chapter 1: scootalooView OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 1: scootalooJune 19 1978, I can’t believe that I am going on an adventure with Daring Do! She is the best adventurer ever! Well my mom has to agree with Daring. Then we can go. We are going (if possible), to find the legendary sapphire stone in some island called…. Well, I forget but anyway we are going to take flight in 2 more hours! I’m so excited! Yours truly, Scootaloo. *** “Hey, look at you, all dressed up.” Said Pinkie Pie. Me and Daring are leaving to the island in and I’m saying goodbye to Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I wanted to say goodbye to Rainbow too, but she was busy getting an autograph from Daring Do. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh OHMYGOSH!” Rainbow Dash gasped. “Okay… never mind her.” Said Sweetie Belle. “Thanks. Rainbow dash really likes Daring more than I thought.” I replied. Actually Rainbow Dash would read books than play in sports. Nearby we heard rainbow say, “I. am. Your. Number. One. Fan.” Now that’s the last thing we were expecting to come out of her mouth ONLY if she’s talking to the Wonder Bolts but that’s it. “I better get going. Daring is waiting, so if I don’t make it back, take this and I always will be with you.” I gave Applebloom and Sweetie Belle a heart locket and waved them goodbye. As I got on Daring Do’s back, everyone waved goodbye. “Goodbye everyone!” said daring as we left the academy. As soon as we got in the air, I saw Applebloom and Sweetie Belle open their lockets. Their faces changed into a huge smile and they waved goodbye. We flew higher and higher until everybody looked liked tiny little para-sprites, good para-sprites. We flew up into the bright sky and flew away. Earlier that day “Okay cutie mark crusaders, what ARE we going to do to get our cutie marks?” Sweetie Belle had said. “Well,” started Applebloom “I heard there is a raffle to see whose goin’ to go with Daring Do to find the legendary sapphire stone. Maybe an adventure cutie mark ain’t so bad.” Actually, that’s a good idea! “OK then! Let’s go and get those raffle tickets!” I replied. 10 minutes later “Eight pence for 3 raffle tickets! And boy the raffle seller was grumpy!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “It doesn’t really matter; at least we got our raffle tickets.” I reminded her. We walked into our tree house and listened to the radio. We waited and waited for the radio stallion to say the winning number. “Ugh! I’m soooooooooooo bored.” Whined sweetie belle. She did her scoot. While she was doing that, I took a peek at her number. 156900. Well, at least it doesn’t have a 7, one of the unlucky numbers. She could win… I thought. My number was the one that was unlucky: 137731. I took a peek over Applebloom’s shoulder. 134900. That’s a so-so number. Well I know that I’m not going to-“Sweetie Belle! Stop scootin’ or your butts gonna go on fire!”Applebloom yelled. 20 minutes later “I’m so bored!” that was the 100th time Sweetie Belle had said that. But we couldn’t hear that because me and Applebloom were snoring louder than a mule. “And today’s winner to go with Daring Do’s adventure for the sapphire stone is……..” this is it. We all stopped what we were doing and moved closer to the radio. “The number is……..137731! And that’s it folks! Stay tuned for the next adventure! Oh and can somebody get me a muffin?” now we knew who was talking in the radio…. “DERPY!” all of us yelled. ……. Present time….. “Wooooooooo hooooooo!” I screamed on Daring Do’s back as we were flying through the air, wind blowing in my mane. Actually daring was doing all the flying, I was on her back. It was soooooooo nice! Well, it was until we had to land. “Hang on!” said Daring Do. We flew down nicely but fast until we heard a crack! And just like that, we were falling from the sky.
chapter 3: the temple's bountyView OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 3: the temple's bountyAs Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. A few days---it might as well be a few months, or a few years! The mosquitoes buzzed loudly, the macaws cried from the high trees; yet, all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step. Some instinct make Daring turn. A ferocious pony-eating tiger roared as it lunged at the tan heroine. Daring Do ducked and dived over a log, mere inches ahead of the savage beast, only to have her retreat barred by a massive black panther. Spinning to her right, she saw a brown lynx charge screeching toward her from another direction. A spotted cheetah yowled menacingly while emerging from a mass of ferns, blocking yet another possible escape route. ‘Only one path left,’ she realized. ‘I wonder what hideous horror will block it.’ Trapped between a semi-circle of beasts, our heroine turned to the last path open to her. As if her internal monologue had tempted fate, the leaves near the last path shivered and parted to display this next foe: a fearsome fluffy white kitten. Relief surged through her. Finally a break! She charged forward, leapfrogging over the cat and running as fast as her legs could take her, ferocious feline foes following in close pursuit! Running full tilt through the dense undergrowth of the jungle, she almost stepped off a cliff that suddenly appeared before her. Skidding to a stop just in time, Daring Do looked back at her pounding predatory pursuers and knew she had no choice. With leap fueled by desperation, she launched herself from the edge of the cliff and grasped a vine, looping it around her as she swung over the gargantuan ghastly gorge. Her golden compass rose cutie mark glinted in the sun as she spun to salute her feline foes. Safely landing on the other side, Daring finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. She turned around to find herself face to face with the long lost temple that she had sought tirelessly for over sixty days and nights!
chapter 4: you know gymnastics, right?View OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 4: you know gymnastics, right?Daring pressed forward and climbed the stairway of the temple. The oily flickering torches cast eerie moving shadows on the walls. A smell of decay and danger hit Daring Do as she peered into the dimly lit entrance of the ancient temple. As she walked down the entryway she felt a cobble shift slightly under hoof and heard a jarring smack of stone striking stone. Throwing herself to the floor, she avoided being sliced by three wicked-looking throwing axes. A slight ticking sound warned her a split second before a fiery maw opened beneath her. Daring managed to grab the edges and flip forward, barely avoiding the flames that came shooting out. From above, a series of vicious alligators swung down snapping at her mane, trying to get a bite to eat. ‘Seriously, who puts alligators in the ceiling? That's insane!’ our tired traveler griped internally. Pulling herself along just barely out of their reach, Daring slid on her stomach past the gators, but before she could catch her breath she had to leap over an axe arching toward her in a pendulum of death. Running forward she just managed to dodge a series of deadly darts that came flying out of the wall. She almost met her untimely demise when a spike from a hole in the floor shot out, trying to impale her onto the ceiling. Looking ahead, our intrepid explorer saw the stone door sliding down, threatening to bar the path forward. With a desperate burst of speed, Daring Do dashed forward, sliding toward the door, but her momentum gave out halfway through the doorway. With a grunt, Daring pulled herself through and just avoided being crushed by the heavy stone slab. Safe! Or was she? Growling an oath under her breath she looked around as the hallway she found herself in quivered and crumbled, the end already partially blocked by yet another sliding stone slab. Another corridor? Ugh. Wasn’t there a rule about only having one of these per trap-infested obstacle course? *** Daring rushed past the stone slab intent on crushing her, finally past the second hallway. She quickly brushed off the darts her hat had acquired in the last hallway and took her bearings. Daring Do stood at the entrance to the central temple chamber. At last, she was face to face with the legendary sapphire statue! The light from the skylight ceiling shone on the startling sapphire stone as Daring Do pondered what her next step would be. Riiiight. Just across the room. Daring thought, eying the walls intently. And those arrow-sized holes in the wall are just for ventilation and the huge Doom Masks are just for show. Looking at the floor before her she saw a series of varying images inscribed on each tile leading up to a series of stairs connected to the pedestal. She kicked a stone onto the tiles and watched as arrows came flying out from the holes in the walls. Each tile had a different picture of some kind of animal: dingoes, jackals, wolves, rats... "Huh, there must be a pattern here. What do all these animals have in common?" the tan Pegasus said pensively. Trying to figure out the pattern proved to be a different kind of challenge from the rest of the temple. "AHA! These animals are all predators, except...RATS!" Lowering one hoof on a tile with a rat etched on it, she gingerly closed her eyes. Opening one eye, she let out a relieved sigh, knee still intact and theory proved. Hopping from tile to tile, she slowly made her way toward her goal. Reaching the final tile, Daring Do back-flipped onto the stairs with a triumphant grin. Taking off her hat to let out some of the heat that had been collecting under it, she looked up at the beautiful carving in awe. Donning her hat again so as not to drop it, she carefully studied the pedestal, looking at it first from one angle, then the other. Finally coming to a decision, Daring gripped the priceless statuette with her mouth and snatched it off. “No point avoiding the inevitable,” she said to herself. Daring stored the statuette under her hat and started to set off when she heard a grinding series of clicks coming from behind her. Eyes widening, she whirled around to see a slender pillar of stone sliding up from the spot where the statuette had sat. Before she could reach it, the cylinder fell back into the pedestal. Turning back to make a speedy trip across the floor, she watched as it crumbled before her into a pool of lava.
chapter 5: daring's escapeView OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 5: daring's escapeThe walls started to quiver and quake, sending plaster and masks falling below into a heap that was quickly being consumed. The heaving, fast-rising pool of lava forced her back up the steps and higher onto the pedestal. The hot air seared her hooves as she reached the top, finally out of places to climb. As the stone started to melt beneath her hooves, she jumped from the pedestal to one of the toppled giant stone masks. As she ran up along it to the hole that was letting in the blessed sunlight and reached the edge of the mask, a chunk of rock suddenly gave way, almost sending her hurtling into the lava. Only her expert balance saved her from a quick and fiery death. Steadying herself, she leaped from the top of the mask, moments before it too was consumed entirely by lava. Barely able to grip onto the side of the lip of the sunlight, Daring Do flailed helplessly for a hoof hold. A ball of superheated air exploded beneath where she was hanging, sending her, rock, and ash flying through the air. The blast thankfully threw her clear of the ash and other debris, dropping her painfully onto a dirt path, the statuette then coming loose and bouncing a few feet away. Suddenly, a familiar massive green paw slammed down right next to the statuette. There stood the most hideous creature Daring Do had ever encountered, her arch nemesis, Ahuizotl. Looking like a cross between a monkey with a dog’s rear legs with a hand at the tip of his tail, a jackal with eyes at the tip of his snout, and a shark, this beast was at least twice the size of a regular pony, maybe even larger than Celestia herself. "You thought you could evade me and capture the relic for yourself, but you were sadly mistaken, Miss Do!" boasted the beast. "And now, you shall meet your DOOM!" he said theatrically. With a flourish, he pulled out a whistle shaped suspiciously like a cat. Blowing a few notes he summoned the feline foes Daring Do had so recently evaded. Laughing maniacally, the beast savored his absolute victory. After being dragged into a non-destroyed part of the horrid temple, Daring Do was tied to a sacrificial altar. "You won't get away with this Ahuizotl!" she cried in defiance. "But I already have!" he sneered. Heading for the entrance, he pulled a very conspicuous lever. Suddenly the walls began to shrink. Ahuizotl quickly herded his minions out the door, secure in the inevitable fate of his nemesis. And with good reason. As the walls closed in, spikes came jutting out and spiders scurried out onto the spikes. "Quicksand!" she said as it poured quickly from the space left around the spikes. An ornate golden medallion near the top of the room slid out, letting through an army of snakes. “So, to recap, sliding walls with spikes, spiders, snakes and speedy soaked sand.” Things were definitely looking grim.
chapter 2: daring doView OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 2: daring doJune 30, 1978 Holy cow! That crash landing a few weeks ago got to my wing! I have no idea how to GET OUT OF HERE. Anyway, this kid Scootaloo is really helpful. She can climb trees and pick bananas, and she is a good builder! The only problem is, she doesn’t have her cutie mark yet! It must be hard for her at school. I remember when I was little, last in my class to get my cutie mark and had the title of “blank flank.” Maybe that’s her life. She’ll probably get her cutie mark here. Yours truly, Daring Do. *** We have been stuck in this jungle for 59 days! We were just finishing our “camp” until Scootaloo had gone missing. “Scootaloo! Scootaloo where are you!?”OK this is bad. “Scootaloo come back here, I’m serious!” no reply. I looked in the tent, but Scootaloo was NOT there. I ran and ran all over the place, even if it’s boiling HOT, I RAN THE FASTEST I COULD! But Scootaloo was nowhere to be found. Oh what have I done? I thought. letting a little filly walk to get bananas by herself? Why am I so stupid!? Just then I saw a little glint on the ground. What was it? I picked it up. It was a heart locket. The same heart locket that I saw scootaloo put on her friends! Could it be? Nah. Scootaloo would never do that. Would she? *** I wish I could kill myself right now. Did Scootaloo really bring her friends with her? I wish not. They could have been kidnapped by, Ahuizotl. Yes, my arch nemesis. It could be possible so I have to find where he is hiding. Before it’s too late!
chapter 6: saving scootalooView OnlineDaring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stonechapter 6: saving scootaloo“It feels like the harder I struggle, the tighter the ropes get!" Daring Do said as she tried to worm her way free. Suddenly, inspiration struck. Flipping off helmet and gripping it with her teeth, she sent it flying toward the lever with a snap of her neck. Gasping a final lungful of air as she was about to go under, she thought she saw the helmet strike the lever, but was it hard enough? Slowly, the sand, spiders, snakes, and spikes all receded. "Phew, that was a close one," she said, knocking sand from her ears after finally pulling free. The stone slab that had sealed her in the room began to rise and she wasted no time in getting out. "Another day, another dungeon," she quipped as she waltzed out. *** Sitting on his throne of stone, the mighty Ahuizotl stroked his white cat as he gloated over his latest acquisition and victory. "Mwahahah! With Daring Do out of the way the world will suffer mightily at my hands! I AM VICTORIOUS! MWAHAHAHAH!" The great and mighty Ahuizotl was suddenly shocked to find his tail-hand empty of the treasure he had so recently acquired. “You’ll never get away with this!” yelled scootaloo, with the cutie mark crusaders as they were surrounded by the big cats. But Ahuizotl never had it coming. "I'll take that!" declared Daring Do, as she swung by on a vine. Nodding her head to her foe, she finished her swing to the top of a nearby cliff. "What? Noooooooooooooooo!" cried her former captor, bereft of his victory and his prize. "Better luck next time Ahuizotl," she said from atop the cliff, resettling her hat. "CURSE YOU, DARING DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" And so, with Ahuizotl defeated and the Sapphire Statue secured, the world was safe and sound once again, thanks to Daring Do! *** Or was it?