Third Wave

The residents of Maretropolis were a busy crowd, as to be expected from the largest city in the whole world. So, when a gangs of ruffins decide to steal the First Equestrian Bank, their reaction is to simply go on with their lives and leave the matter in the capable Police Department´s hooves. After all, they get paid to deal with things like that.

“We don't get paid for this!”, a frustrated officer declared while a stinky bomb hit him close.

“C´mon, we don´ have all day, ya lazy dogs!” the leader of the pack of Diamond Dogs barked to his minions. “Spot, Fido, move it!”

He threw another stinky bomb, covering the police officers with the most disgusting mix of dirty socks and expired food they have ever smelled. The Diamond Dogs weren´t precisely the sharpest diamond of the bunch, despite their obsession with them. Usually the cops were able to handle them on their own but it seems this time they have planned things in advance, coming prepared with enough stinky bombs to get the entire squad to retreat.

Too bad they didn't count on Maretropolis local superheroines to make an appearance.

“Ugh, disgusting! I´ll ask what´s in those bombs but I´m afraid of the answer,” Radiance said, coming out of a stinky cloud.

The Diamond Dogs stopped in their tracks and were already regretting their luck but Roger, the leader of the group, wasn't ready to give up just yet. “Relax boys, it´s just the one pony ´ere. We can take it on it tiny pony.”

“Tiny, you said?”

And in the blink of an eye, Radiance disappeared, being replaced by a giant fire-spewing dragon.

“Relax, yah doofus! She is a tricky one, not fall for it!” Roger shouted but his shaky legs indicated he was just as scared as his minions.

Still, he managed to get enough confidence to throw a bomb, the pest breaking Radiance concentration and making her illusion disappear.

“Now, go get her!” Roger ordered and Spot jumped over her but Radiance swiftly took him down with a judo move.

“Tsk tsk, that's no way to treat a lady!”

Unfortunately, Radiance wasn't paying attention to her back and Fido caught her, trapping her in his giant arms.

“Sorry, Mrs. Pony.”

“Well, at least you're polite, darling.”

“Enough! We have us a hostage, caps! Now stand back!” Roger ordered, about to throw another stinky bomb but just then, a rope tangled on his hand making him drop it over his own head.

Roger coughed and moved outside of the cloud, his eyes watering. He might be a filthy diamond poucher but even HE couldn´t stand the smell. Before he could say or do anything, a hoof covered in a leather boot appeared on his face, rendering him unconscious.

“Now, will you be a fine gentleman and let go off the pretty lady?” Mistress Mare-velous asked the giant diamond dog.

Fido struggled with what to do when the answer came from the above.

“She said, let her go!”

The lighting that hit Fido was enough motivation and the scorched dog let go of Radiance.

“Tsk tsk, manner Zap. You could learn a  thing or two from Mistress Mare-velous and be polite for a change,” Radiance said.

“And you could learn a thing or two about covering your own back,” Zap said, descending.

“We could use a little more team work. I´ll said even these clowns are better coordinated than us some days,” Mistress said, causally punching Spot when he tried to attack her from behind.

“Yeah, what do you expect when it´s just the three of us guarding the entire city? Fili-second and Saddle are wasting time in a field trip and Masked doing who knows what?” Zap complained.

“I´ll hardly call helping Mrs. Do  a field trip but I do have my doubts about dear Masked. it´s not healthy being all day locked testing her powers on that horn,” Radiance said.

“Masked is a strange fellow. Comes with the territory being the only alicorn around. We shouldn't judge her and instead respect her as our leader, and more importantly, our friend. Are we all okay with that?” Mistress said, tying up the Diamond Dog and their friends reluctantly agreed. “Now then, let´s take these bad dogs back to the pound and pose for the cameras, shall we?”

******

“You shall not escape, feathered pony. You will pay for desecrating our most revered temple!”

“Let me go, you savage buffaloes!”

“You will pay for your crimes, feathered pony...with your life!”

How will Daring Do escape from becoming the sacrifice of the buffalo tribe? Will she recover the lost skull of Chief Broken Horn? Will she finally finish her lunch? Find out the answer to these questions and more in the next installment of…

Daring Do and the Skull of Buffaloes!

The screen faded to black and one excited mare jumped up and down, demanding to know what going to happen next. The film operator yawned, tired of having watched that same film about a hundred times, he could the mare the ending if he wanted to but he was too tired. Daring Do meanwhile just smirked on her seat.

“Your adventures always seem so dangerous,” Saddle Ranger commented. “I can't believe you deal with such awful creatures.”

“Nah, the buffaloes weren´t that bad. It was a simple misunderstanding. Besides, things didn't go exactly like that.”

“You saying that story is fake?”

“It´s called dramatic enhancement. Viewers like to have a clear, defined villain. The story of how I had a diplomatic meaning with a cup of tea to solve the issue is not exactly going to keep the foals on their seats,” Daring explained.

“That was so exciting! I couldn´t leave my seat the entire movie! When it´s the next one coming?” Fili-second asked.

“In a few minutes, I guess. But we should get seeing Mr. Rich,” Daring said, getting up.

“This Mr. Rich is a friend of yours?” Saddle Ranger asked.

“Hardly. He´s one of my sponsors, rich ponies that pay me to go to dirty ruins and get them fancy jewels. Obscene Rich has financed many of my famous adventures,” Daring explained.

“He certainly lives up to the name,” Fili-second commented, looking at a painting of the rich and fat pony that adorned the museum that had his mother name.

“And an obsession with shiny objects that would put a dragon to shame. He basically forced me once to dig in the inside of a volcano to get a certain ruby.”

“I thought you enjoyed the thrill of adventure. Never realized you were in it for the money,” Saddle said, disappointment clear on her tone.

“Somepony has to paid for the bills. Archaeology expeditions aren´t exactly cheap,” Daring said, a little offended it seemed. “Plus, half of the time he´s just happy with whatever jewel I can get in a bazaar somewhere around Saddle Arabia.”

Fili-second laughed but Saddle Ranger looked disappointed. She agreed to escort her for a personal reason, Daring Do was her heroine. Back when she was a filly, years before she acquired her superpowers, her father sued to read her the adventures of the dazzling heroine and explorer, Daring Do. She used to dream about her, nightmares with the jungle creatures she faces that turned into wonderful dreams when she came to her rescue. But now, the image of her heroine was being shattered upon looking at her and realizing she was closer to a normal pony with her flaws and selfish moments.

Unaware of all that, Daring opened the door of Obese´s office finding the fat pony chewing on a blueberry pie.

“Hey there,” Daring said and the fat pony smiled.

“Hi Mr. Obese!” Dili-second happily shouted.

“He prefers Rich,” Daring whispered at her. “Sorry to interrupt your sixt lunch of the day but I need to ask for a favour.”

“And you bring two of the Power Ponies with you? You´ll make the press think you need protection for me, Daring,” Obese said while his assistant cleaned his mouth.

“You know I can roll you over like a turtle if I wanted to,” Daring joked and then  noticed the reporter sitting in the room. “Don't quote me on that.”

“Daring, meet Mrs…” Obese began but a burp interrupted his sentence.

“Sunny Daze,” said the pink haired white pegasus. “Reporter from the Filly Trumpet.”

“Uh uh, take us a picture! Of me, Daring and Saddle!” Fili-second said, hugging her masked friend.

“Sorry, I didn't bring my camera today. A shame, I never thought I´ll get a second chance to speak with the great Daring Do.”

“Have we met before?”

“I tried to get a talk with your during the unveiling of the Wise Horn.”

“Horn of Wisdom,” Daring corrected her and Sunny smirked.

“You made quite a ruckus over there. Word says that you had a little encounter with the local masked vigilante. Care to expand on that theory?”

Obese coughed to give Sunny a not so subtle clue that the reporter quickly caught up.

“Maybe another time. Thanks for your time, Mr. Rich”.”

“A pleasure. Ringbell, escort the lady outside,” Obese said and his assistant took Sunny to the front door.

“Opened a new orphanage?” Daring mocked Obese who didn't seemed too happy.

“Mrs. Daze may seem pleasant but she´s one of those reporters.”

“What reporters? The ones that wear hat with the little paper on it? Because she didn´t had one today,” Fili-second said, obviously missing the point.

“You two must know them very well. The type of nosy reporter that keeps getting into troubles and need your tupe to save their skin.”

“Oh those, Zap gets them all the time! Hehe!”

“What´s going on, Rich?” Daring asked.

“You tell me,” Obese said and tried to get a folder from his desk but his belly got in the way. Saddle kindly pick it up for him and opened it, revealing a set of photos of a destroyed warehouse.

In one of the pictures, there was a clear image of a masked pony, caught at the last second.

“Mare-Do.Well…” Daring Do said out loud.

“Ever since your recovered that piece of rock, all my business had been targeted by that masked crook. What´s exactly the deal with her?”

“I don't know, Rich. I thought the legend of the Wise Mares was just a story but this Mare-Do-Well...she seems too obsessed with them.”

“I bet, she´s destroying my stuff!”

“I don't think so. Look at the creates, she only attacked the ones with zebra artifacts.”

“And what do you think that means?” Saddle Ranger asked.

“Well, actually that brings me to the reason I came here. I think I have a clue to the location of the next piece of the statutes, the Horseshoes of Power are mentioned in a series of zebra legends. If you could give an expedition crw I could…”

“Forget it, Daring.”

This broke Daring´s concentration and she looked at Rich.

“I´m not going to lose anymore money. Your little escapades are fun as long as they don't affect my business. Mare-Do-Well is doing more than just attacking my warehouse. He´s ruining me by knocking down all my employees and making my investors run off and if you have anything to do with that…”

“You should ask yourself why is Mare-Do-Well attacking your business, Mr. Rich. She is know for only attacking criminals,” Saddle Ranger said, looking very angry.

“Are you accusing me of…”

“She is not accusing you of anything, Rich. Look, if you´re not going to help me, fine. I´ll find somepony else to back me up,” Daring said.

“Good luck with that. I doubt any pony in town it´s going to let you ruin theri business.”

“Yeah, we´ll see about that,” Daring said, turning around.

“Don't worry, Daring. We can finance your expedition: Mistress Mare-velous ahs like a ton of money!” Fili-second said, managing to make Daring smile.