//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Daring Discoveries 
// Story: Sunset Shimmer: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well 
// by Joeycrick 
//------------------------------//

As Sunset Shimmer stepped onto the convention floor, she only had one word to say:

"Whoa."

Everywhere she looked, she saw costumed ponies. A lot of costumed ponies, many of them posing for photos and chatting amongst friends. Booths were set up everywhere, with ponies selling figurines, posters, and comics. Sunset also spotted a couple celebrities handing out autographs and answering fans' questions.

"This is just... whoa." Sunset blinked a few more times, taking in the sight around her.

"Hello, Earth to Sunset!" Stray Wind waved her hoof in front of Sunset, trying to get her attention.

"Wha...? Oh! My bad," Sunset answered as she came back to her senses. She walked alongside Stray Wind, who was leading the way. "It's just... I didn't expect the convention to be like this."

"Really?" Stray Wind looked surprised. "You haven't even caught a glimpse of what one would look like?"

"No," Sunset replied. "I was always studying, I didn't give social events that much of a thought. I've been getting out more since becoming Twilight's student, but I still didn't pay attention to these conventions."

Stray Wind looked around the convention floor. "Huh, looks like a lot of ponies came this year. There weren't this many last time." As she turned her head, she spotted a group of ponies. The sight of the costumes they were wearing brought a grin to her face. "Hey Sunset, check those ponies out."

Sunset looked in the direction Stray Wind was pointing, and she couldn't help but chuckle at the purple and dark blue costumes worn by the group. "Heh, didn't expect Mare-Do-Well cosplayers. I'll be honest, I'm a little bit flattered."

"Why don't you join them as well?" Stray Wind pointed at Sunset's enchanted pendant, hanging around her neck.

Sunset shook her head. "Nah, I only brought that if somepony decides to crash this event." She gestured to the Batmare costume she was wearing now. "I can't exactly fight thugs in this."

"Oh right," Stray Wind replied as she remembered the enhancements Rarity placed on Sunset's Mare-Do-Well costume. "I'm pretty sure you could still take them without those enhancements, though."

"Better safe than sorry," said Sunset. The two unicorns stopped, looking at the crowd of costumed ponies around them. "So where you do want to go first?"

"Hmm..." Stray Wind scanned the area, tapping her hoof on her chin. "I kinda want to check out the booths, see if there's anything we might want to grab... I also want to see if we can get any photo opportunities. What about you, Sunset?"

Sunset shrugged. "I'm not exactly into this stuff as much as you are. I'll just let you lead the way."

"Excuse me!" somepony called from behind them. Sunset and Stray Wind turned around to find a pegasus mare holding up a camera. "You mind if I take a photo of you two?"

A grin forming on her face, Stray Wind nodded. "Ooh, I'd love that very much! Come on, Sunset!"

"Uh..." Before Sunset could say anything, Stray Wind dragged her in front of the camera.

The photographer raised her camera, pointing the lens at the two cosplayers. "Ready? Smile!"

Stray Wind tipped her hat and looked at the camera with a fierce expression on her face. Sunset, on the other hand, just stared blankly as the photographer snapped a photo.

"Alright, Daring Do! C'mon, Batmare! Why don't you show me what you're made of!" the photographer shouted as she took a couple more photographs.

Stray Wind chuckled as Sunset continued looking flustered. "It's her first time doing this," she explained to the photographer.

The pegasus smiled at Sunset and raised her camera, aiming it at her before shouting words of encouragement. "Well, surely you know how to look heroic! Show me that you're the hero Equestria deserves!"

If only you knew... Sunset's eyes darted around for a moment. "Well, um..." Her mind wandered back to Nightmare Night, when she first put on the Mare-Do-Well costume. She grinned as an idea came to her. "Hold on a sec, let me conjure up a small breeze!"





On a nearby rooftop sat a unicorn mare in a cloak, a hood covering her face. Her eyes watched the ponies wandering the streets below. She heard wings, but didn't turn her head as a similarly dressed pegasus mare landed beside her.

"Got anything to report?" the unicorn asked.

"Yes, Night Shade," the pegasus replied. "We just found the first relic. It's at the Manehattan Convention Center, in the auditorium, backstage."

Night Shade looked up. "Are you sure?"

The pegasus nodded. "It's the real deal. That archaeologist we encountered in Saddle Arabia... she's the one who put it there. Apparently, she's gonna be showing a presentation later."

"Interesting..." Night Shade grinned. "Maybe we should drop by..."





"So, anywhere else we should hit before we leave?" Stray Wind asked, her saddlebags stuffed with photo albums and other stuff she had picked up from booths.

"We haven't seen A.K. Yearling yet," Sunset replied. She was also carrying a saddlebag, its contents including an autographed copy of Fallout: Equestria, a Power Ponies poster, and a figurine of a white, hooded Spider-Mare. "I'm hoping I can get an autograph for Rainbow Dash."

"Well, there's her booth." Stray Wind pointed her hoof at a nearby booth. Sitting at the table with a huge pile of books was a tan pony wearing a dark red cloak and glasses. She looked up as the two unicorns approached the booth.

"Let me guess: you two want autographs," she said with a small grin on her face.

"Uh... if you don't mind," Sunset replied. "We're both really big fans of your books."

A.K. Yearling grabbed a book and a quill, ready to sign. "I figured. So who am I making this out to?" she asked, looking at Stray Wind. "Really nice Daring Do costume, by the way."

"Thank you so much! I really worked hard on this, glad to hear you like it!" Stray Wind said cheerfully. "Oh, I'm Stray Wind."

"I'm Sunset Shimmer," Sunset added. "And can we also get an autograph as a gift for our friend? Her name's Rainbow Dash."

Yearling stopped writing and looked up. "Hold on... you said 'Rainbow Dash'?"

"Uh... do you know her?" Sunset asked, confused.

A grin appeared on the author's face. "Actually, yeah. I met her a while back, she helped me get out of a real jam. One of my books actually has a character based on her. My way of saying thanks to her."

Sunset and Stray Wind looked at each other in bewilderment. "You're kidding, right?!" they both shouted in unison.

Yearling smirked. "I take it you haven't read Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny?"

"Yeah, but it's been a while! We didn't realize...!"

"Wait... the cover had a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane on it! That's Rainbow Dash! How the heck did we miss that?!"

"Doesn't she say 'twenty percent cooler' at one point in the book? Rainbow Dash says that a lot!"

"Oh... of course! There's also that rainbow-colored explosion she pulls off near the ending! That's got Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom written all over it!"

A.K. Yearling couldn't help but giggle as she watched Sunset Shimmer and Stray Wind yelling at each other in utter disbelief. Apparently, finding out that one of their best friends was a character in a bestselling novel was a lot to take in. "You two gonna calm down anytime soon? You're holding up the line."

Sunset and Stray Wind stopped their shouting, looking at the author. As their cheeks grew red and they grinned sheepishly, the two laughed nervously. "Sorry about that..." Stray Wind muttered.

Yearling chuckled as she went back to autographing her books. "No worries. You two look like really close friends of Dash."

"You have no idea," Sunset answered. "She and her friends have really changed my life."

"In that case... let me tell you something." Yearling motioned for Sunset and Stray Wind to come closer. As they leaned in, she began whispering. "You know there's a show coming up later in the auditorium, right?"

"We've heard about it, but we don't really know the specifics," Stray Wind replied.

"You know how the artifacts that Daring finds in the books are based on ones that actually exist?"

While Sunset nodded, Stray Wind looked surprised. "Really? This is the first I've heard of it."

Yearling turned to the pink unicorn. "Yeah, those artifacts that Daring Do fights her rivals for, they exist in real life. That includes their supernatural characteristics."

"Whoa." Stray Wind was awestruck.

Yearling smiled before continuing. "Anyways, that show coming up later, I'm hosting it. I'll be showing off the artifacts from the books to my fans, giving them a bit of a backstory."

"Wait a minute..." Sunset held her forehoof up. "You're gonna be showing them the actual artifacts?"

Yearling chuckled. "Yeah right. They're all going to be replicas, except for one my friend recently found during an expedition in Saddle Arabia. That'll be the artifact Daring fights for in her next book. Consider it a sneak preview."

"Sweet!" Sunset whispered excitedly. "What's the artifact called?"

"The title of the next Daring Do book: Daring Do and the Relic of the Earth."

Sunset froze. 'Relic of the Earth'...? She can't possibly mean...?! Sweat began rolling down her face. "Uh... Ms. Yearling..." she asked nervously.

The writer glanced at Sunset with a puzzled expression. "You okay there, Bats?"

The amber unicorn took a deep breath. "That artifact your friend found..." she said slowly. "It wouldn't happen to be the Earth Relic, would it? One of the three relics that make up the Celestial Amulet? Because there's something you really should know about it."

Stray Wind glanced nervously at Sunset. "What's going on here?"

Sunset waved her hooves defensively. "Never mind that! There's these ponies in black cloaks tearing cities apart looking for those relics! If they find out there's one here...!"

A.K. Yearling did a double take. "What the-?!" she whispered furiously. "You playing games with me or something?"

Sunset turned her head towards the ponies behind her, who were waiting anxiously for a chance to get autographs. She looked back at Yearling before whispering, "I'm serious, but we can't discuss it here. Is there someplace private we can talk?"

The pegasus glanced past Sunset and Stray Wind's shoulder at the fans waiting behind them. She hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat. "Excuse me for a moment," she called out. "I'm gonna be taking a break for a couple minutes. You two..." She pointed at Sunset and Stray Wind. "Come with me."

As the fans groaned in frustration, Yearling placed a sign on the table and gestured for Sunset and Stray Wind to follow her. She led the two unicorns through the crowd before reaching a door that led into an off-limits hallway. Once Sunset and Stray Wind were through, she slammed the door and turned around, removing her hood and glasses to reveal a grayscale mane.

"Okay, you two. Spill it," she growled.

"What's going on, Ms. Yearling?" Stray Wind asked.

"I should ask you the same thing," Yearling answered. "Those cloaked ponies, I've been dealing with those bozos for a week. Care to explain how do you know what they're looking for?"

"What are you talking ab...?" Sunset began, but she stopped. The gears in her brain turned, and something clicked. Hold on... she's got the same mane color as Daring Do... same eye color, same fur color... She can't be...! She gasped as she came to a realization. "Wait... you're Daring Do?! The same one in your books?!"

"Hold on, Dash never told you?" Sunset simply went pale while the cloaked mare sighed. "I'll take that as a no." She flicked her cloak upwards, revealing an olive vest very similar to the one Stray Wind was wearing, a pair of wings, and a cutie mark of a compass on her flank. "Remember that jam I told you Dash helped me out with? It was getting the Ring of Destiny back."

Sunset and Stray Wind stared at her, their mouths hanging open. "Holy crap..." Sunset muttered.

Daring Do lowered her cloak. "That answer your question? Now how about mine?"

Sunset looked at Stray Wind, who simply nodded. She took a deep breath before answering. "I've also been dealing with them for the past week. They've been attacking cities around Equestria searching for the relics that make up the Celestial Amulet. They're being led by somepony named Night Shade."

"Really?" Daring Do replied, pointing at Sunset. "No offense, but you don't look like much of a fighter, even with that bat costume."

Sunset looked at Daring with an annoyed expression on her face. She lifted her forehoof to the pendant hanging around her neck. "Seriously, I'm a lot tougher than I look. Ever heard of the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?"

"That masked vigilante who's been running all over Equestria pounding the ever-loving snot out of criminals? What's she gotta do with this?"

Sunset smirked before answering. "You might want to stand back." She double-tapped the pendant. Daring and Stray Wind closed their eyes as the pendant glowed brightly and wind began blowing. Once the wind and glowing died down, both ponies opened their eyes. Daring Do looked up, and where Batmare stood earlier, there was now the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

Sunset Shimmer lifted her mask. "That answer your question?"

Daring Do looked at Sunset for a couple seconds. "You're the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well? How do I know you're not just some fan in a costume?"

"Enchanting a pendant to suit me up quickly in a really flashy manner is a bit much for a fan simply cosplaying as her, isn't it?" Sunset pointed out. "Plus, why didn't I just wear the Mare-Do-Well costume instead of a Batmare one?"

"Well, you've got me at the first point. Not so much on the second one."

Sunset shrugged. "Fair enough. But I'm the real deal, just ask Rainbow Dash. She's the one that taught me how to fight."

"Really? Dash taught you?" Daring looked at Stray Wind. "And what's your story?"

"Hey, all I do is cosplay and help plan Nightmare Night parties," she answered as she shrugged. "Only physical fight I got into was with Rarity. She saw that I ruined one of my dresses for a costume I was making. She wasn't too happy about it." Sunset and Daring just stared at her before turning to each other.

"Okay, Miss Mysterious," Daring said. "You know what the relics do and the guys who are after them. Know anything else?"

Sunset raised her hoof to her chin, walking for a bit. "When those cloaked ponies attacked Canterlot, one of them mentioned that their leader is somepony named Night Shade. She's got a grudge against Princess Celestia, and she's planning on using the Celestial Amulet to take her down." Turning to Daring, she added, "What about you? Got anything to share?"

Daring mimicked Sunset's movements. "Let's see... I know for a fact that the Relic of Flight is somewhere up north, probably the Crystal Empire. As for the Relic of Magic, I haven't been able to pinpoint where it is yet."

"You have an idea of where it is?" Stray Wind asked.

Daring nodded. "It's somewhere on the Equestrian countryside. Where exactly, I don't know."

"And you've got the Earth Relic in the auditorium right now for the show later..." Sunset stopped in her tracks as a thought struck her. "Hold on... you said you ran into Night Shade's goons back in Saddle Arabia... you don't think...?"

Realizing what Sunset was saying, Daring's eyes widened. "Oh crap!" She grabbed her glasses and threw the hood over her head before dashing out the door onto the convention floor, Sunset and Stray Wind following right behind her.

"You think Night Shade might be trying to make off with it?" Stray Wind asked.

"I'd count on it," Sunset replied as she continued to follow Daring, who was pushing her way through the crowd of ponies while they looked on in surprise.

"Excuse me! Hey, we're in a hurry here! I'll get you an autograph later, this is urgent!" she shouted at the onlookers. "Out of the way, Frodo!" She shoved aside a cosplayer, accidentally knocking him to the ground. He looked up as Sunset and Stray Wind dashed past him.

"Yeesh, what's her problem?" he muttered, picking himself up before walking away.

The trio of mares arrived at the doors leading to the auditorium. With Sunset (now pulling the mask over her face) and Stray Wind behind her, Daring Do slammed the doors open and charged through.

The auditorium was dark inside. The trio heard groaning, and looked around to find the source. At a nearby wall, they spotted two unconscious ponies in black cloaks, victims of the door Daring just barged through.

"Uh oh." Daring Do galloped through the aisles and jumped onto the stage, disappearing behind the curtain. Mare-Do-Well and Stray Wind followed suit, stopping when they rounded the corner. In front of the three ponies stood a cloaked mare with a hood over her head. She was facing towards the wall, where a chest sat at her forehooves.

"You'd better step away from that chest, you scumbag!" Daring shouted, tossing her glasses and cloak aside before pounding her hooves together.

"Otherwise, you'll be in a world of hurt!" Mare-Do-Well added, crouching into a battle stance and pawing the ground with her forehoof.

The mare didn't move, but only turned her head to look at the archaeologist and masked mare. A grin was visible underneath her hood.

"So..." she muttered as she turned around slowly. "Looks like we finally get to see each other face to face, Mysterious Mare-Do-Well... Daring Do..." Using her forehooves to pull back her hood, she revealed her dark gray fur, a tomboy-styled mane consisting of several shades of red, deep blue eyes, and a unicorn horn. Her mouth curled up into an evil smirk.

"Allow me to introduce myself... I am Night Shade."