Prologue- double trouble
Daring Do's Last adventure, chapter one-
The burning sands of the great wastes blew over their hooves, scorching winds beating on the two cloaked figures mercilessly. Looking around at the pyramids half buried in the sands, the two figures struggled against scorching winds that could tear flesh from the bone.
"Daring, I think I see the entrance over there!" The blue mare called out to her companion, pointing a hoof at a small doorway barely visible on the desert floor. "Hurry, before these winds tear us apart!"
The two ponies trotted directly into the hellish sandstorm, as it tore against their tattered cloaks like knives. Finally, the pair made their way into the shelter of the archway, and pushed up against the stone door in from of them with all of their might.
"Look, its moving!" The other mare with the compass cutie mark exclaimed, pressing her weight against the slab. "Push, Dash, Push!"
The ancient door finally gave way, sliding forward and sending the two ponies tumbling down the set of stairs in from of them.
"Wooahhhh, owf, oof, ouch!" The tan mare called out, as her companion landed on top of her. "Rainbow, get off! Sheesh, have you been snacking between meals?"
"Not funny, Daring!" The other mare shot back, . "Anyway, you sure this is the right place?"
The two Pegasus yanked their cloaks off, revealing a tan mare in a pith helmet and explorer's shirt, and a blue mares with a rainbow colored mane. These two heroic ponies were none other than Daring Do, brave adventurer and treasure hunter, and Rainbow Dash, once one of the famous harmony bearers, and longtime friend of Daring. Over the years, Miss Do had asked Rainbow to come along on many of her heroic outings. And the now middle-aged flyer believed this little quest would be no different.
"Yep, this is it." Daring Do replied, pulling a book out of her satchel, and comparing it to the glyphs on the wall. "This is definitely the tomb of King Hoofincommon, seventh Pharaoh of the zebra empire."
"Awesome, another tomb full of deadly traps; thanks for inviting me along on this one." Dash replied with a sarcastic laugh. "And what exactly are we doing here again?"
"The mareharaja of Ponystan is paying us a fortune to bring her the pharaoh's wand of awakening." The Pegasus explained, using her wings to strike a flint and light one of the torches along the wall. "She wants to use its power to protect her subjects."
The two Pegasus trotted down the drafty hall, the darkness lit only by the glow of Daring's torch. The adventuring mare studied the glyphs along the wall as they went, carefully reading the various warnings and curses for any sign of trouble.
"Wow this place is creepy- just like everywhere else you've gone." Dash laughed nervously, looking around for any manner of booby traps. "You find anything in that book that can help us right about now?"
"Not yet, I haven't…Dash, get down!" " Her eyes suddenly went wide, and she suddenly tackled her companion to the ground.
"What the- ahhh!" The other mare cried out, as poison arrows came shooting out of the opposite wall. "I knew there would be traps, let's haul flank!"
The two ponies zoomed ahead, Daring keeping it close to the ground as darts poison-tipped spears flew at her, and Rainbow Dash flying up high as spinning saw blades and sharp spikes came out of the upper wall and ceiling at her. Finally, the two spilled out at the other end of the long hallway, as a glaive took of the end of the blue mare's tail, and a spear knocked Daring's pith helmet clean off her head.
"Whoah, that was a bit of a close shave!" Dash joked, out of breath as she looked at her stub of a tail. "Well, now I won't have to visit the mane stylist when I get back to Ponyville!"
"Speak for yourself, Dash." Daring Do gasped harshly, grabbing her damaged helmet off the wall the spear had embedded it against. "This kind of game is for younger ponies. I don't even know what I'm doing out here."
"Wait… you're joking, right?" The two mares trotted down to the golden doors at the end of the hallway. "You can't be serious, right? What would Equestria do without the awesomeness of Daring Do?"
"Oh came off of it Dash, we're not young ponies anymore!" The gray maned mare snorted, her exhaustion showing in her strained voice. "We're both pushing forty, and I've been doing this for over two thirds of my life. Do you really think I want to be dodging death traps for the rest of my days?"
"Hey, I'm not looking to retire anytime soon!" Rainbow Dash protested, stamping her hoof. "They're gonna hafta pry being captain of the wonder bolts out of my cold, dead hooves!"
"Well, maybe you want to stay out there, but not me." The mare grunted warily, as they both stepped up and pushed the golden doors to the tomb open. "In fact, Duke Dazzle's been asking me to hang up my pith hat, and come to marry him again. Never would've taken that stuffy academic noble up on his offer for a teaching job in Canterlot university's archaeology department, but now…."
"Daring look!" The doors swung open, and the two Pegasus gazed upon a vast wealth of riches that stretched out before them. "So many jewels and treasures! So… awesome!"
"Another shining golden horde, another swarm of angry undead monsters protecting it." Daring replied with a sigh. "Forgive me if I'm not exactly thrilled, Dashie."
"Awww come on, Daring!" Rainbow Dash replied, trying to cheer her up. "It's not- wait, did you say undead?!"
Suddenly, several gold sarcophagus around the room slid open, and groaning equine figures wrapped in bandages began to shamble forward towards them.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the curse." Daring snorted sarcastically, as the two ponies took a fighting stance. "Well well well, looks like we got some more action on our hooves…"
…
"Firefly, there you are!" The Pink Pegasus in front of her exclaimed, drawing the other mare in front of her out of her reading. "What in the world are you doing up here? I've been lookin' all over Dream Castle for you!"
"Huh? Oh, hi North Star." The other pink Pegasus replied, setting down the book she was holding up with her hooves. "I was just reading a copy of Daring Doo's last adventure, Tornado just translating it from old Equestrian into modern English for me."
"Blimey, you're reading Daring Do?" The archeologist pony's ears perked up. "I think it's wonderful; that you've taken an interest in ancient literature." She picked up the book, examining the pages. "But why are you reading a poor translation like this? He leaves out all of A.K. Yearling's rich details, and he gets Rainbow Dash and Daring Do's dialogue all wrong."
"Eh, it's not really that important to me." Firefly waved her hoof dismissively. "I really don't care about the Daring Do series; I was only reading the story for the parts with my ancestor, Rainbow Dash."
"Now just wait a bloom' minute, Firefly!" The mare protested, as the two trotted out of the castle turret Firefly had holed up in to read. "Daring is just as much a hero as your harmony bearing ancestor! Why, I'll have you know that Daring has been on just as many adventures as-"
"North Star, your precious Daring is just a fictional character- she ain't real!" Firefly declared, turning to face the British-accented mare angrily. "Rainbow Dash was a real hero who really saved ponies. Tornado told me that your direct ancestor, A.K. Yearling, wrote the Daring Do novels. But you shouldn't compare you're fake childhood hero with a real champion of Equestria!"
"Why you- you- ohhhhhhh!" The other pink mare scowled, following Firefly out through the door. "And to think I had come up here to share an adventure with me?"
"Adventure?" Firefly's ears perked up, and she jumped in front of the other mare. "Did you say 'adventure?"
"Why, yes."the other mare replied, smiling smugly. "And it just so happens to involve both rainbow dash, and that 'fictional' mare you so despise…"