//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 - Dare and Do // Story: Little Lost Raichu // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Little Lost Raichu - Chapter 20 - Dare and Do “Again, again, and again,” Brandon said with a firm tone, his arms crossed, “you come back to challenge me, only to do the same a week later. You already defeated me in a six versus six battle and earned the Brave Symbol. Yet, you still come back, demanding a three versus three against my Regice, Regirock and Registeel.” He narrowed his eyes. “You already proved yourself as a trainer and showed the strength of your team. There’s nothing else I can give you. What are you trying to accomplish?” Nica kept looking at the Pyramid King with full attention. His face appeared old, but also filled with wisdom and experience, also his green uniform made him look as if he was part of the army. He wore a black belt with six pokeballs, three legendaries among his team. Even after everything she had endured, fighting against such powerhouses felt almost like a nightmare. Despite there being numerous blue seats, as if it was a miniature stadium, no audience outside of the judge was present. With the top of the pyramid closed, only artificial light remained to lit the arena. “I and my team, we have worked very hard towards a common goal, and in order for our ambition to be realized, we must face near-impossible odds and triumph.” Astra pointed at Brandon. “You possess experience and command three legendary pokemon, a perfect adversary that will prepare us for the challenges ahead,” Astra said, giving Brandon a determined look from the other side of the arena. Brandon frowned. “You already bested everyone from the Battle Frontier in Hoenn and have enough badges to challenge the league in Sinnoh. Your team is fearsome and battle hardened, no doubt strong enough to win against the Elite Four.” He pointed back at Astra as if to accuse her of wasting her time on repetitive battles. “I have seen your dedication to achieve victory and the battle spirit of your pokemon. You all may even be ready to defeat the champion. What else is there for you to accomplish by facing my legendary pokemon?” “Defeating the champion isn’t enough.” “Not enough? Let me guess, you want to participate in the Supreme League.” “I still have unfinished business to attend to, but participating in the Supreme League is something I’m looking forward to,” Astra said with a nod. “There’s still half a year before the Sinnoh League, but only one year and two months before the Supreme League. This may be my only chance. I need to be as prepared as possible.” Brandon crossed his arms and turned to the side. “The Supreme League takes place once every five years. It is a large tournament where the winner gains the privilege to challenge the Pokemon Master for his title. Every champion and everyone who has bested Elite Four are allowed to participate.” He sighed and glanced at Astra from the side. “So just like other challengers, you’re after fame. But did you consider what you will do if you achieve it?” His question was answered by Astra's laughter. Confused, he turned around and asked, “What’s so funny?” Nica glanced at her trainer in confusion. Why was she laughing? Astra took a moment to regain her composure and waved her hand dismissively. “Fame? I don’t care about fame, nor do I care about the title of ‘Pokemon Master’.” She placed hands on her hips and smirked. “My true goal lies beyond that. Gaining the title is just a stepping stone.” “A stepping stone.” Brandon smiled. “You certainly caught my interest. Go on.” “While gathering data from libraries in many towns, I found out that the Gym Leaders, Elite Four and the champion in each region answer to the Pokemon Master. Since pokemon are an important part of our culture, this title would give me a lot of influence.” She chuckled. “With such influence, I would be able to fight against the spreading corruption, protect trainers from criminals and weaken criminal organizations to the point where they wouldn’t pose a threat.” She tightened her fists as her hands started trembling. “I will continue my parents work in my own way. Alongside my team, we’ll protect this world from any threat.” “So, you’re not like other trainers. You ignore fame and titles and instead look towards the future. I must say, I like your attitude.” He lowered his hands and picked up one of his pokeballs. “I will assist in the realization of your dream But first, tell me: What benefit is there in fighting my legendary trio over and over? There must be more than just a tough challenge.” Nica kept staring at her trainer, who then glanced at her. “Let’s just say that my partner so far managed to defeat only Articuno and your Regice in one versus one battle, which was your most vulnerable legendary.” She knelt and stroked Nica on the head. “Only after she manages to defeat your Regirock and Registeel with the skills she's learned, will she prove herself worthy of the ultimate reward.” She smiled. “And, if she’s capable of defeating the legendary trio as a Pikachu, there will be nothing we won’t overcome.” Nica gulped and nodded. During her fight against Regice, she found out something odd. While in terms of offensive power Regice was as strong, if not stronger, than Articuno, its defenses were much weaker. According to her trainer, since Brandon abused the move ‘Rest’ for his Regice, the pokemon’s body became weaker. Getting hurt and healing naturally or via the Pokemon Center is a must for a pokemon to become tougher. Abuse of moves like ‘Rest’, ‘Recover’’ as well as potions have an opposite effect, weakening their durability. She looked at the confident face of Brandon. Unlike Regice, his other legendaries had way more durability. Overcoming them with her frail body would be near impossible, with even a single mistake being enough to enter a world of hurt, especially with her trainer refusing to use a Z-move for the sake of challenge. Nica awoke and raised her head in an instant, now sitting on her bed. Her face was covered in sweat and she breathed heavily. Mr. Patrick, the white rat who was sleeping on her belly, fell off from her hasty movement. She massaged her forehead and gave her little friend an apologetic stare. “Sorry…” She carefully picked Mr. Patrick up and stroked him, calming her nerves. The rat nuzzled her paw and squeaked affectionately. After placing her loyal companion on her shoulder, she walked out of her room, stepping into Starlight’s bedroom before climbing up onto her bed and pressing herself between unicorn’s forelegs in search for comfort. While her dreams were but mere memories, experiencing the power of a legendary pokemon while being a Pikachu over and over became too much to bear. With Starlight’s hooves wrapped around her belly and the rat now perched on the side of her head, Nica whimpered and closed her eyes, quickly returning into the world of dreams. With a warm morning smile, Celestia stepped into the dining room with a morning cake on a plate levitating in the aura of her magic. Ever since she fixed her relationship with Luna, she agreed to split what she cooked in half with her and eat it together. This also meant no more wasted food thrown into the trash can. With the cream-covered cake landing in the middle of the long table, Celestia levitated a small knife, cutting two slices and placing them on two plates. Approaching her sister, she sat on a pillow next to her and placed the food before them. “Bon appetit, Luna,” she said cheerfully, only to blink in confusion. “Luna, are you okay? You didn’t sleep well?” Luna looked back at her with black marks under her barely open eyes. Celestia bit her lip. While she was used to seeing the tired face of her sister, this one looked as if she had witnessed horrors out of this world. “Were you… having a hard time dealing with nightmares?” She spread her large wings and placed them on her sister while giving her a glance filled with worry. “Please, dear sister, if something is bothering you, I’m here for you.” Luna sighed and lowered her head. “I often deal with nightmares, some being simple fears, others more horrific, but in the end, they were just dreams.” She raised her head and rubbed her eyes. Looking back at her sister, she asked, “But what if one such nightmare wasn’t just a dream, but a memory? What if horrors that happened were someone’s past?” Celestia kept staring, comprehending her sister’s words. “Are you saying you witnessed somepony’s past in a dream?” The smaller alicorn shook her head. “Not somepony, but someone. I limit my duties to protect the dreams of those in Equestria and only if I sense nightmares. This time, however, it was a nightmare of some sort of very small yellow creature. The experience I witnessed however wasn’t a dream, but ongoing past events.” “And those memories were horrific?” Celestia asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “How horrific?” Luna sighed. “Imagine facing a large and powerful giant in battle. You posses combat skills and powers, but they are outclassed by your large foe. You fight, desperately dodging the powerful hit, only to be smashed by boulders, hit by powerful beams or frozen in ice.” She looked away from her sister and continued in a saddened tone, “After losing, you spend a whole week training and experimenting with new tricks and strategies, only to fight against those giants and lose again. In each rematch, you make more progress and last longer, yet each is equally painful.” Celestia withdrew her wing and raised a forehoof over her mouth. “Weeks turns into months as you keep doing it over and over, and at one point you become so focused and aware of danger that nothing surprises you. So tough that you can stand after many devastating blows, and so strong that even those giants start losing despite their incredible power.” Luna rubbed her wing. “This really happened. Whatever this tiny creature is, it was experiencing its past in a horrific dream.” “I think I know who you’re talking about.” Shocked, Luna looked at her sister and asked, “What? How? Who?” “Twilight Sparkle sent me a few letters telling me how she took a small creature under her roof and started taking care of her. A Raichu named Nica. Her student damaged a seal blocking Nica’s memories, so she started recovering them bit by bit during her dreams.” Luna stood from her pillow and pushed herself into her sister’s embrace. “She endured so much pain in search for power. Poor creature.” “If you wish, I can ask Twilight to bring her to Canterlot so we can meet with Nica personally. Or, you can interact with her in her dreams,” Celestia suggested. “I can’t deny that I’m interested in meeting this creature. While I cannot alter her dreams since those are her memories, the next time she has a nightmare, I’ll try to make contact and cheer her up.” Celestia opened her mouth, but the noise of a slamming door prevented her from speaking. Both princesses looked towards an intruding changeling. Pharynx stomped and shouted, “Princesses, we have a problem.” “Problem? Please speak,” Celestia said, releasing her sister and approaching her ally. She still wasn’t sure if she should congratulate or reprimand her new Captain for letting changelings who once invaded Canterlot to train her Royal Guard. “You let the enemy disguise herself as many different Royal Guards as she probably drained bits of you and your sister’s magic during your sleep. That’s the problem with you incompetent rulers.” Pharynx facehooved. “I swear. If Nica didn’t ask me to train your poor excuse of security, this intruder would keep getting stronger under your very nose.” He pointed out the door. “Now move your flanks and do something, Your Highnesses. I chased her away while my changelings keep track on her location, but she’s too strong for us to take her alone.” Celestia and Luna looked at each other and nodded. They both felt a bit tired after their rest, yet neither suspected their enemy was behind it. It was the time to start a rat hunt in their own domain. “Hey, Nica, wake up. There’s someone who wants to see you.” Starlight tried to rub her eyes, only to feel something soft in the way. Was she holding a pillow? No, pillows weren’t fluffy. Starlight opened her eyes, waiting for the blurry vision to sharpen. “N-Nica? What are you doing here?” She levitated the rat and Raichu off her bed, now keeping them in mid-air as she stepped from the bed. “Ummm…” “Yes?” Starlight gave the large critter a patient stare. “N-nightmare,” Nica said, holding her paws curled under her neck. Starlight nuzzled Nica’s cheek before glancing at Spike, who was standing at the entrance. “Okay, Spike, what’s going on?” Spike took a few steps forward and answered, “I’m not sure. Some very talkative earth pony from Manehattan wanted to hire Nica for a job. He said it was extremely important. I went to her room, and since she wasn’t there, I checked Twilight’s and yours.” Starlight levitated Nica and the rat onto her back. “Let’s find out what’s going on.” She grabbed Spike with her foreleg and concentrated, vanishing in a flash. Starlight opened her eyes, now staring at the earth pony who waited for them outside at the entrance. The double-door being half-open. She examined the stallion carefully. Light-orange fur, a black mane with grey stripes, a green jacket with four buttons, a blue saddlebag on his right side, an unamused grumpy face. Certainly not a pony one wanted to see a minute after waking up. “There you are! You sure took your time, and every second is precious.” Starlight yawned, waiting for her passenger to step onto the floor. “Hold your horses. We have a situation on our hooves at the moment, so we would prefer if Nica stayed with us for now.” “Situation? I’ll tell you what the real situation is!” He walked forward, pressing his muzzle against Starlight’s. “The author who wrote Daring Do is quitting her job! If that’s not a catastrophic situation, I don’t know what is.” He opened his saddlebag, pulling a newspaper out with his teeth before slapping it into unicorn’s face. Starlight groaned before taking the newspaper with her levitation. “And your point is?” The earth pony’s eye twitched. He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scream. After taking a calming breath, he spoke, “You’re one of Rainbow Dash’s friends, right?” “Yes… and?” “Did Dash tell you the true identity of the author of the Daring Do books?” Starlight tilted her head in confusion. “No…” The pony raised his forehoof up to the side of his mouth and whispered, “Daring Do is real, but don’t tell anypony.” Starlight pushed away from the stallion’s face and spoke up, “Alright, first off, who are you? Secondly, what does this Daring Do thing have to do with anything?” “Oh, right. Sorry for my manners. My name’s Quibble Pants, one of Daring Do’s biggest fans. Not long ago, I found out that Daring Do was real and that Rainbow Dash was her friend.” He approached and poked the levitated newspaper. “The problem is that, if A.K. Yearling is going to quit writing Daring Do stories, it means that Daring Do is most likely going to stop adventuring.” He stomped, now glancing at a confused Nica. “If Daring Do stops having adventures, who will stop the evil and somewhat stupid, predictable villains from finding and using dangerous artifacts? I want to find out what happened and help, but the journey may be filled with danger.” He poked Nica’s belly. “Listen here, heroine of Manehattan. I have heard and read how you took down the mob. I want to hire you as my bodyguard.” “Well… I wish I could help, but I may be needed here…” “I’ll pay a hundred bits, no, three hundred,” Quibble said, his face on the highest level of seriousness. “Five hundred!” “It’s not about the bits,” Nica responded, taking a step back. “Then how about principles? You have a chance to help me help a pony who saved villages, dispelled curses and wrote… questionable… but fun stories. Still, even if her adventures don’t make much sense and the villains are idiots, they are still dangerous. You can help me save a hero this nation needs and deserves.” “R-really?” Nica’s ears perked up, her eyes widened and mouth opened in a wide smile. “If this pony is really a hero and may be in trouble, I’m in.” “Now, wait a second,” Spike said and crossed his arms. “First, what you’re saying is that a book hero is real, which sounds hard to believe. Also, why do you think she wants to quit adventuring just because she don’t want to write books any longer?” Quibble stomped. “That’s a risk I’m not going to take, that’s why I plan on confronting Daring Do directly and helping her anyway I can!” He dropped to his knees, wrapping his forehooves around Nica’s rear legs while looking at her with pleading eyes. "Please, believe me!" Starlight groaned. Upon seeing a sheepish smile on Nica’s face as she looked to her for guidance, she asked, “You’re not believing him, are you?” “I sensed a lot of desperation and worry, but nothing indicating a single lie,” Nica said. “My changeling friend taught me how to recognize a lie, and Quibble is telling the truth.” “Truth or not, I don’t think taking this assignment is a good idea,” Starlight commented. Raichu freed her legs and held her forepaws together, staring at her with puppy eyes. Quibble quickly took her example. “Ugh… Fine. But, if it turns out to be a waste of time, quit and return immediately,” Starlight commanded, receiving a hug on the neck. “However, since you’ll be going far away, you should pack some bits, food and water for your travel.” “Great idea! I’ll be right back,” Nica said, only to be stopped by Starlight’s hoof. “Wait here and leave it to me,” Starlight said, vanishing in a flash of teleportation. She gathered a few bags of bits, visited the kitchen and packed a few snacks and water bottles before returning to the main entrance, putting everything she gathered into a larger bag. She teleported back to the entrance and levitated the bag onto Nica’s shoulder before embracing her in a farewell hug. “I wish you the best of luck. Come back safe and don’t make me wait too long.” As the large door shut, Starlight walked towards her own room and her ears drooped. As she was about to step onto the stairs, she glanced at the large exit and whimpered. If not for the important research of a cure to that mysterious curse, she would join Nica on the adventure, if only to spend some quality time with her. “...And that’s how my quick thinking prevented Daring Do from screwing up a puzzle,” Quibble said, walking through the forest with Nica by his side, his face firm and grumpy. “Maybe if she paid more attention and spent more time thinking analytically like she did in her first series, she wouldn’t activate so many traps. Also, what’s up with her breaking her wings or forgetting she can fly over and over…” Nica kept looking at her boss, walking on all fours while keeping up with Quibble’s speed, listening with full attention. Her loyal rat friend was perched on her head. After hearing his lectures and complaints for past half an hour, she found his attitude difficult to read. For a big fan of Daring Do, he sure had plenty to complain about her, yet his aura was filled with worry. No doubt he cared about Daring Do in his own way. “And what about Rainbow Dash, what was she like?” Nica asked. “Oh, she was really cool, and she got even cooler after I found out that she assisted in protecting Equestria on many occasions. I also read about her from the Friendship Journal, but unlike Daring Do’s stories, it didn’t have many details about her heroic deeds, so I couldn’t compare their adventures to decide who’s more heroic,” Quibble said, taking a moment to breathe before continuing. “The bad guys she faced seemed to share a common weakness. I mean, was there even a single villain she faced who wasn’t defeated by overconfidence? I mean, why would you just stand in one place and let your opponent charge magical artifacts? Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Tirek… Well, King Sombra did show some initiative with his trap, and it took cooperation between Twilight, Cadence and Spike to defeat him… still, in terms of personality... he certainly lacked one.” “I think you get off track a bit… I hoped you could tell me something about Rainbow Dash. She’s the only one of Twilight’s friends I haven’t met,” Nica said, interrupting her boss. “Oh, sorry. To answer your question, Rainbow Dash is certainly adventurous and gets excited easily. She loves Daring Do stories way more than I do and is a great flier,” He frowned and kicked a pebble on the path to the side. “Still, for a heroine who helped save Equestria so many times, she sure forgets how strong and fast she is whenever she’s on a Daring Do adventure. I mean, she didn’t even fight back against the incompetent brainless minions…” Quibble stopped, turned around and pointed at himself. “And me, I’m just a civilian, not a hero, and I still managed to distract the bad guys, free us, and tell Dr. Caballeron what I think of his stupid plans. I mean, I’m no hero and I still left more of a burn than Dash did.” He stomped, causing Nica to flinch. “To think I thought Dr. Caballeron was a great character with solid motivation and backstory, but when I met him eye to eye, all I saw was a disappointment.” Nica smiled sheepishly, not understanding even one third of his speech. Upon noticing a wooden house form the corner of her eye, she pointed at it. “Is this the house of Daring Do?” Quibble looked at pointed home and nodded. “I’ll be, we’re here already. Time sure passes quickly when in nice company.” “S-sure,” Nica responded, forcing a smile. She followed the stallion who knocked at the door. She noticed a massive grin appearing on his face. “Who’s there?” “Your big fan, Quibble. We met on one of your adventures involving a temple, sand-trap and Dr. Caballeron. Do you remember me?” The door opened, revealing a tannish-yellow old-looking mare wearing a violet cape, grey hat and large glasses. Not really a good first impression for a popular adventurer. “Quibble, what are you doing here?” “A better question is, why are you quitting as A.K. Yearling? And does this also mean that Daring Do is quitting as well?” Quibble asked, his face now displaying pure terror. His eyes wide, mouth agape and tail started shaking left and right. “Why, Daring Do, whyyy…?” He pressed his muzzle against the mare’s one. The mare walked backward and raised an eyebrow. “So you answered my question with a question of your own. How did you know I and A.K. Yearling are the same pony? You never saw me taking off my disguise.” “Pfff… it was easy. As a fan, I’ve had a picture of A.K. Yearling for a long time. Your disguise is rather poor and I quickly noticed similarities between you and the pony on the picture.” He grinned. "Anyone who's ever taken a look at a picture of A.K. Yearling and one of Daring Do should be able to see that they're the same pony." Daring Do looked around before gesturing for him to enter. “Come in.” She turned around, approaching her boxes. Nica peeked inside, examining the decor through the doorway. There was a wooden table and chairs, a simple fireplace made of stone, one door leading to another room and stairs leading to the next floor. The most noticeable things, however, were several bags and opened boxes, as well as several odd-looking objects and maps scattered all around. I must say, not the most impressive and clean living conditions for a heroine. She walked inside, hiding behind the stallion’s rear legs. “Are you really packing all your trophies, maps and artifacts into those boxes?” He approached the closest artifact, a golden sparkling statuette representing some sort of head. “Isn’t this an important part of the puzzle to unlock an entrance into the south-west temple that, according to rumors, is hidden and forgotten in the deepest part of the ‘Jungle of Desire’? According to the legend, whoever tries to enter the temple without this protective artifact will see their deepest desires and refuse to leave until bones remain.” He raised his head and frowned. “Not much of a hidden temple if its location is well-known if you ask me.” He glanced at Daring Do and asked, “This is certainly not something you can send to a museum if you’re planning to explore that temple. Unless… you’re really quitting as both an author and the hero.” Daring sighed and lowered her head. “I’m not much of a hero to begin with.” Nica looked away form the artifact and stared at the disguised mare. The aura of guilt and resignation she sensed was anything but small. The question was, what happened? “If I was a hero, I wouldn’t destroy ponies’ property and ruin their businesses.” She took off her hat, placing on the table next to stack of maps. “I was always so fixated on finding artifacts and stopping the villains that I never paid any attention to the damage I left behind.” Nica looked up at Quibble, seeing his judging stare. “I sense a lot of guilt in her. What should we do.” “Huh?” Daring Do glanced at Nica. “You’re not alone? It’s not like me to lower my guard and fail to notice…” She pointed at her and asked, “Who and what is this creature?” “Oh, right, I forgot to introduce her.” Quibble stepped to the side and pointed at the large critter. “Miss Daring Do, meet Nica. She’s a Raichu. She’s also known as a heroine of Manehattan for helping the police take down the mob, and I hired her as a bodyguard. I already told her plenty about you.” Nica approached Daring Do and raised her forepaw, but instead of shaking it, the mare started to circle around her, examining her features. She lowered her paw and remained motionless, feeling as if she was modeling for Rarity or Coco all over again. “Interesting. I have traveled to many exotic places, from deserts in the south to the Frozen North, yet I’ve never encountered a creature like you,” the mare said before picking up the black part of Nica’s long tail between her hooves. “I come from another continent, I think. I’m still recovering my memories,” Nica said. “Recovering memories?” Daring asked. “Long story. Someone sealed my memories, probably because I saw something I shouldn’t have, but Starlight damaged that seal and I’m restoring my memories whenever I’m asleep,” Nica explained, waiting for the mare to release her tail. “So you’ve been cursed. Sadly, I never encountered any villain or artifact with the ability to seal or restore memories. Can’t help with that,” Daring said before lowering her head, taking a closer look at the collar. “Speaking of artifacts, that thing on your neck is certainly not an ordinary collar. I have a keen eye for objects filled with mysterious magic.” Nica rubbed the back of her neck. “After my power over electricity went out of control and hurt ponies, Princess Twilight and her student Starlight made this for me to keep my electricity in check. Twilight also improved it to let me communicate with other ponies. Maud Pie provided the rare gems while Rarity is behind the design.” Daring Do smirked and raised her head. “You’ve sure made good frie– wait, Twilight is a princess? I never noticed.” She shrugged. “Normally, I would be very interested in learning about a creature who can use electricity, but I am no longer the adventurer I was before. I want to put this life behind me.” She poked Nica’s nose who took a step back in response. “Still, I encountered the mob in Manehattan at one point during my adventures and nearly lost my hide. They are way more numerous and more brutal than minions I often face. Even I would think twice about crossing them, so forgive me if I don’t believe a small creature like you could take them down.” “Oh, really?” Quibble picked up a newspaper from his saddlebag with his teeth and presented it to Daring Do, pointing at the numerous pictures of Nica from different viewpoints. One of her wearing sunglasses and black jacket while standing guard at the entrance inside a clothing store, one of her leaving the store with Coco Pommel by her side, and one of her running next to the train tracks on four paws, all taken by surprise. “Read and be impressed. She beat them up on her own, not long after running into a burning building while saving ponies.” Daring Do took the newspaper between her hooves, reading carefully. After half a minute, she lowered it and looked at Nica, her mouth agape. “You… seriously… beat them up?” Nica nodded. Daring Do gulped and chuckled nervously. “Do me a favor and never become a villain. After my departure, I fear not many ponies would be able to stop you if you did.” “Villain? Me? I would never dare to use my powers in such a disgraceful way,” Nica said with a shake of her head, only to be patted on top of her head. Quibble sat between them with a different newspaper in his forehoof. "Do you mind if I read this?" “Sure… go ahead, read about my failure,” Daring Do said in annoyance. Quibble placed the newspaper on the floor, skimmed it and pointed at specific article. “So that’s what made you quit? Bad press?” “This so-called ‘bad press’ opened my eyes. Never before had I stopped to look at the messes I leave behind,” Daring Do said, only for the stallion’s hoof to seal her mouth. Nica looked between both ponies. For a big fan, Quibble sure didn’t fear being bold. “So, instead of going to the village where you messed up, apologizing for what you did, and explaining the danger—which you prevented—that the ponies were in...” Quibble narrowed his eyes and frowned. "You simply decided to quit, like a coward.” He withdrew his hoof, lowered his head and shook it in disappointment. “Listen. You feel guilty, I get it. But, do you really think that quitting will do anyone good? If you really feel guilty about the messes you leave on your adventures, just pay for the damage and carry on. Causing collateral damage and making up for it is is way better than quitting and letting villains curse towns and harm innocent ponies, no matter how you look at it. To be honest, I expected better of you.” Daring Do opened her mouth, but closed it immediately, her mind now a mess. “You’re a successful author, so surely you’ve earned more than enough bits to compensate the damage you have done.” Nica observed Daring with full attention. The aura of guilt remained, but shifted slightly. There seemed to be something else the mare was feeling bad about at that moment. “How about a deal,” Quibble said, his tone serious as Daring Do looked at him in confusion. “A deal?” she asked. “Yes.” Quibble pointed at the newspaper and then at Daring Do. “I’ll go to that village, pay for the damage you did and do my best to restore your reputation. If I succeed, you’ll continue both as an author and an adventurer.” “W-what?” She stood up and took a step back, her mouth agape. “I can’t let you pay for my mistakes from your own pocket.” “Think of it as good will from your fans,” Quibble said and smiled. “I’m your fan and know your real identity, and I still believe that you can do better. The least you can do is give me a chance. So, do we have a deal?” Daring Do turned around and rubbed her chin, now deep in thought. After a minute or two, she turned around, took off her cape and spread her wings. “You’re on; however, I can’t let you pay out from your own pocket. I’m coming with you.” She picked up her cape. “Though, I better remain disguised for now.” Quibble shook his head and displayed a sassy smile. “We’ll share the bill half and half. I may not look like it, but I have plenty of savings.” “Can I pay one third?” Nica asked, pointing at the bag she wore over her shoulder. “The ponies at the police force and the workers at the mine were very generous.” Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Sure, the more the merrier.” She looked over the room and added, “I better hide the artifacts and maps before we go.” Quibble looked at Nica and said, “How about we help her?” “Help? On it!” Rainbow Dash galloped through the forest with Pinkie Pie by her side, the home of her hero now in view. Once they arrived, Rainbow Dash stood on her rear hooves and peeked inside through the window, but Daring Do was nowhere to be seen. She ran towards the door and knocked. “Yearling, Daring Do, we need to talk! It’s important!” “I don’t think she’s inside,” Pinkie said, looking through the window. “Oh no! Maybe she was captured or locked in the basement!” Rainbow Dash shouted before slamming the door open, looking over the room in search for clues. “If she was captured, don’t you think there would be a mess inside and the door broken?” Pinkie said, poking what was left of the wooden door. “I mean… broken like it is now.” Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip and her ears drooped. She laughed nervously. “I’ll apologise later. It’s an emergency.” She flew upstairs and opened the door into another room. Yearling wasn’t there, so she then visited the basement, flying through the house at great speed. Pinkie sat on a nearby chair and picked up newspapers left on the table, reading while waiting for her friend to calm down. “Hey Dash, look at this.” Rainbow Dash flew from the basement, landing next to Pinkie. She asked, “Did you find a clue?” Her wings flapped nervously. “I did. Look at this,” Pinkie pointed at several complaints about Daring Do’s action. Dash snatched the newspaper and read it, only to start stomping on it a moment later. “How can they spread lies about her like that?” Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno. We can go there and ask.” “Yes, we’ll go there and explain to those ponies how awesome Daring Do really is!” Dash stomped. “Maybe if we restore her reputation, she’ll go back on her decision to quit.” She frowned. “We just don’t know where she went.” “Well, what about this one? Does this count as a clue?” Pinkie asked, pointing at another newspaper. “Nica ran into a burning building to save ponies and saved Manehattan from the mob.” “W-what?” Dash grabbed the newspaper, read it and facehooved. “Oh come on!” “What’s wrong?” Pinkie asked. Dash stood on her rear hooves and spread her forelegs while the newspaper she held fell to the floor. “Two weeks ago when I finally managed to visit Ponyville after a series of Wonderbolt shows, Twilight told me about a Raichu that she took under her care who was now solving a friendship problem. I waited for days for her return to meet her, but she took her sweet time. A few days later I visited Ponyville again, only to find out that we missed each other as she went to Manehattan to work as a cool mercenary. And now, I find out that she was kicking flanks and being awesome!” She started stomping in anger as her face turned red. “Not only is Daring Do quitting, but I still didn't get to know that awesome Raichu. Can things get any worse?” “Well…” “Don’t answer that,” Dash said with a grumpy face before stepping outside. “Hey wait, we need to fix the door you broke before we go,” Pinkie said. Dash groaned. “Fineeee…”