Rainbow Dash settled down into her cloud bed to enjoy the Daring Do novel she picked up from Twilight. She opened the first few pages of the book, and arrived at the first chapter. She began to read...
“Daring Do crept silently through the forest, hoping Ahuizotl’s minions hadn’t heard her hoofsteps.”
The real Daring reminded herself that she needed to take a break from the typewriter before she got Carpal Hoof. She stared at a copy of one of her many books, wondering how long she could still write under her pen name Adron Ogrid, considering it was just an anagram of her name. Then again, only her sister and their parents knew the truth that Daring Do was not fictional. That her last surname is actually Doo. That her adventures were real.
But, for now, she was inclined to take a break. She tried looking up her sister in the address book, and found she was living in a small town called Ponyville. For some reason, she was still using that childhood nickname “Derpy”.
Derpy tucked her daughter Dinky into bed, ignited her night light with some quick lightning manipulation - her being a weather pony and all - and softly closed the door. As she trotted down the stairs, she heard a giant “BOOM” and glass breaking. Sighing, thinking that Rainbow Dash was pulling another one of her tricks again, Derpy made her way upstairs again, to the source of the sound, her bedroom.
When she looked in, she couldn’t understand what she was seeing at first. It was just a jumble of limbs and wings.
“Derpy, I’m so sorry! I can pay for this to be fixed!” Daring apologized.
“Daring … is that you? Oh, and don’t worry about it,” Derpy said as she helped her sister off the floor.
“We’ll settle that issue later. And yes, who else?” asked Daring.
“Wow. I can’t believe, after all this time. Did someone find out about … the truth?” Derpy asked.
“No, no, nothing like that. I’ve just grown tired of writing, and thinking of more fantastical scenarios to put in my books. I mean, I have fifteen already!”
“Really? I haven’t been keeping up. It’s busy, being a mailpony, you know. It turns out that the citizens of Ponyville send a lot of letters, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the only other place within 50 miles is Canterlot and Appaloosa.”
“So, what are you doing here, anyway?” Derpy wondered with extreme curiosity.
“Hehe, well, I actually came to crash here to think of a few ideas for the next book. Remember how we used to go on such exciting adventures?”
“You don’t think that I want to go out on an adventure, do you? Not if it’s anything like what happened last time. I bet you don’t even share credit of what I do in the books, do you?” Derpy started to blow a fuse as she realized the real reason her sister came.
“I’m sorry, Derpy! This is how I need to make a living!”
“No, Daring, I have a child to raise, and you don’t even give me one percent of the bits! I have more than just myself to raise, you know!” Derpy exploded with anger.
“Oh, I’m sorry, sis. I never thought of it that way. I guess I should give you half of the money...” Daring conceded, on the verge of tears.
“I’m sorry, Daring. I should have been more calm. It was uncalled for to act so angrily, especially with Dinky in the house.”
As soon as Derpy finished her sentence, she realized the pony was already fast asleep on the couch.
The next morning, the mare was greeted with the sound of a little filly's voice.
“Good morning Aunt Daring!” the little filly Dinky said with excitement in her voice. “Mommy baked us some of her blueberry muffins for breakfast! She saved the big one for you!”
“Hmmm?” Daring mumbled, but as soon as she smelled the muffins, she flew off the couch as fast as she could and sat down on the first chair, licking her lips.
“Morning, Daring.” Derpy gave Daring her muffin, and she devoured it faster than Rainbow Dash on an energy drink. “Well, looks like you were starving. There’s this good café in town - it’s called the Sugarcube Corner. Anyway, I’m going to have to be off to work in about ten minutes, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. You should check out Sugarcube Corner if you get hungry, though.”
“Oh yeah, sure. I’ll be fine.”
“Dinky, come on, it’s time for school! You don’t want to be late!”
“Okay, mommy. Let me get my bookbag, and I’ll be right back!”
With that, Dinky and her mother left, each to their respective jobs.
“Ok, where’s this Sugarcube Corner at....” Daring looked at her tourist map to see where the cafe is. “Oh! It’s not too far. Ha, that’s funny. It’s around the corner? And it’s Sugarcube Corner.” She smiled at her own joke, even though it was rather corny. As Daring walked in, four mares started to look at her in wonder.
“Do you think that’s her?” the one with the rainbow cloud mark on her flank asked.
“Nah, probably just a coincidence.” the one across from the cyan mare said.
“Do you have some chocolate cake around here?” Daring asked the pink mare at the counter.
“Oh, what kind of chocolate cake? Chocolate cake with a cherry on top with strawberries under, icing on top of the strawberry with icing made of chocolate, or, oh, do you want chocolate cake with a cherry on top, a strawberry under, and the cake being made entirely out of icing?” the pink mare said. “Oh, my names Pinkie Pie by the way. What’s yours?”
Daring didn’t know how to answer the first question, but she just said “The last choice I guess. And my name...” Daring thought of her penname. “My name is Adron Ogrid. Yeah, that’s it.”
“Really? I thought you were Daring Do because if you were I would be like ‘Oh my gosh wow!’ and I would introduce you to my friend Rainbow Dash who really loves your adventures and...are you Daring Do?”
The four ponies at the table leaned in to hear her answer.
“Fine, you got me. I’m the Daring Do the one and only, very much yours truly,” she chuckled at her own short poetry.
The cyan colored pony with the rainbow mane started to say, “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! It’s her! Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m so excited. It’s just, next to Twilight Sparkle here -”, Rainbow Dash pointed to the pony, “I am so your biggest fan, ever! My name's Rainbow Dash.”
“Well, thank you. I doubt I’ve ever heard such an exclamation. In fact, you might say my writing’s isn’t read by many ponies.”
“Oh, that’s too bad, Ms. Do. Rainbow and I just love your literature,” Twilight said.
“Not many ponies? How can nopony read these awesome adventures?!” Dash asked incredulously.
“Well, that’s how life works. Not many ponies are interested in books nowadays." Don’t worry, Miz Do, I still like y’all’s stories," Applejack said with a nod.
“It’s sad, but true …” said white-colored mare.
“Anyway, I just came here looking for a snack,” said Daring. Almost as if on cue, the pink mare popped up, and said “Hey, come and get your cake!”
As Daring looked on at her treat, she found herself staring at what could hardly be described as a cake. What was there before her was much more of a pile of sugar in different forms. But, that didn’t stop Daring from taking it to her table and eating the whole thing in a matter of minutes.
When she finished her cake, the mares idly talked about herself with her new friends about how life was going, and she told them about how most of her adventures were real, and she just wrote them down with some details filled in.
Just then, a tan stallion that had been sitting a few tables away got up from his seat, pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, placed it on the ponies’ table, and walked out without saying a word.
“Well Princess Luna, we think it’s obvious it’s a map of some sort,” Twilight explained, “But Rainbow Dash and Daring Do here seem to think it’s a treasure map,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes.
“I have not seen a map like this, Twilight Sparkle. If you would like for me to come with you, I would be happy to join you. However, I must say this map seems very similar to our land of Equestria. But, it is far, far more detailed, and seems to show lands neither me nor my sister Celestia have seen before.”
“I’m sorry to say this, girls, but I cannot go with you,” Rarity said, “I have some important outfits to design for some even more important clients. You know how it is, what with my increase of clients this season.”
“Oh and I need to attend to babysitting with the Cakes family, and I need to help around Sugarcube Corner. You don’t know if anypony wants a cake with a pie baked in the middle, or a strawberry cheesecake pudding mixed with cookies, do you? I need to help with that!” Pinkie Pie said, explaining how she must stay in Ponyville.
“Well, we’ll miss you while we’re gone. At least we won’t feel so lonely, with Daring and Luna filling in.” Twilight said.
“Hey girls, we need to get packing now, it’s almost the morning and we need to head out soon.” Daring said with impatience.
“Ok, see you later!” The mares bid each other goodbye, each going their separate ways to start packing for their journey.
End of Chapter 1
