History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E21DaringDoubt

--> Written by Nicole Dubuc

* TruthSerum: The Macguffin of the episode is a talisman necklace that forces whoever holds it to tell the truth that only a pegasus would be able to retrieve. Naturally Dr. Caballeron's deception unravels when he gets it and puts it on.

--> Written by Nicole Dubac

With Fluttershy in tow, Rainbow goes to see A.K. Yearling at her book signing, but finds that the crowds there are trying to ask A.K. about Martingale's book, and walk off when she can't provide counteranwsers. A.K. admits she has no idea who Martingale is or how he knows so much about her, but does know he is having his own booksigning across the street. Rainbow and Fluttershy goes to the other store and see Martingale and the crowd gathered for him, who they immediately recognize through the disguise as Doctor Caballeron. Rainbow immediately accosts Cabelleron, but he remains aloof to being discovered, and Rainbow storms off. Fluttershy however tries to learn more, and as the crowd dissapates, he explains he wants to set the record right about what happened on Daring's adventures, asserting that he and his goons were only trying to recover important artifacts but Daring stole them first for her own safekeeping, and that Daring continually destroys important archaeological sites in these ventures. As Fluttershy continues to be attentive, Cabelleron coerces her to help them recover a special artifact before Daring Do can. Fluttershy agrees to join their expedition, shocking Rainbow.

Rainbow warns A.K., who guesses Cabelleron needs a pegasus' help to recover a truth-telling amulet, and slipping into her Daring Do outfit, takes off with Rainbow to catch up. Meanwhile, Caballeron and his goons continue to fake their thanks and support for Fluttershy, but after she is able to provide them a fresh lunch and keep wild cats at bay, they start to realize she is particularly helpful. They reach and enter the temple with the amulet, with Daring and Rainbow right behind them.

In the temple's center, Fluttershy successfully retrieves the amulet, while Caballeron and his goons help her to escape from a dangerous eruption of lava. Daring and Rainbow arrive just as Fluttershy turns the amulet over to Cabelleron, but this results in Caballeron revealing his whole plan. However, he and his goons admit that Fluttershy has convinced them there may be better ways to earn a living. Just then, the temple guard, Ahuizotl appears and traps them in the inner chamber, demanding they return the amulet. When the ponies don't, he sends a pack of stone gargoyles after them. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Daring, Caballeron and his goons work together to keep them at bay. However, Ahuizotl manages to get his hands on the amulet, but coerced by it, reveals that he needs to make sure this amulet doesn't get stolen, as his failure to stop both Daring and Cabelleron from stealing other artifacts in the valley will get him in trouble with the other guardians. Fluttershy encourages everypony there to stop and listen to the others to work out a mutually beneficial solution. Daring and Cabelleron agree, vouching on the amulet, that they will stop stealing artifacts, and this gives them both an idea.

Sometime later, A.K. Yearling and Martingale have co-authored a book together about Daring Do and Doctor Cabelleron, but find that their work is being upstaged by Ahuizotl's own book about his own plights against the pair.

* SeriesContinuityError: The reveal that Ahuizotl is just a PunchClockVillain protecting the ancient artifacts from the jungle is at odds with his actions in "Daring Don't", where he buys a ring from Caballeron to unleash 800 years of heat on a valley.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Daring Do's image is once again ruined by Dr. Caballeron.

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Daring Do's enemies are now reformed.

* TheBusCameBack: After being absent for five seasons since "Daring Don't", Ahuizotl returns in this episode.

* VillainHasAPoint: Dr. Caballeron is clearly running a smear campaign on Daring Do again so he can ruin her chances of thwarting his thefts but he is telling the truth that her actions destroy a lot of ancient sites while she hoards their artifacts in her home. However, when Daring Do touches the truth amulet in the final act of the episode, she reveals she takes the items because she feels compelled to protect them from falling into the wrong hands, that and Dr. Caballeron is possibly no better at keeping a historical site in place.

* TruthSerum: The Macguffin of the episode is a talisman necklace that forces whoever holds it to tell the truth that only a pegasus would be able to retrieve. Naturally Dr. Caballero's deception unravels when he gets it and puts it on.

* VillainHasAPoint: Dr. Caballeron is clearly running a smear campaign on Daring Do again so he can ruin her chances of thwarting his thefts but he is telling the truth that her actions destroy a lot of ancient sites while she hoards their artifacts in her home.

With Fluttershy in tow, Rainbow goes to see A.K. Yearling at her book signing, but finds that the crowds there are trying to ask A.K. about Martingale's book, and walk off when she can't provide counteranwsers. A.K. admits she has no idea who Martingale is or how he knows so much about her, but does know he is having his own booksigning across the street. Rainbow and Fluttershy goes to the other store and see Martingale and the crowd gathered for him, who they immediately recognize through the disguise as Doctor Caballeron. Rainbow immediately accosts Cabelleron, but he remains aloof to being discovered, and Rainbow storms off. Fluttershy however tries to learn more, and as the crowd dissapates, he explains he wants to set the record right about what happened on Daring's adventures, asserting that he and his goons were only trying to recover important artifacts but Daring stole them first for her own safekeeping. As Fluttershy continues to be attentive, Cabelleron coerces her to help them recover a special artifact before Daring Do can. Fluttershy agrees to join their expedition, shocking Rainbow.

When another author releases his own version of the events in AK Yearling's Daring Do books, Rainbow Dash is furious, while Fluttershy is curious to know the truth.

NeedsWikiMagicLove

* {{Foreshadowing}}: One of the actual truths in Dr. Caballero's book is that she hoards a lot of artifacts while destroying the temples that housed them, in one flashback Ahuizotl is seen shaking his fist at her from the rubble of one. The conflict at the climax involves addressing and resolving that.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Dr. Caballeron is clearly running a smear campaign on Daring Do again so he can ruin her chances of thwarting his thefts but he is telling the truth that her actions destroy a lot of ancient sites while she hoards their artifacts in her home.

%* CallBack: Several to the other episodes that feature Daring Do.

%%* {{Jerkass}}

!Tropes appearing in this episode:

* TheBusCameBack: After being absent for five seasons since "Daring Don't", Ahuizotl returbs in this episode.
%%* CallBack: Several to the other episodes that feature Daring Do.

* TheBusCameBack: After being absent for five seasons since "Daring Don't", Ahuizotl returns in this episode.

%%* {{Foreshadowing}}

--
!Tropes appearing in this episode

* ShoutOut: Doctor Caballeron adopts the name "Groom Q.Q. Martingale", and his PaperThinDisguise is a puffy beard and a fisherman's hat, a clear nod to fantasy author Creator/GeorgeRRMartin.