Daring Do and the A-peel-ing Treasureby Chrome MasqueradeChaptersChapter 1 - Chewing the FhaatChapter 3: Riverboat FantasyChapter 4: FinaleChapter 2: Prench Cuisine and Possible CluesChapter 1 - Chewing the FhaatDaring Do was on the trail of a new treasure. Lately, she'd been doing a lot less adventuring than she used to, being more careful of late to find treasures that were un-Guarded. This time, she felt that she'd need some assistance, so she got two of the most trustworthy ponies she could think of. As she was explaining to one of them, as they were waiting in a restaurant in Manehattan. "So... Why invite us?" Rainbow Dash queried. Daring Do replied, "This isn't a treasure that I can get on my own. So I got you and the strongest available pony that was nearby - and free for the time being." "Eeyup." Big Macintosh concurred in his usual minimalistic way. He typically didn't speak more than one word at a time, but when he did, it was usually a good idea to listen to him. At that point a rotund stallion sat at the other end of the table. "Iyi taniştim, ser." he greeted. "Iyi taniştim." Daring replied, with a nod. "May your future foals be happy and wise." the stallion continues "May your shoes never wear out." Daring returned. "May your path ever be straight and true." the stallion finished "May your gum never lose its flavour." Daring said, joking slightly, to the newcomer's delight. "What a wonderful sense of humour, madam." he said, sitting back, the chair creaking slightly. "I an Fhaat Gai, Allow me to introduce you to my bodyguard, Rhamiit." he added, gesturing to a large stallion who was partially in the shadows. If he hadn't been pointed out, one could've been forgiven for not noticing his presence at all, despite his size. "He is trained in six styles of martial arts, can go for days without eating more than a granola bar or drinking more than a cupful of water. You may have noticed that he's very stealthy, despite having 94% muscle mass." Having been fully introduced, Rhamiit nodded silently. Daring Do said, in turn, "I am Daring Do. These are my associates. This is Rainbow Dash," she said, indicating the other mare, "the fastest pegasus in Equestria. She's also a black-belt in karate and is similarly well versed in Kung Fu, Wing Chun and weather control. And this," she added, indicating her stallion partner, "is Big Macintosh, of the widely spread Apple family. He's strong enough to pull small houses, frequently carries several hundred pounds of weight working on his family's farm, and is well versed in White Demon and Stone Immortal styles. He also makes a mean breakfast. Don't let his looks fool you; he's wiser than he seems." "Well met indeed." Fhaat Gai said, nodding. "Now, enough of the pleasantries; You know why I'm here." Daring Do said, getting to business. "Yes, I do." "And what I'm here for?" "Yes, I do." "And why I want it?" "Yes, I do." "Then would you mind refreshing my memory?" "We are here to unite our halves of the Holy Ankh, miss." "Right, I remember now." "Together, they should lead us to the Banana of Bombay." Daring addressed her friends, "You see, the Banana of Bombay is a reference to the old banana peel gag, and you remember that one." Rainbow smiled and Big Mac chuckled, adding "Eeyup." "Supposedly it'll also refresh every ten minutes, if necessary. Given the time, it could feed an entire country. If we find it first, I plan to bring it to a museum for all to see and enjoy." "And If we find it first, I," Fhaat Gai said, "intend to sell it to the highest bidder." "We'll see, we'll see." Daring said, eyes narrowing slightly. Reaching into her Pocket, which most ponies have by nature, she produced her half of the Ankh, as the large stallion did the same. Reaching forward, they united the halves of the Ankh, which floated in the air briefly, before Daring snatched it. "You didn't really think I'd just give it to you, did you?" she taunted. "Actually... no, I did not." Fhaat Gai said, snapping his fingers, summoning a couple dozen goons to his side. "Get me that Ankh!" he ordered. Daring looked to Rainbow Dash briefly, saying, "See why I needed you two now?" Rainbow Dash took on a combat stance. "I see now." she said, nodding once. Big Mac entered his own combat stance, also nodding. Daring Do pulled out a pair of Steel Knuckles, slipping them on. As a loose group, the goons dashed forward. Rainbow was the first to engage, scoring a hit on two of the opponents at once. Pushing them back, she grabbed their ties and pulled them forward again, knocking their heads together. Big Mac hefted one of the goons, throwing him and knocking over several others. One of the stallions pulled out a pistol and aimed for Daring's head, only to get a fast spinning ball of wind to the hand, knocking the gun from his grip, before getting a gut punch from Rainbow Dash, who taunted, "Bringing a gun to a fist fight? Naughty, naughty." Sensing two more coming up behind her, she fell forward onto her hands, curling up and stretching out, simultaneously delivering two perfectly timed kicks to those intending to catch her off guard. Daring struck one opponent (this one a mare) in the left arm, briefly rendering it useless, before she swept her hooves out from under her, at the same time tripping up two others. bringing her fists together, she delivered a double-punch to the sternum of one, sending them fairly flying into a few others and causing them to knock over a table. By now there was enough space for the trio to make a break for it. First, Daring tossed a sack of bits to the bartender. "That's for the table and the window." "Huh?" the bartender queried, "What window?" Big Mac leapt through one window, allowing the three of them to dash off into the night, well beyond the range of Fhaat Gai's goons. Reaching Daring Do's new research room, she scanned the Ankh for any enchantments, trying to determine how to use it. At length, she exclaimed, "Ah ha!". She then set it on a nearby table, pointing at a wall. Shining s green light through the Ankh's space, the light spread forth, displaying a map of the world... or part of it, anyway. "This is only part of a map." Daring observed. "It seems that there should be another in Prance, at a certain... Cafe de Fleurs." She made to move along. "Allons 'y, mes amis." Noticing that the two weren't following, she turned back. "Well? Are you coming?" They said in unison "Oh!" and followed. Chapter 3: Riverboat FantasyGetting on a jet, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh scanned the map. "Well," Daring began, "It looks like the location of the Banana of Bombay is within a temple along the Amarezon river. Hopefully we can get there before our competitors do." Little did they know that their competitors were in the back of the very same plane. Arriving at their destination, the trio rented out a river-boat. Expensive, but worth it. With the boat, they began travelling down the Amarezon river. Big Mac took pictures of the environment as they passed, seeing many different kinds of animals as well. He made a note to get those photos developed ASAP. Rainbow Dash, for her part, kept watch, ensuring that they weren't ambushed or something. So far, everything was quiet. The atmosphere was tense, however. Something was going to happen, and all three of them knew it. It would only be a matter of time... Suddenly, Rainbow saw something in the water briefly, but when she looked back, it was gone. "Uh, guys? Prepare for boarders!" she cautioned. Daring set the craft to an autopilot function and equipped her Knuckle weapons. Pressing the spot between her ring and pinkie fingers on both hands, sharp 9 inch(1) claws sliced free of their confines, the enchantment keeping them within the limited space discharging. Big Mac put his camera away and braced himself. He nodded and said "Eeyup." gruffly, indicating his preparedness. Just then, the first attacker (wearing a SCUBA outfit) came, going for Daring Do first. She was prepared, however, and grabbed the attacker's arms, flinging them into the next boarder. "They're a comin' from all sides!" Big Mac said. "Then send 'em right back!" Rainbow returned. More suited soldiers came, attacking in rapid succession. However, with a slash from Daring Do, a charge by Big Mac or a quick punt from Rainbow Dash, -often from the shadows- they were just as quickly being flung back off. Daring took a brief lull in the attack to get back to the steering wheel and kick the boat into gear once more, gunning it for all it was worth. Just then, some submarine-like ships started rising from the waters. One opened up top and quickly someone rose up with a rocket launcher and fired. Thinking quickly, Rainbow Dash intercepted it with a sphere of Wind energy, returning it to the sender and causing that ship to explode. Not to be outdone, Big Mac took a portion of the ship's metal railing and started batting any such missiles into the river, occasionally hitting a surfacing ship himself. Soon enough, the attackers seemed to get the idea and started to fall back, their casualties becoming too numerous to make continuing the attack worth the trouble. Arriving at their destination without any further incidents, the trio got off rather closer to the temple than expected; It was relatively close to the water. As they entered, Daring Do said, "Keep a look out for traps. For all we know, the place could be riddled with 'em. And be careful; The walls have eyes." As if to prove her point, several sets of yellowish eyes began to fill in the holes shortly after they passed them. Author's Note 1: For those of you who use metric, that's approximately 22.86 centimeters. Chapter 4: FinaleAs they proceeded through the temple, the trio had a division of labour going. Rainbow Dash had the most spatial awareness, so she kept an eye and ear out for anything coming up behind them. Daring Do was the most perceptive, so she looked for any traps they might encounter. Big Mac was the toughest, so he was near the front, ready to stop ay incoming traps, or take a hit for the team, if need be, while also looking out for any such threats. Soon enough, they reached the temple's center. in the middle of a large square pit was a platform with a pedestal in the center of that. On it sat... "There it is! The Banana of Bombay!" Daring exclaimed. "Now we just need to get over there to get it." Rainbow Dash said, "Pfft! That should be easy. I'll just fly over and get it." She spread her wings to do just that, but she felt a shock go through her whole body when she tried. "YEOW! What the hay?!" Daring attempted herself and felt a similar shock. "AGH!" Then she came to a conclusion. "The temple must have some kind of magic upon it that prevents the use of other magic. Ain't there AAAAALWAYS a catch!" she said with some amount of exasparation. "Well, fortunately I come prepared." Reaching in her Pocket, Daring pulled out a grappling hook and around 50 feet(1) worth of rope. "Stand back!" she ordered. Rainbow and Big Mac stepped WAY back, just in case. Daring whirled the rope and hook around and around above her head. When she thought it'd reached sufficient velocity, she cast it forward, it swinging around the pedestal itself, the hook... well, hooking onto the rope itself. "A ringer!" Daring quipped. Tying the other end of the rope to a nearby pillar, she tugged the rope to make sure it was secure on both sides. Then one by one they went across the rope to reach the platform. Rainbow Dash wasn't entirely sure, but she thought she felt a presence. She looked around before she went across, but didn't see anything. Big Mac was the last to go across, being the heaviest. When they got there, Daring Do reached into her Pocket, retrieving an average banana. "This should do." she commented to herself. quickly and carefully, she switched the bananas, and nothing major happened. Suddenly, they heard a click. "Alright, hand over that banana." The trio spun around and came to face with- "Say, aren't you the lady from the cafe?" "Oui; yes, I am. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Claudia. As it turns out, I only 'ave a Prench accent; I am not Prench as zuch. Ze small country I do come from is... lacking monetarily, you might zay. Vith zis banana, ve vill open ze mos' famous fruit stand off all time!" Rainbow Dash facepalmed. "That has to be the DUMBEST reason I've ever heard!" Claudia scowled. "Deal vith it, baby cakes." she said, taking the banana. Daring queried, "How did you even get over here?" Pointing behind herself, Claudia indicated a portable bridge that she'd quietly stretched across the gap while they were distracted. She turned to go back across, but bumped into an obstacle. With a wavering shimmer, an illusion was dispelled, revealing Fhaat Gai, who said, "Thanks for the banana, toots. Goodbye forever." Taking the banana, he broke part of the bridge with a stomp, doing the same once he got back to the other side, also cutting the rope attached to the pillar and tossing it into the pit for good measure. He and Rhamiit casually made their way bac toward the entrance "And thanks for disabling the traps along the way, Daring Do! Hahahahaha!" he taunted, waving one hand in their general direction. "Well, there he goes with our prize." Rainbow Dash pouted. "Without our flight abilities, we aren't likely to get it back either." Big Mac said, "Fortunately, Ah came prepared too." Reaching into his Pocket, he pulled out a length of chain with a sharp-looking hook on it. Leaning back, he tossed it with as much force as he could, the hook embedding deeply in the wall on the other side. He tugged it twice to ensure that it was firmly attached, then said, "Grab on tight." The other three ponies did so and together swung across, reaching the other side safely, giving chase. As it turned out, Fhaat Gai had encountered some monkeys, who apparently wanted the banana for themselves. What followed was a back and forth chase, before Daring Do got it and the trio made their way out via a side passage. Rainbow Boosted and quickly set up a rope trap with a trip-line gadget, literally tripping up the competition. On the outside, they reached a nearby ravine. Daring said, "Oh no! Not good! I don't think I have anything up my sleeve for this one!" Rainbow Dash said, "You've gotta be kidding! Surely there's something-" Her eyes widened, as a thought hit her. "Quick! Give me that banana!" Taking that, Rainbow Dash peeled the banana, splitting it into three for herself and her partners. Biting into her piece, Daring said, "Hmm. Not bad at all." Rainbow then tossed the peel on the ground, which suddenly blended in with the ground. "Now hide!" She said, the three of them hiding in a nearby bush. Sure enough, not a few seconds later, their pursuers ran out of the passage, the monkeys in hot pursuit of them. As you might expect, none of them saw the gag trap and slid one by one on the banana peel and subsequently into the ravine. Fortunately for them, only their respetive prides were hurt. Rainbow Dash taunted, "Better luck next time!" Turning around, she and Daring Do came face to face with an angry looking Rhamiit, Big Mac exploded from the hiding spot that he was still in and punched the rotund stallion five times in the gut and once in the head, effectively knocking him out. He then (with some effort) tossed Rhamniit into the ravine with the others. Picking up the banana peel, which refreshed a few seconds thereafter, Daring Do said, "We got what we came for. Let's get out of here. The trio left, returning to their boat. Reaching her favoured museum, Daring handed the banana to the museum's curatior, explaining the artifact and its background. "Thank you for this." the curator said. "This is one of the most... unusual artifacts we have i our posession, but I'm sure it'll be popular enough." The curator paying Daring Do a suitable sum, the trio split the reward evenly. "Seriously, thanks for this, guys." Daring said. Rainbow said, "Ah, don't mention it. I was happy to help my favourite hero." Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup." he agreed. "Ah'm just glad we managed to give the competition... the slip." All three of them laughed together, walking off into the sunset. Author's Note 1: That's about 15.24 meters. Chapter 2: Prench Cuisine and Possible CluesArriving in the Prench town of Paris, after a long flight by the two pegasi -and a ride in a small plane by Big Mac- , they went to their destination; the Café de Fleurs. Settling at a table, they waited to be addressed by one of the staff. At length, a waitress -in what appeared to be a maid outfit- did come and passed out menus. Scanning it quickly, Daring noticed that the daily special wasn't listed. Curious, she asked, "What's the daily, today?" The waitress shrugged and said, "I 'aven't a clue, madamme." "Speaking of clues," Rainbow Dash started, "Have you seen any special maps in the area?" "Non." was the curt reply. "Je ne crains pas; I fear not." Daring said, "I'll have the soupe du jour, si vous plait." passing her menu back to the waitress, who seemed quite pleased that Daring knew some Prench herself. "Le salade Parisienne, please." Big Mac said shortly, following suit. Rainbow Dash said, "I'll... need some more time to decide." "Tout de suite! Right a'vay!" the waitress replied, with a curtsey. Shortly thereafter, a familiar looking stallion appeared with Daring's soup. "Here is your soupe du jour, madamme." he said, "Bon appetite." he added, placing it in front of her. Daring frowned as the stallion passed by. Reaching into her Pocket, she pulled out a nondescript packet filled with some kind of powder. "Just in case..." she said, shaking the packet once, to ensure that the contents were fully added to the soup. "If there was any poisonous substance in there, it is neutralized." she explained. "That was obviously Rhamiit in a poor disguise. Which means..." Rainbow Dash finished, looking around, "The aptly named Fhaat Gai can't be far behind." "We've been followed somehow." Daring said, with a nod. Suddenly. a knife went slicing through the air heading for Daring Do, which Rainbow noticed first. Thinking quickly, she uttered "Boost!" under her breath. Immediately, her perception of time slowed by about 80%. She stepped in front of the knife and turned it away with one hand, before the boost ended and things went back to normal. The knife went off in a different direction, hitting a picture on a neaby wall, which fell, revealing a map on the back of it. Rainbow Dash pointed and said, "Do you think...?" Big Mac went and picked that up, looking it over before folding and Pocketing it. He nodded and said, "Eeyup." "Perhaps we'll take our meals to go." Daring suggested, looking around for other threats. "I get the impression that all is not healthy in the environs." She gave one of the waitresses a small bag of bits, saying to give that to the proprietor of the café, taking their meals (at length, Rainbow Dash had chosen a Salade de Chevré Chaud) before leaving. That map would need to be studied before long.
Chapter 1 - Chewing the FhaatDaring Do was on the trail of a new treasure. Lately, she'd been doing a lot less adventuring than she used to, being more careful of late to find treasures that were un-Guarded. This time, she felt that she'd need some assistance, so she got two of the most trustworthy ponies she could think of. As she was explaining to one of them, as they were waiting in a restaurant in Manehattan. "So... Why invite us?" Rainbow Dash queried. Daring Do replied, "This isn't a treasure that I can get on my own. So I got you and the strongest available pony that was nearby - and free for the time being." "Eeyup." Big Macintosh concurred in his usual minimalistic way. He typically didn't speak more than one word at a time, but when he did, it was usually a good idea to listen to him. At that point a rotund stallion sat at the other end of the table. "Iyi taniştim, ser." he greeted. "Iyi taniştim." Daring replied, with a nod. "May your future foals be happy and wise." the stallion continues "May your shoes never wear out." Daring returned. "May your path ever be straight and true." the stallion finished "May your gum never lose its flavour." Daring said, joking slightly, to the newcomer's delight. "What a wonderful sense of humour, madam." he said, sitting back, the chair creaking slightly. "I an Fhaat Gai, Allow me to introduce you to my bodyguard, Rhamiit." he added, gesturing to a large stallion who was partially in the shadows. If he hadn't been pointed out, one could've been forgiven for not noticing his presence at all, despite his size. "He is trained in six styles of martial arts, can go for days without eating more than a granola bar or drinking more than a cupful of water. You may have noticed that he's very stealthy, despite having 94% muscle mass." Having been fully introduced, Rhamiit nodded silently. Daring Do said, in turn, "I am Daring Do. These are my associates. This is Rainbow Dash," she said, indicating the other mare, "the fastest pegasus in Equestria. She's also a black-belt in karate and is similarly well versed in Kung Fu, Wing Chun and weather control. And this," she added, indicating her stallion partner, "is Big Macintosh, of the widely spread Apple family. He's strong enough to pull small houses, frequently carries several hundred pounds of weight working on his family's farm, and is well versed in White Demon and Stone Immortal styles. He also makes a mean breakfast. Don't let his looks fool you; he's wiser than he seems." "Well met indeed." Fhaat Gai said, nodding. "Now, enough of the pleasantries; You know why I'm here." Daring Do said, getting to business. "Yes, I do." "And what I'm here for?" "Yes, I do." "And why I want it?" "Yes, I do." "Then would you mind refreshing my memory?" "We are here to unite our halves of the Holy Ankh, miss." "Right, I remember now." "Together, they should lead us to the Banana of Bombay." Daring addressed her friends, "You see, the Banana of Bombay is a reference to the old banana peel gag, and you remember that one." Rainbow smiled and Big Mac chuckled, adding "Eeyup." "Supposedly it'll also refresh every ten minutes, if necessary. Given the time, it could feed an entire country. If we find it first, I plan to bring it to a museum for all to see and enjoy." "And If we find it first, I," Fhaat Gai said, "intend to sell it to the highest bidder." "We'll see, we'll see." Daring said, eyes narrowing slightly. Reaching into her Pocket, which most ponies have by nature, she produced her half of the Ankh, as the large stallion did the same. Reaching forward, they united the halves of the Ankh, which floated in the air briefly, before Daring snatched it. "You didn't really think I'd just give it to you, did you?" she taunted. "Actually... no, I did not." Fhaat Gai said, snapping his fingers, summoning a couple dozen goons to his side. "Get me that Ankh!" he ordered. Daring looked to Rainbow Dash briefly, saying, "See why I needed you two now?" Rainbow Dash took on a combat stance. "I see now." she said, nodding once. Big Mac entered his own combat stance, also nodding. Daring Do pulled out a pair of Steel Knuckles, slipping them on. As a loose group, the goons dashed forward. Rainbow was the first to engage, scoring a hit on two of the opponents at once. Pushing them back, she grabbed their ties and pulled them forward again, knocking their heads together. Big Mac hefted one of the goons, throwing him and knocking over several others. One of the stallions pulled out a pistol and aimed for Daring's head, only to get a fast spinning ball of wind to the hand, knocking the gun from his grip, before getting a gut punch from Rainbow Dash, who taunted, "Bringing a gun to a fist fight? Naughty, naughty." Sensing two more coming up behind her, she fell forward onto her hands, curling up and stretching out, simultaneously delivering two perfectly timed kicks to those intending to catch her off guard. Daring struck one opponent (this one a mare) in the left arm, briefly rendering it useless, before she swept her hooves out from under her, at the same time tripping up two others. bringing her fists together, she delivered a double-punch to the sternum of one, sending them fairly flying into a few others and causing them to knock over a table. By now there was enough space for the trio to make a break for it. First, Daring tossed a sack of bits to the bartender. "That's for the table and the window." "Huh?" the bartender queried, "What window?" Big Mac leapt through one window, allowing the three of them to dash off into the night, well beyond the range of Fhaat Gai's goons. Reaching Daring Do's new research room, she scanned the Ankh for any enchantments, trying to determine how to use it. At length, she exclaimed, "Ah ha!". She then set it on a nearby table, pointing at a wall. Shining s green light through the Ankh's space, the light spread forth, displaying a map of the world... or part of it, anyway. "This is only part of a map." Daring observed. "It seems that there should be another in Prance, at a certain... Cafe de Fleurs." She made to move along. "Allons 'y, mes amis." Noticing that the two weren't following, she turned back. "Well? Are you coming?" They said in unison "Oh!" and followed.
Chapter 3: Riverboat FantasyGetting on a jet, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh scanned the map. "Well," Daring began, "It looks like the location of the Banana of Bombay is within a temple along the Amarezon river. Hopefully we can get there before our competitors do." Little did they know that their competitors were in the back of the very same plane. Arriving at their destination, the trio rented out a river-boat. Expensive, but worth it. With the boat, they began travelling down the Amarezon river. Big Mac took pictures of the environment as they passed, seeing many different kinds of animals as well. He made a note to get those photos developed ASAP. Rainbow Dash, for her part, kept watch, ensuring that they weren't ambushed or something. So far, everything was quiet. The atmosphere was tense, however. Something was going to happen, and all three of them knew it. It would only be a matter of time... Suddenly, Rainbow saw something in the water briefly, but when she looked back, it was gone. "Uh, guys? Prepare for boarders!" she cautioned. Daring set the craft to an autopilot function and equipped her Knuckle weapons. Pressing the spot between her ring and pinkie fingers on both hands, sharp 9 inch(1) claws sliced free of their confines, the enchantment keeping them within the limited space discharging. Big Mac put his camera away and braced himself. He nodded and said "Eeyup." gruffly, indicating his preparedness. Just then, the first attacker (wearing a SCUBA outfit) came, going for Daring Do first. She was prepared, however, and grabbed the attacker's arms, flinging them into the next boarder. "They're a comin' from all sides!" Big Mac said. "Then send 'em right back!" Rainbow returned. More suited soldiers came, attacking in rapid succession. However, with a slash from Daring Do, a charge by Big Mac or a quick punt from Rainbow Dash, -often from the shadows- they were just as quickly being flung back off. Daring took a brief lull in the attack to get back to the steering wheel and kick the boat into gear once more, gunning it for all it was worth. Just then, some submarine-like ships started rising from the waters. One opened up top and quickly someone rose up with a rocket launcher and fired. Thinking quickly, Rainbow Dash intercepted it with a sphere of Wind energy, returning it to the sender and causing that ship to explode. Not to be outdone, Big Mac took a portion of the ship's metal railing and started batting any such missiles into the river, occasionally hitting a surfacing ship himself. Soon enough, the attackers seemed to get the idea and started to fall back, their casualties becoming too numerous to make continuing the attack worth the trouble. Arriving at their destination without any further incidents, the trio got off rather closer to the temple than expected; It was relatively close to the water. As they entered, Daring Do said, "Keep a look out for traps. For all we know, the place could be riddled with 'em. And be careful; The walls have eyes." As if to prove her point, several sets of yellowish eyes began to fill in the holes shortly after they passed them. Author's Note 1: For those of you who use metric, that's approximately 22.86 centimeters.
Chapter 4: FinaleAs they proceeded through the temple, the trio had a division of labour going. Rainbow Dash had the most spatial awareness, so she kept an eye and ear out for anything coming up behind them. Daring Do was the most perceptive, so she looked for any traps they might encounter. Big Mac was the toughest, so he was near the front, ready to stop ay incoming traps, or take a hit for the team, if need be, while also looking out for any such threats. Soon enough, they reached the temple's center. in the middle of a large square pit was a platform with a pedestal in the center of that. On it sat... "There it is! The Banana of Bombay!" Daring exclaimed. "Now we just need to get over there to get it." Rainbow Dash said, "Pfft! That should be easy. I'll just fly over and get it." She spread her wings to do just that, but she felt a shock go through her whole body when she tried. "YEOW! What the hay?!" Daring attempted herself and felt a similar shock. "AGH!" Then she came to a conclusion. "The temple must have some kind of magic upon it that prevents the use of other magic. Ain't there AAAAALWAYS a catch!" she said with some amount of exasparation. "Well, fortunately I come prepared." Reaching in her Pocket, Daring pulled out a grappling hook and around 50 feet(1) worth of rope. "Stand back!" she ordered. Rainbow and Big Mac stepped WAY back, just in case. Daring whirled the rope and hook around and around above her head. When she thought it'd reached sufficient velocity, she cast it forward, it swinging around the pedestal itself, the hook... well, hooking onto the rope itself. "A ringer!" Daring quipped. Tying the other end of the rope to a nearby pillar, she tugged the rope to make sure it was secure on both sides. Then one by one they went across the rope to reach the platform. Rainbow Dash wasn't entirely sure, but she thought she felt a presence. She looked around before she went across, but didn't see anything. Big Mac was the last to go across, being the heaviest. When they got there, Daring Do reached into her Pocket, retrieving an average banana. "This should do." she commented to herself. quickly and carefully, she switched the bananas, and nothing major happened. Suddenly, they heard a click. "Alright, hand over that banana." The trio spun around and came to face with- "Say, aren't you the lady from the cafe?" "Oui; yes, I am. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Claudia. As it turns out, I only 'ave a Prench accent; I am not Prench as zuch. Ze small country I do come from is... lacking monetarily, you might zay. Vith zis banana, ve vill open ze mos' famous fruit stand off all time!" Rainbow Dash facepalmed. "That has to be the DUMBEST reason I've ever heard!" Claudia scowled. "Deal vith it, baby cakes." she said, taking the banana. Daring queried, "How did you even get over here?" Pointing behind herself, Claudia indicated a portable bridge that she'd quietly stretched across the gap while they were distracted. She turned to go back across, but bumped into an obstacle. With a wavering shimmer, an illusion was dispelled, revealing Fhaat Gai, who said, "Thanks for the banana, toots. Goodbye forever." Taking the banana, he broke part of the bridge with a stomp, doing the same once he got back to the other side, also cutting the rope attached to the pillar and tossing it into the pit for good measure. He and Rhamiit casually made their way bac toward the entrance "And thanks for disabling the traps along the way, Daring Do! Hahahahaha!" he taunted, waving one hand in their general direction. "Well, there he goes with our prize." Rainbow Dash pouted. "Without our flight abilities, we aren't likely to get it back either." Big Mac said, "Fortunately, Ah came prepared too." Reaching into his Pocket, he pulled out a length of chain with a sharp-looking hook on it. Leaning back, he tossed it with as much force as he could, the hook embedding deeply in the wall on the other side. He tugged it twice to ensure that it was firmly attached, then said, "Grab on tight." The other three ponies did so and together swung across, reaching the other side safely, giving chase. As it turned out, Fhaat Gai had encountered some monkeys, who apparently wanted the banana for themselves. What followed was a back and forth chase, before Daring Do got it and the trio made their way out via a side passage. Rainbow Boosted and quickly set up a rope trap with a trip-line gadget, literally tripping up the competition. On the outside, they reached a nearby ravine. Daring said, "Oh no! Not good! I don't think I have anything up my sleeve for this one!" Rainbow Dash said, "You've gotta be kidding! Surely there's something-" Her eyes widened, as a thought hit her. "Quick! Give me that banana!" Taking that, Rainbow Dash peeled the banana, splitting it into three for herself and her partners. Biting into her piece, Daring said, "Hmm. Not bad at all." Rainbow then tossed the peel on the ground, which suddenly blended in with the ground. "Now hide!" She said, the three of them hiding in a nearby bush. Sure enough, not a few seconds later, their pursuers ran out of the passage, the monkeys in hot pursuit of them. As you might expect, none of them saw the gag trap and slid one by one on the banana peel and subsequently into the ravine. Fortunately for them, only their respetive prides were hurt. Rainbow Dash taunted, "Better luck next time!" Turning around, she and Daring Do came face to face with an angry looking Rhamiit, Big Mac exploded from the hiding spot that he was still in and punched the rotund stallion five times in the gut and once in the head, effectively knocking him out. He then (with some effort) tossed Rhamniit into the ravine with the others. Picking up the banana peel, which refreshed a few seconds thereafter, Daring Do said, "We got what we came for. Let's get out of here. The trio left, returning to their boat. Reaching her favoured museum, Daring handed the banana to the museum's curatior, explaining the artifact and its background. "Thank you for this." the curator said. "This is one of the most... unusual artifacts we have i our posession, but I'm sure it'll be popular enough." The curator paying Daring Do a suitable sum, the trio split the reward evenly. "Seriously, thanks for this, guys." Daring said. Rainbow said, "Ah, don't mention it. I was happy to help my favourite hero." Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup." he agreed. "Ah'm just glad we managed to give the competition... the slip." All three of them laughed together, walking off into the sunset. Author's Note 1: That's about 15.24 meters.
Chapter 2: Prench Cuisine and Possible CluesArriving in the Prench town of Paris, after a long flight by the two pegasi -and a ride in a small plane by Big Mac- , they went to their destination; the Café de Fleurs. Settling at a table, they waited to be addressed by one of the staff. At length, a waitress -in what appeared to be a maid outfit- did come and passed out menus. Scanning it quickly, Daring noticed that the daily special wasn't listed. Curious, she asked, "What's the daily, today?" The waitress shrugged and said, "I 'aven't a clue, madamme." "Speaking of clues," Rainbow Dash started, "Have you seen any special maps in the area?" "Non." was the curt reply. "Je ne crains pas; I fear not." Daring said, "I'll have the soupe du jour, si vous plait." passing her menu back to the waitress, who seemed quite pleased that Daring knew some Prench herself. "Le salade Parisienne, please." Big Mac said shortly, following suit. Rainbow Dash said, "I'll... need some more time to decide." "Tout de suite! Right a'vay!" the waitress replied, with a curtsey. Shortly thereafter, a familiar looking stallion appeared with Daring's soup. "Here is your soupe du jour, madamme." he said, "Bon appetite." he added, placing it in front of her. Daring frowned as the stallion passed by. Reaching into her Pocket, she pulled out a nondescript packet filled with some kind of powder. "Just in case..." she said, shaking the packet once, to ensure that the contents were fully added to the soup. "If there was any poisonous substance in there, it is neutralized." she explained. "That was obviously Rhamiit in a poor disguise. Which means..." Rainbow Dash finished, looking around, "The aptly named Fhaat Gai can't be far behind." "We've been followed somehow." Daring said, with a nod. Suddenly. a knife went slicing through the air heading for Daring Do, which Rainbow noticed first. Thinking quickly, she uttered "Boost!" under her breath. Immediately, her perception of time slowed by about 80%. She stepped in front of the knife and turned it away with one hand, before the boost ended and things went back to normal. The knife went off in a different direction, hitting a picture on a neaby wall, which fell, revealing a map on the back of it. Rainbow Dash pointed and said, "Do you think...?" Big Mac went and picked that up, looking it over before folding and Pocketing it. He nodded and said, "Eeyup." "Perhaps we'll take our meals to go." Daring suggested, looking around for other threats. "I get the impression that all is not healthy in the environs." She gave one of the waitresses a small bag of bits, saying to give that to the proprietor of the café, taking their meals (at length, Rainbow Dash had chosen a Salade de Chevré Chaud) before leaving. That map would need to be studied before long.
