Chapter 12
Less than an hour ago, all Daring Do wanted, more than anything, was to collapse onto her bed and succumb to sweet unconsciousness, all the events and revelations of the past twenty-four hours temporary forgotten amidst the throes of blissful sleep. Oh, how quickly things change, the pegasus mused as her hooves pounded against the Manehattan pavement, all thoughts of slumber cast aside as raw adrenaline coursed through her body. Her conversation with Mare-Do-Well had been enlightening, to say the least; while she was still unsure whether or not the costumed mare could be completely trusted, the information that she had shared with Daring made her sound like she was only seeking to make things right in respect to the artifact.
Artifacts, the archeologist reminded herself, her mind racing as she considered the ramifications of the second figurine. Her discovery of the miniature pegasus had altered her life significantly, driving her to near obsession over the transparent statuette, but to find out that there was another relic out there, nearly identical to the one from Zebrabwe? It was almost too much to comprehend, and it raised a myriad of questions, to say the least. Was it also found in a mysterious way? Why didn't Trowel tell me about it, if it was so monumental? I found a pegasus, the other figurine is an earth pony...is there a unicorn somewhere out there? And what do these criminals and this...Collector want with all of them? She closed her eyes tight, trying to bring focus to her addled, sleep-deprived brain; all the while, she ran toward Manehattan University, the pony in purple keeping pace beside her.
As the ponies neared the university, Daring's thoughts turned to Annals, and she felt a pang of sadness in her chest. The unicorn had been her mentor and colleague all throughout her tenure in the History Department, but more than that, he had been a very dear friend and confidant. Ever since learning of his passing, Daring had felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach, and as her hooves flew along the familiar route that she often walked when traveling to her place of employment and former study, she realized that the professor would not be waiting for her there. The lateness of the hour and the unique circumstances surrounding her visit to the campus were ignored; in her mind, the university and Professor Annals were inexorably linked, and the hollow feeling inside her grew as she fully grasped the awful truth. Her friend and coworker was dead. Nothing could change that now. Never again would she travel to some remote area of the world with him beside her, ready to offer a helping hoof, nor would she ever hear another terrible joke from the unicorn as he attempted to lighten the mood in a tense situation. A single tear rolled out of her eye, flying backwards behind the speeding pegasus and shattering against the sidewalk with a wet splash.
Only a few blocks remained between the two running ponies and the campus of Manehattan University. Daring turned her head to the side and watched the costumed pony who matched her stride for stride. The expressionless mask was locked forward, its unblinking gaze focused on the path that led to the campus. Her purple hat and cape flowed behind her, and even though Daring thought the outfit to be outlandish and flashy, she had to admit, it did make the mare look like something of a super heroine. The archeologist smirked. Never in a hundred years did I think I'd end up being some kind of sidekick to a pony in a costume, trying to fight crime. She shook her head and sighed. Tonight had been very memorable, and it only promised to become more so once they arrived at their destination.
Several minutes later, the mares reached the university. Daring Do slowed her pace to a walk, and Mare-Do-Well followed suit, trailing behind as the pegasus navigated through the familiar layout. While Daring had been on campus late at night before, whether performing exhaustive research or helping to grade a sizable stack of midterm exams, the university's largely nondescript buildings acquired an imposing air in the deep darkness, and she shivered from more than just the cold of the night air as they passed beneath the dark, silent structures. A few widely-spaced lamps provided a dull light along the main paths that linked the major wings, and Daring welcomed the illumination, even if it was paltry. She glanced behind her, and Mare-Do-Well gave a slight nod of her head; the pegasus nodded back and continued toward the History wing.
There was no sign of anypony else on the shadowy walkway, but this fact did little to calm Daring's nerves; her heart had increased its speed during their gallop from her house, and it showed no signs of slowing as fear began to creep into her mind. She considered for a moment the possibility that her idea was ludicrous, that nopony would even attempt to pilfer the precious pegasus, and that this whole visit would prove pointless. As much as she desperately wished that were true, that thought was soon proven false as she revisited that evening's conversations with Mare-Do-Well; when so many events seemed oddly circumstantial, the truth was likely that they weren't circumstantial at all. The artifact was in jeopardy, and a twisting feeling in her stomach told Daring that tonight, the night when so many things had already occurred, was the night it would happen. Maybe it already has, she thought, her eyes widening, but she shook her head, refusing to entertain the notion, and pressed on through the campus.
Daring rounded the final corner and looked up, her building coming into view at last, but her breath caught in her throat and she froze in place. A beam of light flickered from inside, darting across a window near the door. She watched with rapt attention as it swept over the lower level, its glow moving back and forth in a motion similar to a lighthouse. A hushed voice from beside her startled the pegasus. “Looks like you were right,” Mare-Do-Well whispered, her voice still low and gravelly. “Somepony's already here.”
Daring turned to face her companion. “Maybe.” She looked back at the beam as it continued to sweep across the darkened sky. “I don't think a thief would draw that much attention, though. It may just be security.”
“That doesn't make me feel much better,” the mare beside her mumbled.
Confusion swept across the archeologist's face before it dawned on her: a costumed crime-fighter wouldn't exactly be welcome by law enforcement of any variety, especially this late at night on an abandoned campus. She grinned slightly, then said, “Don't worry; I can get us in if it's just a guard. Just stick with me, all right?” The masked head remained stationary. With a sigh, Daring said, “Let's go,” and she walked cautiously toward the building, the light still emanating from within.
When she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment before lifting her hoof and knocking three times, the sound echoing ominously through the empty ground floor. The erratic movements of the beam of light ceased, and Daring heard hooves clattering toward the door, coming to a halt on the other side of the entrance. A sudden fear gripped Daring when she considered the possibility that she had just made a grave error, and the pony who was responsible for the light was indeed one of the Collector's minions, here to make off with the pegasus, and her interruption of his nefarious work would end poorly for her the instant the door no longer barred the way. Her body tensed.
A frantic heartbeat later, the door swung open, and her eyes suddenly burned as a bright, white light shone directly onto her face. She cringed and lifted her hoof to shield herself from the painful sensation, realizing that the other pony now had the upper hoof if their intention was to cause her harm. A gruff stallion's voice came from behind the blinding beam. “Who in Equestria is out here?”
The pegasus let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in, and her ears perked up as she recognized the harsh tones of Night Watch, the campus' night security guard. A hint of a smile crept across her face. “It's Daring Do, Night Watch,” she said, her hoof still attempting to prevent the light from burning directly into her eyes.
His surprised response came after a moment's pause. “That is you, Daring!” Finally, mercifully, the light was out of her face, and she lowered her hoof and blinked twice, clearing her vision. As the guard stallion clipped his flashlight to his belt, he continued, “What the buck are you doing out here so late?”
For a second, she considered telling Night Watch the truth, but hesitated when she considered how that would sound. Oh, hello, Night Watch, I'm just here to steal one of my own discoveries before some faceless crime lord can get his grubby hooves on it. She widened her grin, her brain scrambling to find a suitable excuse. Her mouth spilled out the first one that seemed halfway reasonable. “I...forgot some of my notes in my office, and I need them for my...research.” Daring's smile was toothy and ridiculous, but she kept her eyes focused on the gaunt face of the stallion before her.
The guard raised one eyebrow. “In the middle of the night, all by yourself? That's awful dangerous, Daring.”
Wait, all by myself? Attempting to act casual, Daring brought a hoof up to scratch her withers, turning her head slightly and scanning the area with her peripheral vision. The lack of a pony in a purple costume sent a rush of anger through her, but she stifled it as best she could and faced Night Watch once more. “Yes, I know, but it's very, very important research, and I need those notes right away; I'm on the verge of a breakthrough.” Her fury at Mare-Do-Well was growing, and she struggled to keep it under control even as she fibbed and maintained her smile of false innocence.
The stallion gave her a soft smile of his own. “Okay, Daring, shouldn't be a problem. I've gotta sweep a couple more buildings right now; go ahead inside, get what you need, and I'll come back around to lock it up and shut off the lights once I've made my rounds. Got it?”
“Got it,” Daring responded, hoping the animosity didn't register in her voice. Night Watch, however, showed no signs that he had picked up on her lie, and gave her a brief nod before trotting past her toward the Science wing. The pegasus stepped inside the History building quickly and shut the door behind her, releasing a long exhale followed by a low, frustrated growl. Her voice was a quiet, furious rumble. “Where is that good-for-nothing little-”
“You know, for a guard pony, he's not all that observant.”
The voice that had become all-too-familiar sounded as though it came from mere inches away, and Daring leaped away from it with a yelp, jerking her head around to find her suspicions confirmed. Even in the darkness, the purple-hued costume still stood out, an intimidating get-up surely meant to strike fear into the hearts of petty criminals; it seemed to be quite adept at eliciting the same reaction from innocent ponies its wearer was currently in the process of “helping.” Daring's heart was working extra hard this evening, and she practically shouted, “What the hay was that?”
Mare-Do-Well raised a hoof to her covered mouth, a gesture indicating that silence would be prudent; the pegasus fumed, but kept quiet behind gritted teeth and a ferocious stare. After the costumed mare lowered her hoof back to the floor, she tilted her head slightly and asked, “What do you mean when you say 'that'?”
Daring swore that the pony in purple sounded almost whimsical, and she bit her lip to keep from screaming her frustration, instead opting to communicate through harsh whispers. “You! Disappearing! I told you to stick with me.”
“And I decided not to take that advice,” Mare-Do-Well replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “How could you have explained my presence, anyway? You could barely think up a decent enough story to convince the guard to let you in here.”
Now, the pegasus' anger stemmed not only from the fact that she'd been ignored by her companion, but also that she had to admit, the costumed pony was right. It would have been infinitely more difficult to convince Night Watch to allow her access to the building if she showed up in the dead of night with another pony, especially if that pony was wearing a ridiculous outfit. She swallowed her anger and asked another pertinent question: “How'd you get in here, anyway?”
Mare-Do-Well tilted her head toward the side of the building. “Side entrance. Turns out your security guard pal forgot to lock that particular door. I came inside just in time to hear your little conversation.” The costumed mare emitted a low, throaty chuckle. “I could've stood right behind that stallion, and he probably wouldn't have been the wiser.”
“Leave him alone,” Daring said, her tone sharp. “I've known Night Watch a long time; he's never been one to be forgetful or careless.” The pegasus' own words registered in her mind, and a shiver ran through her body. Her voice had a slight shake when she continued. “In fact, I've never known him to forget the locks. Never.” She locked her eyes with the masked mare.
The pony in purple was silent for a second, but then gave a slow nod. In a whisper, she confirmed her understanding of the pegasus' statement: “We're not alone in here.”
Daring gave her own nod, her eyes wide as more adrenaline pumped through her body, and she swiveled her head around, scanning the lowest floor of the History wing. After the unpleasant experience with Night Watch's flashlight from a few moments prior, her eyes had readjusted to the darkness. Her gaze was met by only the familiar columns and hallways leading to various lecture halls and classrooms, as well as the door to the stairwell; in the shadows, her eyes convinced her that there was movement, but a second look allayed those suspicions. Every dark passageway, every sealed door suddenly became a hiding place for desperate criminals, and each beat of Daring's heart pounded heavily in her head, fear and excitement tearing through her in equal amounts.
Mare-Do-Well's hushed voice from beside Daring didn't elicit the same reaction she'd had earlier, but she did twitch slightly as the costumed pony asked, “Where's the artifact, Daring?”
The pegasus continued to scan their surroundings as she answered. “Downstairs, in the basement. Our labs are down there.” One final sweep of the premises satisfied the archeologist that nopony else was in the immediate vicinity, and she turned to her costumed companion. “Follow me.” She took two cautious steps toward the stairwell door, then whipped her head around and hissed, “And this time, stay with me.” The mare in purple raised a hoof in a defensive gesture but said nothing. Daring sighed, then brought her attention back to the door that led down. With a gulp, she began to move forward once again.
The door swung open with a soft creak, and Daring stepped into the stairwell, Mare-Do-Well following close behind. The pegasus hesitated at the top of the flight leading to the basement, her hoof raised to take the first step down, when a loud bang came from behind her and echoed through the chamber. Her heart leaped within her, matching the movement of her own body, and she gasped as the noise rang through her ears. Once her hooves found the floor again, she spun around quickly to find the source of the sudden sound, but she saw only the costumed mare. She gave a confused look to the pony in purple, who inclined her head toward the now-closed door and gave a shrug. Daring imagined that under the mask, the mare's face wore a rather sheepish grin; the pegasus' hoof made contact with her forehead as she sighed. She mimicked Mare-Do-Well's hushing gesture from earlier, then turned back to the stairs and began her descent.
If she hadn't been on edge earlier, Mare-Do-Well's mishap with the door had certainly sent her there, and she took each step down tentatively, her body tense with anticipation. She saw nopony else aside from her costumed companion in the stairwell, and yet, Daring's eyes darted back and forth, scanning the walls, the floor, and the steps below her, searching for any hint of motion. None came. Her heart continued its rapid beat, each rush of blood flowing through her heightening the sensation of terror and causing her head to throb with a dull pressure. The two ponies reached the landing between floors, and Daring continued her trek down into the dark depths, the basement door awaiting her at the base of the stairs.
A small window was built into the door that led to the laboratories, and as Daring finally stepped off the last of the stairs and strode up to the door, she peered through the glass. Only the long hallway she had traversed many times prior lay before her; from what she could see, no menacing criminals were lurking in the shadows. She opened the door slowly and steadily, but instead of stepping through, she held it open with a hoof and looked back at Mare-Do-Well, who had just descended from the final step. The costumed pony looked up and paused. A heavy sigh emanated from behind the mask, and a small grin crept across Daring's face as Mare-Do-Well lowered her head and walked with exaggerated steps through the door. Once the caped mare was all the way through, Daring strode through the opening and sealed the door behind her, slowing its progress with her hoof until it settled back into the jamb with a soft click. She smiled and turned back to the hallway where Mare-Do-Well stood, slowly shaking her head from side to side. Daring gave the costumed mare a shrug and stepped past her companion into the hallway.
Her smug attitude quickly gave way to fear once more as she again assumed the lead. The lab that housed the artifact was around the corner, but Daring still gave each room on either side of the dark hall a visual inspection, peering through the small windows on every door. As with the entire evening, there were no sudden movements or lurking ponies behind the doors, just various machines, storage cabinets, and tables adorned with empty beakers and vials. The scene seemed surreal; even though Daring had been in these halls many times before, seeing them now, unlit and devoid of life, while the security of the figurine was in jeopardy, filled her with a deep dread. Nagging doubt still plagued her mind as well; aside from an unlocked door on the ground floor and her own suspicions, there was no evidence to prove that anypony else other than the archeologist and the costumed mare was present in the History wing. In spite of how convinced she was that her hypothesis had been correct, the fact that the two ponies hadn't encountered another living being other than Night Watch was beginning to wear on her confidence. She continued toward the corner of the wall, stepping from one side of the hallway to the other to inspect each room along the way, each one yielding the same result: nothing.
At last, Daring reached the end of the initial hall, and she turned to the right toward the laboratory inside which the pegasus artifact was stored. Only a few hoofsteps later, both ponies reached their destination. The door to said lab was shut; no light shone from behind its sealed exterior. Daring felt her heart slow its frenetic pace a bit as she stared at the unmoving door; still, her nerves had reached an incredible high, and she found it impossible to be completely calm. Mare-Do-Well's hoof nudged her left shoulder, and she turned her attention to the costumed pony, who shrugged with a tilt of her head as if asking, “What now?” Daring opened her mouth to whisper a response.
The sound of a closing door from within the room in front of her cut off any words the pegasus was preparing to speak, and she whipped her head around toward the laboratory, her eyes shooting open and her heart returning to its previous state of panicked beating. Daring froze, her gaze locked on the shut door, while a dozen terrifying possibilities of what had caused the noise raced through her mind. Beside her, the form of Mare-Do-Well stepped quickly and quietly toward the wall next to the door, and Daring snapped out of her trance when the pony in purple tapped her shoulder and gestured frantically toward the empty space beside the masked mare. Following her companion's lead, the pegasus pinned herself against the wall beside Mare-Do-Well, trying her best to keep her frantic breathing quiet. The pounding of her heart that resonated through her skull was loud, but she strained her ears to focus on the room. Hooves were clacking against the tile on the other side of the door. They were coming closer. Daring inhaled deeply. Mare-Do-Well's hoof suddenly clapped down across her barrel, holding her back against the wall. The steps ceased. They were at the door.
The two mares were positioned in such a way that the door would open outward between them and anypony that exited the room, and so, when the door swung open with a long creak, Daring peered her head around the mare beside her to catch a glimpse of the figure that stepped out of the laboratory. She couldn't make out any features, only the silhouette of a pony that strode out of the room, its gait surprisingly casual and unassuming; something that looked like a case hung from its mouth, grasped between the pony's teeth. The door shut behind the figure as it turned away from the two mares and began to step through the hall toward the corner.
It didn't get far. In one swift motion, Mare-Do-Well pushed herself away from the wall and leaped through the air at the shadowy pony. Its head didn't turn, and it gave a cry of surprise as the costumed mare crashed against it, the object dislodged from its mouth and sent sliding against the wall as the tackling pony and the mysterious intruder tumbled forward several feet, skidding to a stop with Mare-Do-Well perched atop the other pony, laying prone on its back. Daring pulled herself away from the wall and galloped over to the case that had flown free; the lid had popped open, and the pegasus righted the container, peering inside. She gasped when her suspicions were confirmed: Inside the case, lined with packing foam, lay the glass figurine, the darkness doing nothing to dull its impressive features. Daring reached a hoof in to extract the tiny pegasus, but paused when she heard Mare-Do-Well's voice. “Daring, come here and have a look at this.”
The archeologist left the case where it lay and stepped toward the other two ponies. Mare-Do-Well looked up at the pegasus, then lifted a hoof and pointed down at the other pony's head as Daring heard the pinned pony moan in pain. Something about the voice triggered a memory in Daring's mind, but she couldn't place it until she followed the hoof of the costumed mare and looked down at the shaking head of the pony on the floor as it released another exclamation of discomfort. Her eyes shot open as she beheld the face of a bearded stallion, the white of his facial hair standing out against his dark gray coat. Daring gasped in disbelief, and her voice was a low whisper, laced with shock and curiosity.
“Doctor...Brier?”
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The plot, she thickens.
665221 Any thicker and she'll explode!
But in all seriousness, this was another epic update. It seems the Doc has a lot of explaining to do!
Doctor Brier you trator! How dare you try to steal the magnificent sculpture! Another update another mouth...gasm? Or is that toungegasm? No matter. It's amazing. WHY BRIER WHY??!!. hope he has a good explanation for this...
Why? the answer is control. Control the figure, control the pony. That is my guess on this chapter, and considering my previous guess of the possibility of a unicorn statue being mentioned here, I am trying to get two for two.
I really enjoy how you've written Mare-do-well in this chapter.
I just wanted to take a moment and thank everybody who's commented, favorited, tracked, read, or even just glanced at this story so far. Your support and feedback help out immensely; you all are the reason I write, and I'm glad to know that my work is eliciting such positive responses. I also enjoy your speculations about what will happen to our intrepid heroines in future chapters. Perhaps your theories are right, but then again, perhaps they aren't...only time will tell!
Thank you again, everyone!
Regarding Brier being the thief:
I so called that one as soon as I saw the scene with the earth pony figurine photo.
755357 Well, I haven't read this yet
but it could work that Daring Do spends most of her time in the jungle, and there is nothing in her debut episode that says that its not in modern day Equestria
THERE MUST BE MOAR!!!!!
I must know more about Mare-Do-Well's origins
...can't wait for the next update!
And then everyone went out for some apple pie and pomegranate smoothies and kicked ass together.
Seriously though, this is an awesome story. And you should feel awesome.
666349 No offense, but I don't think you can give yourself many points for guessing there's a unicorn statue; with the way the pegasus was locked up and the existence of an earth pony, you'd have to be pretty oblivious to miss that the set is incomplete.