Los Pegasus
"You'll never get away with this, Ahuizotl!" Daring shouted as she was lowered down into the boiling pit of acid.
"Oh! Quite the contrary, Daring Do! Once you are liquified in this acid, I will be victorious! The secrets of the Moles shall be all mine! Ahahaha!" The vile villain Ahuizotl turned away from Daring. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Lost City to plunder! Ahahahahaha!"
Will Daring Do save the Lost Civilization of the Moles?
Will Ahuizotl be stopped?
Have the Fortune Hunters really abandoned Daring this time?
Tune in next week for another daring adventure, starring Daring Do and her stalwart Fortune Hunters!
Loose jazz by the works of Rat Pack began playing over the automobile radio. Gilder sighed as he leant back in the front seat of the automobile and said, "I hate when they end on cliffhangers." He looked over at his brother, Gideon. "Don't you hate it when they end on cliffhangers?"
Gideon shrugged. "Of course I do. That's how they build suspense though. You wouldn't listen to these radio series if they were boring, would you?" He turned the wheel and the automobile pulled left down the neighborhood into Westerly Hills. The griffons weren't particularly comfortable in this neighborhood. Considering they live in the attic of a fancy restaurant owned by their uncle, something about watching all the nobles and aristocrats waste their money on superfluous pursuits rustled their feathers.
Gilder stuffed a donut into his beak and after chewing loudly and thoroughly he said, "I guess." He tossed the empty donut box out of the window and pulled another one from the glove compartment. "I just hate waiting for the next episode. Remember like five episodes ago, where Daring faces Kong? Daring gets real beat up and Kong lifts her up and is about to break her back on his knee?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"It ended right as Kong is about to break her back! That darn near killed me! I spent the next week gorging myself with donuts in anticipation!" Gilder stuffed a donut, sugar glaze, into his beak and spoke as he chewed. "Fen fha nekst efisode 'rives, thurns outh one fha Forthune Hunnas nails him with a slingshoth an' Daring gets 'way no worshe for wear." He swallowed and wiped some of the bits and crumbs off his feathers.
"Well, that's how suspense works. They make you anticipate what's going to happen next and then suddenly something else happens. That's how action stuff works. Like in Wonderbolt Adventures-"
"Oh, I love Wonderbolt Adventures."
"Yeah I know, like there's lots of zooming and flying, a lot of close calls but none of the Wonderbolts ever die or anything but they sure come close. They prey on our natural curiosity and concern for these characters and how the story will continue after the fact."
"That stinks, I wish writers wouldn't do that."
"Would you rather sit there and listen about how some mare just goes about her day with all her friends while she learns about the magic of friendship with nothing bad ever happening to them because the writer doesn't want anything bad to happen to them because that would be too violent for the children then?" He looked over to see Gilder nod casually. "You're stupid."
The automobile pulled up to an incredibly lavish and decked out estate that made the rest of the neighboorhood look like a hick town. Surrounding it was a featureless white wall with the only obvious entrance being an elaborately crafted cast iron gate and a little booth with a bored looking mare in a security uniform. Gideon drove the car up next to the booth and smiled. Gilder did the same as he chewed on another donut. The mare's expression of boredom and slight regret did not change. She looked over at a paper taped to the wall listed as appointments and sure enough, "Griffon Gang" for 3:00 PM was there. She pulled a switch and the iron gate opened quiet as a whisper.
Gideon drove the automobile up the colorful cobblestone road. The grass was so green that the grass on the other side of the walls could not be greener. The bushes were either uniform rectangular or cut into sculptures of ponies in heroic poses. Even the road they rolled upon was intricately cut into even hexagons. Gideon drove the automobile up to the porch and it in park. The two griffons turned to look in the backseat.
"Right," Gilder began, "what's the plan, Gilda?"
Gilda was sitting in the backseat, her arms folded and her face scowling. "Alright, we go in, we find out what's up, we leave. Simple."
Gideon nodded, frowning. "Simple as that." Gilda opened up the backseat door and headed out. Gideon and Gilder exited the car as well, Gilder holding a box of donuts.
"Leave the donuts," Gilda ordered. Gilder was about to protest but a sharp glare was enough to make him drop the box in the seat, close and lock the doors, then fly up to the door in under a minute.
As Gideon and Gilda caught up with him, Gideon said, "so it's really gonna be that simple? I mean, we haven't bothered to look for it since we lost it. What's Mister Crownypants gonna say?"
"Just let me do the talking, Gideon." Gilda walked up to the immense and intricately crafted mahogany door and pressed the doorbell. There was several minutes of silence as the griffons waited. Then, the door creaked upon and behind it a smiling yellow earth pony mare.
"Ah! Gilda!" the mare greeted. She looked over past and immediately her smile was replaced with a look of contempt. "... and family."
Gilder confusedly looked at the mare. "You were smiling just then, you just stopped." The mare rolled her eyes and opened the door further.
"Come in," she said. The griffons immediately welcomed themselves and allowed their dirty hands and feet to track mud and grime on the floor. The mare cringed as she said further, "my master is currently in talks at the moment, so you'll have to wait a moment."
"Nuts! This place is gigantic!" Gilder looked all around at the enormous interior of the estate. White walls with fancy looking accents and all kinds of stuff that people like Gilder didn't really understand. What caught his attention however was a rather large portrait of a stallion in military dress over the fireplace. The stallion wore a grand amount of medallions upon his uniform and his face was incredibly grim. The frame was of course elaborately gilded and crafted with fine craftsponyship but was slightly leaning to the left like most paintings in anypony's home. Gilder felt the need to ask whom this heroic looking stallion was. "Who's the scrub in the clown suit?"
The mare stopped in her tracks. She turned and loudly explained, "that is General Neigh! One of the most important generals in Equestrian history, the finest cavalry leader ever to grace the Royal Guard, and the progenitor of my master's bloodline!"
Gideon sat down on an amazingly soft couch. "He looks like a total scrub," he said in agreement. "I mean, look at those rosy cheeks!"
Gilder burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh! I didn't notice those!" The griffon brothers laughed and giggled in between their less-than-polite observations of General Neigh. The mare steamed, her face flushing red, and her teeth grinding. Gilda placed her hand on the mare's back and wordlessly nodded over to the grand staircase. The mare muttered something then went up the stairs. Gilda sat down on the couch along with Gideon and Gilder, sighing.
Some time went by. Gilda's perpetual scowl was unmoved by Gilder and Gideon's insults of General Neigh and she wasn't exactly inclined to join them. Finally however, she could hear the clopping of hooves.
"... and it is absolutely marvelous to have you on board," an earth pony stallion, sky blue with a grey mane and a scrambled egg cutie mark walked by flanked by the mare and a large white blonde unicorn. "I will expect you on set this weekend, Prince Blueblood." He turned to the griffons. "Ah, who are they?" The griffons looked over, the two brothers ceasing their laughter.
Prince Blueblood smiled and said, "these are simply errand runners of mine. They do some work for me when my lovely assistant, Miss Sundance cannot."
The stallion bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am JoJo. Director of Baroness of the Air!" The brothers chortled quietly, but this did not escape JoJo's notice. "Something funny?" Gideon waved him off, holding his beak together with the other hand. JoJo shrugged and made his way towards the door. "Well, remember, this weekend! Come by the studio! We'll start fitting you into your costume and we've already got stunt pilots lined up!" He exited and as soon as the door closed, the brothers exploded into a roar of laughs.
"Ahahaha! JoJo! What kind of mother names their son JoJo!?" Gideon yelled in between laughing fits.
"Oh no! I can't breathe!" Gilder leaned over the back of the couch, still laughing himself to death.
As the brothers laughed, Gilda and Blueblood stared each other down. Blueblood's exquisite smile turned sour as he walked up to the fireplace. Sundance quietly left the room for the kitchen.
"So, griffon," Blueblood started. "Where's the package, I expected it a week ago. Read the newspapers about how a pair of griffon gangsters broke into Daring Industries and stole a package." He looked over at the giggling griffons and said, "I see they're still on the loose."
Gilda shrugged. "Well, they lost it."
Blueblood turned, a look of absolute contempt on his face. "Lost it?" After a minute of watching Gilda and realizing it wasn't a joke, his look of contempt turned into one of complete disbelief. "They lost it, even after successfully raiding the building, evading security, all that stuff?"
Gilda, again, shrugged. "Very long story, involves apples."
Blueblood stomped his forehoof. "I don't care what it involves! I'm paying you to bring me this package, griffon!" Gideon and Gilder stopped their laughing and cleared their throats.
Gilda stood up, flared her wings and advanced on Blueblood, whom immediately began stepping back. "There's something fishy going on here, Princess." There was a snicker. Blueblood looked over at Gilder who was holding his beak together. He looked back to Gilda. "You're not telling me everything."
Blueblood stood his ground, getting nose to nose with Gilda. "You're on a need to know basis."
"What I need to know is why Royal Police is hunting down my brothers!" Gilda jabbed her talon into Blueblood's neck. She could clearly see Blueblood sweating and biting down hard. "We saw the wanted posters, three hundred bit rewards for each of them. Royal Police ain't some donut-munching, nightstick-twirling pigs here. These dweebs are G-Ponies, investigators from the Princess! If they catch my brothers, their new digs is gonna be Tartarus! Now you tell me what this package is and why it's so important to some noble wearing some poofy outfit or we bail!"
There was a period of silence so deafening that one could hear a pin drop. Gilda did not move nor even bring her talon away. Gilder and Gideon sat on the couch, awaiting the response. Blueblood, though backed into a wall, simply remained silent. Gilda huffed and began making her way for the door. The brothers also stood up and followed her, though a little less than eager.
"It's a rocket." That simple statement stopped Gilda dead in her tracks. The brothers continued before they realized Gilda had stopped and paused as well. They turned towards Blueblood, dusting himself off and whipping his golden mane back into shape. Blueblood smirked, giggling even under his breath. "A rocket, yes. Like in those comic books you people read."
Gideon and Gilder glanced at each nervously. Gilda remained in her place, keeping that look of utter contempt on her face. Blueblood shrugged, sauntering over to the couch and deciding to relax.
Gilda cocked her head. "So, you're having my brothers risk their skins over some giant firework?"
"Oh, it's more than just a firework, griffon," Blueblood said. Sundance walked into the room, carefully balancing a plate of glasses with fine apple cider. Blueblood levitated a glass over to himself. "You see, this firework is far more advanced, beyond your league. You can probably guess why it would be important for me, Prince Blueblood to have it."
Gilder shook his head. "Nah, firing blanks here."
"Regardless." Blueblood drank heavily from his cider. "I want that rocket. I'm paying you to find it for me, I'll double your price even, considering the Royal Police." Gilda spread her wings and floated over to him. Then she pointed her talon at her, scowling.
"You'll triple my price," she said. Blueblood nodded, his smug smirk unwavering. She hopped back over to her brothers. "We're getting out of here." The griffons made their leave and as soon as they were out of the door, Sundance closed and loudly locked the door behind them. They entered the car, Gilder and Gideon in the front and Gilda in the back.
Gideon scoffed, "what's some prissy unicorn need with a rocket anyway?" He looked back at Gilda, still scowling. "Don't worry, sis. We'll have that rocket for you in two days. Three, tops!"
Gilda said, "I want it in one."
Gideon nodded violently. "Or one day, we can definitely do that. Right, Gilder?"
Gilder smiled, nodding along with Gideon. "Yeah, totally! Those dweeby aristocratical nobleblooded ponies won't know what hit them. We'll take a couple of the boys and go shake down the local apple orchards."
"Indeed, that's our best lead. If the Royal Police hasn't shaken down the farms yet, we're bound to find it."
"Yeah, you won't have to worry." Gilder took up his box of donuts and pulled out a new one, pink frosting on top. "Still, what's he got use for a rocket? I can understand a pony like Rainbow Dash-" Gilder was violently cut off by Gilda grabbing him from the backseat. The donut box dropped down and donuts spilled out onto the floor.
"I told you never to mention her!" Gilda growled.
"Gawk!" Gilder wheezed and flailed for breath as Gilda choked the air out of him. "G-Gideon! Help!"
Gideon kept his talons on the wheel. He blankly looked at the speedometer which read 0 MPH and said, "sorry, Gilder, I'm driving here."
***
Ponyville
Applejack walked to the barn near her family home. A lantern was being carried with her mouth, allowing her to see in the night. Her strides were tired and spaced, her homecoming didn't allow much rest either. Having to marathon coming from Applewood back to Ponyville due to worms infesting one of their apple stores meant she couldn't afford to rest. When she reached the doors, she put the lantern down and opened the door up.
"Apple Bloom?" Applejack said, "you in here, sugarcube?"
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom burst up from the large cart. Inside were apples of various breeds but mostly Ambrosias. "Big Mac was having off load some of these apples." Apple Bloom pointed out Big McIntosh, sitting in the corner and watching Apple Bloom with his usual unchanging expression.
Applejack nodded. "Go on to bed, Big Mac. I'll watch her." Big McIntosh stood up, nodded to Apple Bloom and Applejack and left the barn. Applejack sidled up to the cart. "So, you're okay?"
Applebloom nodded. "Of course! How can I not be?"
"Considering you split Fluttershy's house in half?" Applejack recoiled when she saw Apple Bloom visibly sink into the cart, her face dropping. "Oh wait, Apple Bloom, Ah didn't mean anything."
Apple Bloom sighed and said, "no, you're right. How can I apologize for that!? I mean, I literally did split her house in half. Sent all 'er animals runnin' too!"
"Now, Apple Bloom," Applejack hopped up into the cart with her sister. "It wasn't yer fault," she said. Apple Bloom looked at Applejack and scowled. Applejack's refusal to meet eye contact said it all.
"Applejack, it was mah fault. I built a plane just to get a cutie mark and I end up destroying a good friend's house! I'm lucky no one got killed or anything! That'd probably kill me if that happened." Apple Bloom fell backwards into the apples, frowning. Applejack patted her head, about to say more, when she heard someone coming in. She looked over and saw Fluttershy. Her normally elegant hair was tussled and sticking out in every direction and she swayed in her every step.
"Hi, Applejack," Fluttershy said. Applejack hopped down and forced as best a smile she could. Apple Bloom sat up and looked down at Fluttershy with an incredibly guilty look.
"Hey, Fluttershy." Applejack walked up to her. "How's things going? Angel gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, the veterinarian said he'd be okay in a couple of days." Fluttershy pawed at the ground, her face hanging low. "She said she'd take care of him for me free of charge."
"Well, that's mighty nice o' her." Applejack rubbed her chin. There was a question she needed to ask, but she didn't want to hear the answer to. "So... what's the damage on the house?"
Fluttershy kept her eyes on the ground. After an awkward moment of silence, she finally and quietly said, "six-thousand bits."
Apple Bloom slapped her cheeks, her eyes bulging and her fur standing on her skin. "Six-thousand bits!?" She slammed the wood of the cart and groaned. "Oh, Fluttershy! I'm so so so so so so so so so so sorry for destroying yer house I really am! I never shoulda built that plane and I never shoulda flew it and I shoulda just-"
"Apple Bloom." Fluttershy walked up to the wagon and looked up at her. Her slight smile was making Apple Bloom cringe. "Nopony got hurt, that's what matters. I never would have forgave myself if you got hurt."
"Forgave yourself? It's your house and your bunny! Agh! Stop being so kind, you're killing me here!" Apple Bloom retreated into the recesses of the apples. Fluttershy and Applejack watched as apples shifted and moved with Apple Bloom seeking shelter away from the guilt.
Applejack looked concernedly at Fluttershy. "So, how ya gonna pay that off? Ah mean, Sweet Apple Acres doesn't even make that money in six months!"
Fluttershy quietly said, "Rarity said she'd set some aside from her pay as a costume designer for that new movie. Twilight said she could ask the Princess for a loan. Pinkie said she'd work another job with Bon Bon..." Applejack could clearly see how uncomfortable Fluttershy was becoming just saying this.
"And the animals?"
"Amethyst Star said she'd round them up for me. She's the Animal Team Captain for Winter Wrap Up after all..." Fluttershy sighed and simply looked away, unable to say anything else.
Applejack laid her forehoof around Fluttershy and gave a real genuine smile. "Fluttershy, listen. Ah know what you're thinking. But you shouldn't kick yourself over this. We wouldn't be friends if we ain't willing to sacrifice our time for you."
"I just wish I wasn't such a burden. I should be paying for this myself."
"Now, Fluttershy, you can always-"
"Ow!" Apple Bloom yelled out from the cart. Applejack and Fluttershy looked over confusedly, but hopped back when a green box burst out and landed in front of them. Apple Bloom hopped out and said, "okay, that is not an apple. What is that, Applejack?"
Applejack turned the box over and saw the markings, 1903.MARK ONE. She raised an eyebrow and tapped the lock. "Ah don't remember putting that in the cart." She tapped the lock again and the box opened.
Inside was a silver coated sleek pack. It resembled two cylinders melted together with a grilled hole in the center. Tiny rivets dotted the sides. The top of the cylinders ended in points, and the bottoms ended in black flared openings. On its sides were folded wings, large enough to fit a pegasus' own wings. Also in the case was a black booklet and a small rectangular box with a big red button on it. The three ponies gathered around it. Applejack and Fluttershy pulled the object out and set it upright.
"What in the motherhubberin' shucks is this thing?" Applejack said. She curiously felt the housing of the object and found it was incredibly cool to the touch. Fluttershy picked up the booklet and flipped through the pages, many of which were diagrams of the object on pony anatomy or calculations which made little sense to her. Applejack looked over at Fluttershy and asked, "what do ya s'pose this thing is? A bomb or something?"
As Fluttershy slowly retreated at the word "bomb", Apple Bloom curiously looked at the case and then at the button. Apple Bloom said, "nah, looks way too complicated to be a bomb." She ran a hoof gently over the button. "Wonder what this does..."
Applejack looked over at Apple Bloom. She cautiously said, "Ah wouldn't touch that if I were you!" Apple Bloom pressed the button down.
Instantly, the object shot upwards in a jet of fire. The three ponies took cover as it bounced and pinged all over the place with the roar of a dragon and the speed of lightning. It ripped through a wooden beam and shot through one of the pens. Although the distinctive roar was still sounding, Applejack ran up to the pen. She saw that the object had come to rest in a pile of salt licks, still spewing that jet of flame. She quickly yelled at Apple Bloom to press the button again. The foal quickly ran up out of pile of hay and pressed the button and immediately, the jet of fire disappeared and the roar turned into a soft whirr.
"Apple Bloom," said Applejack, "keep back." Apple Bloom stayed behind Fluttershy, whom was also keeping her distance. Applejack slowly advanced on the object and when she was within distance, she quickly tapped it. "It's still cool..." she said quietly. She looked around at the barn, none of the wood appeared to be scorched. "Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy quietly approached. Applejack picked up the object and turned it over. There were cloth straps tied together with a belt buckle. She placed the object on Fluttershy's back.
"What are you doing?" Fluttershy's eyes were wide in fear and her wings were closed up. Applejack quickly strapped the object onto her then unfolded the wings. Applejack pulled Fluttershy's wings out and found that they slotted into the artificial metal wings perfectly. Fluttershy looked confusedly at Applejack, then folded her wings up. The metal compressed perfectly. Fluttershy's expression of confusion didn't change at all so Applejack guessed she didn't feel a thing. Applejack's look of confusion turned into one of sudden realization. She didn't fully understand what this thing was, but she could understand it was most likely for. In order to understand what it was, they'd have to find someone who could make anything out of this strange object.
Next Time On
The Mare of Tomorrow
"So why did they break in? The place was ransacked but it doesn't look like they stole anything."
"Ah dunno! They said they was lookin' for somethin'! A green case, marked Mark One or something like that."
***
They had their helmets ready. The mannequin was strapped with the object.
"Alright, in 3..." Applejack hovered her hoof over the button. "2... 1..."