Daring Do and the Golden Horns
The Bull Rainforest was living up to its reputation as the wettest rainforest in the world. The two ponies on the forest floor were currently taking refuge under an absurdly large leaf. The humidity and heat of the afternoon down pour caused a fog like steam to shroud the forest floor. The two ponies waited on the rock as the pouring rain and roaring thunder continued.
"I wonder how this rain is even possible. I thought the pegasi controlled the weather." A black unicorn with a deep blue mane looked out at the steaming forest floor. His flank was blank despite being a matured and rather old stallion. His hat rested gently on his brow.
"In Equestria yes the pegasi do, but not here." The tan pegasus joined her friend and traveling companion on the rock's surface. She was a lot younger than him. Daring looked out at the steaming forest floor and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Hey Professor why are you disguised, right now? I mean I don't mind the unicorn form you normally take, I'm just as fine with your real form."
"My reason Daring. Well I suppose I could ask you what you think my real form is Daring?" In a flash of green the elderly blank flank unicorn was replaced by a Changeling. "Would you say that this is my true form?"
"Of course." Daring answered. "You're a Changeling."
"And now I am a unicorn." The elderly blank flank reappeared in a blaze of green flame. "Not everything is as it seems Daring. Take this jungle for instance. It would seem to be like any other rainforest, but in it is one of the greatest treasures of the minotaurs."
"If we ever find it." Daring sighed. "We've been at it for weeks, after tonight we'll need to turn back or risk starving to death. We'll already be without food for the last two days of our journey."
"Three days doesn't equate to starving to death Daring. Honestly why are all of my graduate students like this."
"Guess your just lucky."
"Indeed."
"I just wish that the rain would stop so that we could get back to searching for the Tomb of Aurochs." She kicked a pebble which bounced along the stone the two were sitting on. Her ears instantly perked up. "Professor did you hear that?"
"Hear what Daring?" Daring stood up and walked over to the center of the stone, which the two had been sitting on for the past three hours.
"This." She answered tapping on it. "It sounds hollow."
"It does indeed I wonder what's inside it." The elderly unicorn's horn glowed a soft green. Daring Do took to the air as the rock beneath her caved in on itself revealing a secret passage way. "Well look at that. See Daring, nothing is truly as it seems. Now let's see what we have accidently rediscovered." The two of them descended into the cave the elderly unicorn's horn lighting their way.
"Can you believe this place it's huge."
"Given were we are I'd say that this place is labyrinthal." The elderly scholar made his way slowly into the cave checking the walls for glyphs as he went. "Well I'll be Celestia's uncle."
"Wow, professor I didn't think that you had it in you, or that you were that old." Daring glided up to the unicorns side.
"Very funny Daring darling. Go get my book I need to confirm something." Daring stuck out her tongue at being called darling but did as she was told. Pulling a small journal crammed with notes out of the unicorns bag. "I know that I've seen this mark before." He gasped dropping the journal.
"Professor?"
"Daring get out your journal now. Start marking this down, all of it." In a flash of green the changeling returned to his true form. I'll be over here."
"Did we find the Tomb professor?" Daring grinned as she started copying the glyphs with perfect accuracy that had been acquired during her years of study with the old changeling professor.
"No we've accidently stumbled onto the greatest discovery of the century we've found the entrance to the Palace of Taurus."
"Woohoo!" Daring summersaulted in the air.
"Woohoo indeed Ms. Daring Do."
"Professor Caballeron." The elderly unicorn returned in a green flash, and trotted to his star pupil's side. "You startled us. I'm glad to see that you made it I was beginning to worry."
"I assure you professor there is no need to worry."
"Caballeron, correct me if I'm wrong but those aren't the ponies I hired."
"No, I'm afraid I had to let them go." Caballeron chuckled. "But I assure you Professor my ponies are just as good. Better even, for I, we need them for."
"Of course they are, sadly we don't have the food rations to stay here past tonight as my pupil has informed me, were already risking starvation on our trip back."
"Come now my old friend there is no need melodrama. I know how much food we have. Three days doesn't equal starving. What do you say Daring. Down there is the greatest treasure of the minotaurs. It's worth three or four days without food on our trip back. Yes."
"Yeah."
"Very Well." Professor answered with a sigh. "Daring go back to town and get us more supplies and find the rest of the staff that I hired. It will take weeks to properly comb and catalogue this find."
"But Professor!"
"No need for that Professor." Caballeron interrupted. "One of my ponies can do that for us."
"No either Daring will do this or none of us are going down there."
"This is completely unfair."
"Daring I'm not cheating you out of anything." He put his forehoof on the young pegasus' shoulder. "Trust me, please."
"Fine, I'll be back in two weeks."
"We won't even be half way done cataloguing all of these glyphs. You won't be missing anything." Daring pushed his hoof off of her shoulder and headed out of the cave, she had discovered, and headed on the week long journey back to town.
***
Daring waited in the relative safety of a large leaf as another thunderstorm roared over head. She had only managed two hours of progress before the storm halted her progress. She sighed as she opened her saddle bag.
"Uhg, great." I don't have any of the food." She screamed out her frustration. "This is just great now I have to go back and get some, at least I'm not to far away." She sighed. After an hour the storm finally calmed enough for her to head back to the site. It would be dark by the time she got there and Professor would be peeved, but at this moment she really didn't care what he wanted.
"Professor!" Daring called through the cave. She had almost arrived at the spot where she'd last seen him. "Professor?!" Daring slowed down. Something inside her was telling her that this wasn't right. He should have answered her by now. She should have seen Professor Caballeron's hired hooves around, but the cave seemed to be completely empty. She froze. There on the ground was Professor's notebook. "Professor!" Daring took to the air and bolted deeper into the cave. Something was wrong he'd never leave his notebook, never. He loved that thing more than he loved history.
Daring flared out her wings and came to a sudden halt. She could hear voices up ahead. Though she couldn't tell what was being said. She slowly, carefully, and quietly made her way deeper into the cave there were three tunnels ahead. The voices were coming from the one on the right. Just before she turned the corner she could start to make out what they were saying.
"Now Professor I understand we've had our difficulties in the past but you need to understand that I do not enjoy seeing you get hurt." The sentence was ended with a loud smack. "I just need you to tell me how to open this door."
"I'll not tell a poacher like you anything!" There was a crack accompanied by the Professor's scream.
"I do not like being barbaric with you Professor nor does your pain amuse me in any way. But I will get you to tell me how to open this door."
"So you can sell the Golden Horns on the black market to the highest bidder. I'd rather die than see a priceless artifact sold to a private collector just to gather dust in their collection."
"Yes you'd rather see them gather dust in a museum basement. Do not pretend that you are better than me!"
"This find is of immeasurable worth to the minotaur people it's our job as scholars to see that this treasure is given to them. It's all for the good of others, and the academy!"
"You bore me old goat." The Professor screamed. "Tenure pays well, but I know of private buyers who will pay better, and if you are unwilling to see that it is better to be rich and alive than dead and honorable then so be it. We will see what that graduate student of yours thinks."
"I'll tell you exactly what I think!" Daring stepped around the corner her face glowing red with righteous anger. "I think the lot of you are going to spend a very, very long time in prison."
"And I think that I am a very lucky stallion that you are here and I don't have to wait for my stallions to find you. Get her!" All at once five stallions charged her. Normally she'd have turned tail and run, but she wasn't about to leave her mentor behind with them. Instead she took the only advantage she had over these earth ponies and jumped straight into the air. She dive bombed the first one. Throwing him into one of the other thugs she bobbed and weaved trying to get back above them. Suddenly she was pulled down and slammed into the ground. In seconds she felt herself being tied down.
"Daring, so good to see you."
"Screw you!" Caballeron's hoof slammed into her face that it knocked her to the ground, and set her eyes spinning in their sockets.
"Enough I'll tell you just let her go."
"Tell me first."
"No Professor."
"Daring quiet." The black unicorn sighed. "Push the far right minotaur's head inward and it will reveal a labyrinth. In the middle of the labyrinth you'll find the golden horns."
"Thank you Professor." Caballeron nodded. "Tie him up as well and throw them into one of the other tunes then join me. We are going to be rich." Two of the larger stallions dragged them into the middle tunnel and returned to their boss.
"Professor are you okay?"
"Apart from my broken leg I'm fine" There were two back to back green flashes. "Oh dear that's a nasty black eye are you alright Daring."
"I'm fine, now untie me and let's stop Caballeron."
"No need for that Daring." The changeling said as he pulled at her ropes with his magic. "I assure you that they'll never get the golden horns. There looking in the wrong labyrinth.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that the middle tunnel houses the Horns not the one on the right." The ropes finally broke away from Daring's body. "I've suspected Caballeron for years, but could never prove he was a crook until now. Thank you. And if you don't mind taking a gift for your help, have this. I love exploring old tombs and exotic lands, but I feel I'm getting far to old for this." His hat was enveloped in green magic and floated onto her head. "It looks better on you anyways. Now let's get the horns and get them to a museum."