It had been a crazy day. At least that was what Quibble Pants thought. One minute, both he and Rainbow Dash were at the ‘Daring Do Convention’ arguing about the later series of books, and then suddenly they ended up being on a real Daring Do adventure, meeting the real Daring Do and helping her find the seven-sided chest of Chicomoztoc.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if A.K. Yearling featured us on the cover of her next book!” Rainbow Dash boosted to her new friend as they made their way back to the Daring Do Convention.
“I didn’t even think about that.” The stallion admitted. Although he and Rainbow Dash had different opinions with the later Daring Do books, the thought of being on one of the covers would be quite cool. After all, his new friend had apparently been on an adventure with the treasure hunting pegasus before and was on the cover of Daring Do and The Ring Of Destiny. He then began to recall how he was first introduced to the series. “Hey, Rainbow Dash?” He asked. “Did you know that A. K. Yearling once actually made a Daring Do book for colts and fillies?”
The cyan coated pegasus thought about it for a little bit. “No,” She answered. “I don’t recall even hearing about it.”
“I thought you would say that,” Quibble said with a blush. “After all it’s currently out of print, so copies of it are very hard to find. Believe it or not though, I still have a copy of it!
This made Rainbow Dash gasp! “Wait, what?!”
“It’s true!” Quibble declared. “And that book in particular not only played a huge role when I was a little colt, it was also my introduction to the series! It’s kind of embarrassing though. Dar… I mean A. K. Yearling herself kind of disowned it and hasn’t acknowledged it.” He then began to tell Rainbow Dash the story of how he was introduced to Daring Do.
When Quibble Pants was nearly three and a half years old, he was learning how to read. He had also been undergoing potty training a few months. His parents were quite surprised when they discovered that he loved adventure stories. They would sometimes read to him whenever he was sitting on his training potty, which he would use without any issues.
But one day, when the colt had to go, everything was about to change.
“Quibble, you've been doing a great job with your training potty,” Mrs. Pants said as the three earth ponies were inside the bathroom in their Manehattan home. “But now, your father and I think that it’s time for you to use the big pony potty instead.” She then pointed a hoof at the porcelain throne.
Quibble gasped as he eyed the toilet. “But how can I get up onto it? It’s so big.” He asked even while pulling down his pull-up.
“Don’t worry,” Mr. Pants answered as he moved a step stool next to the toilet. “You can use this. And we got a special seat just for you. That way you won’t fall in. You know by now that the big pony potty doesn’t eat foals. You’re perfectly safe.”
The colt knew that was true despite what he’d once believed. So he made his way up onto the toilet. Once he was sure that his rump was positioned over the bowl properly, he sat down on the seat with his hind legs dangling over the edge. He felt so small.
“And that’s not all!” Mrs. Pants declared as she then eagerly presented a book to her son. “We also brought you a new book. While you’re waiting to go, you can read it to pass the time!”
This made Quibble’s eyes widen. He liked the idea of reading quite a bit. And a brand new book always fascinated him. Taking said new book in his hooves, he studded the cover. It was titled: ‘Daring Do and the Temple Toilet’. It featured a light brown coated pegasus filly with ruby eyes. She was wearing a hat and a light green shirt. Her cutie mark was a green-and-gold compass rose. She was apparently inside a temple, sitting on what appeared to be a gold toilet.
Without any hesitation, the earth pony colt opened the book to the first page and began to read to himself while his parents turned away to give him some privacy.
As he made himself comfortable, Quibble Pants found himself liking the book more and more.
The story involved the titular Daring Do looking for treasure inside a mysterious temple. A temple guarded by an earth pony stallion called the potty training king. In order to earn the king’s treasure, she had to prove that she was a big pony by using a shiny, gold toilet. She had to do it all by herself. But she wasn’t afraid, she effortlessly scrambled onto the seat with a flap of her wings and sat down. She was Daring Do, she wasn’t afraid of anything!
While he was reading, the little colt suddenly felt his tail hike upward and so he started to relax. Within seconds, he heard the familiar tinkling sound followed by some splashing water. Soon afterward, a familiar smell filled the air. But he kept on reading, so fixated on the story of this brave little pegasus who could conquer a giant toilet in a strange temple all by herself. He only wished he could be that brave.
The story’s end was probably predictable given the title and who it was meant for, but Quibble enjoyed it just the same. Daring Do conquered the toilet with the greatest of ease, earned her treasure (and her right to be called a big pony) and exited the temple eager to embark on her next adventure. There were bound to be other temples to conquer, toilets or no toilets.
Just as he finished the book, Quibble was certain that he was done. He then gave his parents the signal that he was ready to be cleaned up. And his mother did this using some toilet paper, which was tossed into the toilet bowl afterwards.
Now all the earth pony colt had to do was to flush the toilet. That was always his favorite part, it was how he’d come to learn he had nothing to fear from the big pony potty. After his pull-up was back on, he was lifted off the toilet seat by his father who moved him closer to the silver handle. Without any hesitation, Quibble placed both his front hooves on it and pressed it down.
FWOOSH!
As the toilet flushed loudly, Quibble Pants smiled as he saw the water in the bowl rise while it started spinning around and around. He watched as it spun faster and faster, turning into a dizzying whirlpool. Everything was sucked down through the hole at the bottom, going into the pipes. Seconds later, the water swirled down the drain and disappears. There was a strange gurgling sound and then the water returned, being crystal clear as it slowly began to refill the bowl.
“Well, Quibble, did you like the book?” Mr. Pants asked as he helped his son wash his hooves.
“Un-huh,” The little colt answered. “I like it a lot! I wanna be just like Daring Do when I grow up!”
Returning to reality, Quibble Pants couldn’t help but dreamily sigh. “Yeah, those were the days,” He concluded with a giggle. “Afterwards, my parents would read ‘Daring Do and The Quest For The Sapphire Statue’ to me as a bedtime story. It was one of the best moments I ever had growing up.”
Rainbow Dash was left almost speechless. “Gosh, Quibble,” She remarked. “I know that you said that my introduction to Daring Do was crazy, but I… I really don’t know what to say,” She then wondered. “I wonder if there’s anypony else was introduced to the series the same way you were. Although, come to think of it, I think I remember my parents reading me something similar to that Daring Do book when I was in potty training. Maybe it was the same thing?”
“It’s quite possible, maybe they still have a copy?” The earth pony stallion told the speedstar pegasus as they continued their walk back to the Daring Do Convention. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll find somepony who has the same opinion with the later Daring Do books.”
“Now that would be interesting,” Rainbow Dash declared. “But I wonder why would A. K. Yearling would write something like that? Maybe that was her first adventure?”
“After everything else I’ve experienced today, that would be the most believable thing of all actually,” Quibble Pants commented. “A child’s imagination can make anything seem strange and wondrous. She probably based it on her own potty training experience as a child or something, just changing a few details to protect her reputation.”