Learning to Love: A Daring Spectrum of Apples

Chapter 1

Rainbow smiled sleepily as she awoke from her mid-morning/early afternoon nap and rolled over. She hadn't awaken normally...What woke her up? "Hello?" She sat up and rushed to her bedroom door and paused. Someone was in her house? She slowly opened the door and snuck down the hall, her belly to the ground, creeping around the corner to look down the stairs. Standing in her living room with her flank to her, was a brown pegasus with a green shirt and brownish pith helmet, curiously looking around. "Hello? I'm looking for a pegasus named Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow bit her lip then slowly moved down the stairs and peeked over the railing and frowned.

"Who are you?" The pegasus turned and grinned.

"Ever read ‘Daring Do’?" Rainbow cocked her head to the side in suspicion and nodded slowly. The pegasus puffed up her chest and grinned. "Well my parents wrote the books about the adventures I've been on."

Rainbow's eyes widened and she said, "Wait you're Daring Do?" The pegasus nodded and grinned as Rainbow squealed and bounced around. Daring Do was in her house! The Daring Do!

"I'm still suspicious..." said Rainbow as she felt the cold hand of unease crawl up her spine.

"Rightfully so my dear. How about we talk to my former assistant, Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight grinned as Daring flipped, twirled and practiced Hoof to Hoof combat around them. "Sorry Rainbow, but it's true. I used to be her assistant before Princess Celestia had me ordered to return to the castle. We went on many adventures together. I thought the books would appeal to you since you liked danger. I was a bit rebellious back then. By the way, where have you been Daring?"

"Oh just in the deserts of the Griffin Empire looking for the Griffin Chief's Daughter." Rainbow tuned out Twilight as she rambled off facts and other stuff, preferring to watch Daring do more exercises, or rather watching her drink some tea. Daring grinned and was about to speak when a yell came from behind them. They spun around and Daring jumped out of her seat. "Look!" A baby carriage rolled down a hill at a dangerously fast pace and Rainbow smirked. She readied to get up but Daring was already in action. She flared out her wings and shot forwards and towards the carriage, a grey scale rainbow following her. She crashed into the carriage and snatched the child up as it flew through the air. She flew up then flared her wings out again, floating in air. She glided down and landed, bouncing slightly. She looked around and trotted up to a distraught mother and handed her the baby. "Here you go ma'am. Try to be more careful next time."

"Oh thank you! What's your name?" Daring grinned and turned away.

"Daring, Daring Do." She looked over her shoulder at the woman dramatically and the woman swooned, Daring shot into the air then free fell to her seat. She landed gracefully and lifted her cup, taking a deep sip. She looked at Rainbow and giggled at the awestruck filly, mouth still agape. "Dear, you should shut your mouth before you catch flies." Rainbow's mouth snapped shut and she squealed, beginning to bounce around Daring and Twilight. Daring smiled and looked to Twilight, who smiled tiredly back. "Twilight, I am here on the insistence of the Princess to find the legendary statue of infinite energy, or the Statue of Pony. It’s said to corrupt any wild creatures in vicinity of it, turning them into intelligent beings. Corrupt, but intelligent beings.” she said, before pausing for dramatic effect. “The Princess thinks my old nemesis is going to go after it." Twilight nodded, frowning slightly.

"So you need my help?"

"If you don't mind that is. I also need the other Elements of Harmony to help. Just as a fail-safe. The Elements should be able to cleanse the statue if the power becomes too much." Twilight nodded and used her magic to grab Rainbow, holding her a foot off the ground.

"Rainbow, go get Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity right away!" Rainbow squealed and saluted, shouting, "I'll be back in ten seconds flat!" She took off, kicking up a cloud of smoke leaving behind a chuckling Daring Do.

"She's an excitable one huh?" Twilight nodded and trotted into her house, looking back briefly.

"Coming Daring?"

"Ah yes. We have much to catch up on don't we?"

Sure enough ten seconds later, Rainbow was bouncing around outside the library while her friends looked at her in confusion and irritation (Pinkie was happy but she always was). Pinkie looked close to joining in, while Applejack was close to bopping her one for interrupting her work. Rarity was trying to get her wet mane dry while Fluttershy tried to help. "Rainbow what's going on?!" Snapped Rarity while Fluttershy toweled off her mane. Rainbow stopped mid-bounce to knock on the library door but flew out of the way as it was ripped open and Daring rocketed out, head first. Daring hit the ground hard then rolled before bouncing to her feet, grinning like a maniac.

"Great throw Twilight but next time, try to aim for a window!" Twilight trotted out and grinned, saying, "Sorry. I'll aim for the big window next time." She flushed bright red when her friends looked at her in shock and confusion.

"Um, sorry guys. Everyone come in. We have much to discuss.” Rainbow rushed in grinning, while the others followed her at a more leisurely pace. Daring walked in and grinned.

"Wonderful! Now that you are all here, I must tell you about the Statue of Pony! Under the decaying kingdom of the Pony Sisters houses a tomb where the Statue of Pony rests. Crafted by Princess Luna from a dying star and heated on the sun itself. Cooled in the Cecil Sea. The statue was created as a gift from sister to sister. Princess Luna creating the Statue of Pony and Princess Celestia creating the Statue of Eternal. When Princess Luna was corrupted by Nightmare Moon the Statue of Pony gained corruption too. Nothing was special about it before but after the corruption it became intelligent, more magical and very dangerous. To protect her subjects Princess Celestia sealed the statue under her grand city and left it to rot and disappear. She headed to New Canterlot to begin anew but she never counted on the statue being indestructible."

"Why would she want it though? It's a dangerous item of destruction."

"It might be because an old enemy of mine's is after it. He's pure evil so I don't think the idol will corrupt him, only give him more power. We can't allow that to happen!"

"But why ask us for help? We're only a few mares. I can see if you ask Twilight but why the rest of us?" Everyone looked at Dash in shock then at Daring, grinned. "I called upon you all because you guys are the Elements of Harmony! If I should fail I need a back-up. Plus having back up on sight would be better than going in and getting my ass kicked and having the statue corrupted further. Are all of you in or out?"

The Elements looked at each other but Rainbow yelled in excitement, "Me!" Twilight grinned and nodded her head. "Me too." The others nodded an affirmative, Fluttershy was trying to shake her head but Pinkie forced it into a nod, and Daring clapped her hooves, a wide grin on her face. "Fantastic. Tomorrow we leave just as dawn arrives. If it is alright with you Miss Dash, I will stay with you. I would love to see how a pegasus house works since I'm always moving." Rainbow nodded, practically drooling at the thought of having an idol of hers in her house, and Daring gave her a sheepish look. Such an excitable mare.

Rainbow peeked into the room to see the mare of her books obsession (and we-dreams! Just dreams!) doing push-ups. Rainbow bit her lip, a bit red in the face from her internal argument, then moved back, shutting the door. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves then knocked on the door softly. "Come in." Rainbow poked her head in and smiled at Daring.

"Dinner's done." Daring grinned and nodded to her. She jumped to her hooves and they trotted down stairs, heading to a small table near the kitchen. They took their seats and Daring began to eat, while Rainbow bit her lip and drifted. Part of Dash hoped she didn't poison the other mare from her cooking, she never cooked so she was a bit nervous. "So, Daring..." Dash began as she drifted, she wasn't used to silence she usually kept music on while she ate. Her unfinished question caused Daring to look at her, with a gentle smile.

"Yes?" Rainbow blushed as her voice, high class and smooth but lacking the snootiness, washed over her and looked down to keep from showing the other mare her burning face. Oh buck, what do I say?! Dash thought as she hung her head.

"Um..." Rainbow grew silent from nervousness and Daring smiled slightly, sensing the other mare's was probably embarrassed about something.

"I heard you've pulled off the Sonic Rainboom?" asked Daring, in an attempt to salvage Rainbow’s dignity. Rainbow smirked and nodded, feeling her confidence rise from the ashes. She puffed up her chest and smirked at Daring, her confidence now to a manageable level.

"Pulled it off twice actually!" Daring raised an eyebrow and whistled softly then took an other bite from her food, not seeing Dash cringe. Okay she really hoped she didn't poison her or herself for that matter.

"That's simply amazing." Rainbow flushed and her smirk morphed into a grinned as she nodded, her confidence giving her strength she need to not spaz out again.

"So Daring, what made you start treasure hunting?"

"It’s a funny story really; I started doing dangerous and reckless stuff as a filly. I was always different than the other fillies in school in more ways than one. I was the only school filly with an unusual grey scale rainbow mane. I loved adventure and danger more than school but I kept my grades up. Keeping my grades up became more of a hobby than anything else. Kids picked on me but avoided me at the same time. I could hold my own in a fight so that contributed to the fact that fillies and colts my own age didn't want to come close to me, lest they get on my bad side. I was usually all alone until one day one of the kids got his bag stolen by some older ones. I told him I could get it back and after a terrible adventure style rescue, I did. I impressed the other kids and gained friends but shortly after that I began to travel a lot with my mother and father. After travelling with them for a couple months, I got a job at the local museum. One day some robbers stole an artifact from the museum I was working at and I chased them down. I got the artifact back and returned it to the curator and got promoted to head security guard. Working in the museum inspired me to become an archaeologist and the rest as they say is history." Rainbow nodded slowly in thought and Daring smiled at her, hoping the mare would keep her confidence.

"So what do you do Miss Dash?"

"Dash is fine Daring. I'm actually just a weather mare." Daring smiled and cocked her head to the side, looking close to giggling.

"No offence, but that sounds rather boring." Dash chuckled and nodded, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, her blush appearing yet again.

"It really is." Daring laughed then finished her food, slowly getting up.

"Do you need help with the dishes?" Dash shook her head and Daring nodded then excused herself from the room to get some stuff prepared. Later as Dash lay in bed, she rolled onto her belly and looked out the window to her right grinning, she was so excited!