Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

by aprilshowers45

First published July 22nd, 2015 02:50

Introduction
Daring Do panted and panted, barely lifting her hooves as she walked down the path. But her legs were always ready for an adventure, and they should be, for what they're doing today.

Because Daring do was going on a quest that no one else has ever finished and returned.
Getting weaker ever step, she finally made it to her destination.

Chapters

The Cave
Goin' in
The Portal
Fly
The Skull has been found!
Meanwhile, in Tartarus...
The Ceremony

The Cave
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

The Cave

Daring Do had now made it to her destination: The cave. The Cave of Skulls.

Legend has it that inside, there was some way you could travel to Tartarus, where Tirek was banished. If Daring lived, she wasn't gonna let Tirek out. But he might come out somehow... some other way... But she wasn't gonna let that happen. Nuh-uh.

Anyway, some say there's a map on the cave walls. Some ponies think there are magical teleportation devices hidden there. And some say there's a magical portal and some evil Centuar is gonna pull you in.
But Daring Do couldn't let anything bad happen. She was going there. She was getting that skull.
That skull was why they called it the Cave of Skulls. If you go to Tartarus with the cave, you will come across a skull. Bigger than any other, and only one eye. He was once Sombra's, but ran away, and he was the one who discovered the way to that prison. He may be dead, maybe no one knew what he was, but he still has power. There is a certain spell that will unleash it.

And so, Daring stepped in, and in no time, everything was dark.

Goin' in
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

Goin' in

Things were first dark but Daring Do found a flashlight. Never leaves home without it. She looked around... and saw a skeleton. Looking at a wall... and it said... "Pluto". Pluto, Pluto, Pluto. Maybe that meant something. And that skeleton must have been someone who went in the cave. But how'd that happen?

Soon, Daring couldn't see the entrance anymore. She wanted to go back... but she couldn't... this was a quest. This was important.
She still ran back. But the Exit was gone. A way in... but no way out.

She then noticed another mural. The solar system. Mercury... Earth... Jupiter... Pluto. She rubbed her hoof over Pluto. It went through. Yikes.
And then a voice began to talk. No one seemed to hear it... Being no way out. "That is the portal. You have found it. If you find a way to get through, I will let you in." it said.

The Portal
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

The Portal

And so, the Pegasus looked around. She saw another skeleton, holding an... axe. She pulled the axe out, and started to break the cave wall so the portal opened up, harder than she ever did before. She could barely fit, but was too tuckered out to do anymore chopping. And then the voice came back. "Excellent." it boomed.
Daring then got sucked in. Everything was black, then white, and she heard Princess Celestia, but couldn't make out was she was saying. All she heard was "eternal...". Eternal what? Heat? Hatred? What?!
She sighed. just have to wait.

Daring Do ended up in another cave. Reminded her of Ahuizotl's, because there seemed to be a grid on the floor. But no animals... Just glowing colours. "Now. Listen carefully. Each colour of tile makes a different note. You must repeat my song." that voice said. It played a little song. Daring had some chances to find which played what, and then finally, after many tries -and arrows- she did it. A door opened up... and there was a big drop down. She got ready to glide... and jumped.

Fly
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

Fly

Daring Do tried to flap her wings to slow her down, but she hurt one when she made all those mistakes reciting that tune. She just spread them out, and she kept falling. So she cringed, and put her front and back hooves on a wall in that tight squeeze, pushed... and stopped. She then started putting one back and one front in front of the other... until she reached a fiery floor. And heard a roar. Daring couldn't tell who it was, but she heard, "WHO DARES TO DISTURB ME? WHAT DO YOU WANT, PONY?" the pony shivered, and ran. Looking everywhere, there was no skull that looked like the one in the photograph. However... "am I in Tartarus?" Daring Do asked that booming creature, perhaps the one from before. "NO. I CANNOT TELL YOU WHERE YOU ARE, BUT TARTARUS IS WHERE YOU AREN'T." it said.

And so Daring decided to look for something else that could help her. She looked at the walls, with some little gray cylinders lined up perfectly.
With straight bumps, it seemed so familiar. She pushed on one part... And it went inward, and a bit more light was in there. A secret place. She walked up the stairs... and then came face-to-face with TIREK. "PONY." he bellowed. That "pony" looked down. There was something in his hands...

The Skull has been found!
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

The Skull has been found!

In Tirek's hands... was that skull. "Give me that." Daring Do demanded, pointing to it. "OR WHAT?" Tirek said.
"lemme show ya..."
Daring did her kick, and the centuar fell over. He kicked back, and the fight began. She landed on his face, grabbed the skull with the tail through the eye, but it slid right off. She kicked with her back leg, and it bonked off Tirek's horn. He immediately got up, grabbed it, tried to run, but Daring Do tripped her, grabbed it, and since she wasn't banished there, open up that secret door, ran, and flew on up that hole with her healed wings, across the dance floor, and all the way back with the skull. The entrance was opened, and she flew on over to Canterlot.

Meanwhile, in Tartarus...
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

Meanwhile, in Tartarus...

In Tartarus, Tirek was gone. That skull was the thing keeping him alive. Someday, somepony's probably gonna try to find his skull.

The Ceremony
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Daring Do and the Cave of Skulls

The Ceremony

Daring Do stormed into Celestia's room, whooping, "yay", and told her the good news. Soon, there was a ceremony!

Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight were all in gowns, with an audience. Daring Do, with the dead head above hers, walked down the middle of the room. "Today, I am proud to say..." Celestia began. "that THIS... is BACK!" She threw it into the air, casting a spell, and big rainbows burst throughout the room and out the windows. Everypony smiled, the rainbow spreading across Equestria. The Appleloosans cheered... The Manehattanites clapped... and the Ponyvillians threw a party. "Daring Do, here, has gone through the Cave of Skulls, Tartarus, gotten past Tirek, and returned with THIS!"

And you know what? That skull came back to life. The rest of its body came together... still, no one could identify it... or name that creature. But whatever it was, ponies called that particular one, in honour of Daring Do: DAREDEVIL!