Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do And The Raiders Of Atlantis

by XombieSlayr


Chapter 12: "Deceptions."

Chapter 12: "Deceptions."

Daring felt like she had been standing in that spot for weeks, unable to look away as Moonbeam and the princesses chatted away like long time friends.

She could've said something. She could've warned them. Warned everyone.

But her instincts told her different. She couldn't raise a panic, not here. Not in front of Celestia and Luna.

Surrounded by countless other ponies, Daring knew Moonbeam wouldn't try anything. But being this close to her enemy, made her very uneasy. Daring scowled at her, as Moonbeam continued to wear a fake warm smile, talking with the princesses.

Daring had a mission. And she had to do it. No distractions. Taking a breath, Daring trotted over to the other side of the grand ballroom and tried to let the gentle wafting music take her stress away. And it worked.

Till Moonbeam decided to join her.

To the other ponies, it would seem as if two friends were talking together. And that's exactly how Moonbeam wanted it to look.

"Hello Daring. I hope your enjoying the gala." She said in a polite manner, that hid her biting sarcasm.

Out of earshot, Daring looked straight ahead as she quietly questioned Moonbeam. "What are you doing here, Moonbeam? What are you planning?" She whispered angrily. Daring replaced her scowl with a smile as two well dressed mares in gowns passed the two of them.

Moonbeam didn't bat an eye, but only smiled. "Planning? Me? Now what makes you think that I'm not simply here to enjoy the gala?" She asked, still wearing a calm and poised expression. She was clearly very good at keeping an act up.

Daring narrowed her eyes. "Because you're you and what were you talking about with the princesses?"

Moonbeam chuckled, but then her smile waned ever so slightly. "Don't you pretend like you know me, Daring! You know nothing, about me! About anything! I'm here for my own reasons." Moonbeam said with a lilt in her voice.

"Which are?"

"Oh? You mean the great Daring Do doesn't know something? How disappointing." Moonbeam said in a mocking tone.

Having had enough of Moonbeam's act, Daring finally turned and locked eyes with the wicked mare. "Why are you doing this? All of it. What do you have to gain from using magic you know nothing about? Why are so bent on finding and exploiting Atlantis?"

Moonbeam laughed and rolled her eyes. "And what do you know, Daring?"

Before Daring could respond, Moonbeam continued. She began to pace around Daring as other ponies were too distracted by the festivities to notice the conflict.

"You think just cause you've found a few treasures, and explored some old temples, that you suddenly know how the world works?" Moonbeam said sternly, slowly pacing around Daring. "I know more about magic then any other unicorn alive! And I certainly know more than you ever could." She said with a bragging tone.

But Daring wasn't intimidated. "Why don't you use it for something good then? With your powers, you could help all of Equestria! You don't have to be the bad guy." Daring said, trying to convince Moonbeam to change her ways.

But the unicorn only smirked. "You mean use my magic to be a good little unicorn? To help ponies and learn about the powers of kindwess and fwiendship?" Moonbeam mocked in a high and squeaky voice.

Then she laughed to herself. "Oh please." She said, still smiling from laughter. "All that stuff is meaningless to me."

"But look what its accomplished! Look at the world we live in now!"

"Oh yes, Daring! let us look at this world that you have all "accomplished." Moonbeam rounded on Daring, getting very close to her face with burning hate-filled eyes. "Magic is the most powerful force in our world. And what do you idiots use it for? Moving books and fetching tea. Making rainbows, and raising the sun! Not one of you even has any idea of the true power you could all have, and you all waste it on the most trivial and useless activities in existence! It's sickening!"

Moonbeam's eyes flared, as her horn became enveloped in a black aura. It was subtle though, just enough for nopony to notice, save for Daring whom was directly in front of her. "Every last pony in this world is useless. All I'm trying to do is show them the way to make our society truly flourish. To give them a purpose. To make it so every pony in Equestria can use magic, not just unicorns!"

Her eyes softened but were still cold and mean. "And if that makes me the bad guy...

Moonbeam smiled evilly as her eyes burned into Daring's, who only narrowed hers in response. "Then there is no other role, I would like more."

Daring and Moonbeam exchanged menacing looks. But Moonbeam changed back to her kind facade almost immediately. She turned on the spot to face away from Daring.

"But, tonight: That all will change."

"What??"

"As I said, Daring. I have my own reasons for being here. What yours are, I could not care in the slightest. So go. Go about your business. I won't stop you."

Moonbeam turned with a smile and began to trot gracefully down the hall. But she stopped and turned to look at Daring with a strange smile. "But feel free to try and stop me. We all know how that's worked out for you."

She smirked again, causing Daring to grit her teeth in anger. The unicorn trotted down the hall with the other ponies and was gone, leaving Daring alone with her thoughts in the ballroom.

She stood there for almost a minute before she finally sighed. 'Well...I tried." She said to herself. And she had. But Moonbeam's role had already been decided by her. And there was no changing her mind.

Now there was only one thing to do: Get to the courtyard, find the clue that would lead her to Atlantis, and stop Moonbeam.

Daring turned and began to walk down the hall, searching around for the entryway out into the courtyard. As she walked she took in the splendor of the royal palace. Her hooves clicked softly under the sparkling marble floors, as the vast crystal ceiling shined above her. The vastness of the hall was truly something to behold.

"Wow, the celestial princesses really know how to live." Daring commented, passing another golden guard statue.

"Indeed they do."

Daring yelped as she turned back to see a royal guard step out from behind the gold statue. "Are you lost, miss...?

"Mazra!" Daring said blurting out the first name that occurred to her.

The guard raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Daring shuffled her hooves nervously. "Um, my name is Mazra." She said, in a calm tone.

"Mazra? As in, You're the headmaster of the Royal Canterlot University?" The guard said, clearly suspicious of Daring's outburst.

Daring was nervous for a moment, but did her best to become as Mazra-like as she could, so she could fool the guard.

Daring Do had been called to Mazra's office so many times over the course of her teaching career, that she was sure she could nail the headmaster's routine perfectly. (It was at least worth a shot.)

She straightened her posture, lifted her head and tried to look stern and uninterested. "Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" Daring asked, in a very Mazra-like fashion, speaking in a manner that always made a teacher's blood run cold, and burrowing her diamond tipped eyes into the soul of whoever she was speaking with.

Somehow or another this worked, as the guard suddenly looked quite intimidated, and backed up slightly. "N-No ma'am, just wondering if you needed directions!" He explained, looking quite nervous now.

"Oh. Well then, I'm trying to get to the courtyard. Can you point me in the right direction?" Daring asked, returning to her normal manner.

The guard smiled and bowed his head respectfully. "Of course, Ms. Mazra! I'll lead you there right away!"

"Oh. Awesome!" Daring said with an Un-Mazra-like smile.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Lead the way, uh...good sir."

"Yes, ma'am."

Daring followed the guard down the hallway and down a small flight of stairs. She had only practiced her Mazra routine once, when she had to get hold of some particularly rowdy students a few weeks before spring break. Needless to say, they were much less rowdy for that class.

And the rest of the year.

They passed a few guests making their ways through the halls, when Daring spotted the large entryway to the courtyard. Through it she could see the massive garden eclipsed by the large waterfalls in the background. She had made it!

"Here we are Ms. Mazra. Is there anything else you needed?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. That's quite alright. Um, be on your way then."

"Yes ma'am."

As the guard made his way back down the hall, Daring couldn't help but feel proud of herself. And a little guilty for fooling the poor stallion, but she'd apologize after she and her friends found Atlantis and saved the world.

Slowly Daring made her way up the steps and through the ivory gates to the courtyard, where hopefully she would find the answers that would lead her to Atlantis.

And her father.