Daring Do is sent on a fairly low-key temple exploration, expecting it to be fairly normal until the Dean entreats her to bring five students for experience, much to her chagrin. It gets more complicated when a rather prickly and volatile student by the named Storm Strike ends up coming along, and two foals stowaway. Said foals do not get along with one another. As one can guess, Daring is highly annoyed with the developments, though she does start warming up to her original five companions due to their prodigious exploration skills. Combined with protecting the youngest members, dealing with Storm Strike and working with the enigma crew, Daring is almost too busy in her task to notice the simmering mystery tying her companions together.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Most likely by accident since it came from Cora, but nonetheless had the same effect, and helped Daring realize that Storm was telling the truth.
- Asshole Victim: Inverted. The crud that happened to Storm before the story began proper is why he acts the way he does.
- Batman Gambit: Ruby and Blade. Get Storm framed for stealing an artifact, so that when the investigators would have little credibility of their crimes.
- Aerith and Bob: You have names like Vellum, and Storm Strike, and then you have James and Cora.
- A Truce While We Gawk: Daring and Storm on James's...precocious grasp on language.Daring: What did he call you?Storm Strike: Words I did NOT expect a nine-year-old to know!
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Daring Do at first doesn't like the Enigma Crew tagging along, but she quickly warms up to them when she sees how capable they are. Zigzagged when Daring begins to learn more about their history with Storm and begins to lose respect for them, but after they start to patch things up, she begins to warm up to them again.
- Storm is a more downplayed example. As the story goes on it becomes clearer is only real objections are against the enigma crew, and he gets along alright with Cora, though initially was annoyed by her intrusiveness.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: Cora spends the first part trying to discover what the middle initial of James's name is. At the end, we discover it's Francis.
- Fantastic Racism: It's revealed that Ruby and Blade always considered Storm less capable than the others ONLY because he was an earth pony and encouraged the Enigma Crew to treat him as such, which was what began the series of events leading to their estrangement.
- Gender-Blender Name: Ruby, who is a stallion.
- Francis, while a guy's name, is more well known as it's female variant. It didn't stop James's parents from using it as his middle name.
- Laser-Guided Karma: James, after spending a good deal of the book making derogatives of Storm's name, is discovered at the end to have a middle name of Francis. To say Cora is...amused by this would be an understatement.
- Spotting the Thread: Daring realizes that some of her teammates are being impersonated when their dream jobs all include becoming president. Not exactly the career choice you'd expect from aspiring archaelogy students.
- Tagalong Kid: The Enigma crew, all of whom are in their late teens.
- James and Cora are more extreme examples, the former being ten and the latter being nine. James stowed away so he could go with his big brother Doug, Cora thought hiding in the baggage compartment would be fun.
Daring: (To Cora) I take you learned your lesson.Cora: Yeah, I'm gonna do it on the way back too!- Ruby and Blade are inversions, they come along later and are tagalong adults, though the Enigma crew has great respect for them.
- We Used to Be Friends: Storm and The Enigma Crew. Thorn claims the fall out was entirely Storm's fault. The reality is a bit more complicated.
- What the Hell, Hero?:Storm: I know what you think, and I know what you've told the others. That story where the poor little Enigma Crew does everthing to keep out the Big Bad Storm Strike, who will do anything to join their sacred order but can't because he'll screw everything up for them. Do you really believe that? Do you really believe, after all I've gone through because of you, I'd want to be anywhere NEAR you? Are you really that arrogant to believe that the colt you lead on, pushed aside, turned your back on and slandered mercilessly, would want to join up with you? Or did Ruby and Blade shove the words into your mouthes? Answer me!Vellum: You know it wasn't like that-Storm: Then what was it?''(Long Silence)'Storm: I know I'm not perfect. Many, MANY ponies have told me so, over and over. But I'm not a monster and you know it. Or you used to, at least. I don't know what you know anymore. You think I want to be here?! With you?! You rubbing my face in the situation I'm in every chance you get?! Well, you're wrong! If this jungle weren't full of dangerous animals, and YES, I'm aware of how dangerous it is. Storm Strike learned something! Wow, shocker! If you'd known I could do that, maybe you'd have bothered to teach me something. Anyway, the point is, if this place weren't full of dangerous pony eating monsters, you can bet I'd make camp AS FAR AWAY FROM YOU AS POSSIBLE!
- When He Smiles: Storm Strike.Storm Strike's smile spread to his eyes and his ears and his legs to his tail. Daring felt a twinge of fondness for the colt. He's really not all that bad, she thought inwardly.
