//------------------------------// // Daring Do's Challenge by wille179 // Story: False Starts // by wille179 //------------------------------// Daring Do’s Challenge by wille179 Description: Daring Do, the world’s most famous explorer and the last in a long line of treasure hunters, died yesterday. Today, a letter written by her appeared in every newspaper in the world. (Part of a larger story in production. Heavily inspired by One Piece and Ready Player One, but not a crossover. Related to the previous short ‘The Descendant of Jupiter.’) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, AU Characters: Daring Do, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie Rating: Everyone. (Full story will be teen-mature.) “RAINBOW DASH!” Someone shouted from below. The addressed mare pulled out of her corkscrew dive and landed by her addressor, Pinkie Pie. “Look look look! Read this,” she said while shoving a copy of today’s paper in her friend’s face. “Pinkie Pie, what’s got you so excited?” Rainbow asked her longtime friend. “JUST READ IT!” The pink mare practically was vibrating in place. She bore a smile that was so large, it seemed physically impossible. “Fine. To the creatures of the world…” Rainbow Dash began. To the creatures of the world, Let me introduce myself. My name is Daring Do. For over five hundred generations, my family has given rise to the greatest treasure hunters of all time. The treasures you know of are only a fraction of my family’s true wealth. I estimate that the contents of my trove approach the value of three-hundred-billion bits. If you are reading this, then I died sometime within the past week. Worse, I died without an heir. This is where you come in. I am giving it away. All of it. However, you have to find it first. A small fraction of my treasure has been scattered around the world, into sixteen tiny bunches. Each bunch, at one million bits value each, also contains one of the sixteen keys required to access the extra-dimensional vault that contains my wealth. Get all sixteen, and what’s mine is yours. Now here’s the catch: only two keys can be obtained by any one member of the eight great races. Two keys for the unicorns, two for the pegasi, the earth ponies, the sea ponies, the zebra, the griffins, the dragons, and two for the minotaurs. That means, to get my treasure, you will have to work together. Once the keys are found, however, anyone can use them. Now, to make it more fun, I had my treasure enchanted. In the major cities of each nation, a display board has been erected. It will display the names and faces of all who have found my treasures and how much they have found. It will also display the names and faces of whomever currently owns any of the sixteen keys. Why not make it a game, I say? Beyond that which I have already said, there are no rules. Anything goes. My treasure belongs to no one nation, meaning everyone and everything is fair game. What do you say? Are you Daring enough to Do it? Before I finish this letter, let me address two more points. Firstly, many of my adventures started out as tips that pointed me in the right direction. So to add to the realism, each key has a riddle that points to another race’s key. But I have to help you with key number one, first. Five syllables: Nightmare Moon, round two. It’s a pegasus key. My second point is the grand prize. If the group who manages to acquire all sixteen of my keys meets a certain condition, an additional prize will be presented to them: the Quill of Faust. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. And no, I never lie. I really do have the Quill of Faust. Legend says that whomever uses the Quill shall be elevated to godhood and gain complete control of a universe made just for them. Why have I not used such a powerful artifact for myself? It’s partially family tradition, but really, I don’t want to be a goddess. It would take out all the fun of treasure hunting. But you are not me, are you? Now, I ask you again. Do you want my treasure? Do you want to be the next great adventurer? I dare you. For the last time, Daring Do. P.S. Have fun! ;) “No… Way… THIS IS AWESOME! PINKIE! Let’s find that treasure!” Dash screamed. “And I know just where to start!” Pinkie screamed back. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “Daring Do said the clue was ‘Nightmare Moon, round two.’ That’s when she got free from the moon! And where did we fight her?” Pinkie moved her head closer to Dash’s face while coaxing her friend’s train of thought. Dash screamed, “Pinkie! You’re a genius!” “No I’m not,” Pinkie Pie retorted, “I’m a baker! Come on!” The pink mare grabbed her rainbow manned friend and sprinted for the Everfree forest. “AWWW YEAH! Castle of the Pony Sisters, here we come!” Dash yelled, still being dragged by the hyper, pink mare. “FOR TREASURE!” The two best friends stood outside the abandoned castle. Memories of their adventure here wafted through each of their heads. Dash recalled having been tempted by the Shadowbolts on this very spot. As they stared into the open chambers ahead of them, they felt their hearts flutter in their chest. This time, there was no Nightmare trying to end the world by eternal darkness. There was only a treasure worth a million bits. And one of Daring’s sixteen keys. Oh, and an unknown number of death traps installed by the one mare who had more experience with death traps than any other individual on the face of the planet. No pressure. Pinkie and Dash turned to look each other in the eyes. They blinked, then burst out laughing. “Ready, Pinkie?” She grinned, wider than before. “Ready, Dashie! Let’s go!” Together, they took their first steps into the dilapidated castle. All hell broke loose. A battered and beaten earth pony stood leaning against her companion, who was in a similar state. There was no doubt that they would live, but they would have quite the story to tell. Before them rested a treasure chest, the lock broken off. Slowly, the pegasus lifted the lid. The telltale flash of magic being activated filled the room. When the light cleared, Dash and Pinkie found themselves staring at gold. Lots of gold. A million bits worth of gold, to be precise. The gold, however, failed to hold their attention long. Resting on top of the treasure was a little white ring. Pinkie tried grabbing the ring, but her hoof went right through it as if it was not even there. “Pinkie, Daring Do said that it was a pegasus key,” Rainbow commented. Dash reached out to grab the ring and was rewarded with a solid object. The ring began to morph until it had assumed the form of a glowing, white key. The two friends smiled at each other. Princess Celestia had just finished reading Daring Do’s letter when a guard burst into her throne room. He kneeled before the princess. “Your majesty. Two names just appeared on Daring’s board.” “Well, that was fast,” Celestia remarked. “Tell me, who are they?” “Rainbow Dash and Pinkamina Dianne Pie, elements of Loyalty and Laughter, respectively,” the guard said, still kneeling. “They possess the first of the pegasus keys.” A yellow pegasus floated above Ponyville without flapping her wings. Nodding to herself, she said, “perfect.” Her body began to fade away into nothingness as she returned to the astral plane. The grey maned spirit of adventure had work to Do.