//------------------------------//
// Part 18: "There was nothing we could do. We just found her the next day, and—" 
// Story: The Death of Daring Do: The Engine of Eternity 
// by DuncanR 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash marched through the front doors of the Canterlot General Hospital and strode across the clean white foyer with an enthusiastic smile. Applejack and Rarity followed to either side of her, jogging to keep up.
"Trust me, you'll like her!" Dash said. "She's like, British and stuff, but you only hear it once in awhile when she's talking about teatime or chimneys. Stuff like that."
Rarity looked around the foyer. "I'm sure she's... quite nice. But are you sure she's—"
"Yes, she's real. No, I'm not crazy. I swear it's like she walked straight out of the books! I'm not even kidding!"
Applejack cleared her throat. "Are you saying she looks like her, or that she... ah..."
"Both!" said Dash. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's totally true! Look, just wait a little longer and you'll see her with your own eyes. You're not gonna believe em, though!"
Rarity pursed her lips. "It does sound rather far fetched, I must admit."
Dash turned to her friends, flying backwards. "Think about all the wild and crazy stuff we've done!"
Applejack shook her head. "It's not that we doubt you, sugarcube. You've been talkin' about this adventure nonstop for the last three days, and we saw the pictures you took of that fancy gold flower vase ya brought back—
"And encrusted with such a fine collection of jewels," Rarity said, dreamily.
—and that was as real and solid as anything gets. But if Daring Do was a real pony all these years, why is this the first we've heard of her?"
"Because she's been sitting behind a desk all these years," said Dash. "This was the first time in her entire life she's done anything exciting!"
"Then what were the books based on?"
Dash dropped to the floor with a sigh. "Okay, I'll admit: the books were kinda-sorta, slightly, just a teeny-little-bit... completely made up. But the character really was based on a real-life archeologist."
Rarity arched an eyebrow. "You do realize that real archeology isn't—"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "I've heard that a million times in the last few weeks. trust me. But this was something different... it was a real adventure. It's not the sort of thing that happens to normal archeologists at all... but she's not a normal archaeologist anymore! It was like she came alive!"
Dash marched up to the front desk and smiled at the nurse on duty. "Hey! I'm here to visit the pony in room forty-seven!"
The nurse glanced at the passcard Dash was wearing, then scanned a clipboard. "Friend or family?"
"Friend." Dash looked back over her shoulder and grinned at Applejack and Rarity. "Hear that? I'm Derring-Do's friend!"
The nurse looked up at her. "Wait... Daring Do?"
"It's Derring-Do, with a hyphen." Dash turned away and walked towards the east wing, with her friends close behind. "Let's go: I haven't seen her since the Zeppelin dropped us off."
"Wait, miss! There's been a—"
"It's okay, I'll find it myself!" Dash continued walking, and turned to Rarity. "You know her middle name actually is Hyphen? No joke! ‘Derring Hyphen Do’!"
The nurse leaned over the desk and waved at her, but the gesture went unnoticed. The three friends walked down the sterile-white hallway and counted door numbers, their hooves clicking against the clean tiles.
"That's it! Number forty-seven!" Dash rushed over and opened the door wide. "Hey! Guess wh—"
The only pony in the room was a nurse tidying up the bed, tucking fresh sheets and clean pillows into place. She had a cleaning trolley with her, loaded with all the flowers and presents that had until recently been sitting on the bed stand. Dash saw the letter she'd sent, as well as the care package full of snacks and puzzle-toys: both were unopened. Dash looked around the room, but Derring-Do's hat and jacket were nowhere to be seen.
"Where... where's Derring? She's in the bathroom or something, right?" 
The nurse looked up from her cleaning. "You weren't told?"
"Told what? Did she already check out?"
 "I'm sorry, miss. It happened very suddenly. There was nothing we could do. We just found her the next day, and—"
"Nothing?" Dash stared at her. The smile stayed on her face like an after image. "After all that? After everything that happened?"
The nurse nodded. "She was suffering from all sorts of traumas and injuries. Exposure, hypothermia, dehydration, blood loss, fatigue stress, lingering malaria symptoms, sleep deprivation... none of these are serious by themselves, but all together they—"
"Where is she?"
"I don't really—"
Dash grabbed the nurse by the collar and shook her. "Where is she!? You have to show me! I have to see her with my own eyes!"
The nurse gave her a worried look. She glanced at the two friends behind her, and took a breath. "I'll try and arrange something. Please... come with me."
 
 
 
Rainbow Dash and the nurse walked through the lower deck of the HMS Imbrium and arrived at the door to the officer's lounge: a small but luxuriously furnished room with a bar, a karaoke stage, and a fireplace that roared with magical, illusory flames. Now that the zeppelin was safely docked in Canterlot the crew had gathered here—along with as many friends and family members as they could fit—to recount old stories, sing loud and of-key songs, and tell all the tired old jokes they'd heard a thousand times before. A constant stream of frothing mugs flowed from the bar, all filled with sparkling apple cider. The ponies raised their mugs to the stage and sang along.
Applejack and Rarity stepped in beside Rainbow Dash and all three of them watched the stage: Derring-Do and Skyworthy were standing in front of the microphone and singing energetically. Their voices were strong and resonant, and their smiles were joyful and triumphant.
“For we couldn’t leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale
She’d saved our lives so many times, living through the gale
And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to a sorry grave
They won’t be laughing in another day...
“And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bullies lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of leg and heart and brain
And like the Mare Ellen Carter, rise again!"
Derring reared up and held her mug aloft, her voice ringing loud enough to dominate the room.
"Rise again, riiiiiise again—though your heart it be broken
Or life about to end!
No matter what you've lost, be  it a home, a love, a friend,
Like the Mare Ellen Carter, rise again!"
The crowd all raised their glasses, spilling foam and drink on the tables and floor. Rainbow Dash gave the nurse a sideways scowl.
"We tried to convince her to stay in bed," she said, "but she refused to stay put. During her first night, she just snuck out on her own... the doctors say it was a miracle she was able walk. If she refuses to go back to the hospital, there's just nothing we can do about it."
Dash looked back at Derring-Do. "Hey girls? Why don't we give 'er a while to relax?"
Rarity smiled at her. "I don't see any problem with that. We'll be in Canterlot all day, after all."
Applejack nodded back down the hallway. "You wanna come back to the hotel with us?"
"Yeah. May as well."
They walked down the corridor. Eventually, a smile crept over Dash's face.
"Told you she was real!"
 
 
 
Several hours later, Rainbow Dash returned to the officer's lounge by herself. She peeked in through the door and saw an almost empty room: Derring-Do was the only occupant, sitting by a table amongst a truly prodigious stack of empty mugs. Her helmet was sitting on the table beside her and she was writing something on a postcard.
Dash walked over. "Feeling any better?"
She Looked up at her and smiled. "Much. Except for the throbbing headache, that is... but I earned that one myself. Go on, pull up a chair."
Dash sat down beside her. "So... I brought my friends over to visit you in the hospital. I guess we missed you."
She looked around eagerly. "Really? Are they here now?"
"Nah... I figured you needed some time to yourself. You probably didn't need a bunch of ponies pestering you about—"
"Excuse me?"
They glanced down and saw a pair of little fillies standing by the table. They both had tiny bookbags slung over their backs and one of them was holding up a dented, dog-eared copy of 'Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.'
"Are you weally Dawing Doo?"
Rainbow Dash bit her bottom lip. "Uh, now's probably not—"
Derring rummaged in one of her saddlebags. "Well if I wasn't Daring Do, would I be carrying a one-a-these around?" she set the gold, jewel-encrusted decanter on the table with a heavy thunk, then leaned on the table with a grin.
Both fillies stared up at the treasure, their eyes glittering. "Ooooh!"
"Is that the gwiffin's gobwet!?"
"I dunno... maybe. I bet you could help me find out for sure. What's the griffin's goblet do?"
"It makes storms and stuff! The Gwiffins need it, cause they can't make it rain like pegasusses can!"
Derring tapped the decanter.  "This must be something else, then. Each time the moon rises, it fills itself up with cleansing elixir." Derring leaned over them. "I got it from a mummy!"
"Eee!" One of the fillies ran around and hid behind her older sister.
"It's okay. In the end, she turned out to be a friendly mummy."
The sister held out her book. "Would you—"
"Sure!" Derring took the book, opened it to the front cover, and scribbled on it with a fountain pen. "Who should I make it out to?"
"Tiddly Wink—thas' me—and my sister is Lemondrop."
Derring-Do finished scribbling and passed the book back. "There you go. Thanks for visiting me!"
The two fillies scampered out of the room, giggling and laughing.
Dash smirked. "So what's it like having hordes of adoring fans?"
"You should know," she said. "The crewponies wouldn't stop talking about me to their friends, and I guess they told their friends. I've only had a few visitors, really, so I'm hardly what you'd call famous." She gazed at the decanter. "I guess that's gonna change soon... I'm scheduled to show up at royal court tomorrow, to present the artifact to the Princesses as a gift. They expressed an interest in adding it to their private collection."
"The middle of court, huh? That's kind of a big deal, isn't it?"
"I guess."
"So... do you think you'll go back to the university?"
"Not right away. The job pays poorly, but the medical benefits are very generous. I've got a month or two paid leave coming."
The bartender came to their table and started stacking mugs on a tray. "Anything I can get you two? On the house?"
"Three, please," Derring-Do said, "and a basket of curly fries."
He nodded and carried the tray back to the bar.
"Got anything planned after you get out of the hospital?"
Derring stared at the fireplace for a while. "You know, technically I was working for you the whole time. As a private contractor." She wobbled her head side to side. "Two hundred thousand bits for less than a month’s work... not bad. Even after I paying for the Goldfinch we crashed, I'm ahead quite a few grand."
Rainbow Dash leaned against the table. “You were right about the books. About the whole series. You were right all along.”
Derring looked at her, alarmed. “What do you mean?”
“The stories, the adventures, the fake Daring Do, I still like them. They're fun. But to be honest... they’re nothing compared to the genuine experience.”
“Maybe not." Derring leaned back. "But I guess most ponies aren’t lucky enough to lead such exciting lives. When you spend all day sitting behind a desk and writing essays, a book is as close as you’ll ever get... I feel kinda bad for those ponies, you know.”
Dash arched an eyebrow. “You mean the ponies who give up before the ending?”
“No... the ones who give up before the beginning.”
The bartender came over and set a tray on their table, with three small glasses and a big wicker basket of crisp, curly hay-fries. Derring took two of the glasses and slowly poured one out on the floor. She and Dash watched the fireplace for awhile, watching the languid flames and listening to the quiet crackle.
Dash scooted her chair back and stood up. "I better get going. My friends are waiting for me."
"That's cool. Think I could meet them sometime?"
"You'll meet them tomorrow, actually. The princess invited us all to court so we could be there when you present the decanter."
"Oh thank goodness!" Derring rolled her eyes. "I'll actually have somepony to talk to while I'm there. I can't stand making small talk with wealthy, stuffed-shirt nobles."
"Do you need a gown or something? My friend Rarity could—"
"Naah." Derring tugged at the collar of her beaten, worn-out jacket. "I was just gonna go in this."
Dash snickered. "Can't wait to see their faces!"
She turned to go, but Derring waved her back at the last second.
"Yeah?"
Derring-Do lifted her right wing slightly. "The doctors say my disability is completely healed... that miracle medicine you splashed in my face really did work, but the wing muscles were just too weak and atrophied: I exercise them a lot, but I've never used them for actual flying before. I never really tried to fly because the pain was too much. Now, though, I have a whole month of physiotherapy to get them working again... and the university is happy to pick up the bills."
"That's great!" Dash said. "You'll be flying again in no time, I just know it!"
"Well, yeah, but first I need a personal trainer. You know... one who can stick by my side and whip me into shape, no matter how much I whine and complain." Derring gave her a sheepish look. "Do you know any trainers? The best flier there is?"
Rainbow Dash paused to consider. "I could establish a training schedule and a diet plan for you, if you like—I am a registered physiotherapist, after all—but once you have the plan sorted out, you don't really need an expert. The exercises are all very simple. Any pegasus will do, as long as they have a lot of free time and know how to keep your spirits up.”
"Oh. Well, that's... yeah."
"Do you know any other pegasus?"
"Well... one. But it’s been a long time.” Derring smiled, weakly. “Too long."
Rainbow Dash nodded to her one last time, and left the lounge.
 



 
Derring-Do stood on the outer balcony of Canterlot's royal palace. The gleaming white-and-gold buildings of the city glowed in the light of a full moon. She tried to ignore the crowd of nobles in the throne room behind her, milling about and discussing matters of great import. She was wearing her jacket and boots, and her helmet was tied to the back of her neck. She looked up at the starry night sky above with a sigh.
"There you are!"
She turned and saw Rainbow Dash, followed by a small crowd of good friends. They were all dressed in magnificent gowns, all completely unique. She smiled, but gasped in awe when she saw not one but three princesses amongst them: Twilight, Celestia, and Luna.
"Your excellencies!" Derring said, bowing deeply.
Rainbow Dash rushed over and hopped in place. "You were awesome back there! The crowd's been talking about you ever since the ceremony! Are you having a good time? It’s not too depressing, is it?"
Derring-Do rushed forward and hugged Rainbow Dash around the neck, tousling her mane. They both laughed uproariously.
“Heeey,” Dash said, “You hugged me!”
"I didn't mean to be a downer. I just needed some air."
"That's quite all right," Twilight said with a smile. "Royal court can be exhausting, even at the best of times. I'm still not used to it myself!"
Princess Luna nodded. "We wanted to thank you directly—not only for the generous gift, but for the great service you've provided us. The existence of the enemy you faced is known only to a precious few... fewer still have laid eyes on them and survived."
"I know it's probably a big secret and all. I promise not to tell anypony about it."
Celestia nodded to her. "Your appearance today will not soon be forgotten amongst the nobility... but my sister and I have agreed that a more tangible reward is also in order."
"Well... I mean, you don't have to. I already have some money saved up, after all."
Twilight stepped forward. "It's not money!" she said. "They want to give you an estate: a plot of land with a mansion, and some land for cultivating crops. It's a villa!"
"It's a small estate," Celestia said, "But more than enough to keep you comfortable. You might want to use the land to cultivate luxury crops of some sort... rare flowers, or a cinnamon plantation, perhaps."
Applejack nodded, enthusiastically. "Raspberries are doing quite well on the open market these days: they're real easy to set up, and take up hardly any space!"
"I'm a landowner!?" Derring-Do stared at them, agog. "But... don't you think this is a bit much? All I did was—"
"We aren't here to recognize what you've done," Luna said, "but what you are. What you've become."
Derring smiled up at the sisters. "Thank you. For... everything."
Celestia nodded to the group of friends. "Why don't you go on and enjoy the rest of the party?"
"Woo!" Pinky Pie reared up and wiggled her front legs. "Time to show this city how it's done! Let's go, girls!"
Derring and Celestia watched the ponies go back into the main throne room, joining the party. Dash paused to wave back at her, then rejoined her friends.
"Hey," she said, "I'm not really good at parties. Do you think... maybe..."
Celestia nodded. "The event is in your honor, but you may retire to your guest chambers whenever you like. You've certainly earned a long rest."
"Not too long, I hope." She lifted her helmet back onto her head. "If there's ever anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call!"
She smiled, warmly. "Of course."
Derring-Do walked away, towards the stairwell that led of the balcony. Just as she reached the first step, Princess Celestia cleared her throat emphatically.
Derring looked back at them. "Uh... yes?"
Celestia tilted her head slightly and arched one eyebrow.
Derring-Do bit her lower lip and looked away. She undid the strap on her helmet and slowly lifted it up, revealing the clear triangular prism balanced perfectly on the top of her head.
"Yeah... so."
Princess Luna walked towards her and took the prism under her wing. "The jeweled decanter will be put on public display for the cultural enrichment of all ponies... but this treasure is far too dangerous to expose to the world. If all goes as planned, nopony will ever realize the full extent of what you've accomplished."
"Nopony but us, of course," said Celestia, "and we do not easily forget our friends."
"I guess it’s for the best," said Derring. "But what are you gonna do with it?"
"Don't worry Miss Do. It will undergo some research, but only enough to discover how it can best be contained and concealed. By the end of the day, we'll have our top mares working on it."
Derring glanced between them. "Who?"
Celestia pursed her lips and took on an uncharacteristically serious frown.
"Top mares."
 

~ Two months later ~

 
Spike climbed up the sliding library ladder and tapped his talon against the row of heavy books sitting on the uppermost shelf. "Let's see, let's see... arcane elemental extracts, arcane equipment maintenance, arcane experimental safety procedures..." He glanced over his shoulder and called out to Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting at her writing desk across the room. "Hey, are you sure it's on this shelf?"
"Quite," she called back. "I saw it last week when I was looking for the index of thaumaturgical theories."
Spike turned back to the shelf and grumbled. "I dunno why you still need me for this... now that you have wings, you can just fly up and reach the upper shelves yourself."
"That's a fallacious argument," she said. "I could have used telekinesis to fetch books and you never complained about that, so why would you complain about this?"
"Yeah, but you..." Spike stopped as his talon came to rest on a large triangular prism sitting between the books. It was covered in a faint layer of dust and cobwebs, but still shone with perfect clarity. He picked it up and brushed it off. It's not made of glass... but it doesn't smell as tasty as a diamond, either. I don’t think it’s a gemstone at all.
He turned back to Twilight and waved the prism in the air. "How long has this been here?"
Twilight looked up, blandly. "A month, maybe. The princess sent it to me."
"It's the first time I've seen it," he said and held it up to the light. "Hey, it makes little rainbows!"
"It's a prism. They all do that."
"What’s it for?"
"Paperweight, I think." Twilight dabbed the tip of her quill in an inkwell. "I thought it was a bookend at first, but there's only one of them. Bookends come in pairs."
"Huh." Spike shrugged and put the prism back between the books. His eyes brightened up when he saw the title sitting next to it. "Aha! Here we go: Arcane Esoteric Evocations, volume three!"
He slid down the ladder and carried it over to the writing desk.
"Thanks Spike!" she said. "That's one of the reasons I keep you around, you know. You never miss anything!"
Spike clasped his hands and rocked back and forth on his toes. "Aw, shucks!"