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// Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone Chapter one : The Adventure Begins 
// Story: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone 
// by ExtraordinayPony 
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Chapter 1 : The Adventure Begins


As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step.  If only she could escape the suppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky.  But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days.  A few days.  It might as well be a few months.  Or a few years!  

The mosquitos buzzed loudly.  The macaws cried from the high trees. Yet, all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step.

Daring Do turned around and found her self literally face to face with a tiger.

Roooor!! Daring ducked as the tiger tried to take a bite of her.  She jumped over a fallen tree and made to go further along the path to get away, but a black panther that growled at her.  A lynx and a cheeta jumped out from the numerous trees as well, blocking two more paths.  Now Daring could only go one way, and there was even a rustling of trees coming from that path, possibly and most likely another jungle creature to block her off for a final time, and also likely a big cat. 

What jumped out at her, though, was a small, white, fluffy, cute, house kitten.  Daring smiled to herself, and then lept over the cat and started running.  The cat hissed at Daring, but was then trampled by the other bigger cats.

Daring ran down a steep hill that was dotted with trees, while the wild carnivorous animals ran to catch up behind her, with the tiny white cat clinging to the panther.  Daring Do was dodging the trees in her path and running as fast as she could, which was an accomplishment, considering that she had spent most of her life flying to places, and her wing was now broken.  When Daring Do looked forward again from her glimpse backwards, she skidded to a stop because because ahead of her was now a giant canyon.  

She looked down at the vast expanse of nothing below, and then behind her at the cats.  The one moment when I needed my wing to work, she thought.  Suddenly, Daring spotted a vine hanging above the  pit.  How convenient, she thought.  Daring leapt towards the vine and caught it, the force of her impact causing it to swing forward towards the other side of the canyon.  As she swung, Daring saluted the big cats.  

She should have been terrified out of her wits, but it's not like this was her first encounter with the wildlife of Everfree.  After all, she had been there for sixty days.  Safely landing on the other side, Daring finally allowed herself a moment to breathe.  She turned around to find herself face-to-face with the long-lost temple that she had sought tirelessly for for over sixty days and nights!