Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

The second hand making its steady, inevitable path across the face of the clock sounded through the classroom. Daring Do sat behind her desk, her gaze slowly panning over the classroom. Every student had their head down, pencils scribbling across the paper packets on the desks before them. Beneath the music of lead on paper, there came a low, intermittent chorus of muttering, fidgeting, tapping hooves and claws, and quiet groans of defeat.

“Five more minutes, class,” Daring called out. “You should be wrapping it up and checking your answers.”

Her call prompted a frantic increase of activity, pencils furiously dancing across the desks and papers fluttering as students raced to finish in time. Luster Dawn was calmly tapping her pencil against her packet, mouthing to herself as she double-checked her answers. Ifaa was rubbing his forehead, bent low over his desk as he scribbled an answer to one of the essay questions. Greatwing was sweating like he was running a marathon, his pencil practically flying over the test packet.

Daring looked back down at the folder in front of her, frowning as her hoof traced over the photocopied pages. After looking over The Language and Customs of the Everfree Forest Deer, she was no longer wondering why Beaten Trail had never written of any of his other adventures; the rambling narrative jumped back and forth between disjointed events, often referencing things that she had not yet read of, skimming over some details while describing other minutiae with exhausting detail.

The guy probably should’ve used an editor, she thought with an irritated grumble, turning a page. She could feel a migraine starting to build behind her eyes and she took off her reading glasses to rub her eyes.

There’s gotta be something here. Some clue to finding Thicket. A map or something.

Replacing her glasses, she scanned the page before her to find that it was nothing but a lengthy description of Beaten Trail’s attempts to determine which of the Everfree’s flora were safe to eat and which weren’t and turned the page. As she did, her eyes fell on the sketch that had caught her interest. The little sketch that she had spotted while flipping through the book in the Order of the Sphinx’s library.

The drawing was rough, but there was no mistaking the beast represented in effigy upon the wall, curled up in sleep with its tail wrapped around its canine body, held in a circle.

Why was the Ahuizotl carved in the halls of Thicket?

The sound of the bell ringing snapped her out of her reverie. “Ah, time’s up, class,” she said, quickly turning the page to hide the illustration. “Pencils down, bring ‘em up.”

One by one, each of the students filed up to her desk and placed their exams in the waiting tray, some rushing out in relief, others offering some final comments on her class.

“What’s that, Professor?” Luster Dawn asked as she added her own test to the pile, eyeing the copied pages.

“Just…some research Doctor Caballeron and I are working on,” Daring answered, reminding herself that she wasn’t lying.

“‘Our journey to the obelisk was nearly derailed by the appearance of a swamp that hadn’t been there yesterday and the danger of cragadiles was too great a risk…’ Is this about the Everfree Forest?” Luster pressed.

Shattered stones. Bloodstained corpses staring sightlessly up at the sky. Eyes snapping open, tri-lobed pupils focusing upon her…

“Yeah,” Daring said, placing her hooves beneath the table to try to hide the tremors. “After the…monoliths that Twilight found, Cabbie and I thought that we should see what else we can find out.”

Luster Dawn glanced up at Daring, her mouth twisted into a skeptical frown. “I…see,” she said. “Are you gonna be teaching archaeology classes next year?”

“I’m…still working that out with the Dean,” Daring admitted, an ice block of worry settling in her stomach.

“I hope you do,” Ifaa said as he placed his test in the pile. “This has been one of my favorite classes!”

“Agreed!” Luster Dawn nodded enthusiastically. “I just took this as an elective, but I’ve learned so much!”

Daring smiled, a warm rush of pride and gratitude running through her body. “Nice of you to say. Maybe you should put out a petition. ‘Please let Daring Do keep her tenure.’”

“I don’t think it’ll come to that, Prof,” Ifaa grinned.

“Well, let’s hope not,” Daring said as they both exited.

As the last students left, Daring allowed herself to hold onto that warm, satisfactory glow in her chest, then sighed as she picked up the test packets and tucked them under a wing. Grabbing a box from under the desk, she gathered up the trinkets that decorated her classroom desk, lingering over the rusty hipposandal.

From innocent little digs to whatever the hell I’m in now…look at your favorite little adventurer now, Uncle Ad. Proud of me?

Grasping the box in her mouth, she exited the classroom and navigated the coursing rivers of students and faculty down the hall to the offices of the History Department. Shouldering open the door, she stepped into the lobby. Setae was sitting at his usual place behind the counter, nose shoved in a book about griffon history, eyes narrowed in the classic expression of a desperate cramming student.

But as Daring passed him by, she felt his gaze upon her back. She turned and glared at the changeling and he let out a squeak of alarm and hid his face behind his book.

“Fuck’s sake…” Daring muttered to herself, continuing to her office. Fumbling briefly with her burdens, she unlocked the door and stepped in, placing the box of decorations on the floor next to her desk. Tossing the papers onto the desktop with a thwap, she sat down with a sigh.

Grading. One of my least favorite parts of teaching, she thought to herself, grabbing a red pen. Might as well get it out of the way–

A rapping at the door disrupted her and she looked up to find Caballeron at her door, scowling at her.

“Dean Paper has called a meeting of all the history faculty,” he announced stiffly.

“Great,” Daring sighed. “Any idea what about?”

Caballeron didn’t answer, but the hard glimmer in his eyes made it clear that he had his suspicions. “Venga,” he simply commanded, jerking his head and heading off without waiting for her to catch up.

Daring stood up and hustled out of her office, quickening her pace to catch up with Caballeron. “Dorado,” she called, but her companion did not react.

“Look, I’m sorry about the Everfree Forest,” Daring admitted. “I shouldn’t have just bailed on you like that, but–”

“We agreed that we were in it together,” Caballeron interrupted, pausing to turn on her. “We are partners. Colleagues, Daring. That means we share each others’ work. And each others’ credit.”

“Dorado…” Daring sighed. “Look, it was dangerous and–”

“I distinctly remember having a gun held to my head for you,” Caballeron interrupted. “But I suppose I’m not owed any gratitude or respect for that, eh?”

Guilt settled in Daring’s stomach like a stone and she found herself hanging her head. “I…okay, you’re right. I should’ve–”

“Professor Do! Doctor Caballeron! We’re waiting for you!” Dean Paper’s voice barked from down the hall.

“We’ll talk later,” Caballeron said, hurrying on. Daring fell into step behind her, feeling a bit lighter now that Dorado was at least talking to her again.

The meeting room was already filled with the rest of the History Department faculty, all sitting around the large table. The looks of mild confusion upon many of her colleagues’ faces at least reassured Daring that she wasn’t the only one who had been blindsided. She took a seat next to an orange earth pony with a scruffy blue mane and the cutie mark of a crossed pickaxe, scroll, and magnifying glass. “Dicey.”

“Hey, Daring,” Dicey Digs, Professor of Archaeology and Geography, smiled back, adjusting the ever-present bandana around his neck. “You and Cabbie loot any temples lately?”

“Not lately,” Daring admitted with a small smile, though she noticed a scowl flicker briefly across Caballeron’s face as he sat down across from them. “We thought we’d give the rest of you a chance to catch up.”

Dicey Digs snickered and said something, but Daring didn’t hear him. Her focus was now on an empty seat across from her. For a moment, she imagined the light green unicorn was sitting across from her, her bun frazzled after a day of classes but a cheerful smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. Then Family Tree’s ghost faded, leaving behind only the empty chair and the memory.

Dean Paper took her place at the head of the table and rapped her hoof on the tabletop to get everycreature’s attention. “Right. We’re still waiting on somepony, but we’re already behind schedule. There are a few things we need to discuss regarding the upcoming semester. First and foremost…” She paused to take a breath. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, we are still looking for a new teacher for local history.”

There was a brief but poignant moment of silence, every eye turning towards the empty seat.

“We are currently looking for a replacement,” Dean Paper said. “In fact, we’ll likely need several more faculty for this department. There has been a massive influx of applicants for history and archaeology-related majors. I’m sure we can guess what caused this.”

Every eye in the room turned to focus on Daring. She squirmed and looked down at the table, feeling like a bug on a slide.

“Well, this is good, isn’t it?” Dicey Dig said. “We should be encouraging interest in history, right?”

“Except that a lot of these are going to be wannabe treasure hunters who think that they’re going to be the next Compass Rose, looting arcane treasures from long-lost temples,” a pale blue changeling cut in, glaring at Daring.

“We’ve always had those come in, Professor Phyla,” Daring protested, her hackles raising despite herself. “Even before A.K. Yearling came along. And those usually get reality thumped into them after a few months.”

“Esteemed faculty, please,” Dean Paper interrupted with a sigh. “That’s not the major issue. The real issue is having the faculty and funds to deal with this influx of new students.” She paused. “Which is why I called this meeting. We have a new board member who wishes to review the History Department and provide…input on our plans.”

There was a rapping at the door, then it opened before anyone could answer. Daring turned around and felt her heart stop.

“My apologies for being late,” the pink unicorn mare beamed as she entered, tossing her red and black mane. “I had some unavoidable business to deal with.”

Dean Paper blinked, obviously flustered, then cleared her throat. “Faculty…may I introduce the newest member of the University board, Scarlet Letter.”

“WHAT?!”

Every head turned in response to Daring’s outburst, and she realized that she had stood up in her fury.

“Is there a problem, Professor?” Dean Paper asked, an edge in her voice.

“Yeah,” Daring snapped. “I have a problem with the board allowing someone whose organization is under investigation by the RBI to have a seat at their table!”

There were a few suspicious murmurs and narrowed eyes around the room. “Yeah, didn’t she tell you that she’s the Lodge Mistress of the local chapter of the Sacred Order of the Golden Sphinx?” Daring continued, glaring at Scarlet, who simply sat with a placid smile on her face. “Which I know is under RBI investigation for connection to multiple crimes and drug trafficking. Including the murder of one Family Tree.” She glared daggers at the mare across from her, whose smile had turned to a frown. “That chair is empty because of you!”

Scarlet Letter closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “What Professor Do says is…technically true, though I wish that she hadn’t blurted it out in public,” she admitted. “I am the Lodge Mistress of the Ponyville Chapter of the Sacred Order of the Golden Sphinx, and yes, we are being investigated by the RBI…but so are a dozen other charitable and rich organizations. And I assure you just as I assured the board: there is no evidence to any of their accusations.”

She looked over at the empty chair. “I only knew Family Tree for a short while, but I admired her. She was bright. Determined. And she had that rare talent for seeing the best in other ponies. I assisted in her research into the Temple of Precious Enlightenment, but I could not have anticipated that it would lead to her murder, and trust me, I mourned the loss of a bright mind, while you mourned the loss of a colleague and friend.”

Daring’s stomach churned in her chest, bile coursing through her body and scalding her throat, but her tumbling mind was unable to come up with a suitable response to Scarlet’s claims. She felt the gazes of the others turning on her and slowly sat down in concession of defeat, scowling at Scarlet all the way.

“Now, to more pleasant business,” Scarlet said, resuming her smile. “The Order has a keen interest in history and rediscovering the lost and forgotten, and I personally believe that one of the best investments we can make is in the future. In students. To that end, I have come up with some propositions. First and foremost: Golden Oaks University should offer a practical class. Actual archaeological digs and expeditions that students can participate in and, in so doing, can accrue real-life experience and knowledge.”

“That does sound interesting,” Dicey Digs said, perking up despite himself. “There’s a few sites of interest not far from Ponyville that we could– ”

“The Everfree Forest.”

Every head turned to Caballeron, eyes widening in surprise.

“We are all aware of what we discovered in that forest,” Caballeron continued, rising to his hooves. “And I have found proof positive that those stones were created by a unique species, a culture that not just lived, but thrived within those woods.” He looked around the table, a gleam in his dull green eyes. “The lost city of Thicket has been waiting for centuries for us to discover it. And with the support of the Order, we can finally do it! Our names will be remembered forever!”

There was a moment of silence, then Professor Phyla cleared her throat.

“Dorado, I have to be blunt. I’m starting to think that you’ve gone nuts.”

There were a few murmurs of agreement around the table. Dorado, his face falling from passion to befuddled confusion, turned to Daring. Daring met his eyes, then looked down at her hooves as she collected her thoughts. “Dorado…I want this, too, but Beaten Trail didn’t have a map or anything. We don’t even know where Thicket is or how to find it.”

“Dean Paper, you cannot deny the proof!” Dorado protested. “It–”

“And you cannot deny that the Everfree Forest is an incredibly dangerous environment and that an expedition based on the ramblings of one explorer would be doomed to fail,” Dean Paper interrupted. “Even if you had any idea where you were going, you’d have to deal with predators, changing topography, poisonous flora, and quite possibly worse. Even after your last treasure hunt for the Crystal Heart, did you really think that we’d fund an overcomplicated suicide attempt?”

“I have to agree with Madame Paper, mon ami,” Scarlet Letter added in a gentler tone. “Much as I admire your spirit, and as much as I energetically agree that finding Thicket would be a worthwhile pursuit, we need to know more first.”

Caballeron, who had been fuming in silent protest, brightened at this final thread of hope. “Of course, I understand,” he nodded, sitting down. “I will devote myself to further research and I will find something more…feasible for the University.”

“I look forward to working more closely with you, Doctor Caballeron,” Scarlet cooed, batting her eyelashes coyly at Dorado, prompting a smile and a blush from the stallion.

More bile rushed up Daring’s throat at the sight, but she kept her mouth closed. She faintly heard Dean Paper clear her throat and continue speaking, but the words were drowned out by the drumming of her heart in her ears.

She knows about Thicket. She knows about the Ahuizotl. She has to.

It was only when she noticed that the others were all filing out that she realized that the meeting was over; Dean Paper remained in her seat, fixing Daring with a quizzical, concerned stare. Daring Do took a shaky breath and stood up, exiting the room, feeling Blotting Paper’s eyes on her back the entire way.

Voices from Caballeron’s office guided her to the open door. She peeked in to see Scarlet Letter bent over Caballeron’s desk, both of them studying an overview map of the Everfree Forest and Caballeron’s own copy of The Language and Customs of the Everfree Forest Deer.

“There has to be something that Beaten Trail mentioned that would allow us to find Thicket,” Caballeron grumbled, flipping through the book.

“What about this?” Scarlet offered, pointing to a page. “He describes some strange stone monoliths with abstract black shapes painted on them. It seems that the deer used them as navigational markers.”

“Which would mean that they were stable enough to remain in one place…” Caballeron mused. “There’s a sketch here…sí, I remember seeing similar patterns on the menhirs that Zecora and Twilight found.”

Daring did as well, vaguely recalling the odd shapes, not dissimilar to Ink Blot tests. How had it not occurred to her at the time that those couldn’t have been natural marks on the stone?

Caballeron looked up and spotted Daring. “Can I help you?” he asked with a scowl.

Daring took in a deep breath. “Dorado…I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I haven’t been a good partner to you. Or a good friend. I’ve been dishonest and ungrateful and you deserve better.” She hovered at the threshold. “Can we fix this?”

Caballeron glared at her for a few moments, then sighed. “You can start by helping us with this,” he said, beckoning her inside.

Daring stepped over the threshold, feeling like she was moving from solid land onto a wet, narrow bridge over a river. She made eye contact with Scarlet; the smile upon her countenance seemed genuine, but Daring felt like she was looking at a mask.

“Take a look at this,” Caballeron said, tapping the page that he and Scarlet had been looking at.

Shaking off the feeling, Daring looked over at the sketch that Dorado was pointing at. The detailed image showed a tall obelisk of smooth gray stone. Strange patterns of black ink marred the smooth surface; a deer was added to the sketch, touching up one of the patterns with a bit of paint. Seeing a mythical being illustrated in such loving detail sent a thrill down Daring’s spine once more.

“I think I’ve seen something like this before,” Daring mused aloud, racking her brains. After a few moments of thinking, an article that she’d read as a student at Golden Oaks University years ago was dredged up to the forefront of her mind.

“Yes: outside of Dodge Junction, there are the ruins of a settlement that was founded at the very edge of the Everfree Forest,” she recounted. “Timberwolf Grange, I think.”

“Beaten Trail mentions that!” Caballeron cried, flipping to the front of the book and frantically scrawling through the pages. “Here! He said that his trip was commissioned by an artist who lived in Timberwolf Grange named Sundown Hue! He was fascinated by a monolith that they uncovered at the edge of the Everfree Forest while they were clearing away trees and wanted Beaten Trail to find more of them! But when he returned from his trip, Sundown was gone and the other villagers refused to tell him about it!”

“Tres mystérieux,” Scarlet Letter hummed. “Perhaps this lead is worth following up on?”

“I shall get a ticket to Dodge Junction this very weekend!” Caballeron declared, striking the table. “The world will remember us for this, Daring!”

Daring looked down at the strange little sketch, her eyes instinctively focusing upon the painstakingly recreated blots on the wooden trunk. It had to be a trick of the light, but for a moment, she thought she saw the darkness shifting on the page. She glanced away and saw Scarlet Letter looking at the pager herself, chocolate eyes glittering.

They’ll remember us. For all the right reasons, or the wrong ones?

Author's Note

Good to be back! It's been a long time, but this chapter and arc have been a long time in the making and I hope that it shows!

We're moving out of Ponyville for this one, and into the deserts of the West, where a mysterious stone awaits. Will this clue provide a solid lead to the mysterious city of Thicket? Or will it prove to be our heroes' undoing?

Dicey Digs belongs to Lahtdah and used with his permission! You'll be seeing more of him later on!