"Dare?! Professor Daring?! C'mon, where are you?!"
Tailspin's tone became shriller and shriller as she searched the desert high and low. As the day wore on, she became more frantic, surveying every shadow and checking under every rock in the vain hope of finding Daring Do. Tree Hugger, meanwhile, maintained her tranquil aura as she kept pace with Tailspin.
"Yo, Spinmeister. You alright?" she asked.
"Fine!" Tailspin snapped. "I'm just peachy! W-we just need to find Professor Daring, a-and everything will be okay again!"
Tree Hugger raised an eyebrow. "You for real there? 'Cause your words aren't matching your aura."
Tailspin spun around and snorted. "And what the devil is that supposed to mean?!"
"I'm just saying this whole thing seems to be really harshing your mellow," said Tree Hugger with a shrug.
"I'm going to harsh your mellow in a second!" Tailspin barked. "You know, you could help me look!"
"I am, girl. Chill," said Tree Hugger defensively. "My body is, like, always in-tune with natural vibrations. If I sense your prof somewhere, I'll let you know, y'dig?"
Tailspin groaned and massaged her temples. "I really don't get you."
"What don't you get?"
"I mean, how are you so calm during all this? Aren't you worried about, well, anything?"
Tree Hugger scoffed. "Girl, you think this is calm? Trust me, I'm just as bummed out as you are. The difference between you and I is that I try to keep my chakras balanced at all times. You don't seem to have any control at all."
"Tree Hugger, I don't even know what ruddy chakras are!" Tailspin exclaimed, burying her face in her hooves. "And I don't get all of this guff about auras or vibrations or mellows being harshed!"
Tree Hugger gave Tailspin a quizzical look. "Okay, where did that come from, girl? You didn't have any problem with my groove up to this point; there's no reason for you to flip out at me. You're, like, really bringing me down with your negativity."
Tailspin sighed. "I-I'm sorry, Tree Hugger. I'm just, really stressed right now, and when I'm stressed, I tend to talk without thinking."
"Yeah, I can see that," said Tree Hugger, folding her forelegs. "Still doesn't explain why you flipped out at me because of my groove."
"Look, I honestly don't have a problem with your, um, 'groove,'" said Tailspin, twiddling her hooves. "I didn't mean to insult your lifestyle or anything like that. I-I just had to lash out at something. That was wrong, and I apologize."
Tree Hugger smiled and relaxed. "It's all groovy, Spinmeister. It'd be wrong of me to get mad at you just because you're mad. That just, like, perpetuates the cycle of negativity, y'know? I can't have that bad karma messing up my aura."
Tailspin blinked. "Out of curiosity, does anything make you mad?"
"Oh, fer sure, girl. Fer sure," said Tree Hugger with a nod. "After all, I'm only sentient."
Tailspin rubbed the side of her head. "I don't think that's how the parlance goes."
"Well, the parlance can go wherever it wants, Spinmeister. I'm just speaking the truth," said Tree Hugger with a shrug. She then placed a hoof on Tailspin's shoulder. "Look, it's gonna be okay. Daring Do might be suffering from some bad karma right now, but we're on our way to save her."
"Yeah, but we don't know where we're going," said Tailspin glumly.
Tree Hugger shrugged again. "So? We're still on our way. We just have to take our time."
Tailspin sighed and shook her head. "No, you don't get it. We don't know where—"
"Hold that thought, Spinmeister. Someone wants to get our attention."
Tree Hugger interrupted Tailspin and pointed to her own leg. Tailspin looked down, and her eyes sparkled. There was a small green tarantula poking Tree Hugger's leg.
"Oy, Recon? Is that you?"
Tree Hugger turned around. "Oh, hey there. You're the little fella Flutterslice helped on the train. What's shaking?"
Recon pointed at Tailspin and motioned with his foreleg.
"I think he wants us to follow him," said Tailspin, her expression brightening. "H-he probably knows where Professor Daring is! Alright, things are looking up!"
"See? Told ya everything would be cool," said Tree Hugger with a chuckle. "Lead the way, diminutive dude."
Recon saluted and skittered off, with Tree Hugger and Tailspin on his heels.
"And you wanted to go back to that old windbag for help," Tailspin jeered, nudging Tree Hugger with her elbow.
"I'm still thinking he needs to be in the loop on all this, Spinmeister," said Tree Hugger firmly. "We can't just, like, let him sit and spin. The breezies are his life. Not to mention that as members of the ESPRC, we all need to do our part and protect these guys from those bad dudes."
"I do believe my ears are burning."
Tailspin gulped as a familiar crackly voice echoed from behind. "Oh no. Somehow, I knew this was too good to be true."
She turned her head. Sure enough, there stood Atotoztli II with a smug grin on her face.
"You know, it's very rude to eavesdrop on an empress's master plan," she said, folding her arms. "That seems to be something you and that accursed Daring Do have in common."
"H-how did you know we were there?!" Tailspin squeaked.
Atotoztli II snickered and wagged an admonishing finger. "Oh, don't be so naïve. I'm not some struggling novice like my son Ahuizotl. I know every trick in the book and then some. That's how I was able to get Daring Do out of the way so fast. See, for all of his scheming, my poor boy just doesn't think sometimes. Take those deathtraps he always builds, for instance. They are incredibly expensive, needlessly complicated, and most of all, completely useless! How many of those traps worked? Oh, that's right! Not a one! I, on the other hand, simply hired an esteemed warmonger, and he disposed of her without any effort. Ahuizotl could learn a lot from me, y'know. Then I probably wouldn't have to be out here hunting fairies in order to save his sorry—"
"Um, I'm sorry. Is there, like, a point to this?" inquired Tree Hugger. "'Cause I think a lot of that went way over my head."
"How can you be so calm at a time like this?!" Tailspin shouted, flailing her forelegs. "We need to bail! Like, now!"
"Oh, you're not going anywhere," said Atotoztli II with a sneer. "Arise, Girimehkala! Show these two what we do to eavesdroppers!"
She gestured with her hands and pointed at the ground. As if on cue, Girimehkala rose from the shadowy puddle that manifested itself.
"Whoa. Psychedelic," said Tree Hugger in awe. "Like, there's so much bad karma coming off this guy it's not even funny."
"Stay back, Tree Hugger!" Tailspin ordered. She flew in front of her and spread her wings. "I'll handle this big palooka!"
Girimehkala laughed. "Well, well. I do believe I'm getting a sense of déjà vu. Didn't Daring Do save you from my curse? And now you're defending this pony? Why do I get the feeling that this will end the same way?"
Tailspin snorted and pawed the ground. "Low blow, mate. Now I'm really steamed."
"Good. Maybe that'll make you more of a challenge," said Girimehkala, drawing his sword. "Though I doubt it."
Tailspin gulped. "Okay, Tree Hugger. On my signal, you and Recon make a run for it."
"You're talking in a normal speaking voice, pony. I can still hear you," said Atotoztli II, folding her arms.
Tailspin blushed. "S-so I am. Eh heh heh... Aw, bugger."
"Enough talk," Girimehkala growled. "Have at you!"
He swung his saber at Tailspin, who pushed Tree Hugger out of the way. She then flew towards him, weaving between his strikes like a crazed hornet. Girimehkala slashed and flailed, his sword kicking up sand with every stroke. He even made some attempts to snag Tailspin with his trunk, but she kept flying out of his reach.
Meanwhile, Atotoztli II stared down Tree Hugger, a sinister gleam in her eye. Recon poked his head out from behind Tree Hugger's leg and scowled.
"You know, I'm actually glad you two eavesdropped on me," said Atotoztli II, taking out a vial of breeze magic. "I've been meaning to test these out for some time now. I might as well test it on you and your annoying friend."
Tree Hugger's eyes narrowed. "You hurt innocent breezies to get that stuff, you old crone. That is totally not koche in my book. Your spirit needs to be purified."
Atotoztli II's eye twitched. "Wait, what did you call me?"
"A crone. 'Cause that's what you are," said Tree Hugger plainly. "A nasty old crone with a lot of bad karma."
Atotoztli II ground her teeth and clenched her fist. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to let you get away with that, that poison you're injecting into my ear, then you have another think coming!"
She then threw the flask at Tree Hugger with all her might. Before Tree Hugger could react, Tailspin noticed the exchange.
"Tree Hugger, watch it!"
She swerved away from Girimehkala and caught the vial in midair. She then looped around and threw it back at Girimehkala.
"Humph. Futile," Girimehkala scoffed.
Before the vial made contact, he dissolved into shadow. The vial shattered, releasing the pheromones harmlessly into the air.
"Well well. Seems like you've got quite the brain on you," said Atotoztli II, taking out another vial. "But don't push your luck!"
She threw the second vial at Tailspin, who swerved out of the way. Tailspin then dove at Atotoztli II, tackling her to the ground. As she did so, she saw a piece of parchment fly out of her paws.
"What's this?" she inquired, scooping up the parchment.
Atotoztli II sat up and blanched. "W-wait! G-give that back to me!"
Tailspin scoffed. "Oh, yeah? Why should I?"
"Don't play this game with me; I'm serious!" Atotoztli II barked.
"What's the magic word~?" Tailspin taunted, rolling up the paper and balancing at the end of her hoof.
"C-careful with that!" Atotoztli II screeched. "You don't realize how dangerous that is!"
"Really? 'Cause it just looks like a tatty old piece of paper to me," said Tailspin with a sneer.
Atotoztli II snorted and took out another vial. "Last chance, you twit! If you don't give that back to me this instant, I'll have to force you!"
"Try and catch me first, you dumb hag!" Tailspin teased, pulling her eyelid down and sticking out her tongue.
Atotoztli II roared in anger and threw the vial with all her might. Tailspin darted out of the way, only to be struck by a strong cross-breeze. She struggled to maintain her balance as Atotoztli II used her magic to disorient her.
"Like I said, I'm much more experienced than my son," said Atotoztli II. "Surrender now, and perhaps I'll show you leniency."
"Don't give up, Spinmeister!" Tree Hugger hollered. "You're better than that old crone!"
Atotoztli II shot a glare at Tree Hugger. "What did I say about calling me a crone?!"
She ran for Tree Hugger at full speed, her tail drawn back and ready to land a devastating punch. Tailspin quickly flew down in front of her to take the blow. As she was knocked away, the parchment flew out of her hooves and into the air. Before anyone could react, Girimehkala sprung from the shadows and slashed the parchment with his sword. Atotoztli II gasped.
"No~! Girimehkala, how could you?!" she shrieked. She then turned savagely to Tailspin. "This is all your fault!"
"My fault?! I didn't destroy the ruddy thing!" Tailspin protested.
Atotoztli II palmed her face. "That was the contract I made with Girimehkala to ensure he wouldn't attack me, you idiot!"
"Yeah, if you're trying to make me feel bad about not giving it back to you, it's not working," Tailspin grunted, picking herself up.
"Are you really this dense?! Girimehkala is a loose cannon!" Atotoztli II screamed. "There's no telling what he'll do now! You've heard him talk; you know how crazy his ideals are! He won't rest until the entire universe is at war! That's just insane! Not even my son would want that, and he tried to curse the Tenochtitlan Basin with eight hundred years of unrelenting heat! The only reason I hired him is because I knew how to keep him on the leash! Now you've gone and destroyed it! If you just gave it back to me like I told you to, we could've avoided all of this, but did you?! Nooooo, of course not! You don't listen to what I have to say! You're worse than my late son Tizoc! At least he would—"
"You talk too much, Lady Atotoztli."
Atotoztli II gulped and turned around as Girimehkala towered over her, his blade pointed at her head.
"Y-you didn't hear all that, did you?" she said nervously. "Look, it's fine. We'll just, draw up another contract. And get this, I-I'll pay you double! That sounds good, yeah? You get a better deal, and we don't have to— ow, hey!"
Girimehkala reached down and grabbed Atotoztli II by the tail, hefting her up into the air.
"I don't want a better deal, you chatty ape," he snarled, glaring at her. "I want to ignite the flames of war in this land. As such, I'll be taking charge of this breezie operation. Any objections?"
"Of course I have an objection, you big—"
Girimehkala cut across Atotoztli II by staring her straight in the eye. Suddenly, her mouth completely sealed over, rendering her speech unintelligible.
"I'll repeat that," said Girimehkala. "And objections?"
Atotoztli II let out several angry grunts.
"Good. I'm glad we're in agreement," said Girimehkala, tossing her to the ground. "And as for you three..."
He took up his sword and spun it around, creating a dark symbol in midair. All of a sudden, Tailspin, Tree Hugger, and Recon found their limbs bound together by dark magic.
"I can't have you going to the authorities and spoiling my plans," he said with a snicker. "You're all coming with me."
"Dragsville, man," Tree Hugger sighed. "This, like, really bites."
"I hear ya," Tailspin groaned. "I really screwed up again, didn't I?"
"Hey, hey. Easy on the negativity, girl," said Tree Hugger. "My chakras are unbalanced as is."
Girimehkala laughed. "Oh, by the time I'm done with this land, your precious chakras will be the least of your worries."
He continued trumpeting maniacally as he dragged his prisoners into the shadows.
"Just throwing this out there, but if we went back to Prof Windsday and Flutterslice like I suggested, we wouldn't be dealing with this bad karma," said Tree Hugger simply.
"Oh, shut up, you," Tailspin grumbled just as she was pulled into the void.