Daring Do and the Crown of Ages

by Fedora


Canterlot, 1935

“I had it Dusty. I had it in my hooves.”

Dusty sighed. He and Daring sat in her now-empty classroom, discussing her recent quest. The room was modest in size and lined with every relevant poster or painting pertaining to the History class’ current unit of study. The semester was nearing its completion, so they were up to recent history, namely the war with Gryphony and its conclusion. Some of the posters represented old propaganda (from both sides of the conflict), others battlefield photographs of ponies decked out in metal helmets and sitting in dirt trenches. Daring had her father’s old helmet sitting on her desk, and next to the board was a copy of the Canterlot Daily from 1918 that read “Victory! Gryphony Signs Peace Treaty!”

“Ahuizotl took it from you, I presume?”

“Yes,” Daring replied glumly, “It’s a shame, usually I figure out how to get it back from him the same day.”

“What exactly happened?” Dusty inquired, “We sent you off with an entire team!”

“Some deserted. Some became mysteriously ill. A couple of them even took an attempt at my life. I don’t know what it is I did.”

“Who were the ones who tried it?”

“A couple of replacements. Just about everypony else was gone when they came along. They came to me, actually. I figured they were locals from the village.”

“You ought to be more careful with who you trust Daring,” Dusty asserted. He paced about the classroom, glancing at the setup idly.

“You end your curriculum with the war?”

“No, there’s about a week and a half left. We talk about the last decade or so and finish up with the economic crisis before the students take their finals. This goes by fast since they’ve all been alive for it, you should see how long it takes to crawl through the rise and fall of Discord.”

“Daring,” Dusty began, “I actually wanted to know about how the trip went in more detail... erm, precise detail.”

“Why?”

“Well, there’s a lot of pressure to get Princess Platinum’s crown. When some of our more... well established contributors got wind of what our next acquisition might be they were intrigued. I’d hate to disappoint them. We’re strapped for cash as it is.”

“Alright, well tell them the crown was taken off by thieves, and that we’re looking into how to retrieve it, there’s nothing hard about that,” said Daring. She loosened up her bow tie and set her glasses down on the desk.

“Daring, I guess I’d better cut right to the chase?”

“Huh?”

“Princess Celestia has personally asked to meet with you and I this afternoon. It’s about this crown.”

****

Celestia’s imposing figure left its impression on Daring as she and Dusty sat across the conference table from her. To say that she was ‘taller than the other ponies’ would be an understatement. As Daring had to relay her account of the journey to her Princess she could feel a droplet of sweat running down her snout from the pressure.

“... and so then when the dust settled, Ahuizotl appeared and claimed the crown for his own. He and his minions tried to kill me by strapping me to a sled and sending me off a cliffside.”

“How did you manage to survive?” Celestia’s soothing voice asked. For a figure so magnificent yet omnipotent, her voice and manner were actually rather calming to hear. It was motherly in a way.

“I..uh... I used my wings and steered the sled in the air. I glided all the way back to the village, and then made my way back home.”

“I see,” Celestia said. She turned her head to the side and motioned for one of her guards to call in an assistant. Through the elegant double doors of the chamber came a amber unicorn holding a large scroll aloft with her magic, placing it gently down in front of her ivory princess before bowing out to depart.

“I know of Ahuizotl, Professor Do, Professor Shelves. I have placed together a map of some of his activity... a princess must know these things about high-profile international criminals, after all. While Ahuizotl is not cheif on the list, smuggling and illegal trade in historical antiquities has warranted his monitoring.”

She waved her glowing multicolor mane at the edge of the scroll, unfurling it upon the conference table so that Daring and Dusty could view it. The map was a political map of the world with countries clearly labeled. A few routes over the oceans and between continents were labelled in bright red, while some photographs of locations had been stuck on. In the continent to the South, for instance Ahuizotl’s jungle palace was pictured and labelled. From there sprung trade routed, smuggling corridors and a whole manner of crime highways for him to take artifacts to and from.

“He has a taste for the powerful, yet only wants to keep those he believes have some kind of supernatural ability,” Celestia explained, “I know not of any kind of supernatural powers of Platinum’s crown, so the reasonable assumption is that he would sell it, correct?”

“Yes your highness,” Dusty piped up, “We agree. That’s been the case a number of times in the past when something he’s stolen has winded up being sold on the market. Sometimes he even pushes them as far away as the Hoofiet Union.”

“I must impress upon both of you the importance of this. It is a major part of Equestria’s history, and to be frank, something that I myself have longed for years to be accessible.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“My intention is to recover that crown from wherever it has been taken. You will both assist in this?”

Daring was about to answer, but Dusty opened his mouth first.

“Your highness, with all due respect, I’m afraid I’m not cut out for the kind of heroics this situation calls for,” Dusty sheepishly said, “Ten years ago I would have gone in a heartbeat. Five years ago I would have considered it. I’m afraid adventuring is the pursuit of the young.”

“What Mr. Shelves means,” Daring continued, drawing a sharp look from her elder friend, “...is that he’d rather not do anything life-threatening if it could be avoided. Perhaps there’s a way to...”

“You both seem to jump to the conclusion that I’m asking you to go and do something dangerous,” Celestia responded, “That is not the case. What my suggestion would be is to track down where the crown is likely to be resold or delivered to some rich collector, and reclaim it.”

“Yeah, but to buy it back would cost over two million bits at least!” Dusty conjectured.

“The Royal Funds cannot handle that I’m afraid,” Celestia said with a shake of her head, “The crown is spending all it can on social programs due to the economic crisis. This is the sixth year of it. I can, however, offer compensation for the pair of you. Twenty thousand bits each, provided the crown returns safely.”

Daring and Dusty looked at each other blankly.

Twenty Thousand he mouthed at her, aghast. His mouth turned up in a grin.

That’s more than twice my annual salary Daring thought. She was paid nine thousand bits per year as a professor, and the Princess was offering her twice that for the crown.

“I’ll do it,” Daring said.

“I as well,” agreed Dusty.

“Then it’s settled. You will both assist in reacquiring the Crown of Princess Platinum.”

****

“Twenty Thousand! Can you believe it?”

Dusty Shelves sat in the pegasus adventurer’s living room as Daring rummaged about frantically. She had insisted on taking the very first airship flight out of Equestria. The course of the conversation with Princess Celestia had led them to believe that the crown had been scooped up by a wealthy collector in Prance, on a continent across the Anterlic ocean.

“It could really save our necks on this one,” Daring shouted across the room. She was digging in her closet, tossing out boxes of things in search for extra gear.

“If this goes well, I’m putting half of it towards my retirement, and the other half towards several expeditions I’ve been really meaning to do,” said Dusty between sips of very strong bottled cider, “You’ll head them as usual, correct?”

“Well jeez Dusty, don’t get ahead of yourself! We haven’t even left to get the crown!”

“Oh I know. I’m thinking of pairing you and Mr. Bravado up, sending you both down to Zebrica.”

“What’s in Zebrica?”

“Oh, North Zebrica. In the desert. There’s some kind of emperor’s city that’s just started being dug up. The other expedition I have in mind involves a Gazelle fertility idol.”

Daring tossed a pith helmet from inside her closet, followed by a bag strap and then a worn-looking bag. Daring herself exited the closet next, looking deeply concerned.

“What’s the matter?”

“I just had a bit of a thought, that’s all.”

“And?”

“Well,” began Daring, “I’ve gotten around to thinking about what Ahizotl said to me. In a way I guess he was right... can I trust anypony?”

“You can trust me, Daring,” Dusty said, “We’ve been friends since you were just a youngster.”

“Oh, I don’t mean you. I don’t mean old friends like Bravado, Grace or anypony else.”

She sighed, placing in front of Dusty a photograph of herself, a campaign-hat wearing ex-sergeant and a stunning blonde pegasus posing on the edge of a jungle.

“It’s been a couple years, but ever since what happened with Elise I’ve had a hard time getting real acquainted with anypony new. Come to think of it, half of the new ponies I’ve met have tried to hurt me in some way or another. Is it the fact that I’m more well-known and my name’s out there now? Is it my fault for being unapproachable?”

Dusty placed the photograph on a coffee table covered in graded quizzes, and looked back to Daring as the pony continued to rummage through her belongings, coming up with gear to bring.

“I wouldn’t say that you’ve grown unapproachable,” he said, “If anything, your first point was closer. Everypony in the field of archaeology knows who you are. Among historians, too you’re something of a celebrity.”

“Stop, you’re going to fill my head full of hot air if you say stuff like that.”

“It’s true. Daring Do isn’t a household name -at least not yet- but it is a name known internationally among academics. Who knows, maybe the credit for the discover of Unicornia and the crown of Platinum will make you a household name.”

“Great, then I’ll have to worry about the mailmare, the baker and the applejuice maker stabbing me in the back now,” said Daring.

“Look Daring,” Dusty began, standing up and pacing around her living room, “You shouldn’t take the fact that a few hooligans here and there have tried to cheat you out of your prize -or even kill you- as a statement on your own character. If anything it’s simply a sign that you’ve really moved up in the world, and the lowlifes who can’t make success for themselves see you as an opportunity to steal glory from. Do you see what I’m saying?”

“I suppose,” replied Daring, stowing away her father’s old war pistol and some spare ammunition, “I’m just sick of being lied to. I’m sick of Ahuizotl and his games. I’m sick of these ‘assistants’ and pack-carriers who try to pull something when I’m not looking. I don’t need extra life threateners, the ruins I visit do that enough as it is.”

“So what, you’re saying you want to be done with it all?”


“No,” Daring answered, “That’d be admitting defeat, and I don’t want to admit defeat. No... I’m just going to start out by trusting nopony new. I’ll make them prove themselves trustworthy first.”

“You’ll turn yourself into a paranoid wreck that way.”

Daring considered her gear pile as she coiled up an old leather whip that she had reinforced herself in her hooves. It was probably enough for a weekend trip at this time. They’d have to get to work and get out in two day’s time for her to be in Equestria in time to make her next set of classes she had to teach.

“I wouldn’t say paranoid,” Daring replied as she tossed her coiled up whip onto the top of the pile, “I just need to take all the necessary precautions.”