//------------------------------// // Amazing First Chapter! // Story: Daring Do and the Agents of F.O.A.L.E // by PONYMARTYR //------------------------------// “Are you sure you’re alright? That’s your fifth glass of cider.” Daring Do waved a passive hoof, making the unicorn flinch. “I’m okay. Just... just thirsty.... is all.” She glanced up from the bar into the violet eyes of the unicorn next to her. Everything faded away the deeper she looked into them, seeing her own drunken grin smiling back at her. “Ya know... normally I don’t say this to mares... but you’re really pretty...” The unicorn giggled. “Yes, I’ve been told that a lot. And don’t worry, I’m flattered.” She watched Daring take another glass. “I just thought this would be difficult.” She eyed the glass of cider and bit her lip as it disappeared down Daring’s throat. “Are you only drinking this much because I’m paying?” “You are?!” Daring’s wings perked up. “In that case, make it two!” The room spun slightly when she reached for the next glass, knocking it over and into the unicorn’s lap. “Oh gosh... I’m sorry!” Her hooves groped for some napkins, making an even bigger mess of empty glasses. She dove down and began wiping at the dress, noticing that the unicorn’s legs were more slender than average. “Don’t stare for too long,” the unicorn giggled. “Here, I’ll get it. You just keep being adorable.” Daring blushed. “What did you say your name was again?” “Madame le Fleur.” The unicorn gave a slight bow. She noticed Daring glancing over her shoulder. “No, I’m not a princess, despite having the frame.” “I wasn’t lookin’!” Daring blurted, her face a bright shade of crimson. Another glass of cider found its way to her and Le Fleur reached out to grab it. For a brief moment, the two held hooves, and Daring began to sweat. Le Fleur smiled and pulled away with a reluctant sigh. “Still not interested in what I’m offering?” “What?” Daring cocked a brow. “Is it common knowledge I swing both ways?” She giggled. “Well, yes and no. But, that wasn’t what I was offering. At least, not yet.” Daring gulped down the cider and licked her lips, a goofy smile spread across her face. “That tasted kinda funny...” Le Fleur’s voice was an echo in Daring’s head as the room began to spin. Her wings tried to stabilize her descent to the floor, but it was too late. “Rest now, Daring. We’ll meet again under better circumstances.” Everything went black. Once her eyes popped back open, she was greeted with the familiar walls of her bedroom. She bolted upright and instantly regretted it as her stomach lurched along with the rest of the room. A quick glance at the clock confirmed her suspicions. “That was one hell of a hangover...” Daring muttered. Her tongue felt like cotton and about three sizes too big for her mouth. She examined her hooves to make sure they were all accounted for and found she still had her trenchcoat on. She fumbled around and saw something on her pillow, glinting in the sunlight that she now realized was mercilessly stabbing her eyes. A business card with a stylized alicorn upon it, wings spread regally. Underneath, five simple letters shimmered in silver. F.O.A.L.E. “Oh, Daring... what have you gotten yourself into...” Daring Do stared at the card on her desk. The alicorn symbol looked official, set against a holographic background, but it just didn’t feel right. A week after it wound up in her bedroom, and she still couldn’t put her hoof on it. If she had her way, she’d hop the next airship out of Canterlot to find some clues. She looked out the window to gather her thoughts. The way Celestia’s sun played off the glass created a mini rainbow across the room, making Daring’s wings itch to be outside instead of stuck in a class full of sleeping students. The black carriage sitting in the lot with a pony in sunglasses staring at her… That was a new addition. Her moment of meditation was cut off by the piercing ring of the school bell, quickly followed by the sound of shuffling hooves and papers being packed away. “Uh, sorry, class. Quiet lesson today, I know, but that’s…” She peered outside once again, expecting the pony in sunglasses, only to find him gone from sight, along with the carriage. “That’s… how it is.” She pressed her nose to the glass. The gravel didn’t show any sign of tracks, as if the carriage simply blinked out of existence. It wasn’t a secret most unicorns could teleport, but who the pony was and why he was there couldn’t be explained so easily. “Ahem!” Daring spun around in her seat, stopping when she got an eyeful of the crotchety face of Professor Bookmark. His tweed jacket and heavy wrinkles made the brown unicorn look absolutely ancient and perpetually miffed. No doubt he was the pony to hand Princess Celestia her graduation papers. “Oh, hello,” Daring said with a polite wave. “I, uh, didn’t hear you come in.” She forced a smile and bit back the urge to say she could smell the tomb dust. “Your door was open.” He gestured to the door. “I’m not one to question the adventurous mind. In fact, I daresay that’s why you teach here to begin with. And I appreciate that.” Daring sighed. She had this speech well-memorized, so she turned in her seat to look over the card once again. “And here comes the scolding for my unorthodox behavior?” “Actually, no. You’ve turned in decent results this quarter. No sudden absences either.” He scratched his balding head, where faint wisps of his once stylish caramel mane clung on for dear life. “In fact, Headmaster Greyhoof began to wonder if you got killed on an adventure and replaced with somepony new.” Daring snorted and flipped the card over for what must have been the fiftieth time. “So, what’s the problem?” “I just wish to investigate on, ironically, your investigation. Never in my life did I ever think you would ask your coworkers about comic book trivia.” Daring snapped her gaze away from the card to see one of the rarest things in existence: Professor Bookmark smiling. “Have you turned in your life of adventuring for one of an escapist fantasy enthusiast?” She blinked. According to most of the professors around the campus, Daring’s whole worldview was escapist fantasy. “What the hell… I was looking into... wait...” Memories of her strange encounter at the bar came flooding back. “Daring Do, are you not aware that F.O.A.L.E. was an organization in the Silver Age of the Timeless Comics series, Power Ponies?” Daring blinked again. Not only was she surprised that a pony as ancient as him would ever like comic books to begin with, but the sudden realization that a convention for said ponies was in town the same day hit her like a brick. How could she have forgotten that annoying colt who kept ranting about how the relaunches apparently sucked? How could she have forgotten the garish cosplayers littering the streets? “I always thought comics were a kid thing.” “You’re saying I was never a foal?” Bookmark smirked. “Not in my lifetime,” Daring grinned back. Bookmark ignored the jab and continued. “The Silver Age was Timeless Comics’ heyday, you see. It was when the Power Ponies were first created. In fact, they had ten members at the time. It’s since been reduced to six, but I digress…” With shaky steps, Bookmark made his way to the chair across from Daring’s desk and gently placed his old bones into it. “Whatever the case, issue #159 of Volume One made mention of a secret organization called F.O.A.L.E. Unfortunately, Volume Two was handed off to a different creative team, and the concept was never mentioned again.” He shuddered slightly. “I remember the fan fiction… dark times.” “Why, Professor... did you go to the convention too?” Daring narrowed her eyes and let a sly grin spread across her face. Bookmark blushed. “Well, of course. Old habits die hard, I guess. But I’ve since lost interest in the comic line. All I know is that F.O.A.L.E. hasn’t been mentioned in a single issue since my time.” “Was there ever a member of the Power Ponies named Madame le Fleur?” “Not when I was a fan. Word of mouth says her introduction was very controversial. I was in high school by then and already discovered the wonders of mares.” Daring pursed her lips and looked over the card again. Thoughts of the better things she could’ve done after hours played out in her mind and taunted her. It wasn’t the first time she slept at her desk. Bookmark stood and began to leave. “So you’re saying F.O.A.L.E. isn’t real?” Bookmark stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder. “Well, I didn’t say that.” He winked, nodded farewell and shut the door behind him. Daring bent down and dug around in her desk drawer and emerged with a book of addresses. Countless pages of locations she accumulated over time either to visit for amusement or to get a favor on a tough adventure. Not many ponies had addresses of changeling hives and buffalo tribes. “What was the name of that comic shop…” “Welcome to Enchanted Comics, where we—” The yellow stallion behind the counter paused and adjusted his thick rimmed glasses. “Well, well, I’ll be Masked Matterhorn’s estranged son of her alien clone! Daring Do! Never thought I’d see you in here again! I got those smutty comics you like right here and—” “Not now, Inky. I’m on a mission.” Daring glanced around the store, noticing all the Neighpon robot ponies staring down at her. She was also taken aback by how clean the place was compared to how she remembered it, with every genre of comic laid alphabetically in individual sections. “Place used to have pages littering the floor.” “New management,” Inky replied, fiddling with his glasses some more. Daring cocked her head and stared at the pimple marked pony. “Happened about a week ago.” He waved a hoof. “I know, I know, you got to know my dad pretty well back in the day but, things change.” Daring rolled her eyes. “Where’s your back issue bin?” “Oh ho! Goin’ old school, eh? They’re right over there.” Inky pointed to a row of boxes stacked on top of each other in the back of the store. “Be careful with your saving throw, though. The spells aren’t as potent when they age.” “Too bad I’m not planning on going inside them…” She pawed through wrinkled, mismatched issues of the top box, bringing up smells of old ink and paper. This was more like the store she remembered as a filly. “Let’s see here... Batmane... Supermare... Suicide Stable... X-Mares… Nope.” After digging through the last box, she slumped to her haunches and sighed. “What is it that you seek, brave explorer?” Inky asked with a faux dramatic Trottingham accent. “Power Ponies #159.” “Oh! Well, I never thought you a Power Ponies fan. They’re more of a series for teenagers, but...” he glanced around, then leaned in close. “You’d have to get to level 50 and scale Mount Everfree to obtain it.” Daring cocked a brow. “Sorry, got into a new game that just came out.” He cleared his throat. “In laycolts terms, a few thousand bits.” Daring blinked “A few thousand?!” She leapt off the floor, fluttering her wings angrily. “It’s just a comic book! You mean to tell me I could’ve just shopped here when I was a filly, sold out and retired instead of risking my life in temples?” “Yep! First appearance issues always go for a hefty sum. Not only was that Zap’s debut issue, it’s also the first appearance of Director Trousers and the whole F.O.A.L.E. concept!” “Trousers?” Daring muttered. Inky shrugged. “The idea didn’t really take off. Fans weren’t too keen buying extra comics to understand the stories. That’s the problem these days, too many crossovers.” Daring grimaced and clenched her teeth. Another snag, and even worse, a financial one. “A few thousand? On a teacher’s budget… I’ll have to find another priceless artifact before I can afford it. Even then, who’d be willing to let it go?” She reached into her vest pocket and pulled out the card. “Some help you… were…” A hunch crawled into her mind, and she decided to give it a shot. Daring presented the card to the clerk. “Think this is worth a few thousand, Inky?” The clerk snorted with indifference. “Maybe to some desperate collector of crap. Who do you think I am?” “Yeah, yeah, your crap is worth more.” Daring rolled her eyes. Inky blinked, levitated his glasses down to his Green Lamplight shirt, wiped the lenses, and put them back on. “What in the name of Saviikaan? Is that… That was the card Fillysecond swiped from the suit-wearing stallion at the very end of Issue #159!” “But you just said it’s a replica?” “Of course it is! But it’s a darn good looking one!” Inky cleared his throat. “I mean, they’re probably a bit a dozen. Besides, I don’t have that comic anyway. It’s in the hooves of a private collector.” Daring’s ears perked. “I’m a bit of a collector myself. Where can I find him?” “Her, actually...” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s her name?” “Uh... how should I know? I wasn’t there at the auction!” Daring got up off the floor and looked Inky in the eye. “Nice try, four-eyes. I never mentioned any auction.” Inky swallowed. “Fine... I have it. But I can’t just let any random pony off the street come in and see it! Every time I touch it, the value decreases! I turn a page and wash my hooves!” “If it’s so valuable, why are you even reading it at all?” “Because I’m a fan first!” Inky’s eyes couldn’t get any wider if he tried. “I mean, it’s not like I invested the entire future of this store to afford it or anything...” “That explains why it got so clean,” Daring muttered. “So, who did you sell your soul to for this thing?” “I didn’t sell my soul! Who do you think I am, Spider-Mare?! I just got it in the mail in exchange for the store. Who am I to ask questions when something like that comes along?” Daring rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. “What can you tell me about a Power Pony named Madame le Fleur?” “Her? Pff.” Inky waved a hoof. “Her introduction was terrible! So much potential wasted, really. A lot of fans, me included, speculate that she was what killed the whole F.O.A.L.E concept.” As he talked, Inky walked behind the counter and pressed a red button on the underside, causing a bookshelf on the nearby wall to move and reveal the entrance to a secret room. Daring rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t expected any sort of hidden mechanism outside the confines of some ancient tomb or abandoned temple. “A bit overkill, don’t you think?” “You want overkill? Should have seen the bill.” Inky motioned for Daring to follow. “That’s why I didn’t spring for the Robot Unicorn defense system on top of it.” “What does F.O.A.L.E. even stand for? Why the extra E?” Daring quickly ducked to avoid banging her head on a wooden beam. “Fighting Organization Against Lawless Equines,” Inky effortlessly recited. “That’s as much as anypony will ever know about them, outside of fan fiction. Kind of a corny name, huh?” The two emerged at the bottom of the stairs into a chilly, dark chamber. Not a trace of sunlight or moisture to be found among the seemingly infinite rows of bagged comics, all presided over by various autographs, convention photos and posters. Some comics were placed in little display cases, and Daring noted that these featured first appearances or deaths of major characters. There was even a comic based on her own adventures among the displays. She walked up and tapped the glass with a hoof. The New Adventures of Daring Do! Volume One, Issue One. “Well, hell. I can sell the promotional copy I got! They didn’t do me justice anyway.” She smirked at the rather unflattering representation of herself on the cover, swinging from a vine with her impossibly bulging muscles. Once her eyes fully adjusted to the dark and her inbuilt claustrophobia settled down, she looked at some of the photos stuck to the far wall. Various images of Inky dressed as characters from movies and comics were clustered together in a corner. Aside from having to see Inky Hooves in a pink dress and wig, Daring noticed something suspicious in the photos. Every convention Inky attended all had the same black clad earth pony in shades appear in the background. She glanced over to ask a question and saw Inky staring at a rather large display case that housed the comic she was looking for. He didn’t even notice her come up behind him and stare over his shoulder. “This is it, huh?” she asked. “Isn’t she a beauty? I wipe the glass every other hour.” Daring eyed the cover. There was the hero she figured to be Zap, wielding a mighty lightning bolt above bold lettering announcing her amazing first appearance. LIGHTING STRIKES! THE UNTOLD TALE OF ZAP! “Eh, not impressed. Yoink!” Daring opened the case, snatched the book from its stand and began violently leafing through the pages. The color in Inky’s face drained. “Careful! I staked a lot on that comic! I’m a paragon of the fandom just for having it in my possession!” Daring mumbled an insult about false idols and kept looking. After a slew of nonsensical ads for cheap novelties, some of which Daring still had from her filly-hood, she at last reached the proper page in the story. She saw the panel with the suited stallion, and another with a white suited character she assumed to be Fillysecond speaking to the rest of the Power Ponies, but something was missing from her hoof. Daring slammed the book down onto the floor. “There’s no card here.” “Say what?” “There’s no card here. It just... ends.” Inky snatched the book up and pawed through it frantically. “No... no... this can’t be right! I must have read this comic a hundred times! It’s always been there!” “Maybe it’s a reprint to forget the concept?” Daring shrugged. “There never was a reprint!” Inky threw the book down. Suddenly his eyes widened with an idea. “Wait! I got it!” Daring groaned, mentally bracing for the worst. “I never like that look you get, Inky.” “What if, and I’m serious here...” Inky got uncomfortably close to Daring, with his muzzle nearly touching hers. She had to back away to avoid the unwashed nerd smell commonly associated with his ilk. “What if, not only can we go into the comics... but... but they can also come out of them!” Daring glanced at the comic, then up at the ranting unicorn. “Go home, Inky. You’re drunk.” “I’m serious! It’s a very possible possibility!” “Leave the speculation about that kind of stuff to the pros,” Daring snorted, pointing at herself. “Besides, out of all the crazy things I’ve encountered, I highly doubt comic books are invading reality.” “Then how do you explain the card?” Inky replied, sounding more cocky than usual. “A replica, like you said.” Daring rubbed her temples. “But… why would she go through the trouble of giving me a replica?” “Roleplayers?” Inky shrugged. “Maybe they need a pegasus?” Daring picked up the comic and looked again. She slowly pulled out the card and held it in place over the image. “Maybe I can put it in the comic, like a key. Or...” She caught a reflection of something in the holofoil. “Well I’ll be...” “What? What is it?” “Thanks, Inky! You’re the best!” Daring darted out of the room, and Inky scrambled to catch the comic before it hit the ground. I hope she’s smart enough to figure out the message, the unicorn thought, glancing at her pocket watch for the umpteenth time. Who am I kidding? This is the great Daring Do we’re talking about. Canterlot Park always looked so luminescent at night. The Moon Flowers and Evening Primrose planted to honor Princess Luna opened to her moonlight, adding ambiance to the sounds of crickets and the sights of dancing fireflies. Even the Glo Friends were out, collecting the moondrops from the ponds and puddles to keep their glow intact. Many ponies found the drops to be useful for medicines and potions, in addition to their beauty. The unicorn took a slow canter around the largest pond, making routine glances at her watch. 7:21. Nine minutes to spare. She took care to stay close to the bench where Daring would appear if everything went as planned. She pictured in her head how the meeting would go, telling Daring to keep her eyes forward while talking in code. She tried to hold in her excitement, almost letting the giggle in her throat escape. Others like her were giddy at the prospect of meeting the legendary adventurer, but only she had the honor of doing so. If Daring did come, then it would be all the proof she needed to show she believed in Daring’s skills. The sound of hoofsteps cut through the relative quiet, and she peeked in the direction of the sound from beneath the cover of her official shades and designer chapeau. Could it be? She recognized the wide-brimmed hat, but the trenchcoat was new. Regardless, there were no doubts in her mind about who it was. She quickly flopped onto the bench and ran her hooves over her skirt to smooth out any wrinkles. Daring passed by the bench, not making eye contact. “You wanted to see me?” “Take a seat. Eyes forward.” She waited for Daring to finish rolling her eyes and climb onto the bench. After a few moments of awkward fidgeting, the pegasus finally settled. “Sorry... Not used to sitting upright like this.” “You did at the bar last night.” the unicorn chuckled. “Beg pardon?” Daring turned her head, but a pointed hoof stopped her. “Eyes forward.” Daring obeyed reluctantly. The unicorn cleared her throat and continued. “Now, the fact you got my message proves you have what it takes to join us.” She waited patiently as Daring mulled the notion over. “The first thing I want know: who is ‘us’?” Of all the responses, that was the one the unicorn expected the least, but she found it amusing all the same. “You know who,” she said with another chuckle. “Even so, my services don’t come cheap.” “You will be paid handsomely, I assure you. But that is only one of many benefits if you choose to sign on. Of course, you’ve already chosen.” Daring blinked. “I didn’t agree to anything. What other benefits are we talkin’? I could use some insurance and... and...” She felt the weight shift closer to her, but kept her eyes fixed on the bushes ahead. A tongue slid up her ear. “WHOA! Lady, I don’t... well... I’m not... I mean... I...” The unicorn giggled. “Sorry. Force of habit. That is, unless you liked it?” Daring leapt off the bench and flared her wings into a defensive pose, finally making eye contact with the unicorn. “I heard about this! You’re that pony sex slave ring! I’m not gonna be a part of your scheme! In fact! I’m gonna turn you in right now!” The unicorn threw her head back and laughed. After she caught her breath and wiped her eyes, she smiled at Daring. “We’re nothing of the sort. I take it you already know who we are.” She levitated a card out of her pocket. “You have yours, yes?” “Um… Yeah.” Daring presented her card. “When I looked through it at the page of the comic book, it told me to come here at this time.” “Of course it did. I made it do so.” “How? It was under lock and key and in a secret room! Even I didn’t know it was there!” She tapped her horn. “Magic. How do you think you got home last night?” Daring sat in silence. “What do you want from me?” “A helping hoof. Big things are on the horizon, and we need to be ready.” She pulled down her shades, showing violet eyes, and smiled. “You coming?” Daring sighed, rubbing her ear vigorously. “Fine... just don’t do... that... again.” The unicorn lead Daring along the main path through the park. Daring tried to focus on the walk, but could only see swaying hips and a teasing tail. Good thing she had a skirt on, or Daring would’ve been even more distracted. “I assume you have a name?” she asked the shady mare. “With your detective skills, you ought to know by now.” The gears turned and a single name came to Daring’s mind. There was only one mare who could possibly be connected to all of this. After all, she shared her name with the mare who started her on this investigation in the first place. “Madame Le Fleur.” “Correct indeed, but you may just call me Fleur. I apologize for being so forward when we last met. It’s simply my way of breaking the ice.” The unicorn removed her chapeau, revealing luscious, bright pink locks that glimmered in the moonlight. Fleur tossed her mane, giving Daring a piercing bedroom stare. “I suppose that saves us the trouble of introductions, then. I assume you are aware of my skillset.” “S-sorry, no… I...” Daring crossed her hind legs. Fleur’s eyes were a black hole of temptation, magnetizing her gaze beyond hope. “I…” By the time Fleur turned her head, breaking the spell, Daring could feel sweat forming on her neck. “I… I’m not… aware.” “Really?” Fleur breathed. “I assumed you, being a fan of adventure and escapism, would be a fan of the comic industry. But I suppose first impressions can be deceiving. Take me, for example.” Gladly… “Now that is impressive. She knows next to nothing about comics, and yet she figured out the puzzle?” The voice of a nearby stallion caught Daring’s attention. She expected Fleur to tell her to keep her eyes forward, but the slender unicorn smiled and trotted towards the stallion. “I’m just as surprised as you are, Coltson.” The grey stallion smiled back and ran a hoof through his black, crew cut mane. His well tailored black suit coat radiated an aloof air of professionalism that Daring felt compeled to respect despite the gut feeling he was going to be annoying. “No way…” Daring picked her jaw off the ground. “Y-you’re the one from the page!” She pointed a shaking hoof and fell to her haunches. “You were outside my classroom window!” “I’ve been watching your investigation from afar. I suppose I slipped up a little.” Coltson approached Daring with a gentle smile and removed his shades. “Fleur talks about you non-stop. I look forward to seeing if you live up to your reputation.” Coltson gestured to a black carriage parked across the street, which was guarded by two other stallions in the same uniform. He led Daring and Fleur to the carriage, and let Fleur enter first. Daring allowed Coltson to enter next, keeping her eyes trained. A quick glance at the stallion’s flank revealed the same symbol from the card. Daring worked her way into the seat adjacent from the two agents, her wings plastered to her sides from the cramped confines. “So,” she grunted. “What am I getting myself into?” “Miss Do...Welcome to F.O.A.L.E.”