Every time Daring Do placed a hoof on ancient ruins, she could feel electricity running through her body. An unicorn scholar will dismiss it as simple traces of ambient magic but to Daring, it was something else, it was the excitement of digging into the past and uncovering the truth buried beneath the rocks.
It was an unique feeling that motivated Daring to keep moving and today it was exceptionally strong, because for the first time in years, she was sharing it with somepony else.
“This is so awesome!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted and do a few barrel rolls in the air.
Daring smiled. The kid had been hovering since they arrived, it seemed like she couldn't keep her hooves in the ground for more than five minutes. Cloudsdale bron pegasus there, thoght Daring.
“I can´t believe we´re here, in the ruins of the original Pegasopolis! This is...this is…”
“Breathe, Rainbow.”
Rainbow took a deep breath and when she realized the look Daring was given her, let go off all the air, deflating like a ballon in a manner Pinkie herself would have envied.
“Sorry.”
“Don´t get distracted by the bright colors, kid. Now follow me,” Daring said and start walking among the ruins.
“I just can't believe you actually took me here. When I recieved your letter, I thought you only wanted to show a draft or the book or something but now, you have taken me here, to the birthplace of pegasi!” Rainbow said, unable to hold her excitement.
“Nice exposition talk there. May if I use that for your character?”
“You're the writer!” Rainbow said and Daring smiled.
They kept moving through the toppled pillars and worn murals, Rainbow hovering beside Daring. With each corner, the young pegasus eyes got bigger, taking in the wonder of the ruined citadel. Daring was excited too, but tried to keep it cool for the sake of her guest. It´s been years since her last visit to the citadel and the place was still able to amaze her. Every picture, every abandoned armor, every broken statue, Daring admired it all and it made her happy to see Rainbow was just as excited.
“This is so exciting! Hey, what's that? Or this? Hey, look at this, Daring!” Rainbow said, holding an almost intact vase.
Daring gave her a glare for putting invaluable artifacts in danger and sheepishly, Rainbow place it back where she found it.
They continued their way into the coliseum and Rainbow took noticed of a well preserved mural, depicting an armored pegasus fighting against a winged snake.
“Woah, who´s that?”
“Commander Hurricane fighting against Quetzalcoatl,” Daring said.
“Woah! Wait, is not the same Quetzalcoatl from book four?!”
“That one.”
“That is so…”
“Breathe.”
Rainbow did a little exercise breathing she learned from Twilight and followed Daring into a hallway, decorated with now empty flagpoles.
“I can't believe you fought the Empress, a creature from equestrian legend!”
“Ha, says Mr.s I defeated Discord!” Daring replied.
“Yeah, that was pretty awesome. But to be honest, I couldn't have done that without my friends. We did it together as a team.”
“You have great friends, Rainbow. Enver take them for granted,” Daring said and Rainbow missed the somewhat sorrow smile on her face.
“So...what exactly are we looking for? A lost forgotten weapon? A magic shield that can repel all attacks? A feather that can grant three wishes?” Rainbow asked.
“Where do you come out with that stuff?” Daring joked and Rainbow blushed. “How much you know about pegasi ancient history, Rainbow?”
“Well…” Rainbow scratched the back of her neck, still blushing.
“Let me guess, you were one of those students that fall asleep during history class?”
“Pretty much, yes. Sorry, I guess I´m not very useful as an assistant,” Rainbow admitted, looking down.
“It´s okay, Rainbow. Gives me more of a chance to show off,” Daring said, poking at her. “You see, when the Windigo Invasión hit the original pegasi capital, Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy led the expedition for a new land, which you probably know for every year Hearth´s Warming presentation. Now, what you may not know is…”
Daring kept going with her lecture but Rainbow had stopped paying attention. She was simply so happy to be here with her idol, digging into ancient ruins, searching for a lost treasure. She was livign inside a Daring novel except this was real and she couldn't be happier.
“...and that´s what we´re looking at. Did you get that, Rainbow? Rainbow!”
“Oh, yes. Understood! Heard everything!” Rainbow lied. “So, this is how you always work, you just dig into ruins hoping to find something?”
“Of course not! Research is the most important part of my work, I tend to spent weeks searching through ancient documents and old prophecies for clues where to find these powerful artifacts and secure them, before they fall into the wrong hands or hooves,” Daring explained.
“But what about your books? How come they get announced before you know, have the adventure?”
“That´s handled by my editors, they give publishing dates so I can keep doing my work without talking to the press. It´s also how Princess Celestia keeps track of my work.”
“So you´re like a secret agent for the crown! That´s so amazing!” Rainbow said, making her excited face.
“Yeah, kinda. When I first started writing, I never imagined that I´ll be living real adventures. But as time went by, it was needed for me to keep distance between Daring the adventurer and A.K. Yearling, the mild mannered author,” Daring said.
“To protect yourself from any evil doers who´ll want to recover the artifacts! And maybe from some some enthusiastic fans who tracked you down for information on your book?” Rainbow asked sheepishly.
Daring response was to raise an eyebrow.
“Okay, in my defense, have I and my friends NOT come to your house, you'll probably would have lost track of Caballeron and failed to stop Ahuizotl from using the Rings of Scorchera!”
“Yes, are you gonna keep harping on that?”
“Just saying…”
“Look Rainbow, I´m happy I met you and yes, you did help save the day,” Daring said. “But next time, send a letter like any normal fan would.”
“Gotcha,” Rainbow said, visibly embarrassed.
Rainbow followed Daring thought a portal and when they entered the coliseum, she went breathless.
There she was standing in the original coliseum, the birthplace for every sport event in Equestria. She did snored through most of history class, except the ones about sports because that was her favorite subject at school. She always listened when the teacher explained that pegasi were the first pony race to have physical competitions which eventually became the Equestrian Games.
“This is…” Rainbow began but she then lost her track as she hovered around the empty structure.
“Yes, this was where pegasis developed the rules for flight competition. The coliseum in Cloudsdale and the one in the Crystal Empire both take inspiration from this one. As you can see by this structure…” Daring began another lecture but she soon noticed Rainbow wasn't paying attention. The kid was just so happy flying around. “Hey kid, why don't you take the track for a spin?”
“Can I? Can I?” Rainbow asked, flapping her wings in pure joy..
“Knock yourself out,” Daring said and Rainbow let go a huge cheer before speeding up. Daring felt like a foal sitter who just let a little filly play in the backyard but she had to admit Rainbow´s happiness was contagious.
Rainbow was genuinely happy, she was there, in the track where the original fliers first discovered the joy of speed, where the legend of the Sonic rainboom was born. She started to speed, saerhcign toc reat one right there in the track,
“Hey, slow down a little, you may actually break something,” Daring said, trying to take a look at some statues.
Rainbow wasn't listening, she was too thrilled.
“Rainbow, cut it out!”
Rainbow ignored Daring and went full speed, crossing the finish line and causing an explosion on sound and colours, flooding the stadium with a circular rainbow that knocked Daring against the statues.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Daring, I´m so sorry!” Rainbow said, once she realized what she had done.
Daring rubbed her head and when she saw the destroyed statues, she growled at Rainbow.
“I´m sorry Daring, here, let me help!”
“You have done enough, Rai…” Daring froze in the spot, looking over Rainbow´s shoulder. “Rainbow, don't move a feather.”
“What?”
“I said...don't move.”
Rainbow saw the totally serious look on Rainbow´s face and knew something was wrong. She then heard the noise behind her and knew something was rising.
“Da..daring?”
Rainbow was scared, she didn´t know what was behind her but she trusted Daring and knew she will move to help her. Daring indicated Rainbow to keep looking at her and don't move but Rainbow couldn't help herself and slightly turned her head, meeting with a pair of glowing red eyes.
BEfore the spell othe cockatric coulda ct, Daring pushed Rainbow out of the way. Unfortunately, that led her in the open and the creature focused her sight on her.
“Daring! NOOOO!” Rainbow shouted when she saw her idol turn into stone. “Now, you little…” Rainbow tried to be brave and face the cockatrice but she knew she wasn't Fluttershy and couldn't make the creature back away.
She looked at Daring, trapped in a frozen terrified face, missing her hat. Rainbow got an idea and picked it up, placing it on her face to cover from the monster gaze. The cockatric squawked and trhreatend Rainbow who had not thought her next move.
“Okay, featherbrain, follow me!” Rainbow challenged the creature and headed for the field.
Despite her lose focus, Rainbow was really good at memorizing stuff, especially tracks. Even with her vision blocked by the hat, she swiftly moved across the ancient obstacles of the stadium, luring the cockatrice into a trap. Rainbow got into a structure with three entries, two of which lead to a trap. Rainbow lued the cockatric right there and psuhed against the ceiling of the tunnel, making the cockatrice keep going and stuck her head in the tiny hole on the other side. Rainbow circled the trap and put the hat on the crate, then knocked it unconscious. With the cocaktric defeated, the spell was gone and Daring returned to normal.
“What happened...the cockatrice!” Darling said.
“Relax, I took care of it,” Rainbow said, helping her stand.
“You did?” Daring said and Rainbow pointed at the hat on the wall. “Woah Rainbow that was...that was pretty amazing.”
“I know.”
Daring smirked and was about to retort when she noticed a glimmer in an upper balcony and flew right to it.
“Daring!” Rainbow said and followed her, finding Daring throwing away some rocks to dug out a helmet in almost perfect conditions. “Is that it, that´s what we were looking for, an old helmet?”
“This is Private Pansy´s helmet, the one she wore before being promoted to Sergeant,” Daring said and looked at Rainbow, who was completely lost. “Were you paying attention to my lecture?” Daring didn´pt waited for an answer. “History books say that Pansy left everything behind when she helped found Cloudsdale but look where this is, this balcony has the perfect view of the field. Imagine her, sitting here, cheering for all the athletes pegasi.”
“Reminds me of a friend of mine…”
“She didn´t abandoned her old life, she left this as a memento of their old home and it has survived the passage of time,” Daring declared and Rainbow as able to see that proud smile, the one Daring never mentions on her books but anypony can see on ehr face.
Still smiling, Daring put the helmet back where she found it.
“Aren´t you going to take it?” Rainbow asked.
“No. I only wanted to see if it was still here and now that I know…”
Daring headed back to the exit and Rainbow stayed a little more, giving a salute to the helmet.
“Wait up, Daring! You know..:” Rainbow said, catching up with her. “You´re pretty awesome, Daring. Not as awesome as me but you're close.”
“Hey, I thought I was your heroine, what happened?”
“Well, I just saved your life back there. Guess that makes you the bumbling sidekick this adventure…”
“As if!”
Rainbow and Daring kept playfully bantering for a while, leaving the ancient stadium back to the silent memories of the cheering pegasi and the brave fliers.
