Raiders of the Lost Hope

by RDDash

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Daring Do, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 3298

Collateral damage, the nightmare that can happen to every single archaeologist, adventurer, hero for fun, and others. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Daring Do are going to visit Southern Equestrian, and her is the result of it.

Based on the S7E18 Daring Done, possible spoilers.

When Daring Do publishes the article about retirement Rainbow Dash insists that they should investigate. One thing led to another, and they ended up chasing Dr. Caballeron. What exactly did Daring Do do to the doctor, and how many earth ponies does it take to capture a Pegasus?

Published 2017-09-08 00:10:11 UTC
Last updated 2017-09-10 23:54:58 UTC

1: Collateral Damage

Ponyvile, Central Plaza, early morning.

It's been a normal day in Ponyvile, Rainbow Dash was sitting on the park bench waiting for Pinkie Pie.

“Hey, Pinks what’s up!”

“Oh hi Dashie, you know the usual reading Ponyville Chronicles and spending my time with my best friend.”

“Oh shush, you are embarrassing me.”

Pinkie shrugged, “so anyway Infestation of the parasprite had been exterminated in Filydalphya!?”

“Meh, fake news!”

“New shrubbery had been placed in Castle Gardens!?”

“Don’t really care! But I guess I give it points for trying.”

“Noodles have been named the official food of Viniapolis!” Famous author AK Yearling announced her retirement! Cloudsdale election heating up the clouds!

“What, give me that?” Rainbow Dash ripped the newspaper from Pinkie. “That can’t be true?”

“What exactly?”

“AK Yearling retired, of course!”

“Well, why is that seems to be so unbelievable? Is that just your selfish desire as a fan refusing to let go of famous writer when they decide to retire?”

“Well no, I am not that obsessive.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really. Now let’s go and maybe you can just give her a retirement party.”

“Rainbow, Rainbow, you still have so much to learn,” Pinkie shook her head.

Several hours later in the woods.

“Okay we are finally here, Pinks you can start operation hype.” Rainbow Dash went to the door and knocked. “You are right in front of the window right, so you can just say a bunch of stuff. Specifically feeding false information to me, or to anyone else who might be watching.”

“You mean spies!”

“Shh, " Rainbow shushed.

“But Rainbow!”

“Shhhhhh!”

Pinkie Pie tried again, she opened her mouth and...

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Rainbow shushed at her angrily.

“Ahem!” The sound of the voice could be heard.

Rainbow Dash as if she finally got it what’s going on, she face-hoofed herself. “She is standing right in front of me, is she.”

“Aha!” Pinkie nodded her head.

“Honestly do you have to be so immature! Please come on in,” a slightly different version of Rainbow Dash, commonly known as Daring Do, also known as, AK Yearling gestured her new guests to come inside.

“I am a mature one, who are you and what are you done with Rainbow Rodriguez Dash.”

“Dash?” Daring interrupted her. “Is there something you want?”

“Well since I already read the morning papers, I’ll cut to the chase. Daring Do I Rainbow Rodriguez Dash challenge you to the last adventure to Somnambulla.”

Daring blinked “What does this challenge specifically entail.”

“I am glad you asked,” Rainbow grinned. “By the end of this challenge if I truly fail to remind you of your special talent then go right ahead surrender to your fate, retire! I will leave you in your self-pity.”

“Dashie, that’s rude!” said Pinkie Pie.

“However!” Rainbow put her hoof down “If, and this is big if, I manage to actually succeed, well then you are going to forget your self-induced self-pity and get your butt back where it should be. So do we have a deal?”

Daring sighed “As much as I want to refuse it, I will accept it just to see the look on your face when you do fail.” With that, she took her hoof and hoof bump it with Rainbow’s hoof. Immediately the small lightning flashed in the corner of an eye of both mares.

“You! What did you do? You did activate the magic contract. Now I don’t have another choice but to do it.”

“My bad, but I had to make sure that you would follow to the letter.”

“Magic contract, but isn't that unicorn level?” Pinkie Pie asked

“Our magic comes from here,” Rainbow pointed at her heart. “Not from there,” she then pointed at her head, as if to symbolize the possible location of where the unicorn horn should be for unicorns. “I thought it was kind of obvious since all three tribes can do magic. I won’t blame you or anypony else that forget that part. All of us be it pegasi or an earth pony can draw magic circles, incantations and...”

“And?” said Pinkie.

“Watch” Rainbow clapped her hooves together and the arc of lightning passed through them.

“Alright, alright! You can stop now being mini Twilight. Not that we appreciate you being smart and Intelligent.”

“So, like what, are we going to do this by train?”

Train, I vote train, we don’t exactly have any other method of travel available to us. And before you ask balloon is a bit no go.

“Balloons, isn't it like a tourist joy ride?”

“Not exactly apparently they can be used for cargo.”

Rainbow Dash snorted “inefficient use of resources”

After all three of them purchased the tickets they went to the train and went for a long ride to the South of Equestrian Kingdoms.

“So how are we going to do this, are you go as Daring Do or you are going to be your other self.”Rainbow sits down on her seat on the train.

“Since I am only observing from sidelines, I figured it that I would actually go as AK Yearling. Also, I think when I was there last time I messed up big time.”

“Really, like what?”

“I ended up destroying the local statue of their national hero!”

“Aha!”

“Rainbow, this is serious! With everything going on I ended up not paying for the motel.”

“Really, don’t they like collect money in advance.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Well they should, but anyway what a big deal? Just sent money anonymously, or like with the note This is how much money I owed you from Daring Do, also sorry for the statue.”

“I didn’t think of that, I was always in such a rush that I...”

“I get it we all have different priorities, anyway wake me up when we arrive. I am going to catch some z’s” Rainbow laid down on the chair and closed her eyes.

About five hours later. Somnambulla.

“Okay, girls we are here! I’ll go to the local motel and I suppose I could use my charisma to get us a moderately cheap room! And I suppose we could all investigate your problems AK.” said Rainbow after they all exited the train station. AK Yearling nodded in agreement.

“Okey Dokey Lokey, just makes sure to be civilized about,” said Pinkie.

“Yeah yeah!” Rainbow swatted the issue away like it was a flyder.

Author's Note

It's kind of a crossover story but not really, we do have Daring Do who spoofing on JK Rowling, who is also Doctor Indiana Jones, but she is part of MLP canon. I don't know how anyone could be confused. about this double life. Like Daring Do is real now, but at the same time, there are fictional books about her. Eventually, ponies will start to ask questions, like what the heck lady?

Just pretend they have a working train route to Somnambulla.

2: Doctor Obvious

“Well we did spend few hours In Somnambulla, and so far we do have confirmation on the broken apple cart, and the broken statue.” Rainbow Dash just came back from the scouting the town, and all of them just now are in Get On Inn and had been discussing what they did during the day. While Rainbow has been in the town. Pinkie and Daring Do have been visiting local tourist zones. Pinkie was happy she had been dragging Daring around, and both of them had to have fun in general.

“Well we did do expected that, so what did you do?” Daring was laying on the bed and just looking into the wall.

“I tried to patiently listen to the apple cart pony problems, and then I suggested that he should just let it go and stop blowing it out of the proportion.

Flashback to the marketplace, about a few hours ago.

“Listen, dude, as far as I understand some random pony wrecked your cart by complete accident. So is it just my imagination, or you are trying to drag her reputation through the mud, just so you could feel better about your own ego!” Rainbow Dash had been trotting from side to side while glaring an angry glare toward her offender. “And it just so happens that this random pony is no other than Daring Do herself.” Rainbow took an apple from the cart and took a single bit onto the cart. She then took a bite.

“And you!” She turned to some shady pony who had been wearing a cloak, and who also had a bad case of after morning aftershave “I don’t like you!” She made a quick gesture with the hoof as if to say I am watching you! Then she narrowed her eyes just to emphasize the point.

Fast forward into Get On Inn.

“So not only did you played out an asshole with an apple routine but also tracked down Daring Do arch nemesis Dr. Caballeron.” Pinkie Pie had been swinging on the chair sideways.

“Did I overdid it? I originally wanted to pull the apple with the knife routine, but there was no knife.”

“Careful Dashie, Applejack would never forgive your apple sins.”

“Oh, I am so scared!” Rainbow Dash dramatically waved her hooves in the air.

“I believe you said something about Dr. Caballeron.” Daring Do suddenly looked interested, and not being bored out of her mind.

“Yeah, that dude was yapping all day how Daring Do was a bad pony, and I think he let it slip up few dozen times. What is his problem with you anyway?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean like why is he so focused on you. I get it that he is Caballeron and you are Daring Do, and you both hate each other, but why?”

“Well hate is such a strong word,” Daring looked visibly uncomfortable. “I don’t really remember what the deal originally was, but I and he had been battling heads ever since my very first adventure. With that done how did you managed to get us a room.”

“I know a pony who knows another pony, who owes me a favor!” Rainbow quickly offered an excuse.

“Okay, but how it really went down.” Daring didn't believe her for a second. “Rainbow please try to explain from the very beginning.”

“From the very beginning of Big Bang? So at first, there was nothing and then Faust said: Let there be the light, and there was a light.”

“Rainbow please stop!”

“Or did you want to hear about our lord and savior Larson!”

“Rainbow!!! Please for the love of Faust!”

“Okay okay, I am just messing with you. I carefully explained to the Inn owner that having Daring Do as a constant visitor is a good for their publicity, unless she doesn't want it to be otherwise, then this inn would be a great nothing right in the middle of nowhere. So then I offered a to pay up the debt with the bonus.”

“A dish of blackmail with a tea spoon of bribery.” Daring shook her head.

“If you want to say it that way, sure that’s exactly what happened.”

“So what? Do we just knock him and drop him hard, before he had a chance to completely ruin the Daring Do reputation," Pinkie Pie went downstairs and came back with a glass of water and ice.

"I was thinking of a more hit and run approach, but if we just use violence then this would make us look like bigots. No, this had to be smart, we need to wait for the opportunity to play dirty, and strike when he least expects it."

"Fantastic, so this is the plan then, I just, I do feel kind of sleepy," with those words Pinkie Pie fell asleep on the floor.

"Woah! Is she okay?" Daring asked with worry.

"Yeah, it happens sometimes. Nothing to worry about. She just crashed from hyperactivity, and now she is just sleeping. So tell me what did you do while I was out."

"Well first we went to the pyramid, and after a while, Pinkie started to shout something about aliens from outer space.

"Huh, sounds just like Pinkie, too much of late night watching about ancient space pony boogiemare theories." Rainbow Dash took Pinkie from the floor and put her on the bed. She then laid down next to her and put her head on the pillow. "Goodnight Daring."

"Goodnight to you too Rainbow."

In her dreams, Rainbow counted Twilight, one Twilight, two Twilight, three Twilight... One hundred Twilight. Meanwhile, in Pinkie's dream, there were a bunch of flying saucers that have been flying around over Somnambulla. Pinkie Pie softly squealed in her dream.

Daring Do had been having a dream where she had been chasing a somepony in a jungle. The pony stole something from her, but she couldn't remember what.

On another side of town, Dr. Caballeron had been having his own dream, the world without Daring Do, the world where he finally got to be recognized as the greatest archaeologist in this century. "Finally I surpassed you Daring Do, It is I Doctor Caballeron the very best. Not you but me!" He said in his dream.

Author's Note

To be fair there was no way they couldn't recognize him.

3: Forget the Plan and Improvise

"So here is the plan Pinks, I'll go and confront Dr. Caballeron, I mean that mysteriously cloaked pony. Then I'll force him to reveal himself. Meanwhile, you will casually lead Daring Do or AK Yearling, whoever is perfectly fine to a spot where I will pretend to get captured. Then you are going to chase after me at about half of your normal speed, but still not fast enough so that Daring Do could make it also, she will run, even though flying is usually faster than running."

Then what?" Pinkie Pie had been writing everything down to the last letter.

"And then I will be like Help! Help me! Somepony Help Me!. By the time you two get to the pyramid I will be already get tied up to the big pike in the middle. After that Dr. Caballeron would say his super villain speech and then he would leave. There will be like a big pool of green lava, and even though you can clearly walk around it. I would insist that you make sure that you both jump inside of it."

"What? This sounds like a bad idea!" Pinkie Pie shouted, "Even if everything is going to be like you said it would."

"No, no, trust me it's brilliant, I'll even make sure that Dr. Caballeron will do exactly that. He will go for everything that will make Daring Do look bad."

"I don't know, all of this sounds really sketchy to me."

"Fine,"Rainbow Dash sighed. "Just do whatever you want."

"Oh, Dashie we are going to improvise, and have so much fun in the process. Do you think I should bring the book of the dead?"

"Pinkie, No!" Rainbow was horrified by the proposal.

Finally satisfied with the plan Rainbow Dash went outside and started looking for Dr. Caballeron, he and his goons should be there somewhere. Lucky for her Dr. Caballeron have been raving all day about how Daring Do was a menace. Should she intervene just to make him look bad? She was sure she would have fun while doing it However she did have other plans, and she didn't want to argue with the crowd of ponies who were as stubborn as Jackie.

"Hey, if you have a problem with Daring Do you have a problem with me! Now scram! "

"Hey, you can't just..."

"I can't just do what?" Rainbow went right to another pony face. "I said move along!"

"Harrumph!" Slowly but surely the crowd has been dispersed. Rainbow Dash then looked at the one pony who stayed.

"Is there a reason why you stayed behind?" she asked him.

"I don't see how is this any of your business, stranger."

"You might be right about that! However," she quickly pulled the cloak from him. "I am no stranger to you! Isn't it right, Caballeron?"

That's a Doctor to you Rainbow Dash!" Dr. Caballeron pulled a dagger and tried to stab her.Rainbow dodged it and hit him with the hoof

"You see, I know only one Doctor and frankly you clearly, don't deserve the title. Now are we going to do this hard way or we are going to do this hard way?"

"You foolish mare, you will regret coming here alone. Boys, get her!" He whistled, and almost instantly the group of about five ponies jumped on Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves together and grabbed one pony by the shirt and then with the solid hook she electrocuted him, he fell spasming to the ground.

"Anyone else wants a piece of me, anyone?" she yelled. "There is more of this from me to give it to all of you!"

The rest of them didn't know what to do, Rainbow could clearly see that they were dealing with a Pegasus who knows what she is doing, and as the bonus, they felt amateurs compared to her.

"Here is the deal, I would even make this easier for you. I am not going to use my wings to give myself, even more, an advantage over you."

With that, all of them attacked at the same time. Rainbow head-butted one of them, electrocuted two of them and kicked the rest in the face. However, with all of that chaos, she still couldn't dodge Caballeron's stabbing her where it hurts, in her abdomen.

"That's it, why don't you go and die!" He was about to strike her again, however, somepony kicked him in the face.

"Rainbow! Rainbow are you okay!" said Pinkie Pie."

"I will be fine Pinkie, this is just a scratch, let's go drag him to jail. At least we could charge him with a crime of attempted murder."

"Fine?" You are not fine! You are bleeding!'

"Pinkie, just calm the buck down! I can't die alright! There I said it! Is this what you wanted to hear? Me admitting to everyone what a freak I am?" Rainbow started crying, "I...I never wanted any of this, it's just happened!"

Pinkie Pie hugged her "But you lived such a very long life, and you've met us, your friends. You don't have to act tough when you have us to help you. Please let us help you. Come on let's get out of here, we are done here."

"I assume Daring stayed at the Inn?"

"Yes Dashie, I convinced her to stay, even though, I knew, you would do something stupid."
.
Rainbow felt ashamed with the stand she pulled right now. If worst comes to worst, she could probably attract unwanted attention, and with that the unpleasant job of cleaning up the mess she made.

"I am sorry Pinkie I was stupid. Let's go home!" Rainbow Dash then spat on the Dr. Caballeron face and they both left.

Train ride on the next day, Pinkie, Daring, and Rainbow had been traveling home to Poniville. After everything that happened Dr. Caballeron ended up on wanted posters, Daring Do made an official apology to the city of Somnambulla. After that, she donated a large amount of money to make sure that the statue is fixed. Ponies have been grumpy, but they still forgive her. Rainbow Dash has been sleeping In the train seat, and Pinkie has been looking at the clouds wondering what the future will bring to them next.

Author's Note

Sometimes all of your plans just get thrown out of the window.