Doctor Caballeron had not lived a life devoid of low points. On the contrary, many of the worst moments in his extensive career as a plundering archeologist had been published in popular fiction novels, much to his dismay. Losing to Daring Do had become something of a routine lately. He would find a marvellous artefact in a long forgotten temple, and kindly ‘liberate’ it, with the intention of selling it for a handsome price. She would interfere at the last second, swiping the prize for herself, and leaving him with nothing. It was a vicious cycle, and one that hurt even more every time he came close to a big score, only to have it snatched out from underneath him. He knew that if he could pull it off just once, if he could evade her meddling for just a single expedition, then he would be able to retire, wealthy and comfortable, and never have to see Daring Do again. In Caballeron’s opinion, it was just a matter of time.
His crew had not agreed, though. Being repetitively thwarted had taken its toll, alongside multiple excursions with none of the promised riches being delivered. They weren’t loyal to anything- that was what made them good henchponies- but once the money stopped coming in, the crew stopped turning up.
Which led him to where he was now. Trudging through the dusty remains of a long forgotten shrine, trying to find a relic he could sell, not to secure his retirement or fill his pockets with gold, but rather to just be able to pay for a group of grunts in order to plunder something of actual worth. It was a miserable state of affairs, he thought, when he could be certain that Daring Do would not show up, for once. This site was too small and off the radar even for her. Even the exploration team that had found these ruins in the first place had made no comment on them, save to confirm they existed. No, he could be certain that whatever lay within these ruins, he would have no competition for it, if indeed anything lay there in the first place.
Squeezing through a narrow stone door, he was surprised to find himself standing in a relatively large open space. He was standing at the edge of a perfectly circular lake, rimmed in stone and overgrown with forest. Jutting out of the centre of this lake was a wide stone platform, featureless save for one small pillar in the middle, upon which something glinted in the evening sun. Caballeron grinned, his treasure sense tingling. That was sure to be what he was looking for. A couple of tired rope bridges were the only things connecting it to where he stood, but he had seen his fair share of rope bridges in his time, and these were decidedly on the safer side. He crossed over with ease.
Upon the pillar rested a single object, an ornate metal disk of some kind, thick with indents and notches, and all manner of symbols which he did not recognise. The object had been dulled by the years, but the way it still sparkled faintly was unmistakable to any treasure hunter. Gold. Regardless of what it was, it was far beyond what Caballeron had been expecting to find here. He couldn’t quite tell what the purpose of this strange relic, but for an object made of gold this size, it didn’t matter. Gold was gold, and it would always sell. Why, with this, he could easily hire a crew twice the size of his previous one, and have funds left over to save towards his retirement. Slowly, he inched closer to the disk, trying not to let his excitement get the better of him. Traps were so common in ruins, and it wouldn’t do to let his guard down now.
“Marvellous, isn’t it?”
Caballeron jumped about a foot in the air, swearing violently as he wheeled around. The pony who’d crept up beside him laughed at his surprise.
“Hahaha! Sorry, sorry. I saw you looking so focused and I just couldn’t help myself. Oh, the look on your face though…”
He started chuckling again, as Caballeron composed himself, still reeling from the shock. The newcomer was an earth pony, with short unkempt brown hair, and an hourglass cutie mark. He had a couple of saddlebags on him, but they had none of the wear and tear of an archeologist, and he didn’t recognise him as a criminal either. A civilian? Caballeron wondered silently what kind of civilian ended up in the middle of an ancient jungle shrine, but he relaxed nonetheless.
“Whooves,” the pony suddenly said, sticking out his hoof. Caballeron stared at it. Was he just making an observation or…? “Doctor Whooves, that is to say, though some people just call me Doctor. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Caballeron.” He replied, making no effort to return the gesture. “My title also happens to be doctor. I am an… archeologist.”
“Ah, a fellow academic!” Whooves beamed. “How nice to find another scholar out here in the wilderness. Although I must confess, my area of expertise lies more in the field of physics than field exploration. I’m quite out of my element here.”
“Is that so.” Very much hoping the other pony would get the hint and leave, or at the very least, stand back and let him work, Caballeron turned back to the relic. The pillar it was resting on didn’t seem to have any sort of mechanism in it, but something about it was making Caballeron pause. Was it his adventuring instincts, warning him of danger? Or was he still just shaken by the sudden arrival of this “Whooves” fellow?
“It really is fascinating, though, is it not? Some kind of ancient sundial, by the looks of it.”
“Perhaps.” He lifted his head to give the artifact another look. It did seem to be something of the sort, now that he mentioned it.
“Like I said, I’m not an expert in archaeology by any means, but I do have a particular interest in time and clocks. Not many ponies still use sundials of course, they’re rather unwieldy, but back in ancient times it was really all they had to go off of, short of asking Celestia herself.”
“Quite.” Caballeron said. He eyed the water in the surrounding lake suspiciously. No beady eyed crocodiles, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice, no sluice gates ready to suddenly open and flood the whole area. The rope bridges he had already crossed once. It all seemed perfectly safe. Too safe. He had to be missing something. He just needed a little more time to check for traps-
“Well, I suppose you know all that already, no doubt. You’re the expert here, after all. Speaking of which, I would be fascinated to hear your thoughts on the sundial, and what its significance may have been to those cultures of old. Its very rare that I get the chance to speak to an expert in the field, and given that-”
“I’m afraid I simply have no time for that, Señor Whooves,” Caballeron said, turning to face him at last in exasperation. “This artifact is of great- uh- scientific importance, as you have no doubt already gathered, and thus I must retrieve it with the utmost care. No distractions. No explanations. In fact it would help me greatly if you took your bags and crossed the rope bridge, to give me space to work. Or better yet, left this shrine entirely.”
Whooves stared at him in surprise. “You intend to take the sundial with you?”
“Yes.” Caballeron raised an eyebrow. “After all, I am an archeologist.”
“I’m so sorry, I thought you already knew. Well, this is going to come as an unfortunate blow to you, I’m afraid, though I’m sure there’s some way you could organise to come and research it.”
The brown pony began to rummage through his saddlebags, eventually pulling out a sheet of paper.
“Ah, here it is. ‘Document of proof to certified claim over any uncovered objects deemed to be of scientific important, signed by Mayor Mare of Ponyville (that’s my boss},who acts with the power granted by Princess Celestia, in a joint venture with Princess Twilight Sparkle, who also works under Princess Celestia and who proposed the expedition, blah blah blah some other legal stuff… mm, here’s the important part. Henceforth grants the beholder of this document permission to retrieve any artifacts found while exploring the ruins noted.” He folded the paper up again and shot Caballeron an apologetic grin. “Sorry, it’s all a bit complicated sounding. The gist of it is that I’ve been given permission to take anything I find back with me.”
Caballeron stared at him, thunderstruck. “Then… You intend to take this sundial with you?”
“Well, yes. In truth, the whole reason I came out here in the first place was to find it. The Princess comes across mentions of curios every now and then while researching, and those of us who work in Ponytown’s civil service are tasked with gathering them. Just in case they turn out to actually be a powerful magic tool that a villain might otherwise put to use.”
They both turned to look at the curio in question, and Whooves chuckled. “Not that I think this is anything like that. Still, I’m afraid that my papers really do come from the highest authority, and give me full permission to retrieve this artifact. I really must apologise.”
Caballeron looked at the pony before him. He could tell even without the paperwork that he wasn’t trying to trick him. He recognised a liar when he saw one, and this pony was honest to a fault.
He never could stand ponies like that.
“No.” He said.
“I’m sorry?”
“The sundial will be returning with me.” He moved himself between the other pony and the pedestal. “Papers or not.”
“I don’t-”
The Doctor’s eyes suddenly widened with understanding, and he stared at Caballeron as if seeing him for the first time.
“You’re a thief. A tomb robber.”
Caballeron scoffed. “Such crude titles. I prefer to think of myself as an archaeologist with more… material principles than other academics in my field. But yes. I suppose they do ring true, in some regard. Now Doctor, I am afraid I must insist you leave.”
He had some experience with dealing with hapless citizens or natives. A fierce scowl and a vague threat was normally enough to send them running. Of course, he hadn’t actually brought any weaponry with him, but the other pony didn’t know that.
However, rather than fleeing, Whooves stood his ground, eyes flickering between Caballeron’s own and the sundial.
“I can’t let you take it. Its retrieval was ordered directly by Princess Twilight. And- and I can’t allow such a precious relic to fall into the hooves of someone like you!”
Caballeron frowned. “Please, be reasonable. I assure you, nothing you can say will convince me otherwi-OOF!”
Without any warning, Whooves tackled him, sending him stumbling towards the edge of the platform. Caballeron wheezed, sucking air back into his lungs as the other pony lunged towards the sundial.
“I’m taking it back with me!”
“It’s MINE!”
With a frantic jump, Caballeron slammed into him, snatching the sundial off the pedestal as he did so, and sending the doctor tumbling into the water. Then, clutching his prize, he dashed towards the rope bridge.
But as he did so, he felt the ground shift beneath his hooves. He froze, twisting back to look at the platform. It was sinking into the ground, some hidden mechanism triggered when the sundial had been removed, and by the way the ground was shaking, something very bad was about to happen. He heard the spluttering of Whooves pulling himself out of the lake, but Caballeron didn’t even have time to turn around before there was another tremor, and the stone fell away beneath him. He yelled out, a mixture of fear and anger, and then he was falling, with another pony screaming as well, then a sharp pain on the back of the head, and everything went black.
Doctor Caballeron woke up to silence. Silence, darkness, and pain. He groaned, reaching to rub the back of his head, then realised that he was currently sprawled lying flat on his back.
Cursing, he pulled himself to his hooves as fast as he could. The air felt musty and thick, and it was significantly colder than the humid jungle he had just been in. Was he somewhere else? No, the sundial, the scuffle, whatever the trap was that had been triggered. They had fallen. He was underground. Squinting upwards, he thought he could almost see the reflection of a glimmer of light, but it was distant, and dull. How far had he fallen?
“Hey… are you awake now?”
A faint voice croaked out from the gloom. As Caballeron’s eyes slowly adjusted, he began to make out piles of rubble, great chunks of cracked brickwork lying in heaps all over the place. And beneath one of them…
Whooves lay stretched out on the floor, obscured from the waist downwards by an impressively large slab of stone currently pinning him to the ground. He gestured feebly as Caballeron approached.
“I came-to just a short while ago. Wasn’t as lucky with my landing as you were. The moment I stood up, I knocked over this damned thing. Immobilised me completely. Can’t even twist around to push it off.”
He wriggled his upper body, trying to manoeuvre out from under the rock, but it remained unmoved. Caballeron watched him for a moment, before turning his attention to more important matters, scanning the local area for the relic. He had held it in his grasp before he fell, he remembered that. But what after that? Had it fallen with him? Did it remain on the surface?
“It’s not here, if you’re looking for the sundial. I saw it fall into the lake before we fell. It’s safe up there, albeit a bit wet.” Whooves gave a gloomy sigh. “Wish I could say the same of us. Anyway, how about a helping hoof over here? I reckon I can get out from underneath this thing if you hold it up for just a tick.”
He started to try and push again, but stopped as Caballeron gave a low, throaty chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“You figured it out back there, didn’t you? Or did the fall knock the sense out of you? I’m an archaeologist with no morals. A mercenary. A tomb robber. A thief. Whatever you want to call me, you know what I am. You know what kind of pony I am. What makes you think that I’ll just let you out?” He leaned in close, until he could almost see his own unsettling reflection in Whooves’s eyes. “No. Here’s what we’re going to do. You will agree to help me get out of here, and find the relic once again. You will obey my every word. You will follow my demands without question. Until I am far away from here, with the relic in my possession, you can consider yourself hired work. And in exchange for these services… I will not leave you here to die. It is a generous offer. Take it or leave it.”
He gave Whooves a sharp grin, and turned to keep examining the area. It was lucky really, running into a civilian he could coerce so easily into doing his dirty work for him. Once they’d been struck with fear, they’d do just about anything he asked if it meant assurance of safety. And in this case, it wasn’t like the pony had any other options-”
“No. I’m afraid that just won’t do at all.”
The archaeologist paused. “I… beg your pardon?”
“That arrangement doesn’t work for me. I refuse. No-go. I’m not agreeing to anything like that.” The pony met his eyes with a steadiness that unsettled him. “I want you to let me out with no strings attached. Nothing more than that. Nothing less.”
Caballeron spluttered. “You- you have no choice here! Without my aid, you will perish beneath this rock. I have you backed up against the wall! Or under it, in this case. You don’t seem to understand your predicament, señor Whooves.”
“Oh no. I understand perfectly. Without your help, I’m as good as dead. I just believe that most ponies wouldn’t walk away and leave someone else to their death.” He spoke remarkably calmly for a pony currently under a pile of rubble, Caballeron noticed, and there was a look in his eyes that sent a chill down his spine. “And if you happen to be one of the few that would, I have no interest in helping you out of here, with my life on the line or otherwise. I severely hope that you are in the former category.”
“You will die!”
“Not if you don’t let me.”
Caballeron stared at him. It would be so easy to prove him wrong. To give one of those malevolent laughs he was so good at, drop a witty one-liner, and exit. No competition for the sundial. No annoying companionship. No cost to him. He was no hero, no one would expect him to save another unrelated bystander. No one would ever even find out.
He gave a tsk of annoyance. It would be worth it just to wipe the look off of his face, he thought, as he shuffled forwards to prop his shoulder under the rock.
“Make no mistake. I would enjoy nothing more than to leave you here to rot,” He snapped, as Whooves swiftly extracted himself from the ruins. “It just so happens that escaping this place may require a second set of hooves. I still fully intend to find the sundial, and take it back with me. If you get in the way, I will not hesitate to leave you.”
“Of course, of course,” Whooves said, stretching and brushing himself down. “I expected nothing less.”
“Good. Now, follow.”
They walked in silence, with just the dim glow of a torch to light the way. The caverns, Caballeron noted as best he could in the dark, were level and dry. Not natural, as one might expect, but pony made. They had fallen from the centre of those surface ruins, which evidently stretched further below ground than he had reckoned at first while exploring the surface. Much further, he realised with growing dread, as they continued to walk, with no sign of change or any indication they were getting closer to the surface. The archaeologist inside him was delighted. The civilisation which had once lived in these ruins was bigger than he had anticipated. More chances that there was a significant historical discovery down here. More chances of treasure. But the tired and hungry pony in him knew that there was a very real chance these underground tunnels could go on for miles. Something even an exploration team would tackle with caution. Two injured ponies who weren’t even really working together? He tried not to think about his chances.
Whooves, to his benefit, was an acceptable companion. He was quiet, and didn’t complain, two qualities of henchponies that Caballeron always appreciated. He followed him without question as well, which surprised him slightly, given his passionate opposition to do just that while trapped beneath the rubble. He supposed the difference was that he was choosing of his own free will, rather than being coerced to do so. Still, if the end result was the same, Caballeron wasn’t going to complain. He could think of worse company to be in, and it certainly didn’t hurt that his companion was rather easy on the eyes…
He shook his head in annoyance. Thoughts like that were not helpful at a time like this. He was not on his side. Just an unfortunate bystander, with a slim chance of being useful. That was why he had allowed him to tag along. He needed to spend less time looking at the other pony and more time figuring a way out of here.
“We should stop. It’s nightfall soon.”
Caballeron jumped, heat rushing to his face as Whooves broke the silence for the first time in hours. “Eh- what?”
“Night. We should eat, and get some rest.”
“How can you tell? It’s pitch black down here.”
Whooves jerked his head back towards his flank. For a moment, Caballeron thought he had noticed his wandering eyes, until he realised he was indicating his cutie mark. An hourglass.
“Perks of having a time related special talent. My internal clock is more or less flawless. It’s currently a couple of hours until midnight.”
“We’re no closer to the surface.”
“Even so.”
He was right, and Caballeron knew it. Exploring ruins while tired was as good as a death sentence. He wished he’d been the one to point it out though.
“Fine,” he said, slinging his saddlebags off, relaxing as the weight left his back. Whooves did the same, giving an audible sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. I’m not sure I could have gone on for much longer.”
“Don’t get comfy yet,” Caballeron muttered. “We’ll have to set up a base camp.”
“Right-O,” the other pony replied, cheerfully. “Let’s get to that then.”
As it turned out, Doctor Whooves was surprisingly handy when it came to practical work. For a civil worker, at least. Between the two of them, they managed to cobble together a small fire, some raised ground to sleep on, and a shelter of sorts. He wasn’t entirely sure what exactly they were sheltering from, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it either.
Before long, the fire was crackling merrily. Both ponies lay close to it, opposite each other in the flickering orange light, finishing off the paltry rations they had between them.
“So your special talent,” Caballeron said, mood already improved now he was warm and full, “You are just like… what, a living clock? You got the short end of the stick there.”
“Well it’s a bit more than that. My talent is in all time related things. Clocks and timers, sure, but it’s also about the study of time itself. The science behind it. That’s actually my real passion, if I’m honest. It’s a fascinating subject, if only because it's just so completely unexplored.” He gave a sigh, resting his head between his hooves. “Not that many ponies understand that. They see the cutie mark and think I’m just… good at timing stuff. That’s actually the official title of my job, if you’d believe it. ‘Ponyville Timekeeper.’ Supposed to take care of everything ‘Timey-wimey.’ It’s a gross oversimplification of what I do but I get paid, so I don’t really complain. Independent research costs too much for me to pursue full time.”
“You’re telling me,” Caballeron snorted. When Whooves looked at him questioningly, he continued. “What, you think I decided to rob tombs as my first career option?”
“Well…” Whooves gave a rather pointed glance towards Caballeron’s own cutie mark. A golden skull, with shining gemstones for eyes. He’d always thought it rather impressive personally, though its very conspicuous nature made it difficult to conceal whenever he was going undercover.
“I got it back when I was a colt, like most ponies do. My father took me to the museum. I had never seen a place so full of amazing things, each with their own incredible story, unearthed from centuries past. I got my cutie mark, and thought that it meant I was going to become an incredible archaeologist, like those you read about in books. My future was all paved out for me.”
He exhaled slowly. It had been a long time since he’d thought about those days, much longer since he’d told anyone about them. He wasn’t quite sure why he was telling his story to this pony. Maybe it was because they’d never met. And once this business was done, wouldn’t again. He scrunched his rations packet up and tossed it into the fire, watching the plastic warp and deform in the heat.
“Of course, nothing ever goes as simply as you picture it as a child. My dreams were no different. I struggled to stand out in the academic environment. Other ponies produced papers more eloquent than mine. Explored ruins with more success than me. I was good, but I was not outstanding. I faded into the background of the archaeology scene, always present but never noticed. When you study the past, it really sets in, you know. Some ponies are remembered by history. The majority are forgotten. The way things were going, I would not even be remembered by the present. Not to mention, I was running out of money.”
He chuckled deeply. “It started with such a small thing. Just a fragment of pottery, from an insignificant vase from a tiny ruin. I sold it just to pay the rent for that month. Like you said, science doesn’t pay. Not unless you’re extraordinary. At the time, I was petrified. Absolutely terrified someone would notice. But no one did. And the pay was… good. Not much, but it felt good. To be rewarded for my efforts. That was the first. But the second was when things really started to change. The same client wanted something bigger. Rarer. I was in a team that planned to investigate a ruin the following week, expecting to find a gemstone the size of a cat. I went in by myself, in the dead of night. No precautions, no team, just me against all the traps and snares set by the past. I almost died, multiple times actually.” He laughed again. “But the thrill, Doctor! I had never felt anything like it! I hauled the gemstone out of there myself, and was paid handsomely. But the real prize was realising what I was meant to do with my life. An archaeologist, but the kind who was reckless, heroic, darin-” he coughed, “er, bold. The kind who didn’t faff around with procedure and safety. Who saw what was really important, seeking value over knowledge. After my first heist, I did another. Then another. Eventually, the scientific community caught on. They had no proof, but I was no longer welcome to join any team, exiled from their company. But I was wealthy enough to hire my own team by that point, and there was nothing to stop me from continuing to pillage the ancient world as I pleased.”
His expression soured. “Then she came onto the scene.”
“Oh?” Whooves raised an eyebrow. “An old flame?”
Caballeron gagged. “Absolutely not. A nemesis. Another pony who delved into ruins by her lonesome. Except she seemed to take offence with the way I did so. Suddenly, there she was, every temple I entered, every turn I made. Always showing up, like a bad penny.” He spat at the ground. “Excursions are expensive, if you return empty handed. And with the way she continued to scoop my prizes from my hooves at the last second, I was losing bits fast. Even so, I could not stand to even think of leaving the lifestyle behind. Not on a loss...”
He trailed off, staring into the flickering flames. He wasn’t sure he’d actually put it into words before, but now he voiced it aloud, he felt sure that was the reason he kept coming back. He needed just one victory. One final victory over his archenemy. Then everything would be at ease again. He could retire, rich or otherwise, knowing he’d had the last laugh.
Whooves looked at him silently, expression indiscernible through the fire.
“I thought archaeologists were meant to learn from the past. Not profit from it.”
“Not everyone is lucky enough to have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” The Doctor’s voice was low, so quiet that Caballeron almost missed it. He caught the other pony’s gaze across the flames, and felt his heart stop. It was unwavering, full of an emotion that Caballeron couldn’t quite place, but somehow made him feel small in comparison. What had this pony seen? Who was he?”
“Time Turner.” Whooves said suddenly, snapping him out of the moment.
“Sorry?”
“That’s my name.” The other pony shrugged. “You told me so much about yourself, I figured I’d give something in return. Doctor Whooves is just a title. Not many ponies know my real name.”
“I… see.” Caballeron stared at Whooves, trying to discern his intentions. He stared back, wordlessly. The flames danced gently between the two ponies, casting them both in a warm hue, the quiet crackling of its kindling the only sound in the quiet of the tunnels at night.
“We should sleep.” He managed to say, after what seemed like an age. “I would prefer to leave early tomorrow.”
“Right you are.” Whooves stretched out, before flopping onto his side. “Goodnight then, Doctor.”
“Goodnight, Doctor,” Caballeron echoed. He lay down on the other side of the fire and rested his head, still thinking over everything that had been said. Despite his tiredness, it took him a while to fall asleep.
The second day found the two ponies still walking along the same dark cave tunnels, but Caballeron found himself in much better spirits than he had been the day before. To start with, the ground had begun to slope up, almost imperceptibly at first, but undeniably heading towards the surface. With any luck, they would be able to escape today. The prospect put a spring in his step as he trotted along with Whooves beside him. That was the other reason the trek was a lot more tolerable. Now the ice had been broken between them, the conversation flowed freely, and Caballeron found that despite himself, he was enjoying the company of the Doctor. He was a good listener, and even though he made it clear that he did not believe Caballeron was in the right in many of the stories he told about his previous ruin delving exploits, he still appreciated them for the tales they were, laughed in all the right places, and gasped whenever things became tense. He even told him about the many times he’d been bested by his nemesis, after all, he reasoned, there must have been some reason why they were best selling novels. The tales were nothing if not entertaining. In response, Whooves told him stories of his own. The civil worker had apparently experienced a remarkable number of improbable and interesting events, to the point where Caballeron was unsure whether he was making them up or not. Either that, or he surely couldn’t have been a simple civil worker. He began to suspect that his initial impression of Whooves as a bumbling scientist, out of his depth and honest to a fault, was wildly off. He questioned him on the authenticity of the tales, trying to get a read on the pony, detect some hint in his facade. But Whooves just laughed and said that he would have to visit and experience Ponyville for himself some day.
“So I’ve just agreed to join their bowling team for the sake of my suit- and for the record, I had never bowled once in my life before- when there’s an ear-splitting screech, and outside of the window is none other than a massive bug-bear hybrid creature! But the other players were dead focused on the game, and I needed that suit, so I just had to play like my life depended on it!”
“Dios mío! I have encountered many creatures during my time as an archeologist but never once a bug-bear. Surely you did not escape unscathed?”
“Well, when I tell you that the following events were so surprising that I didn’t even see what happened…” Whooves’s story tailed off as he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“What is it? Has something happened?” Caballeron looked at his companion in confusion, before following his downward gaze, looking at the floor. The tiled floor.
“The ruins, we must be-”
“We’re near the-”
“Come on, let’s go!”
As one, both ponies broke into a gallop, running up the now-distinctly sloped halls, towards what was unmistakably a source of light, growing brighter by the second as they neared it, the exhaustion of the previous two days of walking completely thrown off by the prospect of escaping the ruins.
The two burst out of the end of the corridor together, into what once must have been a grand central plaza for the ponies who had lived there in ancient times. The stone ceiling was made up of intricate chiselled tiles, held up by crumbling pillars high above, light spilling down into the room below where parts had collapsed and vegetation had forced its way through.
However, rather than the tiling, the attention of the pair was diverted towards the floor of the chamber, or rather the lack thereof. In its place lay a pit, only a couple of metres deep, but completely and utterly filled with a green, squirming mass.
“What… what is it?” The Doctor spoke, with an equal mixture of revulsion and fascination.
“Hoop snakes,” Caballeron replied, stiffly. His legs suddenly felt like jelly, and he didn’t think it was because of tiredness. “Of course. It had to be hoop snakes.”
Whooves looked at him in surprise. “My dear fellow, are you quite alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“They’re believed, by the wider world of ponies, to be a myth. An urban legend, and not a serious one at that. But I have encountered them before. They were very much a real creature in the past, particularly popular as a security measure in ancient times. This… appears to be a nest.” He swallowed. “And a large one, at that.”
“But…” Whooves cocked his head to one side, bemused. “They’re just snakes. Biting their tails. What’s there to fear?”
“You wouldn’t understand, if you’d never seen them in action,” Caballeron replied darkly. “The speeds at which they roll… But it does not matter. What does matter is that there’s no possible way we’re making it through that pit.”
“I don’t think we need to go through it.” Whooves gestured to something Caballeron hadn’t even noticed, so captured his attention by the snakes. It appeared to be some kind of sloping bridge, or two bridges, to be exact, connected to one another by a set of dramatically oversized scales. And at the other side, high up in the wall of the room, there was a gold framed doorway.
“That’s our way out of here,” Whooves said, briskly. “Up, over the bridge, through the door, and by my estimation, we’ll be just beneath the surface.”
“But…” Caballeron examined the structure sceptically. “By the looks of this thing, two ponies have to cross simultaneously, and these bridges are set to tilt unless balanced perfectly. If they do…” He looked down at the snakes and shuddered. “We can forget about ever getting out of here.”
“Then we’ll just have to go carefully. We don’t have any other options, other than going back down those dark passages.”
The thought of plunging back into darkness for another two days was enough to do off with any remaining arguments Caballeron could come up with. Gingerly, with a practised touch, he approached the rightmost bridge and tested his weight on it. The great stone scales creaked, loudly enough that they both jumped, but the bridge remained stationary.
“It’s not as sensitive as I feared it might be,” he said, relaxing. “I would say that we are roughly the same weight. The small difference shouldn’t be enough of a factor to throw us off. I think we should go for it.”
“Oh, ah do you think so?” Whooves replied, suddenly sounding much less sure. “I mean, maybe we should double check-”
“I have a good eye for these things. Weight is so often used to trigger traps.”
“Even so-”
“Come on! Don’t get cold hooves now!” Caballeron snapped. If he stood waiting around with the ever-wriggling hoop snake pile there, he knew he’d lose his nerve entirely. Trying not to think about what lay beneath, he fixed his eyes firmly on the door across the room and stepped forwards onto the bridge. Whooves cursed, and quickly stepped onto his own bridge. The scales groaned, as parts which had not shifted in hundreds of years began to move again, but the bridges stayed still.
“There. As I said.” Caballeron said shakily, wiping away the line of sweat that had formed along his brow. “We’re balanced well enough. Now, we need to keep walking. Slowly!”
At a snail's pace, the two ponies began to cross over the serpent filled chasm. Occasionally, the mechanism connecting the two bridges would make an alarming creak, and they would freeze instantly, fearing a sudden movement, but nothing happened. It felt like an aeon, but after a couple of minutes of painful shuffling, they made it over halfway across, to the point where Caballeron could almost see through the golden door on the other side, and whatever room must have been on the other side. It fuelled his spirits, and he convinced himself that the mechanisms in the bridge must be aged to the point where it was now as safe as it was going to get. Optimistically, he took a couple of quick steps forward.
The bridge groaned, louder than ever, and he froze, waiting for the moment to pass. But this time was different, and to his horror, the scales slowly began to tilt.
“The bridges are moving! We have to go, now!” He shouted at Whooves, who stood, still frozen to the spot. He took more steps forward, steps which broke out into a run as the surface he was standing on began to slope, slowly tipping him towards the other side of the room. On his side, Whooves had finally started to move, tripping over himself in haste as he stumbled towards the end of the bridge. Caballeron’s own hooves began to skid as the incline became even steeper. He put one last burst of energy into his run, before hurling himself towards the ledge at the other side, jumping only just before it became too steep to run on. He hit the other side with a jarring thud, only just landing on the platform.
Whooves, however, had not been so lucky. He was currently scrabbling to cling to the edge of the bridge as it pitched even further, now that Caballeron’s weight was off the other side.
“Help!” He shouted as Caballeron ran over. “I don’t think I can hang on for much longer!”
“You’re not close enough!” Caballeron called back, staring at Whooves, frantically trying to think of a way he could reach across. “Maybe try and swing your saddlebags to me!”
“I-I don’t know-ah!” Whooves yelped, as the platform lurched suddenly.
“You have to try! You have no choice!”
“There’s always a choic-”
“JUST THROW IT ACROSS!” Caballeron yelled, and Whooves, with a shaky hoof, carefully unwound his saddlebags from his waist, and jerkily threw them across, his grip slipping in the process. Caballeron snatched them out of the air, momentarily taken aback by how heavy they were, but he dismissed the thought from his mind, swiftly tying them to his own bags as he prepared to save the other pony.
“I hope this works, because I can’t hold on any longer” Whooves shouted, across as Caballeron began to swing the bags back and forth.
“It will! Don’t let yourself think otherwise!”
Caballeron loosed the end of the makeshift tether towards him, and Whooves finally let go of the bridge, jumping desperately towards it. Caballeron watched, heart in his mouth as the pony fumbled it once, then twice, before finally getting a secure hold as he dropped downwards.
“Yes!” He said, through clenched teeth, as the line of bags snapped taut. He pulled with all his might, slowly but surely hauling Whooves up over the ledge, until the two of them lay collapsed, panting, on the far side of the room.
Caballeron was the first to recover. “We… that was far too close for comfort.”
“I thought I was a goner,” The Doctor groaned, rubbing his sides from where he had hit the wall. “I almost didn’t make it there.”
“But you did!” Caballeron turned to him and gave him a crooked smile. “Thanks to my help of course.”
“Yes.” Whooves replied. “That’s the second time you’ve saved me.”
He smiled back at Caballeron, a smile filled with a warmth that he had not seen in a long time, and he suddenly became aware of how close they were lying. Practically touching.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts that were suddenly filling it, and got to his hooves. “You were right. We should have checked weights more thoroughly before heading over the bridge. Your bags were much heavier than mine. What on earth are you carrying in there?”
“Oh. Uh-” Whooves blanched. “Well, I probably should um-”
Caballeron picked up the knotted saddlebags, the seams of which had been pulled almost to the point of breaking, and began to untie them. “We’re lucky they didn’t break. Or rather, you’re lucky. I can tell you from experience that falling into a hoop snake nest is-”
He broke off. One of Whooves’s saddlebags had a large tear in it now, from where the fabric had been pulled apart by strain. And glinting through that gap, was the unmistakable shine of gold.
Slowly, he undid the bag, reaching in to pull out the cold metal of the sundial. Whooves didn’t move a muscle. Neither of them said a word. He tilted it, watching the dull metal catch the stray beams of light from the sky. Somehow, he felt it had lost some of its lustre. He set it down on the ground between them, and stared at it.
Whooves was the first to speak. “I-I was going to tell you.”
“Were you?” Caballeron asked, voice low. Whooves winced.
“Well- no, not at first. But after we talked, and I got to know you more, then I figured-”
“What, that I wasn’t as bad as you thought? That because I had a personality deeper than just ‘tomb robber,’ you would tell me that you’d concealed it from me the whole time, and I’d understand? And then you’d waltz away with the treasure and my full blessing?” He laughed, and it echoed hollowly off the walls of the chamber. “You must be much more of a fool than I thought you were.”
“It was trapped beneath me, when I woke up,” Whooves said miserably. “You were still unconscious so… I just took it. We both wanted it, and I didn’t think you’d let me have it if you knew. So I didn’t say anything. It’s… what did you expect?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea! But it doesn’t matter.” He picked up the golden relic, and threw his saddlebags over his bag, the weight thumping painfully into his side. “I have my prize. I’m close to the surface. I see no reason why I should hinder myself any further by continuing to haul you along. Goodbye, Doctor.”
Caballeron stomped through the ruins, hardly even looking where he was going in his desire to just get out, leave the situation behind and get away. He hadn’t listened to whatever Whooves had called as he left, still sat alone, pathetic and sad. He was angry, furious even, at Whooves, at himself, and he was confused as well, which only made him angrier. Why was he so upset? Why did he feel so betrayed? Hadn’t he always been planning on stabbing Whooves in the back anyway, at some eventual point, if they ever found the sundial?
The next room might have been filled with hundreds of sundials, for all he knew. He wouldn’t have noticed. He just kept walking, from one room to the next, everything a blur but his own thoughts, which swirled around the pony he had just walked away from. Who was he? Why was this situation making him feel so confused? He had ended up with the relic. He had won in the end. So why did it all feel worthless?
At some point, he became aware that he was ascending again, heading up a long, spiralling path that surely led to an exit. He would be free then. Free to… hire another team. Plunder another ruin. Was that what he wanted? He didn’t know.
Finally, finally the pathway ran out, and he emerged in a room which opened up to the heavens. The sky was visible in all its glory, and the sun warmed his skin for the first time in what felt like years, but had in actuality been only a little over a day. He almost smiled, before the gloom settled back over him. Escape didn’t feel nearly as good as he had hoped. The room was large and circular, filled with pillars, built like a colosseum with the only other exit on the far side. He had no idea where he was in the ruins, they had travelled so far underground that he may well have been somewhere else entirely. He took a couple of steps towards the centre, then froze.
Basking in the sun, the same colour as the sandy floor, there lay an enormous snake, body as thick as the wheels of a wagon, lying across the width of the arena. For that was what this place was, he realised. Some kind of ancient battleground, where ponies may once have fought monsters similar to this one. He snarled inwardly. Of course there was some final obstacle standing in his way. Typical ancient ruins. And he was completely on his own.
The beast seemed to be slumbering, and so Caballeron started to slowly, slowly make his way across the arena. It was massive, far bigger than any snake he had ever seen before, if it could even still be called a snake. He tried to make his footsteps light, as difficult as that was with the heavy bags on his back. He’d read somewhere that reptiles could sense vibrations. He severely hoped this one couldn’t. He could not risk any possibility of something that would wake it up.
The only path that didn’t lead straight over one of its coils took him right past the creature’s head, fearsomely sharp fangs poking out from its jaws. He crept by, back to the walls, heart in his mouth. Once he was past, it would be a straight run to the exit. He just needed to get through without any problems…
Suddenly he found himself unable to continue. Some force was preventing his progress. Looking back, he saw that his own saddlebag had snagged on a jut in the pillar. He pulled it, rapidly cursing in his head, afraid to even whisper anything out loud. The bags stuck fast, and he yanked them with increasing urgency, feeling the exhalations of the snake on the back of his neck.
The bags came loose, without any warning, and Caballeron tripped forwards, only just catching himself from falling flat onto a snake coil. That had been far too close, he thought.
Then he felt fabric give way, and the sudden loss of weight as the sundial ripped through the already-worn cloth of his bag, landing on the arena floor with a muffled clang. The serpent’s eyes snapped open, fixing instantly on the pony standing directly in front of it. Caballeron didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the sundial off the floor and ran, as fast as he could while awkwardly on three hooves.
The reptile hissed furiously, immediately giving pursuit, its massive body uncoiling as it snaked across the arena floor after him. Caballeron was forced to change directions as it blocked off his path with a segment of its long tail, making him run one way, then another as a second coil looped over where he had been planning on going. It was playing with him, he realised in horror as more and more of his exits became blocked and others opened up, only to lead into areas where he would once again be pinned in by its body. He tried to make a sharper turn, only to find that he’d now been completely surrounded by rippling sandy scales. The snake’s head appeared from behind it, undulating back and forth, preparing to strike. There was nowhere left to run.
“Hey! Over here you overgrown reptile!”
A fragment of rock sailed over, striking the snake directly in the head. It flinched, turning to look at where the shout had come from. Caballeron looked too, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. Doctor Whooves stood at the side of the arena, defiantly tossing another stone up and down in his hoof.
“What…” Caballeron had time to mutter, before Whooves loosed the stone, this one hitting the snake squarely on the nose. It hissed in annoyance, Caballeron forgotten as it turned its sights on the pony with the pesky projectiles, uncoiling and slithering over at rapid speeds. Whooves, now that there was a serpent bearing down on him, looked as though he hadn’t thought this far through his plan, and started to run round the outside of the arena as fast as his legs could carry him.
“What in Equestria are you doing!?” Caballeron shouted.
“I’m running from this snake! I would have thought that was obvious!”
“No, what are you doing here!?”
“I came after you! I couldn’t just let you leave like that!”
Caballeron clutched the sundial tightly to himself, snarling.
“You mean you’re just after this? Well too bad! It’s mine!”
The glint of sunlight on the metal flashed across the arena, catching the eye of the snake, which immediately snapped its head back to Caballeron, evidently remembering that there was slower prey than the nippy brown stallion it was currently chasing. Caballeron was forced to start running again as Whooves gave a shout of frustration.
“No! I don’t give a damn about the stupid sundial! I was worried about you, you imbecile! You ran off into a temple on your own! And now look where it's got you!”
Caballeron made a dive out of the way as the serpent lashed out with a coil, shattering a nearby pillar. “So you’re here to ridicule me then, eh? Just having hidden the treasure from me for a day wasn’t enough for you?”
“WILL YOU STOP BEING RIDICULOUS!” The Doctor hollered across the arena, making both Caballeron and the snake stop at the sudden loud sound. “Stop assuming that I’m out to get you, or the relic, or anything other stupid reason. I am here to help you, for the simple reason that I believe you deserve help just as much as any other pony. And the best way for us to do that now is to work together!”
Caballeron’s eyes flicked back to the snake. Its head swayed between the two of them, clearly at a loss on which to chase.
“Fine!” He shouted, as he began to run again. “What should I do?”
“Let it chase me for the moment! Try and get out while I do!”
“But you’ll-”
“Just try it!”
Caballeron took off, making his way over to the exit, dodging the winding coils that flicked around the arena as the snake pursued the fleeing Whooves. Just as he neared the exit, a long tail swiped through the air towards him, forcing him to duck and almost making him drop the sundial.
“It’s no use!” He called over. “It’s keeping an eye on the exit. I don’t think it will let us through!”
“We need a distraction then!” Whooves shouted back. “And fast! I don’t think I can run much longer!”
Caballeron continued to duck and dodge the coils as he thought, desperately racking his brain for a solution. There was nothing to distract the snake in the arena, apart from the two ponies. Well, nothing but them and the-
His eyes fell on the sundial, the clunky metal object still making him awkwardly run on three legs. Could he bring himself to do that? To give up the thing he had gone through all this effort for, that had brought him here in the first place, that could secure him a small fortune and his crew back once he got out of there?
To his surprise, he realised that he could.
“Whooves!” He yelled across to the other pony. “I’m going to do something! Get ready to run!”
He tossed the sundial, up in a great spinning arc. The snake’s greedy eyes followed it, attention momentarily diverted from both of the ponies as it rose towards the shiny, object, snapping it out of the air with a mighty crunch of jaws. For Caballeron and Whooves, it was the chance they needed. As the snake made a wailing noise of outrage one might understandably make if they had eaten a very hard metal object expected to be some kind of juicy prey, the two ponies made a break for the door, galloping like the wind.
“We’re almost there!” Whooves called, pulling ahead as they neared it. The snake was back on their tails now, pursuing Caballeron with an even more intensified fury than before. He ran like he’d never ran before, drawing on all the energy he could muster, but it wasn’t quite enough. The effects of two days of solid walking were finally catching up with him. The shadow of a scaly coil fell over him as the serpent behind him flung out its tail, ready to strike, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the impact.
The impact came, though it wasn’t the force or direction he’d been expecting. For the second time since they’d met, Whooves slammed into him, sending him tumbling off course, skidding across the sandy floor of the arena. He lifted his head just in time to see the full force of the snake’s body impact the pony who now stood where he had been standing.
WHAM. With a sickening crunch, the coil slammed into the small brown pony, sending him flying out through the doorway. Caballeron heard a scream, unsure if it was Whooves’s or his own, and all thought and feeling escaped him as he scrambled to his feet and ran through the door after him, not even sparing a moment to look back at the snake, shrieking with rage as it watched its dinner evade it.
He found Whooves collapsed against a tree, lying frighteningly still as Caballeron ran to his side. His eyes flickered open as the archaeologist approached.
“H-hey. That time… I saved your life. Once more and we’ll be equal.”
“I-” Caballeron found himself speechless as Whooves gave a wheezing laugh, before wincing. “Out of all the foolhardy things to do-”
“It was the only way for us to get out. You wouldn’t have made it. You realised that, didn’t you? That’s why you closed your eyes.”
“But you could have escaped yourself! And instead you risked your life! Why-” Again, he found himself struggling to know how to finish the sentence.
“Well, for a life like yours?” Whooves gave as much of a shrug as was possible, lying where he was. “I figured it was worth it.”
Caballeron stooped down and slowly helped him up, looping his forehoof over his neck to help Whooves balance.
“Whoa.” Whooves stumbled a little, and Caballeron adjusted himself to allow him to lean more of his weight on him. “Might need a little help walking for a while, if that’s ok.”
“I think.” Caballeron said, as they began to walk through the forest along the sides of the ruin. “That you are one of the most incomprehensible ponies I’ve ever met.”
“Oh stop it, you’re making me blush.” The Doctor shuffled along by his side. “How so?”
“I don’t understand your motives. Why do you act the way you do? Why save someone like me? You already knew I was only in it for the relic.”
“Ah, well. That was my first impression, I must admit. But once I learnt more about you, what you were like, I found out I quite liked you. You’re an interesting pony, even if not the most morally aligned. And I believe everypony deserves a chance. You could call that my motive”
Was it Caballeron’s imagination or had he pressed just a bit closer into his side? He fumbled with his words as he tried to give a response
“D-do you expect me to drop the life of tomb robbery then? Because you saved me? Was this supposed to change my heart? Reform me?”
Whooves chuckled. “Well, that would certainly be nice, though from what I’ve learnt of you, I somehow doubt that’s going to happen. But you know, even if what I’ve done has made the smallest difference, then I think it worth it. As I said Caballeron, I like you. I would hate to see you fall further.”
The two ponies lapsed into a comfortable silence, their hoofbeats falling into a gentle rhythmic beat together as they walked. It had made a difference, Caballeron thought. He wasn’t sure exactly what that difference was yet, or what it meant, but he felt distinctly changed since they’d first met, only a couple of days ago. He no longer felt as driven as he always had been, that focus on getting what he wanted and taking down those who stood in his way no longer seemed important. His past self would have scoffed at that, called it a weakness. Maybe it was a weakness. Maybe that was a good thing.
“Caballeron?”
He twisted his head to look at Whooves, only to find that suddenly their lips were pressing together. The kiss was short, barely even a second, but it still set Caballeron’s mind spinning as though he was running circles round the arena again.
“There. It’s not quite saving your life, but now I’ve paid you back twice. I hope that suffices.” Whooves’s voice was low, purring against his ear and sending shivers through his body.
“Oh. Uh- yes. It does. Very much so,” Caballeron stuttered, trying to ignore the sudden urge in his knees to give way. The combined forces of mental and physical exhaustion caught up with him, and he stumbled, almost dropping Whooves in the process, which the pony in question found endlessly amusing.
It was almost sundown when they reached Caballeron’s little base camp. He tended to Whooves’s injuries, relieved to find that none of them were too serious. He would be moving just fine by himself in a couple of days.
“I should probably get going to my own camp,” Whooves said, after they’d eaten and rested. “He looked round Caballeron’s site with appreciation and not a little envy. “Although it is not nearly as nice as your own. I’ll have to send off a report. And come up with some kind of convincing tale regarding the lack of sundial.”
“Of course.” ‘So soon?’ he wanted to add, but held his tongue. Things were starting to seem a little more real, now that they were both back on familiar ground. The reasons he’d come out here in the first place began to settle their familiar weight back down on his shoulders.
“So I suppose this is it then,” he said, getting slowly to his hooves, and offering Whooves his support.
“What do you mean?” The Doctor’s eyes peered at him curiously.
“I’ll go back to my world… and you’ll go back to yours. A civil worker and a tomb robber. I doubt we’ll meet again.”
“Whyever not?” Whooves raised his eyebrows at him. “We already met once.”
Caballeron looked at him doubtfully. “I’m too well known to travel to somewhere like Ponyville. And my current living status is… not as secure as I would like. I think we’d both be safer if we kept out of each other’s business.”
“Well. That’s a crying shame.” Whooves gave a sigh that was perhaps just a touch too dramatic. “And here I was thinking we might stumble across each other while exploring another ruin.”
His ears pricked up. “Another… ruin?”
“Yes, I told you before, remember? It’s our job as civil workers in Ponyville to investigate possible magical artifacts, for Princess Twilight. Well, it just so happens that I’ve been tasked with investigating the Silver Falls temple over in the south. I’ve been meaning to do it for months. It would be some incredible coincidence if we both found ourselves there again at say… 11am, one week from Tomorrow?”
“Incredible indeed…” Caballeron was already scribbling the time and place down in a leger. He matched Whooves’s grin with a smirk of his own. “It’s a date then, Time Turner.”
“Ah- oh. Er. Quite.” The other pony flushed a rather pleasing shade of red, his calm demeanour gone for just a fraction of a second, and Caballeron snickered. Perhaps not all of his desire to have the last victory had gone. “Um, well. I should be going.”
“You know… it has turned quite dark, now.” He flicked on a crystal lantern, and indicated to a chair next to him. “You’re very welcome to stay the night. For the company- if nothing else-” He hastily added, seeing Whooves’s eyes widen even more and his face turn even darker red. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest- or imply… argh.”
“Well… since you offer so kindly… I suppose they can wait just one more night for a report.” The Doctor settled back down, and gave him a warm smile. “And I must admit, the company is quite excellent.”
Perhaps he wasn’t completely redeemed, Caballeron thought, as the two ponies talked, deep into the night. He knew he wouldn’t be able to drop all of his criminal past just like that, not without its own repercussions. But there was a glimmer of light there now, something more to his future than just ambition and pride. Was it a good thing? He still didn’t know. But if that meant that he could spend more time with the individual who had interrupted his life so rudely a couple of days ago? Then it was quite alright with him.
