An Earth Pony Family Historian has moved on.
As is tradition, the Family sets a cider keg up on a table, inside a palatial tent, and somepony chimes the tip of a horseshoe off the rim of a crystal glass.
So are the branches of the Apple Family summoned to their duty.
Written for the EverFree Northwest Scribblefest 2018
We don't usually see Daring Do as a 'bad guy' who steel family heirloom, but I can see how it could happen. I approve.
I think Daring believes such an item isn;t a heirloom but a priceless artifact and the world would be safer if they were secured in a museum rather hidden
8774163
Daring's slightly obsessive when it comes to relic hunting, and it's true that Goldie's place fits all the criteria for an ancient repository of great power. >D You know, you stumble across a rumor of an isolated cabin, filled with death traps and guardians (a hoarder with a few dozen cats can become twisted into that), and it just twigs her cutie mark.
8774188
Trouble is, it's both. Goldie was responsible for the Apple Family's piece of the Sunstone. It may be tucked away, inert, and only capable of bringing good fortune rather than 'eternal good weather', but museums get broken into far too often in adventure films. Now, if somepony was stupid enough to try and steal the Pie Family's shard in Holder's Boulder .... they'd run headfirst into the best security system in Equestria: Limestone Pie.
OH GOSH, I had to come read your story after you left a comment on mine, and it doesn't disappoint!! My only disappointment was that it ended so quickly! (Which is the nature of a short story contest, I suppose! ) I loved the touches of G1 influence in there (the SUNSTONE!!!), and so I couldn't help but wonder about the last three items!! I assume the rusty horseshoes have to be Mimic's horseshoes, but I'm drawing such a blank on the cornucopia and mandolin!! I know there were a few episodes about cursed instruments, so I'm thinking it's one of those 'if you hear the music you're enslaved' type things, which would explain the lack of strings!
I loved the discussion of the Call too, it felt really seamless and mysterious the way you wrote it into the story, it felt like a real adventure the ponies might have! (Well, aside from the unfriendly-for-kids discussion about death and dividing up belongings!) Great job!!!
8775901
The last three items were partially a throwaway, as *maybe* one of them was a talisman. It's unlikely Mimic's horseshoes would have survived together that long and, like her original ancestor, lost over time and no one family member remains.
The Earth Ponies of Pre-Equestria didn't exactly have riches lying around. It's a bit like the Pirates of the Caribbean:
So, after the Golden Apples and Holder's Boulder, you'd be hard-pressed to produce valuables that wouldn't be stolen right away. (Do NOT ask after the Pomegranate clan's Talisman. Their historian's wintering in Tartarus.)
8776673
That's so cool!! It sounds like the whole world is already set up in your mind, I love it!!
8777949
I've got a lot of worlds in here, and they're all constantly in motion. Never know if I'm going to have to come back to it one day.
8774357 If you look closely at some of her cats, they look identical to some of the ones that Ahuizotl has. That can't be a coincidence.
8774188 Most of the time it looks like there's really very little difference between Daring and Caballeron, to be honest. Both of them rob temples, tombs and indigenous tribes for ancient relics. The difference is Daring Do turns hers over to a museum (eventually, since we've seen valuable artifacts lying around her house for extended periods of time), whereas Caballeron sells his to private collectors... and virtually all private collections end up in a museum eventually, the question is whether the object will spend time in some rich old pony's study first or Daring Do's floor.
Of course, there are the occasional magical objects that Ahuizotl uses to heat up his home valley...
8781941
I saw the mention that her cheetah is the same as one of Ahuizotl's cats. Definitely not a coincidence.
For me, it's just the thought of Daring's cutie mark mistaking a whole pile of junk for some serious artifacts (or at least, the family thinking that's what it is, not knowing there's more than one artifact present), and that one golden apple can't do any harm on its own. It's safer with the family rather than being carted around by Daring, since Caballeron knows where she lives and can break in any time. At this point, she'd be better off leaving the key under the mat and a welcome trap inside the front door.
Huh. I wonder how the Pears handle this. And how they store their shard, if they have one. And just what is everypony afraid that the princesses will do?
In any case, fascinating tale of earth pony magic and well-woven G1 references. Not over the moon on Daring going artifact-crazy, but at least she listened to reason in the end. Thank you for this.
8783760
Pears' shard might still be in Vanhoover. Or wherever their historian is.
As for the Princesses, I think there's some sort of tribal wariness in the information. Pre-alicorn artifact, and it was kept from unicorns and Pegasi. An all-three tribes pony sparks some deep, instinctual suspicion.
Daring Do is a little scared. To her, this is another Assemble the Pieces, Destroy the World Macguffin, when it's unlikely the shards could be reassembled into an Item of Great Power. But her job of artifact hunting means she knows Caballeron will do X and Y because that's the pattern, and so she's on the hunt.
The headbutt helped clear her mind. ^_-
Haven't read the story yet, but I just had to comment my appreciation on that incredible double pun of a title.
8845566
Thank you! Please, if you like that one, take some time and try to figure out all the connotations of my Applejack/Fancy Pants shipfic "Apple Fancier".
This was a very good story.
Impressively done. Daring as a villain is a nice touch. Twilight is juust dumb enough too. She's certain she knows everything and as Fritter shows, she's still not quite the Apple she thinks she is,