"And now, Daring Do," Ahuizotl bellowed, "in this—our final hour—I ask you...!

"...Do you have any three's?"

"Go fish."

Ahuizotl fell onto his haunches with a thud, causing the already drifting dust to scatter even more wildly. His tail-hand snaked over to the deck of cards resting between them and swiped away a card.

Daring Do gave her cards a disinterested glance. "Got any... nine's?"

"Go fish."

Daring plucked away a card and looked up at the sound of Ahuizotl's groan.

"Is this what we've been reduced to?" he asked. "Playing a child's game as a temple threatens to collapse upon us?"

The temple walls shook at his words as more dust and sand fell around them.

"It was your 'ingenious trap' that got us stuck in here," she reminded him, a hint of annoyance adding an edge to her voice. "Now the desert curse shall claim this temple, and us 'trespassers' along with it."

"Do you have any five's?"

She bitterly tossed him a card.

The temple shuddered as he set aside his newest pair. "Daring Do the Defeatist," he mused with a saw-toothed grin. "It has a certain ring to it."

Daring grit her teeth, but refused to rise to the bait. "Got any Jack's?"

"Go fish."

Daring drew her card and was able to make a pair with the eight she had been holding. A distant quake made sure they didn't forget their current situation.

"It always amuses me to see that look of defiance in your eyes," Ahuizotl said tauntingly, a deep chuckle rumbling through his chest. "Do you have any ten's, Daring Do?"

She narrowed her eyes at his condescending smile, but after taking a steadying breath, passed him the card.

"It doesn't matter what you say to me, Ahuizotl" she said, more calmly than before. "Nothing matters now."

Ahuizotl tilted his head. "This is quite unlike you. Where is that spirit—that [i]fire[/i] that I have come to expect of you?"

"It's underneath a hundred acres of sand," she said sharply.

Ahuizotl rose to his feet. "I refuse to allow my nemesis to be defeated by anyone other than myself." He leaned over menacingly. "Not even by you."

Daring blinked in surprise.

"...Got any Queen's?" was all she could think to say.

Ahuizotl straightened up and tossed her the card with his tail, but carried on as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"I am the world's most feared treasure-hunter," he continued, "and you, the world's most renowned adventurer. Our rivalry is nothing short of [i]legendary![/i] Thanks, in no small part, to you," he reminded her.

Daring limply opened and closed her mouth.

"What're we supposed to do?" she asked when she could finally summon the words. "We're trapped down here—just you, me, and this deck of cards I carry for the long train rides."

"We must see this rivalry of ours to a spectacular end," he dramatically proclaimed. "We owe it to the world!"

Daring Do stared down at the old, faded cards in front of her, fully convinced she could feel the temple sinking into the desert even as they spoke.

"No one else will ever know what happened here..."

 Ahuizotl threw his arms wide, bearing an enormous smile. "Then let us make it the greatest story never told!" He sat back down with another thud. "So, what say you, Daring Do?" Ahuizotl asked as he picked up his cards. "Do you have any two's?"

A competitive grin crept across her face.

"...Go fish."



The sand was pouring in through the cracks as the temple continued its descent.

"An hourglass metaphor would be appropriate right about now," Daring mused aloud, unable to restrain her authorial instincts.

"Do not deflect, Daring Do," Ahuizotl said. "Do you have an Ace or not?"

"Go fish."

Ahuizotl wasted no time in swiping away a card and managed to make a pair of six's.

"Got any... four's?" Daring smirked at his scowl as he begrudgingly relinquished the card.

"Enjoy the feeling of victory while you can, Daring Do," Ahuizotl snarled. "Do you have any seven's?"



"Do you have any King's...?"

The ceiling groaned beneath the weight of the desert above it, nearly drowning out the words. Daring Do held out the only card she still had, undoubtedly a match for the lone card Ahuizotl was holding. He swiped the card from her hoof, a greedy glint in his eyes.

The game was done.

"[i]Yes![/i]" Ahuizotl cried. "I have done it! I have finally defeated Daring Do—!"

The ceiling collapsed.