“So you wanna know how I managed to jump out of a volcano?” She took her hat off and casually brushed a layer of coal-black ash away. “Fine. Since you want to hear it so badly, I’ll let you in on the secret.” Satisfied that it was clean, she set the hat back on her head and grinned. “I’m Daring,” she said simply. “It’s what I Do.”
Through the hoops, ’round the shelves, corkscrew upward… dive! Under the table, back in the air, somersault—one spins, two spins, three—and stick the landing.
Bow.
“Aaaaaand stop!” says Twilight. She glances down at the stopwatch. “Twenty-three seconds, Daring. A new personal best. Again!”
“Really quite stunning,” Rarity agrees. “Now if you both don’t mind, we must be at Sugarcube Corner in fifteen minutes, and punctuality is important. I give Rainbow Dash enough grief about tardiness without her throwing it back at me, so if we could get going soon...”
“Right.” Twilight nods. “That’s all the time we’ve budgeted for last-minute-after-last-minute practice, Daring. Let’s get you suited up—”
“Just one more try?” I beg her. “I think I grazed a ring there or two there, and I know I can dive faster if I can figure out how to corkscrew clockwise.”
“Daring…”
“All right, all right.” I shrug, like it doesn’t bother me. “Just saying, I think I can still do better, is all.”
“Well I’m impressed, Darling,” says Rarity, opening up her bags. She pulls out a dark green vest and holds it up. “And this is coming from someone who knows Rainbow Dash, why—if you could just stand there by the mirror for a moment, yes, there we go—you might even give her a run for her money.”
“Better than that,” I mumble. Rainbow Dash is good—scary good, even—but I’m good too, and I’ve been training harder than ever these past few days. I’m not afraid of her. Not very. “I think my time on the practice course is even lower than hers was now...”
“And I’m sure you’ll do fabulously, Darling,” says Rarity, giving me a light pat on the wing. “But do put the outfit on, won’t you? We’re in a hurry.”
“Yeah, sure...” I take the vest as she hands it off to me and slip it on. It fits me perfectly, as it should. Rarity levitates the hat over to my side soon after, and that goes on too. Then I gasp. Daring Do, professor of Archaeology, expert on the magical, and—how does one say it—collector of rare antiquities, is staring back at me through the mirror.
It’s not like I’ve never seen myself in the mirror before, but this is different. You can’t be Daring without the hat and the vest. It just doesn’t work. She never wears anything else on the book covers. Now, though, with both of those, I finally feel... complete. I look just like the pony I first saw on the cover of Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone. This, the confident, competent, no-nonsense pegasus grinning at me in my reflection—this is what I was meant to be.
I’m her, and she’s me.
“An excellent fit!” says Rarity. “Just like the cover. You know, I’ve always admired how she manages to give that drab safari look her own flair… Though I daresay I could’ve made the outfit a touch more perfect if I’d been given proper measurements.”
“Uh, oops.” I turn away from the mirror for a second to give her a guilty chuckle. I think Twilight might have mentioned taking proper measurements for an outfit between one of my practice runs once. Twice. Constantly. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
“Water under the bridge, Darling,” says Rarity, adjusting my hat a bit with her magic. “It just took a little creative futzing to account for the wings. Everything else was actually quite easy—you still match all the other models perfectly. Practically a designer’s dream, you know.”
“Oh. Right. I guess that makes sense.”
“And with that,” Rarity says as she finishes straightening out the collar on my vest. “I declare my part in this matter... fini.” She gives me a look-over, nodding silently to herself. “You know, Twilight, I really wasn’t quite sure what to make of this ‘golem’ business when you came around asking for mannequins, but I must say I’m quite impressed. You simply have to provide the present for my birthday too.”
“Well, it wasn’t all me,” says Twilight, cheeks blushing bright red in embarrassment. “I mean, not even mostly me. Daring deserves the credit here, for all her hard work.”
“And I’m sure Rainbow Dash is going to adore her,” says Rarity, giving me a wink. “Shall we be off, then?”
“When Daring gives the word,” says Twilight. She looks to me. “Are you ready now, Daring? It’s almost showtime.”
I turn toward the mirror, looking at Daring Do’s reflection—at my reflection. Nothing in that face should betray any sort of hesitance, or fear, or weakness, even though I’m feeling a little of all those things right now. This is what I was made for, though. I’ve worked hard. Harder than anypony else ever could. My entire life has been dedicated to preparing for my eventual meeting with Rainbow Dash. How can I be anything but ready for it?
“Ready?” I say. I grin and turn back to Twilight, blowing a bit of my go-everywhere mane out of my eyes. “Yeah. As I’ll ever be.”
It feels strange, taking my first ever step outside. I’ve seen all these buildings and places and ponies before, but only through dirty old library windows. It’s not the same as seeing them all in the flesh; the colors are different, the perspective’s changed. I think I recognize some of the ponies I pass as I follow Twilight and Rarity to Sugarcube Corner, but without a layer of dust and glass between us I can’t really be sure. It’s just as well—I don’t really know them anyway.
I guess it isn’t that much weirder than I must seem to the other ponies. They stop and stare at me, watching my every move as I walk on by them. I wonder what they’re thinking? They can’t possibly guess that I’m not really a pony like they are. Maybe they think I’m an actor playing some weird part, like that one unicorn Daring once rescued. Or maybe they think I’m in costume. Just some other pony pretending to be the one and only Daring Do. Or maybe they’re wondering if I might actually be the real deal.
I don’t know. Usually in the books the crowds will whisper what they’re thinking. There’s supposed to be gossiping and laughing and maybe some shouting. This crowd just watches me without speaking a word, and it’s kind of creeping me out. Twilight and Rarity don’t seem to mind. They’re just chatting about Rainbow Dash’s party and all the preparations they had to make for it. Rarity mentions that Pinkie Pie ate the first birthday cake they’d baked in her sleep and Twilight laughs. It’s like they don’t notice that everyone in town has their eyes on us—or if they do, they don’t care.
I wonder what their secret is. I’ll have to ask them sometime, after this is over.
“All right, we’re here!” Twilight says, finally stopping in front of a building that looks like a giant frosted cake. “And we’re only, uh, ten minutes late… Rainbow Dash should already be inside.”
Moment of truth. I take a deep breath and hold it as my escorts push the door open. It’s a big party—a virtual whirlwind of streamers, balloons, and confetti—and there, standing right at the center of the hurricane, is Rainbow Dash. There’s a split-second of silence as she notices me standing between Twilight and Rarity. Our eyes meet: hers full of wonder and awe, and mine full of… well, maybe a little awe of my own. She doesn’t know it, but I’ve spent my entire life preparing for this moment. An entire week of reading, preparing, and pushing my limits, all to be ready for this single, solitary second.
And, suddenly, I’m no longer sure what to say.
“Whoa my gosh!” Dash shouts, breaking the silence. “It’s Daring Do!”
“Y-you’re darn right it is!” I proclaim loudly. It’s a deviation from the script. I had every line planned out perfectly in my head before this, but sometimes Daring has to think on her hooves. “Archaeologist adventurer extraordinaire! The bravest, strongest, pegasus on land or in the sky!” I glance back at Twilight, who’s beaming with pride, and I stand a little straighter. “You won’t find a pony anywhere who’s cooler than I am, or I’ll eat my hat—and I’m not feeling hungry right now.”
Dash doesn’t respond right away, her eyes are still getting wider. “Daring Do!” she squeaks.
“I thought you’d like to meet her, since you’re such a big fan of the series,” says Twilight. “So I did a little magic and made a golem just like her! What do you think?”
“A go-what now?”
“A golem,” says Twilight. “You know, an animated magical construct with the capacity for independent—”
“Yeah, yeah,” says Dash, waving her off before she can get going. “I get it. You brought Daring Do to life! And she’s awesome! You’re awesome! This is the best birthday present ever!” She stops, a suspicious frown forming on her face. “But wait... how do I know she’s the real deal? Maybe you guys just dressed some pegasus up to look like Daring.”
“Rainbow Dash, you know we wouldn’t—”
“Go ahead, then!” I tell Dash confidently—and this is one thing I can be confident about. “Quiz me. Ask me anything about one of my adventures.”
“All right,” says Dash. “We’ll warm you up with an easy one. In Legacy of Nightmare Moon, which constellation was the last one you needed to defeat Onti?”
“Canis Minor,” I say, the words coming easily from memory. I’m starting to get a little more comfortable with Dash now. She’s not really as scary as she seemed only a few days ago. Heck, Twilight’s asked me this same question twice. “Oh, and the Dragon’s name was Inti. Or did you think I wouldn’t notice that little detail?”
“Okay, okay, not bad,” she concedes, clearly a little impressed that I caught her slip. “But! Remember when in the Young Daring Do Adventures comics, you dropped that tiger into the pit trap? What kind of leaves did you cover it with?”
Wait, comics? What are comics? I look back at Twilight. “Comics?”
“Er...” says Twilight, running a hoof through her mane and giving a nervous laugh. “Comics, comics, comics… Oh! Right, there are some really old Daring Do comics in the foal’s magazines section, but nopony ever reads those except—“ Twilight grimaces, burying her face in her hooves. “—except Rainbow Dash.” She laughs again, her voice a bit higher than before. “Don’t worry too much about it. I, uh, don’t think they’re actually canon.”
“Of course they are,” says Rainbow Dash. “How do you think Daring fought off the rogue rum-runners in issue seven? With a cannon, duh.” She grins. “Well, it’s fine if you don’t remember every single detail of your adventures as well as I do—” a little knife twists in my chest “—as long as you’ve got those signature Daring Do moves! Come on, let’s go try a couple of ‘em out.” She looks to the rest of the party guests. “The rest of you girls don’t mind if we go do some quick flying, do you? You should come out and watch.”
“Whatever makes the birthday mare happy makes me happy!” Pinkie Pie declares. “We can reschedule the party games, the party activities, and the party recreational pastimes for later. As long as we squeeze in the party undertakings somewhere between the party endeavors and the party ventures.”
Rainbow grins. “Then let’s do this!” Quick as a flash, she crouches into takeoff position and blasts straight through an open window. I gulp as the aftershock washes over me, rustling my mane just slightly. She’s fast. Really fast. But... I’m probably faster. Or, at least, I’m not slower. That’s why I’ve been training all this time, right? I’m supposed to be giving her a run for her money—and then some.
I crouch into my own takeoff position, flexing my wings and readying myself to fly after her. Dash may have a headstart, but there isn’t a pegasus alive who’s faster than Daring Do. I can catch her, no problem.
“Daring…” says Twilight warningly. “Please be careful. I’m not going to be there to heal you up this time if something happens. And, Dash—well, she plays rough sometimes. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”
I don’t answer. I should, but I don’t. I’m too busy stretching, flexing, preparing to put my skills to the test. Rainbow Dash is out there right now, waiting for me to prove I’m as daring as my namesake. That’s all that matters. Thinking back, that’s all that ever really mattered.
And I never promised Twilight I’d be careful.
Launch. I’m at the window in the blink of an eye, then past that, out into the cool blue sky. The wind whips past my mane as I fly, and everything else blurs into a big mass of color as I keep accelerating. I’ve never gone this fast before—I couldn’t in the library—but somehow it feels right. Natural, even. Like I’d been made for this.
Maybe I was.
Rainbow Dash is hard to miss—not a lot of things in the sky are seven different colors. I change course to catch her the second I spot her contrail. She darts in the opposite direction as soon as she sees me coming, but it’s not going to help her. Little by little, I’m gaining on her. She must be trying to keep her lead on me, but I’m just a hair faster than she is. Dash isn’t going to be in the lead for long.
The gap between us is closing fast. Soon I’m close enough to grab her tail, and just a second later I’ve pulled up right beside her. Caught her. I grin a little at her when she notices me to her left and gasps. It’s half pride and half relief. If this is all Dash has got, it’s obvious I spent way too much time worrying.
“Pretty good!” Dash shouts over the wind. “Y’know, for an actor!”
“Pretty good yourself!” I shout back. “Y’know, for an amateur!”
“Think so?” says Dash. “Then let’s get serious! I was just warming up.”
Wait. Warming up?
Dash rears back and puts on an extra burst of speed, leaving me in the dust. Well, okay—fine. I can play that game too. I grit my teeth and push myself faster, willing my wings to flap harder. She’s not going to beat me here. I won’t let her.
“C’mon, get your flank crankin’!” Rainbow Dash taunts, flying backward to stick her tongue out at me. She doesn’t even look like she’s breaking a sweat. “That all you got?”
“Not by a long shot!” I growl, pushing forward. Faster, faster, faster! Dash isn’t that far ahead! I can catch her! The wind only gets louder as I pick up speed, until I can hardly hear anything. My wings almost feel like they’re going to tear off at the seams, but I keep them flapping for all they’ve got. Come on, faster! I can catch up to her!
Except... I can’t. No matter how hard I try, Dash doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. In fact, she’s pulling away—and she’s still flying backwards! Even at my absolute fastest, I can’t catch Dash. I can’t even give her a run for her money, and she knows it. She’s toying with me.
How? I’ve put everything into this. Every minute, every second of every day, I’ve been working to be the best Daring Do I can be, and then—and then Dash just shows me up like I’m nothing! And she’s not even trying!
I knew I should have made that one last practice run.
Eventually, Dash puts the whole charade to an end. She skids to a stop on a big puffy cloud, just outside town, and waits for me to catch me up. Which I do… a few seconds later. She’s breathing a bit faster when I reach her, which helps me feel a little bit better. It’s good to know she gets tired, ’cause I don’t.
“All right, game’s up,” she says, jabbing a hoof accusingly in my chest. She looks… not mad, but disappointed. Like she’d been expecting better from me. “You’re good, but not half as good as the real deal. I don’t know if you’re an actor or if Twilight screwed up her wacky mumbo jumbo magic spell or what, but you’re not Daring Do. So who are you, really?”
It takes everything I have not to hit her for that. I can’t. I shouldn’t. But I want to. “I am Daring Do!” I snap back, brushing her hoof away. “Best archaeologist in the business! It’s my name! Who do you think you are, telling me it isn’t?”
“I think I’m the real Daring’s number one fan!” says Dash. “And let me tell you, the real Daring Do would’ve flown twice as fast as you just did. And she would’ve known about the Young Daring Do Adventures too! I dunno who you are, but you’re not her.”
“Yeah?” I say, and now it’s my turn to give her a poke in the chest. Page 78, Griffon’s Goblet: “Well then I got news for you! I’m the genuine article, and I’ll prove it to you the only way I know how. I’m going to take the craziest, stupidest, most dangerous thing you can do around here, and I’m going to do it better than you ever could. So there!”
For a second it looks like Dash is about to hit me, but she shakes it off and gives me a grin. “Almost didn’t catch that reference,” she says, chuckling. “And okay, then, let’s prove it once and for all.” Her grin widens suddenly, and an ominous glint starts to sparkle in her eyes. “Race you through Ghastly Gorge. First one to make it through to the other side wins—if they make it through the other side. You game?”
“Always.”
“Ha! I like your attitude.” Dash spits on her hoof and offers it to me. I take it and shake it firmly. Just for the gesture’s sake. I’m no longer interested in fooling around. “It’s on, then,” says Dash. “Last one there’s Ahuitzotl!”
I nod and coil up, ready to spring as soon as Dash points me toward this Ghastly Gorge. No more fooling around. Dash is going down. Hard. I’m going to win the race, and I’m going to prove once and for all that I’m the real deal, and I’m going to get to Ghastly Gorge before she does.
Last one there’s Ahuitzotl...
It can’t be me, then; I’m already Daring Do.