“Yeah, the way things have gone, you’re definitely not an inconvenience.” Rainbow Dash looked out the window to their train car as it sped on its way and added, “Sucks that everypony else was busy, though.”
“Are you really surprised? Fluttershy’s probably busier than she’d like helping with all the new pet adoptions, and Pinkie and Applejack are going to be filling in for Big Mac while he and the Pony Tones are performing all over town.” Twilight sighed and looked to the single stallion among them. “Still, maybe it’s good that it’s just the three of us.”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to bore them to death with the minutiae of Daring Do trivia we all know.” This elicited a laugh from the two mares, and Quiver chuckled along with them. “Anyway, I do appreciate coming along. It’s nice to feel welcome.”
“Hey, you’re always welcome with us.”
A smile. “Thanks Dash.” He leaned back and got comfortable. “So, how’d you get into Daring Do? You strike me more as the sort of pony to catch the movie version.”
“Normally, yeah, but…” Dash shrugged her wings as she gave a nervous smile. “It was a few months back, before Twilight got her wings. I was laid up in the hospital with a bruised wing, and Twilight recommended that I read the copy they had there for folks in recovery. It took me getting bored to pick it up, but afterwards…”
The alicorn grinned. “She was hooked, enough that she tried to steal their copy after they discharged her.”
A theatrical gasp escaped Quiver’s lips as he turned to his athletic friend. “My word!”
The pegasus rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system already. Anyway, I ended up tearing my way through the whole series within the next couple weeks.” She grinned at Twilight and teased, “And it’s not like I’m the only one with an embarrassing story.”
“I find nothing embarrassing about my mother using them as bedtime story material.” Twilight grinned. “Besides, seeing as she was the editor, that meant I got a sneak preview.” The grin turned sheepish as she added, “Not that I’m bragging, mind you.” She looked to the stallion among them and asked, “What about you, Quiver?”
“Well, I guess I’m in the middle somewhere. My first one was the third book, a library copy like Dash, but I was hooked when I read it. Hooked enough to get copies of the earlier two books from my local library after I read it and then start buying them for myself starting with the second trilogy.” He held up a hoof and added, “Hard back copies rather than paperback. Forgive me, but they just feel better in my hooves.”
“So the first one you bought for yourself was Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams?” Dash cackled gleefully. “Awesome! I love that one!”
“It's not exactly my favorite, but yeah, it was a fun book, and definitely worth paying for.” He sunk into his seat and noted, “Even if some ponies didn’t see it that way.” At the curious looks of the two mares, he explained, “My father didn’t see the sense in buying the books if we could just borrow them for free from the library.”
Dash looked at her friend in disbelief. “Has he read them?”
“Nope. He’s content to see the movies.” Quiver frowned and added, “Which is even more of a shame. Chestnut Magnifico might’ve been okay casting for Daring herself so far as looks went, but they did a horrible job with Ahuizotl. He just doesn’t sound right.”
“Yeah, no kidding. The Ahuizotl in the movies sounds way different from…” At a sudden alarmed look from Twilight, Dash quickly amended, “…From how he does in the books.”
“Well, he sees them as tripe anyway. Which is ironic, considering how much of a voracious reader both he and my mother are.” Quiver sighed as he sat up. “You two want to know something? Getting into the Daring Do series was one of the things that sparked my love of reading, and eventually my love of writing. The first stuff I wrote was, well, Daring Do fanfiction. Really crappy Daring Do fanfiction that I’ve beaten myself up over for a while now because of how stupid it was, but still…”
“Quiver, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Twilight smiled encouragingly and noted, “Every writer has to start somewhere, and something tells me that A. K. Yearling would be flattered to know that she inspired a young author.” She grinned sheepishly and admitted, “Besides, it can’t be worse than the fanfiction I’ve written.”
“Yeah, Twilight tends to be kinda dry with her stuff. I mean, the books are good with detail, but her fanfics are, like, ridiculously detailed. Especially when it comes to magical mechanics and stuff.”
Quiver gave a pained expression. “Yeah, that’s a problem.” He then shrugged and added, “I had the opposite problem a lot of the time. Not enough detail, or the wrong details, a complete inability to get Ms. Yearling’s grasp of verisimilitude…” He noticed the glazed look in Rainbow Dash’s eye and explained, “Her ability to make the story seem real.”
“Oh! Yeah, she’s definitely good with that.” She playfully nudged him with one hoof and added, “And I’d say you’ve gotten better at that.”
A small smile answered her. “I’ve had time to practice.”
-
The rest of the train ride was occupied by discussion among the three about their favorite details from the Daring Do series, each having some aspect that they liked the most. While neither of her two friends argued against Rainbow Dash’s enjoyment of them for sheer spectacle and adventure and Daring Do’s never-give-up attitude, both Twilight and Quiver argued for enjoyment of the stories’ attention to detail, with the latter especially enjoying the character development seen throughout the series. The discussion even continued as they departed the train and made their way down a beaten jungle trail towards their destination.
“…Anyway, ignoring the fact that the fans would complain about whomever she ended up with, Daring Do would need to find somepony who was an equal, and so far, the closest we’ve gotten is Doctor Caballeron, and he’s more of a foil. And that obviously wouldn’t work, despite what the shippers think.” Quiver rolled his eyes and gagged. “I’m sorry if I offend, but there’s a part of me that feels like rabid shippers just ruin fandoms. I’m fine with two characters being in a relationship, but I’d prefer it be organic, not forced.”
“Hey, Daring Do staying single would be just fine with me, thanks.” A grin crossed the prismatic pegasus’ face as she admitted, “Though that one bit from Ring of Destiny…”
The stallion waved a dismissive hoof. “Meh. Usually mocking banter is just banter. Besides, a pegasus mare and whatever Ahuizotl is? What would the kids look like? I’d have an easier time seeing…” He stopped, took on an expression of sheer horror, and then gagged and shook his head as he banished the thought from his mind. “Anyway, changing subjects. We’re on the correct path, right?”
“Yep.” Twilight gestured to the path before them and indicated the faint traces of red paint on the ground. “That’s the trail marker described in her letter. Shame that she wasn’t able to meet us at the station – I hope that she’s okay.”
“Hooves crossed.” Quiver paused to reach into his saddlebags and pull out a canteen. After he took a sip of water, he slung the canteen over his neck and quickly trotted forward to catch up. “Anyway, as glad as I am to be here, I hope she won’t mind it. I mean, she’s met you two, but me…”
“Hey, don’t worry about it! I’m sure Ms. Yearling will – ACK!”
Rainbow Dash’s words of encouragement were interrupted as a set of bolas flew through the air and wrapped themselves around her wings and torso. She went crashing down as another set flew towards Twilight and entrapped her as well.
Quiver’s reaction was to immediately look where the attack had come from, and immediately caught sight of a half-dozen native ponies, just the same as those often found in Ahuizotl’s service in the Daring Do books, charging towards them out of the jungle. As one closed in on him, he slung off the canteen in his teeth and swung hard, the metal canister still filled with water connecting hard against his opponent’s skull. He failed to take advantage of the stallion’s dazed state, however, as two more piled on top of him and held him down.
Twilight’s horn charged with magic, but before she could cast any spells, another projectile hit her right at her horn and exploded into a goopy mess. Her horn was completely covered in a semi-clear goo, and she could only struggle as she was gagged, ensnared in a net and pulled onto one stallion’s back.
“Twilight!” Rainbow called out as she struggled in her bonds.
Quiver tried to pull himself free and go to the princess’ aid, only to be harshly shoved to the ground by the stallion he’d beaned in the head earlier. As he grunted out in pain, the wind having been knocked out of him, the group of attackers retreated into the jungle with their prize in tow.
“Twilight!” Frustration was clear in her tone as Rainbow struggled in her bonds and watched their attackers go, but she quickly regained control and turned her attention to her remaining friend. “Quiver! You okay?!”
The stallion struggled to regain his breath, and once having done that, slowly got to his hooves. “I’m starting to get why my dad doesn’t like to travel.” He’d be sore for a while, but pain like this wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He then slowly made his way over to Rainbow Dash as he reached into his saddlebags and produced a small knife. “I’ll be fine. Just find me some painkillers after we figure out what the buck just happened.”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to know!” The two turned back to whence they’d come on the path to find a mare approaching them, her features disguised by a cape-like shawl about her body and a grey cloche hat, with a pair of large red-framed glasses upon her face. Her tone was clearly surprised as she called out, “Rainbow Dash?!”
“A. K. Yearling!” Relief was clear in her voice as Rainbow called back to the newcomer, “Am I glad to see…!”
“What in Equestria are you doing here?!” The mare slowed to a halt and looked from the pegasus to the stallion briefly before she asked, “And who’s this? Are you two dating? Did you decide to show off to your coltfriend to me?”
“Whoa, hang on, Dash and I are not…”
Quiver’s protest was cut off as the author gave him a sharp glare and said, “Zip it, you!” She then turned back to Rainbow Dash and continued, “Seriously, I thought we had an arrangement! Crap like this is exactly why I work alone, it’s getting to the point where you can’t trust anypony to keep a secret anymore!”
“But I didn’t…!”
“Then explain what you’re doing here!”
“We were tricked!” Both mares looked at Quiver in surprise as he shoved the knife into the ground and declared, “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it’s pretty damned obvious that Rainbow Dash was lured here under false pretenses! And if you’d just shut up and listen to us, then maybe we’d get a chance to explain ourselves!” He then carefully grasped the knife with his hoof before pulling it from the ground. “Now unless you think you can do this better, get out of the way and let me cut my friend loose.”
The mare considered him for a moment before she took a deep breath and pulled off her shawl. She then extended a wing and said, “Let me.” Quiver complied as she claimed the knife with one wing and pulled off her hat and glasses with the other, leaving her dressed in only a dark olivine short-sleeved top. She barely started cutting through the bolas’ cord before she turned back and asked, “What?”
Quiver stared at the sight before him in wide-eyed shock as his brain finished processing what his eyes were telling it. As absurd as it was, they swiftly agreed upon the same conclusion, and it swiftly rushed out of his mouth. “You’re Daring Do.” He turned to Rainbow Dash and repeated, “She’s Daring Do.” He then turned back to the mare in question and cried out, “You’re Daring Do!” After a couple seconds, his brain chugged further ahead and he remarked in an awestruck tone, “I have so many questions, but they can wait.” He took a quick breath and quickly explained, “A couple days ago, Rainbow Dash got a fake letter from you in the mail asking for her to come here to visit you and bring her friends with her, Princess Twilight in particular. They invited me along.”
Daring gave him a surprised look as she cut through her fellow pegasus’ bonds. “Really? You’re sure you and her aren’t dating?”
“Dash can do a lot better than me. Anyway, we got ambushed by a group of about seven ponies just before you got here. Six of them looked like locals, but I didn’t want to risk any wild accusations. Anyway, they dragged Twilight off after snaring her in bolas and a net and covering her horn in some kinda goop.”
As the last of the bonds were cut free, Daring stepped back as Rainbow Dash stood up and exclaimed, “They’re the thugs who were working with Ahuizotl the last time we met!”
“And odds are Ahuizotl’s the one responsible for the fake letter.” Quiver looked to Daring Do and explained, “At least, that’s the logical conclusion I’m drawing.”
“And probably the right one.” The adventurer gathered up her disguise and packed it away, then produced her signature pith helmet and placed it upon her head. “You got a name, stallion?”
“Quiver Quill.”
That gave her pause. “Any relation to Penumbra Quill?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
That prompted a small smile. “Good. That mare’s insufferable. Anyway, something tells me there’s a lot more going on here than just a kidnapping.” She waved them onwards with one wing and called, “Come on, I’ll explain on the way!”
With that, she took off on hoof, and Quiver and Rainbow Dash followed close behind.