//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: "The Presentation." 
// Story: Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do And The Raiders Of Atlantis 
// by XombieSlayr 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 1: "The Presentation."

The Manehatten Theater was next to vacant as, Daring Do sat uncomfortably in her seat, struggling to relax herself in the snug, sequined ball gown she had worn. Her mane was done up in a fancy updo, and an emerald necklace adorned her neck. She didn't like dressing up all prim and proper like this, but she didn't hate it either. Being undercover always made her feel like a spy on a mission. And she was indeed on a mission.

Returning from Kamara Mista, Daring had had Herpy, one of the school's pages and her assistant and friend, dig up all he could on Atlantis and her father's old friend, Professor Atlas. Herpy hadn't found much on Atlantis that she could actually use, but he did discover that Professor Atlas was doing a presentation on Atlantis that same week. Daring hadn't wasted a moment packing up her things and taking the first train to Manehatten with her father's journal tucked in her satchel.

Daring looked around the amphitheater at the ponies that actually did show up to see Professor Atlas's presentation. Real high end society ponies. Dressed in  the fanciest gowns and tuxedos, and gathering in small groups to chat excitedly about things Daring didn't understand (Nor care about for that matter.)

She was surprised to see one of them, a beautiful lavender unicorn with almond eyes and a swirly blue updo, take a seat next to her.

"Exciting isn't it?"  she asked in a sweet voice.

Daring looked confused "Huh?"

"The presentation, silly!"

"Oh! um, yeah it is pretty exciting." Daring answered with a smile. "But, I didn't think anypony actually cared about the presentation. I thought these ponies were just here to dress fancy." She added.

The unicorn chuckled. "I see what you mean. I don't normally dress like this either, but I'm a huge fan of Professor Atlas's work! I wouldn't miss this presentation for the world!"

"Really? So you don't think she's nuts or anything like that?"

"Celestia, No! She's just an eccentric. Some ponies would rather claim shes crazy, then actually consider for one moment that they may be wrong about something." She replied with a smile.

Daring sat up in her seat. "So, you believe that Atlantis is really out there?" She asked excitedly.

The unicorn smiled. "I'm not the sort to say something isn't real, just because I haven't seen it. These stories came from somewhere, my dear. And I believe there is something out there. After all we have magic, so the idea of an underwater civilization isn't that far fetched now is it?"

Daring nodded. 

The unicorn leaned in so Daring could hear her over the chatter in the theater. "My name's Moonbeam, by the way." she said softly.

She stuck out her hoof and Daring shook it. "Daring Do." she replied with a smile.

"I thought as much. A presentation on a grand legend such as this, would've definitely attracted the attention of Equestria's greatest adventurer!" Moonbeam exclaimed.

"Oh no, actually-

"Shh! It's starting!"


The lights all dimmed as the chatter died off. Ponies found their seats and a bright spotlight illuminated the stage. 

A minute passed before professor Atlas finally walked out onto the stage pushing a heavy cart with a projector on top of it. She was a meek and smart looking dark pink earth pony with thick glasses, a bow tie and a messy yellow mane that fell over the left side of her head in a fluffy updo. She had a pencil tucked behind her ear, and a globe of the world for a cutie mark.

She struggled to push the heavy cart to the center of the stage, before she asked for the screen to be lowered.

"Screen, please?" She asked. She spoke in a nasally and thick Manehatten accent.

A screen came down and hit the mare right on the head.

Several ponies laughed. But Daring only felt sorry for the poor pony. It was obvious she didn't have many fans here.

"Thank you" she said miserably, rubbing her head. More ponies laughed, and Daring felt her face get hot. 

She turned to Moonbeam "How can they be so mean to her?"

Moonbeam chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure its all in good fun."

"Good fun?! Their making a fool out of her!"

"She'll be fine, don't worry. They do this all the time!"

Daring could actually feel herself scowl at that remark. She looked back up at the stage, as Professor Atlas had turned on the projector and took her place behind the podium. She tapped the microphone with a hoof and began.

"Good evening Mares and gentlecolts. First off, I'd like to thank you all for coming out here today to hear my presentation." She said with a smile.

"Now let's begin."

She clicked the remote in her hoof, and a slide of a a sunken Icelandic ship flipped onto the screen.

"The legend of Atlantis is by far the most well known and storied of every other legend out there. Walk up to any pony on the street and they'll tell you it was a city lost to the sea, many centuries ago."

She pushed up her glasses. "But the facts, dear friends. The facts can tell us so much more."

She gestured towards the slide of the ship. "In the 12th year before Celestia, An Icelandic shipping freighter reported the existence of an amazing city above the waves. A utopian civilization, possessing technology and knowledge far superior to our own."

A slide of a sketch of an old and wise looking Pegasus with a long white beard flashed onto the screen. 

"The findings of this discovery was, documented by Plato, a philosopher on board the ship. He detailed a society that used agriculture, arts, science and technology that wouldn't be seen again for over a thousand years."

A slide of a hasty sketch of a utopian city flashed on the screen. 

"This is an artist's rendition of how Atlantis might've appeared in it's heyday. Glorious, prosperous and socially and technically advanced. A veritable paradise on the ocean!"

A slide appeared on the screen that seemed to detail a massive disaster.

"Our friend Plato, goes on to say that this great Continent was suddenly struck by a cataclysmic event, so destructive, that it sent the entire Atlantis civilization to the bottom of the sea."

Professor Atlas adjusted her glasses. "Now, I'm painfully aware that there are many in our audience that don't believe in this story. Your saying, Its just a myth, nothing but pure fantasy and legend."

A snobbish colt beside Daring snorted. "Heh, not aware enough to actually give up on this stupidity."

Daring then took this moment to elbow this colt in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the floor.

Daring feigned surprise. "Oh dear! I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't aware of how close you were."

Back up on stage, Professor Atlas had apparently reached the part of her presentation she was most excited about. She was now smiling broadly.

"But I'm afraid this, my friends, is where you'd be wrong."

A slide of several stone tablets each with a different picture carved into them flashed on the screen.

"Five thousand years before the pyramids had been built, Atlantis already had electricity, agriculture, Advanced science and medicine, and magic beyond anything we know of today." 

She paused for effect, as many in the audience began to chat amongst themselves.

Atlas cleared her throat and continued.

"Now what happened to Atlantis? How could such a powerful and advanced civilization have been lost?"

She paused again, as a slide of several ancient inscriptions came on screen.

"We may never know for sure. But what we do know, is that Plato detailed everything he discovered about Atlantis in his dialogue."

She smiled again. "Including, where to find it."

Several ponies in the audience laughed, others booed. The rest chatted with one another.

But Atlas wasn't done yet. "I understand all of your opinions on that remark, but hear me out on this."

She flipped to a slide of a geothermic vent system and several undersea volcanoes.

"While Atlantis did sink, it was never actually described by Plato as having been destroyed. I theorize that the city sank due to a massive volcanic eruption, that sent the whole city in its entirety to the bottom of the ocean."

"Which means that the entire city sank, intact."

Atlas's eyes lit up behind her glasses. "Its still out there! The greatest archeological find in Equestrian history, filled with discoveries that'll revolutionize the entire world, just waiting for some pony to go and find it."

Moonbeam raised her hoof. "And how do you suppose we find it, Ms. Atlas?" She asked.

Atlas seemed taken back. She hadn't actually expected anyone to ask any questions. She shuffled her hooves nervously.

"Well...the location of Atlantis is detailed in Plato's Lost Dialogue." She answered.

Moonbeam continued. "And where is this dialogue, Ms. Atlas?"

Atlas gulped and smiled nervously. "Well its, um lost obviously. But I actually have a lead on where to find-

"I knew it!" A mare in the back yelled out. "She's still just a sham, as always!"

The whole room filled with angry shouts and booing, as others began to stand up and hurl insults at poor Atlas who had taken cover behind the podium, in case anyone threw anything at her.

"She's a hack!"

"A con-artist!"

"A loser!"

"Her glasses make her look like a nerd!"

Daring Do had had enough. She stood up, and shouted over top of the angry crowd.

"WE'LL, I BELIEVE HER!" She yelled, silencing every other voice in the room.

Atlas peeked out from behind the podium. "Y-you do?"

Daring turned to the meek professor and smiled. "I do." she said loud enough for everyone to hear.

A mint green stallion in a top hat, who sat only a few seats down her row, spoke up. "And just who are you, then?" He jeered.

Daring gave him a look that could've killed him. She marched over to him, put both hooves on the arms of his chair, and glared down at him menacingly.

"I'm Daring Do. The Daring Do. And I'd say my opinion is worth a million times that of any of you pompous jerks!" She exclaimed loudly.

The stallion had fallen silent and curled up into a frightened ball.

"Not a single one of you knows the risk or the danger, we go through to deliver facts like these to you. And I'm fairly confident not a single one of you has ever explored a dangerous temple, or recovered a priceless artifact from a tribe of angry natives or done anything besides complain!"

The entire room had fallen silent, and many ponies were now looking down at their feet.

Daring glanced to Professor Atlas. "This mare, came out here because she took those risks. She even risked the abuse you jerks have subjected her to, just so she could tell someone what she discovered!" 

Daring turned back to the crowd. "She's braver and smarter then any one of you! You should all be ashamed of yourselves, for bullying her just because you think what she says is a myth! Do you have any idea how many myths I've brought back to Canterlot University?"

A timid white earth pony in a red dress raised her hoof nervously. "Um...seven?"

Daring thought for a moment. "Nah, it's way more than that. Probably closer to, wait- that's not the point!"

"You all think Atlantis is a myth? Fine! Where's your proof then, huh? Where's your evidence that Atlantis doesn't exist?"

No pony in the audience answered. 

Daring smiled. "You see? There's more proof out there that Atlantis does exist, than there is that it doesn't."

Many ponies started chatting again, all of them taking into count on what Daring had said.

On stage, Professor Atlas wiped away tears, and looked over at Daring.

"Daring? As in, Daren's little filly?"

Daring turned and smiled at her. 

"Professor Atlas, I need to speak with you. About Atlantis."

She narrowed her eyes. "And about my father."