, who tended your wing when you got seriously hurt?"
"I don't remember anything of that day, I was seriously hurt that I couldn't remember anything," he answered while brushing his head.
Touching the tip of his nose, he looked him in the eyes.
"But I saw. When I found you, I saw a small figure leaving the place where you were left. I notice a small tail hand."
Grunting in disbelief, he pushed him aside.
"You're lying, she would never help me."
Giggling, he got back and moved towards him.
"But she did. We probably don't know why, but she helped you and you can't deny that."
Gasping in frustration, he looked back at him.
"Fine," he said, "What you want me to do?" he asked.
"Well, you're the only one who knows where Caballeron is settled." he answered, "I'll call for help if you need some."
"I can do this alone, no help needed," he said.
"I will report this to Dusk and see what he is going to do to Caballeron and his crew." he said, "Good Luck."
Opening his wings, Rainbow flew towards the Friendship Castle. Grabbing his bag, he headed towards Caballeron settlement.
Reaching Dr.Caballeron's settlement, he saw some guards passing by. Looking around, he tried to find where Ahuizota was.
He was ready to give up but a sudden roar made him look towards the source of that noise. Looking down, he saw a small cage and one of Caballeron man with a whip, whipping inside the cage.
"Shut up," he ordered, "Don't make it worse."
Looking deep towards the cage, he saw a small tail hand coming out of it. Another whip sound made him look back at the pony
"Put your tail back in or I'll chop it off." he threatened.
"You wouldn't dare, Caballeron would chop your head off," she said.
"He wouldn't mind if you were delivered without a part of your body," he said.
Shacking in despair, she pushed her tail back inside the cage.
"Good kitty, now I will get something to eat. I'll be back in a second."
Laying down, she put her head in the middle of her front legs and starting sobbing.
'Where did I get myself into? What will happen to me?'
A sudden click made her head raise. Looking towards the cage door, she saw Derring standing in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Are you going or not? I will close it aga..."
His tracks of words were lost when he looked over her body.
"What were they doing to you? Your body is seriously hurt," he asked.
Getting back up, she headed towards him.
"They were whipping me," she answered, "They were saying that I needed discipline because this collector won't pay enough if I won't obey him."
Looking back, he saw some guards coming towards the cage. Grabbing her paw, he rushed towards the bushes.
The guard returned and looked back at the cage, rushing towards the main tent he yelled.
"She escaped. She escaped."
A large crew of guards got out from the main tent and parted ways to find where she went.
Returning towards the cage, the guard raised his hoof and grabbed the lock.
"She couldn't open it from inside, even if she used her tail," he said, "Which means..."
Looking down, he noticed a small stick. Grabbing it, he took a good look.
"Derring Do. Derring Do was here," he said.
Returning to the tent, he called some guards and rushed out of the settlement.
Wiping his sweat, he looked back at her.
"Don't need to thank me again," he said, "Now, go on," he said while shaking his hoof in the air.
Looking back at him, she nodded and rushed towards her cave.
"It's dangerous to return home, those guys are on the hunt," he said.
Grabbing his bag, he headed towards his secret cottage.