The Death of Daring Do: The Engine of Eternity

by DuncanR

Bonus Material: Extended Theatrical Ending

The Death of Daring Do Script (2013, April 21)
Segment: Final and Post-Credit Scenes (Pages 112 to 114)
Genres: Action, Adventure
Air Date: Unreleased in theatres


EXT. JANGALA VALLEY REDWOOD JUNGLE - DAY
Skyworthy and two crewponies from the HMS Imbrium emerge from a cable elevator and walk out into the warm, pungent environment of the jungle. They cross the easy terrain, casually glancing at other crewponies exploring the immediate area in a thorough but leisurely manner: they're all using simple tools to gather evidence and examine the underbrush, but it's clear they haven't found anything yet. Skyworthy sees something up ahead and quickened his pace, and the view turns to watch from behind as he comes to a halt beside Derring-Do.

SKYWORTHY

Anything?

Derring-Do gazes down at the ground, scraping a hoof gently against the thick moss and lichen. She looks up at Skyworthy, eyes half-lidded, and simply shakes her head. Skyworthy nods to her.

SKYWORTHY

It was worth a try, I suppose. It's not like

they have social security numbers or

anything.

Derring-Do gazes up at the massive redwood trees all around.

DERRING-DO

A whole culture... a living time capsule from

ancient times. Gone, just like that. Think of

how much we could've learned from them.

SKYWORTHY

There's still the city to find. Or at least,

what's left of it. Think there's anything left

there?

View closes in on derring-Do's face, and her voice lowers to a whisper.

DERRING-DO

Youmgui Taivan.

SKYWORTHY

Pardon?

DERRING-DO

There's nothing there. Nothing special...

nothing in particular.

Skyworth watches her for a moment, but says nothing. They turn back to the elevator, forlornly, and one of the nameless crewponies runs over to them with a small carrying case.

CREWPONY

We found this, ma'am. We thought you

might know what to make of it.

The crewpony sets the case on the ground between them. view switches to inside the box, looking up as Derring-Do peers inside. She removes a small burlap pouch tied shut with twine and decorated with a small wooden carving of a pegasus in flight.

SKYWORTHY

Is that... a pegasus? I thought the Dzunturan

were all earth ponies. That they'd never

even seen a pegasus in their time.

Derring-Do opens the pouch and peers inside. She inhales slightly, and a forlorn little smile creeps over her face.

DERRING-DO

Coffee seeds... awfully nice of them.

SKYWORTHY

Is that all they left you? A cup of joe?

DERRING-DO

I'm not going to brew these, silly. After all, I

do have a perfectly serviceable plantation I'm

not doing anything with. Be a shame to let it

go to waste.

Skyworthy purses his lips, then arches both eyebrows in acknowledgment of the idea.

SKYWORTHY

Think we're done here?

DERRING-DO

May as well tell the lads to pack up and get

ready to move on.

SKYWORTHY

You know, this is the furthest east any expedition

has ever gone. Everypony thought the whole

continent was one big, empty wasteland... and

you just made one of the biggest discovery ever,

right here.

DERRING-DO

Oh, don't you worry about that. There's still

plenty of--

Derring-Do cuts off and catches sight of something off camera. Slow pan of the surrounding environment, stopping as a tiny shrub rustles slightly: A Dzunturan colt, very young, nimbly darts behind the root of a tree: it's only after he moves that we realize he was standing in plain view all along. Closeup of Derring-Do as she nudges her helmet down and smiles.

DERRING-DO

Still plenty of other letters on the compass.

Derring-Do and Skyworthy return to the cable elevator, and the camera rises above. Skyworthy waves and calls out for the workers to pack up their tools, but his exact words are faded and muted as the view becomes more distant. The camera wheels around and dives between the tree trunks, weaving and maneuvering like a biplane, and finally plunges up through the clouds, giving a breathtaking view of sunlight shining through the upper cloud layers in shafts. An extended orchestral version of Daring Do's theme plays, and the view of the horizon slowly fades to black as the credits begin to roll.

EXT. JANGALA GLACIAL TRAIL - DAY
After the credits finish, the view switches back to the cloudy sky from earlier. The camera view is still flying through the air but the movements are smoother now, much less mechanical. There's no music and the only sound is the faint howling of wind. The view dives down through the clouds and into heavy snow that limits vision to no more than a few dozen meters: it sweeps close to the ground without warning, and glides over the surface of a glacier, covered with wavy, wind-blown snow banks. The arctic wasteland goes on for some distance, and massive monolithic shapes loom to the left and right as we pass. One of the shapes draws near and we see several stone pillars sticking out of the snow like a makeshift graveyard. The camera moves faster, sweeping past a massive bronze pendulum and slipping between the narrow spokes of a giant gear. Camera finally slows down and approaches a small heap of stones half buried in the snow. As we stop, we realize there is no absolutely no wind or turbulence and the snowflakes are hanging in the air with an eerie slowness. A rustle of sand and gravel breaks the silence, and a few of the smaller rocks tumble loose. Bleached-white bones begin levitating out of the rubble, coming together to form a partial skeleton that hangs in the air like a clumsily-controlled marionette. There are absolutely no effects, and nothing to suggest a magic spell. Tattered cloth and lace forms around it's body, taking on the shape of a rugged mountaineer's coat. Everything about it seems rail and fragile: some of the bones break free and fall to the ground with a hollow clatter, and the jawbone in particular comes loose on one side and swings a bit. The figure finishes moving, centered in view, and the shadowy sockets of it's empty eyes stare at the camera directly for a few seconds.

PEREZ

Derring!!

The figure throws its head back and screams like a banshee, mad with anguish and fury. She surges up and out of the snow, and her lower body is actually the skeleton of a massive anaconda. She bares a set of long fangs and darts at the camera, as if swallowing it whole, and the sound of her ragged, sobbing voice lingers on.FADE OUT:

THE END

Comments

[nemryn]

Sequel hook!

[BeauZoe]

SQUEEEEEE!!!!!
I eagerly await the time when you decided to write that sequel. Master Story Teller.
I shall now go back and reread everything! Create a beautiful and insightful review, then either post it or PM it to you.
Thank you again!
BeauZoe

[*Rainbow Dash*]

well that was SO AWESOME! but done already......i was thinkin chapter 15 was about half way point guess not

[Rainbow87dash]

Howdy shit!!

[Travolore]

Sequel Alert! Sequel Alert!

[Randomreader-001]

Tattered cloth and lace forms around it's body, taking on the shape of a rugged mountaineer's coat. Everything about it seems rail and fragile: some of the bones break free and fall to the ground with a hollow clatter, and the jawbone in particular comes loose on one side and swings a bit. The figure finishes moving, centered in view, and the shadowy sockets of it's empty eyes stare at the camera directly for a few seconds.

PEREZ
Derring!!

....Ohhhh ....shitakimushrooms.
"The Adventure continues!".....maybe?

[BlueNinja]

I do have a perfectly serviceable plantation I'm not doing anything with.

That assumes your plantation is at a climate suitable to grow coffee.

Everything about it seems rail and fragile

*frail