Daring Do checked her map and compass. She was now located north and near the Everfree Forest. She had left Vanhoover and had left southeastward till she was at the northern border of the forest. But what was she there for? Being a well-known adventurer and treasure hunter she knew she was (and not just in the novels she appears in, but in real life as well), she came here on this occasion to find one thing: to find the Lost Treasure of Palmarva. Legend has it, that someone from a seaside town named "Palmarva" (named after its gorgeous palm trees), found the treasure in the middle of a huge palm tree near his/her home. Nobody knows exactly what the treasure is: the current residents of Palmarva say it's a stone, but foreign archaeologists say it's a gold artifact and yet others say it was some kind of mysterious contraption. But despite no one knowing what it was, somehow everyone knew what happened to it: a mysterious stallion had taken away the treasure and traveled away into (according to the evidence) the Everfree Forest. Or at least somewhere nearby. No pony has seen the stallion again ever since, and it is uncertain what might have happened to him.

This wasn't at all surprising. The Everfree is a place only the bravest of ponies would dare venture in. Not even the residents of Ponyville wanted to risk it so far, despite bordering the place. For Daring Do though, this wasn't much of a problem. All the evidence she found led to the treasure being somewhere here, so she was gonna search the forest until she found something that would lead to it.

First, she made sure to follow the path of the river that flowed through. It was a good idea to search near a known local landmark inside the forest. Next, she would spread out, trying the locate the possible place where the treasure could be found. Whoever ventured in here with it, he must've made sure to go undercover in the darkest places he could find. This way no pony else would find out about what he was carrying with him. Now, this was kind of tricky considering it was easy to get lost in the dark thickets of the forest. But if she could find any local landmarks she can ubicate and later find when she needed to go back (in this case, the river), she was confident that it was smooth sailing from there. Well, other than probably having to fight dangerous creatures that inhabited the forest (manticores, timberwolves, Ursas...). She made sure to remember to keep an eye out for them.

Taking a deep breath, Daring Do summed all the courage she had within and ventured inside.

Many hours later, she walked through the shadows, slowly but determined. So far, she had met no significant danger on her trip, even with the occasional growls or noises she heard from within. But so far, nothing overall perilous or thrilling. She was starting to get a bit bored. So far, no clues. I've traveled a considerable distance throughout the forest but I still can't find anything regarding the treasure. I know there has to be something. Knowing she might probably need to take a small break, she started to search for a spot to rest, making sure it was a safe one. Chop, chop went her machete as she cut through a dense mess of brambles and vines. It took a few minutes to clear away the vegetation, but by the time she did she finally found a spot to rest.

It was a small pool located near a cave, not very huge. The pool had a dark green color, either because of algae inhabited in it or because it reflected the colors of the dark forest's surroundings. Daring Do sighed as she sat near the pool's rim, staring deeply into its green surface.

She found it quite peaceful in here. No sound except for the gentle rustling wind in the trees, the water of the pond is very still. It was kind of eerie, in fact, the strange peacefulness in this part of the forest. Most ponies might have expected something more sinister looking, but maybe not all parts of the forest had to be that way. You just have to look far enough to see it. Just ask Zecora, the local herbalist that resides in the Everfree. Daring Do has never actually met her, but from what she's heard from Ponyville's residents, if she ever needed any guidance to get through the forest, you can always count on Zecora. She suddenly brought her attention to the cave near the pool. Then a thought struck her: Hmm, a cave in the middle of the forest? That could certainly be a good place of hiding and refuge. Then again, I'm not sure what were the living conditions of the stallion that went in here. She got up and peered a bit inside the cave with a suspicious look in her eyes. I might as well find out in that case. She picked up her saddlebag (which she had previously temporarily placed on the ground), strapped it behind her back, and moved inside the cave. She got a red flashlight from her saddlebag and turned it on. The light made the cave look very ominous and a bit spooky. As the cave grew wider and wider as she passed, stalagmites and stalactites began appearing on the ground and roof. So far, nothing. she thought to herself. She moved her flashlight through all the darkest corners she could find, her eyes moving and trying to catch anything interesting. Not that the cave wasn't a fascinating place. It had many curious rock formations (besides the stalagmites and stalactites) making the place look enchanted, though ghostly. She moved a sharp turn to the right, and sometime later, she was inside a huge cavern located at the end of the path she had just crossed.

Then she stopped short in her tracks. The sight that caught her eye was so astounding she was at a loss for words. What in Equestria is this?

Author's Note

Dear Readers:
This is my first time publishing something like this! AHHH!!
So, since this is my first time, I would appreciate hearing what you guys think about my very first story. I warn you though, it will take some time before the next chapter is done. I'll probably get writer's block once in a while. But never fear! I'll try to post a new chapter as quickly as I can. So stay tuned for more!
Chao!!