//------------------------------// // Ahuizotl // Story: The Cutie Alchemist // by Visharo //------------------------------// Ahuizotl: The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. ERROR REROUTING Ahuizotl: Origin: Classical Nahuatl of Aztec Mythology Meaning: spiny aquatic thing ------------------------------------------------------ The three equines entered the pyramid, the structure's title given by Daring Do, and trotted down the steps. They were made out of some sort of stone made out of sand. Starswirl and the others followed the stairs that spiraled down, with an occasional torch in an alcove also made out of that weird sand stone. There were also peculiar scratch marks in the stone and the more Starswirl inspected them, the more wrong he felt. "Starswirl, is something the matter? You look like you are about to scatter." Zecora asked gently, her exotic accent sounding strange in the tight staircase. Daring was in front of the two of them with a large grin. "I am not sure. This place, my gut is saying something, but if this is the way to my daughters survival, then I shall ignore it." Starswirl shook his head defiantly and increased his tempo, forcing Zecora to speed up as well. Just when Starswirl was convinced that there wouldn't be an end, the stairs ended. What was only a single file staircase, it now opened up to a huge room with various symbols on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. Starswirl took a step forwards to inspect the symbols but Daring shot out a hoof and stopped him. He shot her a questioning glance. "Stallion, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Daring guffawed much to his confusion. "Let me handle this, there's a reason I have a knack for adventuring." The tan pegasus shot a cocky grin before stepping on one of the symbols. It glowed green, a very unnatural green. "Step where I step and nowhere else, got it?" "Yes." Came the chorused answer. And so they went. Daring danced around the floor, stepping on various symbols with no rhyme or reason and with utter precision. Starswirl followed with decidedly less grace, trying his utmost best to step on the correct symbols. There was a close call when his beard nearly brushed a symbol but he quickly caught it with his magic. Zecora followed close behind, nearly as graceful as Daring. It made Starswirl reflect on things. Before long or perhaps it was very long and time decided to be naughty, the three of them finally made it to the other side, with only one of them exhausted. "Cheer up, I'd say we've got five more rooms before we make it to the room with the treasure. It usually is seven rooms, ancient cultures really had something about the number seven, isn't that fascinating. Ya know, there was this one time, can't remember where, but this entire valley had an uncountable amount of tombs. The amount of treasure there..." Daring trailed off with a faraway look in her eyes, drool was even coming out of her mouth. "Zecora, why does Daring have memories? Should she not have any? She came into this world only three sunrises ago, where does the knowledge come from? She even has the picture on her flank!" Zecora seemed to ponder that, but that didn't seem to satisfy him enough. "Rain Shine also knew a lot. Why do some have knowledge where as others do not? Their age also differs between each pony, I do not understand the ways of the Chalice anymore." Starswirl knew he should be focused on the mission, get the artifact to save his daughters' lives, but this thought has been on his mind for far too long. "I do not have an answer, Starswirl. My best advice is to let everything unfurl. To think on it would result in desolation, let Harmony worry over creation." Zecora said, her words having a soothing effect on Starswirl. "Thank you, I needed that. Now, let us get that artifact." Together, they snapped Daring out of that trance, and soon they continued. Due to the lack of a sun in the sky, Starswirl wasn't sure how long they took getting through all the rooms, but he knew for sure that it was an unnatural amount of countings. Each room had some sort of theme or so Daring says and with uncanny speed, the pegasus would figure it out almost immediately. After nearly getting sliced with a giant blade, Starswirl left everything to Daring and made triple sure of where he was stepping when following. "Alright guys, we made it! The last room. Now, because this is where the artifact lies, the last room is usually where the hardest and most dangerous traps lie. It's probably best if you two stay here while I get it." She waited for confirmation and then flicked the lever, resulting in the sandstone wall lifting upwards. On this journey, he learned many words and meanings behind them from his two companions, making this adventure very profitable, but he wasn't here for words. Once the door slid past their eyesight, everything was in view, or more specifically, a creature of monstrous proportions. It was dark and blue. A quadruped, with a huge jaw, adorned with gold, has a tail with a claw, but maybe the most important thing was that it was sentient. His beady black eyes filled with contempt locked onto the three ponies who dared enter his domain. "My, my, my, what do we have here?" His voice rumbled with power and Starswirl took a step back. Zecora also looked uneasy, but Daring still had her silly grin, which somehow even widened. Starswirl had no idea how she could be so happy at a time like this! "Ahuizotl!" Daring Do flapped her wings and sped off towards the towering behemoth before Starswirl could stop her. He cringed slightly, not wanting to see what might happen, but at the same time, couldn't look away. What happened astonished him. "Daring!" The tan mare collided with the beast as he laughed with joy. The two hugged and chuckled occasionally. "I didn't know you were coming to visit! You should have told me." "I didn't know I was going to visit! I was just helping my friends find an artifact that heals or something like that, I didn't know you were guarding it! How long has it been? Eight years? It's been too long!" Daring somehow escaped his grip and flew up to his head and gave him a noogie. No other words could describe the action. "It certainly has! Are you still adventuring?" Their conversation slowly faded to the background as Starswirl turned to look at Zecora who looked back at him with equally wide eyes. "I am beyond confused, Zecora. I have too many questions, but I can not even begin to comprehend much less ask about what I have seen." The poor stallion collapsed on the ground, one hand gripping the side of his head. Maybe he was still sick, still in bed with love drain. Maybe he collapsed from sheer exhaustion and dreaming or perhaps he's hallucinating from lack of water. It hasn't happened to him in a while but he remembered the effects, oh so clearly. "I...I don't have an answer. Perhaps this is some cancer?" Starswirl could clearly see her grasping at straws, she too was just as confused as he was. The thought wasn't comforting at all. The two fell into an uneasy silence and watched as Daring and Ahuizotl hit off like they were best of friends. The more he watched, the more he was convinced there must have been a life before the Chalice. That he's been dragging ponies away from their lives into his. The more he thought about it, the more terrible he felt. The growing agony he set for himself nearly drove him to run back home and apologize profusely to everypony, but he was here for a reason. "Pardon me, mister Ahuizotl, is it? But we are here for something. The artifact supposedly heals, is this true?" The chatter amongst the two immediately stopped, their expressions becoming serious, and then in sync, Daring and Ahuizotl looked at him. He began to regret speaking up. "The Font of Restoration, yes, it heals." The creature lowered himself to Starswirl's eye level and peered closely at him. The two stood like that for many a counting. "Daring here tells me of your daughters and how Chrysalis has taken their love. I am willing to give you enough water from the Font, under one condition." "Yes. Anything." At the back of his mind, Starswirl knew that this was a terrible idea, but then the thought was quickly overridden by the pictures of his sick daughters. "There will be a day when I come calling, be it favor or else, you will answer my summons. If you are indisposed, the call will be sent to the next pony of equal importance. Is this agreeable?" The mirth from earlier was completely erased. It was almost as if Starswirl was looking at a different creature. "This is agreeable." "Good. This is very good." The way he said it made him shiver, but the stallion has said his piece. It would be against his beliefs in Harmony to go against his word. "If you would follow me." Daring immediately flew after him while Starswirl and Zecora followed after a few countings of hesitation. He did suppose he could use his magic if the worst came to worse. The trio followed the creature through many sandstone hallways. Each hallway seemed to have a different story depicted on the walls through curious etchings. Starswirl would've loved to inspect them, maybe even bring Stygian along, but he had a job to do. He was getting really tired of reminding himself and was frustrated that he had to remind himself in the first place. The four finally made it to their destination which was a large square room with finely shaped columns on each corner. The walls here too showed a tale, this one looked very tragic from the many battles it depicted. At the very center, lay a huge bowl filled with, what it looked like to be, water. On the sides of the bowl lay various scriptures with a hidden meaning to Starswirl. "This, is the Font of Restoration. A single drop and any harm done is gone. The power is only to be used in a plight most serious and not for one's own ends. Starswirl the Bearded, Harmony has chosen you and yours, thus resulting in your goal to be worthy of this Font. I give you this container to take with you as it carries many drops. Use it wisely and sparingly." Ahuizotl bowed deeply while his tail with a claw held out a curious looking cup. It felt like it was made out of wood and even had a lid so none of the liquid could spill out. "My thanks could not be expressed in words or gestures, only know that you have saved me many a heartache." Starswirl also bowed. "Go. Save your kin, waste time no longer." Ahuizotl made a curious waving gesture with his tail and soon Starswirl was outside of the structure. He heard Zecora thrum after him but no flaps. He didn't question why Daring wasn't with them anymore, but he knew it would be alright and that they would meet again one day. Now, it was all about the distance between him and his daughters.