//------------------------------// // Daring Doubled // Story: Friends, Forgiveness, and Magic // by Invinsible //------------------------------// Friends, Forgiveness, and Magic Daring Doubled Chrysalis paced back and forth across the library floor, deep in thought. “Do you think she might feel more comfortable if I shape shift into a pegasus or something? I’m pretty sure she was a pegasus too at some point. Or would she think that by using a disguise I’m trying to deceive her?” “Hmm, that’s a good question. I’d recommend that you give her that choice,” Princess Nightmare Moon suggested. “Let her know that you just want to be friends with her and let her decide if she’s mentally strong enough to face your normal form or not.” Chrysalis sighed. “That does sound ideal. Do you think I can do this?” Nightmare smiled. “Hey, I did the same thing with the Equestrian Luna and it worked out for me.” She briefly frowned as she added, “Although Pinkie Pie told me her counterpart did something similar once. Even if the Equestrian Pinkie is more normal than the Pinkie we know, that’s a rather unsettling thought…” Chrysalis blinked. “I don’t understand. What did the other Pinkie do that was similar to how you befriended your mom’s counterpart?” “There were a couple of details I missed since she was talking so fast. I think she ate too much sugar the other night or something. Basically, Pinkie said her counterpart stalked a donkey named Cranky until she could befriend him. Sorta like how I stalked Princess Luna around until she stopped blaming me for all the trouble that other Nightmare Moon caused.” Before Chrysalis could tell Nightmare that she wasn’t a stalker, the front door swung open as a filly and two colts burst into the library. “Hey Chrysalis! Miss Zecora told us you’d be here. Are you ready to go now?” Snails asked. “I just need a minute please,” Chrysalis said as she glanced back and smiled at Snails, Snips, and Scootaloo. “What do you need a minute for?!” Scootaloo asked as she buzzed over to Chrysalis and hovered in front of her. “Aren’t you excited?” Chrysalis smiled. “I’m a little excited. However, I’m also really nervous.” “Nervous? What are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m going to try and meet with the Cadance from Equestria today. It’s part of the reason why I’m going with you and your class during your field trip today,” Chrysalis told the three kids. “I’m looking forward to meeting Cadance, but from what Pinkie told me she and my counterpart have a…rough past. I’m hoping I can do for her what Nightmare Moon did for Princess Luna. That’s why I’m nervous about meeting her. Though, I take it that you’re not feeling nervous about today.” “Nope! I get to meet the other Scootaloo and find out how awesome I am! I mean she is!” Scootaloo cheered as she flew around the room in little circles. “Same with us. It’ll be cool to see what we’re like in Equestria. So, what are you guys doing?” Snails asked Nightmare and Smog. “Peaceville has been pretty quiet lately, so we’re going to the Crystal Empire and then Canterlot to take care of royal duties and whatever princessy things King Sombra can distract Nightie with,” Smog said as he came down the stairs with a box full of books. “I think the rest of our friends are out doing their own things too.” Nightmare nodded. “Trixie got a special show out in Clouds-Edge, Rarity is visiting her parents, Fluttershy is out on some bird watching event, and Discord is goofing off in Canterlot, doing who knows what. Gilda and Rainbow are going to Griffonstone to visit Gilda’s family and to pick up the new Bravely Blue book. Ahuizotl, the series’ author, is going to be there answering fan questions and signing autographs. Sunset is the only one staying in Peaceville today.” “Cool!” the three kids cheered. The door opened again as Diamond Tiara walked into the library. “Scootaloo, Snips, Snails! Did you find her yet? Oh, there she is,” she said once she spotted Chrysalis. “What are you guys still doing here then? Everyone else is waiting for us!” “You can relax Diamond, we’re coming,” Snips said. Diamond frowned with worry. “Sorry, but I don’t really feel like relaxing right now. I need more time to plan out what I’m going to say.” “Plan out what?” Nightmare asked. “Oh! Princess Nightmare Moon!” Diamond bowed to the suddenly cheerful alicorn. “I’m so sorry I didn’t notice you earlier.” “It’s quite alright,” Nightmare giggled, feeling giddy as she basked in Diamond’s admiration of her. “You can get up now. What were you planning again?” Diamond sighed. “I was talking with Sunset about if you three met my counterpart during your first visit to Equestria. And apparently…the other Diamond Tiara is really mean. And since our class is going to the museum with the other Cheerilee’s class…” Nightmare nodded sadly. “I understand. You’re probably going to bump into her at some point. You’re right, the other Diamond Tiara was rather cruel. You’re much nicer than her.” Diamond took her tiara off and played with for a bit as she thought. “Yes, but I’ve been thinking…like, I talked with Apple Bloom about this and…what I’m trying to say is…” She sighed and put her tiara back on. “Maybe I could reform her the same way you guys reformed the Pink One, Princess Twilight, and so on. I mean like, it worked for you guys and I’d like to think I know myself pretty well…so…” Nightmare smiled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I wish you the best of luck on your quest.” Still feeling rather cheerful from Diamond bowing to her, she walked over to the filly and tapped her on her shoulders with her right wing as if she was knighting Diamond. Diamond giggled and bowed to her again. “I won’t let you down, Nightmare Moon!” Nightmare smiled. “You only have to worry about letting yourself down.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall and said, “You kids had better get going now. Don’t want to keep them waiting.” “Okay. Thanks Princess Nightmare! See you when we get back!” Snails said as he, Snips, Scootaloo, Chrysalis, and Diamond left the library. The changeling queen and the tiara loving filly were a little slower than their friends though, still nervous about what they were going to say to Princess Cadance or to the other Diamond Tiara. As they walked to the schoolhouse, Apple Bloom passed by them. “Howdy there Diamond. So, ya ready?” she asked. Diamond sighed. “As ready as I’m going to be. No matter how many plans I make or how well I know myself I have like, no way of telling how she’s going to react. You said we switched roles somehow in this universe or that universe or...ugh, whatever way this works! Right?” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Sure, Ah reckon Ah was supposed to act like a spoiled rich brat an’ Ah acted that way fir a spell. But we’ve already become friends, something that the other DT and AB still can’t say. Sorry Diamond, but Ah can’t help you out as much as ya want me to.” Diamond gave her a sneaky smile. “Oh you can still help me out, even if it’s only a little bit. No matter what approach I eventually decide on, you’ll play along with it, right? I’m ready…are you?” Apple Bloom smirked and gave her a hoof bump. Miss Cheerilee bit her lip nervously as she watched Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walk towards the other Diamond Tiara who was sitting next to the Everfree versions of her students…including the other Apple Bloom. She knew that Diamond didn’t like the Cutie Mark Crusaders (although she didn’t know just how much they really, REALLY disliked each other) and so she was concerned about what might happen next. But her counterpart assured her that the fillies had a plan to improve the situation. The two classes from Peaceville and Ponyville were on a field trip at the Royal Canterlot Museum in Equestria. The fillies and colts and…other creatures from the Everfree side were ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ at all the museum artifacts locked behind the display cases. She had managed to keep the two classes focused on the tour for almost the entire trip but eventually she had to let them stop to eat lunch. Now Diamond had nothing to distract her from her other self. Cheerilee wasn’t sure what to do. Seeing the concern on her face, Miss Zecora walked over to her and smiled. “Patience Cheerilee, let’s wait and see. Things may turn out better than you expect them to be.” Equestria Diamond strutted towards her counterpart and smirked. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Maybe your little mirror world has some redeeming values,” she said. Everfree Diamond turned towards her and shot her a confident smile. “What a pleasant surprise. It’s nice to know that I’m just as beautiful on this side of the mirror. I gotta so I like, totally love your mane style.” Equestria Diamond’s smile became a little less threatening. “Why, thank you! It’s so nice to meet a civilized pony from your world. Before today, me and Silvy here only had the displeasure of meeting that deceitful Nightmare Moon, that monster that looked like Pinkie Pie, and their rotten friends.” Everfree Diamond tapped her chin in thought. “Oh? You had trouble with them? Well, I’m sure even someone as wonderful as you can make a mistake sometimes. I mean like, I was only able to manipulate them so well because of how much I knew about them,” she said. Equestria Diamond tilted her head to the side. “Manipulate? What are you talking about?” “I mean like, sure Princess Nightmare was a little annoying to me at first,” Everfree Diamond lied. “Always going on about darkness this and eternal night that. However, I knew right away that she was a princess and I knew just how…rewarding it is to be friends with royalty. A careful word here and there and now…well, I never have any trouble finding the perfect dress before anyone else can even lay a hoof on it.” Equestria Silver’s eyes widened. “You’re friends with Princess Nightmare?” Everfree Diamond winked to Everfree Silver, who smirked confidently and brushed her mane back. “Oh, we’re friends with a lot of people. We’re the most popular fillies in Peaceville. Except maybe for Apple Bloom, but that’s mostly because she used to have magic glass in her eye.” Equestria Diamond and Silver cringed. “She had glass in her eye?! EWW!” “Oh, it didn’t hurt her. It was magic glass after all. She’s not like, bleeding anymore or anything. Still, it’s pretty hard to be more popular than that. Especially considering how rich her family is,” Everfree Silver said. “WHAT?” Equestria Diamond growled. “Are you saying Apple Bloom’s family is richer than mine in your world?” “Oh no way!” Everfree Diamond said, hurrying to calm her counterpart down. “We’re about equal. I might be richer than her actually, but then again Dad is the one in charge of the money, not me. Of course, ever since I became with friends with her it’s not like money matters.” She smiled as Equestria Diamond’s jaw dropped and continued, “Oh sure, when I first met Apple Bloom we like, almost hated each other. But you know what the difference between you and I is? I figured out how to win Apple Bloom and her little friends over to MY side and ever since then…well, let’s just say school’s been a lot easier for me. Speaking of which…” Everfree Diamond climbed up on the table they were sitting at and announced to the two schools, “Hey everyone! May I have your attention please? Now, earlier today when our trip to this amazing museum started I talked with Miss Zecora and she agreed that I could buy all you special desserts from Celestia’s Sweet Tooth! The newest and coolest ice cream parlour that just opened up in Canterlot!” The fillies, colts, and nymphs from both classes cheered. Equestria Diamond and Silver could only stare in awe at all the adoration their counterparts were getting, even from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But then Diamond asked, “Wait, is there really an ice cream parlour nearby? I’ve like, never heard of Celestia’s Sweet Tooth and I know like, ALL the coolest spots in Canterlot!” Everfree Diamond giggled. “Oh, it’s not in this Canterlot. It’s a new shop that opened up in the Canterlot back home. King Sombra and Duchess Celestia were there to cut the ribbon and everything. Oh! Here comes our sweet, sweet desserts now everyone!” A unicorn mare with a brown coat and crazy rainbow hair bounced through into the room. “Konnichiwa everyone!” Everfree Sweetie Belle frowned and coughed into her hoof. “Huh? Oh, right. I mean, hello everyone! How are you? Fine, thank you. My name is uh…Twilight Rainbows! I am a normal pony who has come to bring you normal pony ice cream!” Everfree Silver slapped her hoof across her face before she quickly shot a look to Everfree Scootaloo and pointed her head at the pony. Scootaloo caught the silent message and buzzed over to the unicorn. “Uh, don’t mind her everyone! She’s a little dizzy from bringing all our orders from Everfree to Equestria.” She turned to Twilight Rainbows and whispered in her ear. “Dial the crazy down Eris. We’re trying to get the other Diamond and Silver to be nicer like our Diamond and Silver.” Eris’ eyes flashed yellow and red as she giggled and whispered back. “Sorry, I’m just so excited to visit this new world that everyone won’t shut up about. But since it’s to help out a friend of a friend of my brother’s, I can dial back my crazy from a scale of jū to ichi. But I warn you, it doesn’t get lower than jū ni.” Everfree Scootaloo blinked in utter confusion before she shook her head and whispered, “Just stick to the script please.” She then flew back to her friends as Eris started to hand out delicious ice cream treats for all the kids on the trip. When it came time to pay ‘Twilight Rainbows’ for the ice cream delivery, Everfree Diamond produced a big bag of coins before she gasped dramatically. “Oh no! I like, totally didn’t think about how many of you there were! I wanted to buy ice cream for everyone but I didn’t know how many students were in Miss Cheerilee’s class. I don’t know if I have enough money to pay for all this!” But before any of the colts or fillies could become upset about this, Diamond’s smile returned. “Unless…Apple Bloom, could I please borrow some money from you? I’ll pay you back of course.” Taking her cue, Everfree Apple Bloom said, “Aw, shucks Diamond. Ya don’t need to pay me back. We’re friends after all, an’ Ah’m happy to lend a helping hoof to a friend. Especially when it gets us all ice cream! Ya remembered what mah favourite flavour is, right?” Everfree Diamond grinned as Apple Bloom handed over a bag of coins. “Of course AB! I always remember what my friends like.” She then winked at Cheerilee. Cheerilee hesitated for a second before she remembered that she could get Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara to stop bullying the Cutie Mark Crusaders if she played along. “Well, thank you for this wonderful treat you two! Class, I think Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom deserve our sincere gratitude for this thoughtful gesture.” Equestria Diamond and Silver gasped again as the two classes cheered for Everfree Diamond, Silver, and Apple Bloom. When the ice cream was served to everyone, they moaned with happiness as the rich flavour of an ice cream cake filled their mouths. Eventually, they couldn’t take it anymore and went to ask the Cutie Mark Destroyers about what happened. “So…what you’re saying is that you’ve become even more popular because you’re friends with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?” Equestria Silver asked. Everfree Diamond nodded. “Plus Snips, Snails, Button Mash, Princess Nightmare, and lots of other people.” She then leaned in closer to the Equestria fillies and whispered to them. “I know how good it feels to tease a couple of losers, but in the end you only get in trouble for it. The best way to get what you want is to ask nicely. It’s all about making the right connections. Just be a good filly, maybe listen to the teacher a tiny bit more, say the right words, and soon…” Diamond’s cheerful smile slowly turned evil. “You could be more than just the queen of the school. You could be the next BIG thing. You two could be famous celebrities. I heard that you two don’t get along with Apple Bloom and her friends but let’s face it…they’re sisters with three Element bearers, friends with Princess Twilight, and even pen pals with Princess Celestia. If you befriend them, they can help you.” Equestria Diamond frowned with a little worry. “But we’ve tried being friends with those blank flanks and it didn’t work.” “You just need to try harder. Learn more about them, make an even bigger attempt to win them over. I know how much you hate namby-pamby ponies like them, but trust me…friendship is a very powerful and rewarding experience.” She walked away from them with a confident swing in her step. “Think about it, Diamond Tiara!” After lunch, the two classes continued their field trip through the museum. As Zecora and Cheerilee talked to the classes, members of the Cutie Mark Destroyers and Crusaders followed their teachers at a slower pace so that they could privately discuss how their plan went. “So do you really think after all this, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will stop bugging us?” Equestria Scootaloo asked. “Hey come on y’all. You know how yer Diamond is like, right? She’s nice to ponies when she thinks she can get something outta it. We pulled off this huge trick to get her and Silver Spoon interested in being friends with y’all. The rest should be easy,” Everfree Apple Bloom said. “I don’t know,” Equestria Sweetie said. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are really mean most of the time. You two are much nicer than they are.” Everfree Silver smiled. “I’ll let you in on a secret…Diamond is a lot nicer than me. I used to be just as bratty as your Silver Spoon once. Well… maybe not that bratty. But after I stopped worrying about hanging out with a ‘cutie cursed’ pony, things turned out pretty well.” “We may be nicer than them, but they can still learn,” Everfree Diamond said. “I mean this is me we’re talking about. They’ll stop teasing you about your blanks flanks soon. And if you think about it, we weren’t completely dishonest about what we said. Friendship IS rewarding, isn’t it?” Equestria Apple Bloom smiled. “Ah guess yer right. Well, here’s to being future friends with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.” As their friends congratulated each other, the two orange pegasus ponies had the same thought. “Hey, where did Eris go?” Everfree Scootaloo asked. Equestria Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah. Did she just disappear or…” Eris’ draconequus head burst out of a nearby painting. “HEY KIDS WANNA SEE A ZOMBIE?” “AAAHH!” the fillies and colts screamed. Eris floated out of the painting, laughing so hard that several of her interspecies parts fell off, bounced around on the floor, and reattached themselves to her. “Ah, the old jump scare. It may be cheap but boy does it work. You should’ve seen the looks on your faces! Priceless!” Snips, Snails, and Diamond didn’t seem too upset about the jump scare, but the other fillies were frowning. “Don’t do that! You nearly gave us a heart attack!” Everfree Sweetie said. “Oh, lighten up sweetie bunches of bell peppers! I’m just pulling your legs. Plus my own!” Eris giggled as her two legs popped off her body, twirled around, and shot out pink sparks for no reason. Equestria Scootaloo glanced nervously over Eris’ shoulder and down the hall where the rest of the class was. “You’re gonna get us in trouble. Look Miss Eris, thank you for your help but do you think you can come back later?” Eris’ legs lost teleported back onto her body with a flash of light as she crossed her arms. “Well! How rude. You try and help people and it only leads to more demands.” “Wait, she didn’t mean it like that,” Everfree Sweetie said. “Eris, we just-” “No, no. You want me to leave early and I’ll leave. Oh but before I go, if you would all turn your attention to the room down the hall and to the left. You know, the room that’s about to have a lot of broken glass? Whelp, Sayonara!” As Eris giggled and disappeared with a flash of light, Snails looked at the others in confusion. “What did she mean by broken glass? It almost sounds like she was talking about a museum robbery or some-” He trailed off at the sound of glass being smashed, followed by the security alarms going off. “Someone is stealing from the exhibits!” Silver exclaimed. “Eris was right…well what are you waiting for? Let’s get them!” Everfree Scootaloo cheered as she started running down the hall and to the left. “Someone stop her!” Diamond ordered. Everfree Sweetie nodded and quickly grabbed her friend’s tail in her magic. “Scoots, what do you think you’re doing?!” Diamond hissed. “Oh come on Diamond! You should be even more excited about this than me! If we can catch a criminal, your cutie curse would be gone for sure! OR you wouldn’t have to worry about being blank flanks anymore, am I right?” Everfree Scootaloo said, winking at her counterpart and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Ya know…the last criminal we chased after was actually pretty nice. If we chased after this varmint the same way we chased after Trouble Shoes…” Equestria Apple Bloom said, thinking out loud. Everfree Apple Bloom stared at her counterpart in shock. “Y’all can NOT be serious. This here’s gotta be the most reckless, dangerous, irresponsible thing we’ve ever-” “CUTIE MARK DESTROYERS/CRUSADERS CRIMINAL CATCHERS! Yay!” Everfree Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped as the Crusaders and Destroyers all ran down the hall in the hope of catching a robber. She growled and shook her head. “Ugh! Of all the apple bucking, gosh darn it, stupid schemes…wait for me!” she shouted as she chased after them. The eight fillies and two colts ran down the hall until they bumped into a pegasus mare, knocking her to the ground and causing her to spill the bag full of jewels she was carrying. The pegasus mare had a light gold coat and a mane and tail that looked like a grayscale rainbow. She was wearing a black suit, a hat, a belt with little pouches full of different coloured crystals, and big red glasses. The thief quickly scooped up all the scattered jewels and placed them back in her bag, rolling her eyes at the museum alarms. “Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. You can stop going wee-ooh, wee-ooh anytime you want, I heard ya the first time.” Everfree Scootaloo stared at the pegasus and gasped. “You’re Doctor Do!” “Who?” Equestria Sweetie asked. “She’s the main villain in the Bravely Blue books! The fearless super thief!” Everfree Scootaloo explained. “I also go by Daring Do, if you’d prefer. I know how you kids hate your doctors with their drills and such,” Daring Do said with a smirk. “Wanna know something? I kinda knew these glasses would be a bad disguise but I thought to myself, why not have some fun with it? So let’s see here, we already have weak-as-paper display cases. Are you kids gonna tell me you’re part of the museum staff next? Wouldn’t surprise me, the security here sucks.” “Well the real security guards will be here any second so you’d better return everything you stole, thief!” Diamond ordered. “Yeah and don’t even think about trying to escape! There’s ten of us and only one of you!” Silver added. Daring Do chuckled. “No thanks, kid. Any other day I’d love to play guards and criminals with you but I’ve got a full day planned. I need to fly all the way back to purple princess castle and through a magic mirror just to get back to my own universe. I probably should have planned my heists out better than this but hey, I like a challenge.” “Are you listening to us?” Silver growled. “You’re NOT flying anywhere! Surrender now or we’ll be forced to stop you!” Daring Do giggled and leaned down to kiss Silver Spoon on her forehead. “That’s cute. You’re cute!” Her right wing unfolded to pat Silver on the back while she patted Diamond’s head with her left hoof. The two rich fillies growled and swatted Daring’s wing and hoof away. “Stop that!” Diamond ordered. Daring sighed dramatically, flapped her wings, and lazily flew over their heads. “Oh, if you insist.” “Um…guys?” the two Apple Blooms said at the same time. The Everfree Apple Bloom pointed to Diamond’s head while her counterpart pointed at Silver’s bare neck. The fillies and colts gasped as they saw Diamond without her tiara and Silver without her pearl necklace. “She just stole your jewelry!” Equestria Sweetie screamed. “Stop! Thief!” Daring just laughed as she flew down the halls with her bag full of stolen goods. Her smile only grew as she saw dozens of unicorn and pegasus guards barreling towards her. “About time they showed up. Bet you blink before I do,” she said as she charged toward them. The museum guards gasped in shock when Daring didn’t slow down at all and instead crashed into a veritable wall of ponies. The guards were dazed from the collision for a few seconds before they all leapt back into action and attempted to restrain the super thief. But Daring moved with incredible speed as she dodged, spun, and kicked all of the guards until she had knocked them out. “Seriously, your security stinks!” Daring laughed as she flew through the museum. “I will be fine Miss Cheerilee! Take care of the children and all of you flee!” Daring heard a voice say up ahead of her. She slowed down as Zecora appeared at the end of the hallway she was flying through. Daring smirked and slowed down, stopping in front of Zecora and hovering in the air. “Okay, this oughta be good. What makes you think you can stop me when those guards couldn’t?” Instead of answering her with words, Zecora took a pouch full of green powder and blew its contents at Daring. The pegasus smirked and buzzed her wings as fast as she could, blowing the powder back towards Zecora. Daring smiled even wider when she saw that Zecora was unaffected. “Very good. I recognize paralysis powder when I see it. It’s smart to bring that stuff to a fight but it’s even smarter when you build up an immunity to your poisons,” Daring said. Even as the smug thief continued to smirk at her, Zecora knew that all she had to do was catch Daring by surprise and she wouldn’t be able to blow the powder away with her wings. But just as she blew another dash of paralysis powder at the thief, they both heard Diamond shouting orders as the Cutie Mark Destroyers and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all came charging down the hall. On Diamond’s command, Snips and Snails shot stunning hexes at Daring while the two Sweetie Bells attempted to grab her in their combined levitation. Daring flapped her wings and did an aerial backflip over the kids as the powder blew over the Destroyers and Crusaders while their spells knocked Zecora back. Daring smiled cheerfully at her fallen foes. “I gotta give you guys some credit, in any other circumstance, you might have been able to catch me. Except I’m just that good. You’re clever…but you’re not quick enough. You might as well take these back,” she said as she took Diamond’s tiara and Silver’s necklace out from her loot bag and tossed them back to the temporarily paralyzed fillies. “See, I’m a nice gal once you get to know me.” Daring tipped her hat to them and flapped her wings. “Better luck next time, suckers!” she said as she zoomed out of the museum and into the sky. Ponies were gathering outside the museum as they all heard the alarms ringing. Among the crowd was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and a pegasus mare who looked a lot like Daring Do, but with a purple shawl. “Oh no, that’s the museum the fillies and colts from school are visiting! They could be in trouble!” Twilight exclaimed. “Hey, I think that’s the thief!” Rainbow said as she pointed at the pegasus who smashed through a window and zoomed away from the museum. “She’s getting away!” “Rainbow Dash, Miss Yearling and I will make sure nobody’s hurt in the museum. As for you-” Rainbow smirked confidently. “Don’t even need to tell me Twilight. I got her!” She flapped her wings and blasted off the ground, quickly catching up with the thief. Daring blinked in surprise as a blue pegasus tackled her and tried to pull the bag of stolen goods away from her. “Let go! Those don’t belong to you!” As the two pegasus ponies struggled, Rainbow took a good look at her opponent and gasped, letting go of the bag due to complete shock. “D-D…Daring Do?” Daring sighed as she retied the bag to her bag. “Another fan? That’s cool, but I’m a little annoyed that you just tried to steal my stuff. I stole it first, thanks.” “But t-that’s impossible! I was just with Daring Do and even if I wasn’t, she’d NEVER steal from a museum! Who are you? A changeling? An illusion? Unless…” Rainbow gasped again and pointed at her. “You’re from the mirror world, aren’t you? The same day the Everfree school comes by for a field trip, plus the fact that you’ve got crystals in your bag, equals…yeah, you’re her! You’re evil Daring Do!” Daring smirked as she took off her red glasses and placed them in her bag. “Oh, lighten up sunshine and rainbows. I’m not such a bad girl once you get to know me. Anyway it’s been cool, but I gotta dash.” She turned around and zoomed away from Rainbow, only to halt in midair again when the other pegasus flew past Daring and hovered in front of her. “You’re not going anywhere, thief!” Daring rolled her eyes. “It’s always thief this and criminal that with you guys. You know my name; you could at least show me a bit of courtesy and use it. Here to make it fair: what’s your name?” “I’m Rainbow Dash. Fastest pegasus in this universe!” Daring chuckled. “Sounds like I wasn’t far off from sunshine and rainbows. Nice to meet you Miss Dash…but what you’ve forgotten is that I’m not from this universe.” She zoomed away from Rainbow again, her wings moving twice as fast as they were before. She stopped as Rainbow flew up and blocked her path yet again. “Let me rephrase that. Fastest pegasus in this universe and every other one that exists,” Rainbow bragged. “Sorry evil Daring, but you’re just not as fast as me. I’m here to catch you and make you return whatever you stole.” Daring stared at Rainbow for a few seconds before she laughed out loud. “He, he, ha! Now THAT is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard!” she chuckled some more as she reached into one of her pouches and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, slipping them on. “Are you kidding me? I’ve caught up to you three times now! And I wasn’t even flying at full speed!” Rainbow shouted. “That’s not it. I can believe you’re faster than me. It’s the other thing you said that’s cute.” Daring smirked and pulled out two crystals from her pouch. “I’ll catch you later Rainbow Dash…because you’ll never catch me.” Daring smashed the two crystals together, causing them to explode in a shower of intense white light. Rainbow cried in pain and covered her eyes as she was blinded by the crystal’s light. “Rainbow? Rainbow! Are you okay? What happened?” she heard Twilight’s voice say. “Twilight? Where are you?” Rainbow kept her eyes closed as she waved her hoof around in the air, searching for her friend. She felt Twilight’s hooves wrap around her own. “Twilight, I can’t see!” “Rainbow, calm down! I don’t know as much about crystals as the Everfree Sunset does, but that light wasn’t bright enough to cause any serious damage. I need you to blink as much as you possibly can. Your sight should come back to you soon enough.” “Thanks Twilight.” Rainbow began to blink rapidly as Twilight led her back to the ground. “Anytime Rainbow. It looks like the thief got away but we can still catch her! Do you remember any specific details about…hey! What are you doing with A. K. Yearling?!” Twilight led Rainbow to a team of museum guards who were attempting to arrest A. K. Yearling. The princess tapped a pegasus guard on the shoulder and glared at him. “Princess Twilight? Sorry you have to see this. This mare just stole several priceless treasures from the Royal Canterlot Museum and attacked several guards!” Rainbow glared in the guard’s general direction. “No, she didn’t! That’s A. K. Yearling! She’s been signing books and answering questions all day.” “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell them!” Yearling growled. “I’ve been in the Sun and Sparkle book store all day. I have dozens of witnesses who can verify my alibi. For Celestia’s sake, there’s a poster advertising the whole event right over there!” The security guard sighed and said, “You all make a very strong argument. But I saw the thief with my own eyes and she looked exactly like Miss Yearling here. Unless you’re telling me that the thief was some kind of evil clone then I don’t know what to believe.” “Ahem!” They all turned around to see Zecora’s class and Miss Cheerilee’s class walk towards them. The two Apple Blooms stepped forward and smirked at the guard. “Howdy.” The guard blinked at the two identical fillies. He sighed and ordered his fellow security guards to let Yearling go. “I guess you can sort things out from here, Your Highness.” “Thank you,” Twilight said as the guards returned to the museum to determine how much was stolen. She turned to the two Apple Blooms. “Girls, do you have any idea what happened in there?” “We saw the whole thing! In our world, Doctor Do is a fearless super thief. When she heard about the mirror she obviously couldn’t resist the opportunity to steal something from another universe! Now she’s probably on her way back to Everfree where she’ll hide everything she’s stolen!” Snips exclaimed. Diamond nodded. “What he said.” She smiled at Twilight and added, “But don’t worry princess. I’m sure Princess Nightmare and the Element bearers will stop her.” Miss Cheerilee sighed. “This has been a pretty exciting day so far. Okay children, it’s time to head back home,” she said to the two classes. “I’m coming with you!” Rainbow declared. “Even if Princess Nightmare can handle it, I’ve got a score to settle with that thief!” Everfree Scootaloo suddenly gasped. “Wait! Miss Yearling! Come with us!” Yearling blinked as the filly and her friends smiled up at her. “What? W-why would I do that?” Everfree Scootaloo gave her a sneaky smirk and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “My friends and I already know you’re the real Daring Do. If you want to keep your identity secret I totally understand. But think about it! You have the opportunity to travel to another universe and take back everything your evil twin stole! If anyone can stop Daring Do it’s you! Although…I guess Bravely Blue does a pretty good job of it too.” Yearling raised an eyebrow. “Bravely Blue? Who’s that?” Scootaloo grinned triumphantly. “Oh, he’s the hero in Mister Ahuizotl’s books.” Yearling’s eyes widened. “Okay…you’ve got my attention now. Tell me more.” “So did you two enjoy meeting mister...Owie-zolt…what’s his name?” Gilda chuckled as she poked her glass and watched the ice cubes bob up and down. “Dad, his name is Ahuizotl. And yeah, Dash and I had a blast!” “We sure did!” Rainbow squeed as she hugged her signed copy of Bravely Blue Meets Doctor Do. Noticing the look Gilda’s dad was giving her, she sheepishly chuckled and put it back down next to her copy of Bravely Blue and the Fearless Thief . “Well I’m glad you girls had fun,” Gilda’s father said as he patted his daughter on the head with his wing. “Dad! Knock it off!” Gilda grumbled, blushing as she waved her dad’s wing away. “Hey Dash, what time is it? Mom should be back by now.” Rainbow glanced over her shoulder. “I dunno. It’s been a few minutes. Maybe she stopped to buy some more snacks on her way back.” “I’m back!” They turned around to see Gilda’s mom, a pretty cute griffon with gold coloured feathers that contrasted with her husbands grayish red feathers. She flew down to their table with an excited smile and gestured behind her. “And I brought a friend!” The two other griffons and pegasus all looked behind her to see a very large creature walking towards them. He had an elongated dog-like head and dog-like hind limbs. He also had ape-like forelimbs, plus a long monkey-like tail with a hand at its end. The dark blue creature straightened the tie on his suit and bowed before them. As he bowed though, his big red glasses dropped of his face. He quickly snatched them up and put them back on, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. The glasses, they slip all over the place.” Rainbow gasped and held her face with her hooves, a big grin spreading across her face. “Ahuizotl just bowed to us!” Ahuizotl chuckled. “Of course. If one were to ask me, you are more deserving of the praise than I. Miss Gilda, Miss Rainbow Dash, I have heard many stories about the dastardly villains you and your friends faced. Along with that mirror world you discovered. Another universe, full of discoveries to be made…it intrigues me.” Gilda chuckled, trying to play it cool. “Heh, thanks. But you know how it is, even heroes like us have heroes of our own and Dash and I are big fans of your work.” “Ah, of course! I was most flattered by your praise when I discovered you liked my tales of Bravely Blue. But of course, I cannot allow my fans to feel as if I value some of them more than others. The reason why I could not properly introduce myself when you were at the book signing and the questioning of my stories,” Ahuizotl explained. “But now, I am on my break and am free to talk with you. While we’re on the subject, may I ask which books are your favourite? You do not have to answer, I am simply curious.” “These two right here!” Rainbow cheered as she held up her two signed books. Ahuizotl’s smile became a tiny bit forced. “Ah, of course. You are a Doctor Do fan, yes?” Rainbow smiled. “Well, sure. You always write her stories really well and she has a super cool origin story.” Ahuizotl sighed. “Ah yes, I can see why you admire her…as I once did.” He turned to Gilda next. “And you?” Gilda smiled. “Oh, I like a bunch of them. Bravely Blue and the Sapphire Stone, Bravely Blue and the Ring of Scorchero…I think my favourite is Bravely Blue and the Griffon’s Goblet.” “You forgot his next book…Bravely Blue and the Idol of Boreas.” They all looked up to see Daring Do smirking down at them, this time wearing her iconic outfit made up of a dark green vest and a pit helmet. In her hooves she dangled the Idol of Boreas - the griffon kingdom’s greatest treasure - over their heads the same way one would tease a puppy with a biscuit. “The Idol!” Gilda, her parents, and every griffon in the restaurant exclaimed. Ahuizotl growled. “You would dare steal a national treasure?!” Daring just giggled at him. “Aw, did I make you angry Bravely Blue? If you want it…come and get it!” Daring flapped her wings and flew away, a grayscale rainbow streaking behind her as she flew. Gilda, Rainbow, and several griffons all flapped their wings and chased after her. Down on the ground, Ahuizotl ripped off his suit, tie, and glasses before he raised his fists to the sky. “DARING DO!” he roared as he charged after his enemy. Daring grinned as she heard Bravely Blue roar. “Oh, yeah. That’s it you big blue beast of a boy. Show me that passion. Snarl, roar, and chase me all day and night.” “Stop that!” Bravely Blue roared as he snatched a spear from a nearby griffon and threw it at Daring. Daring just chuckled as she dodged out of the way. She flew a little closer to the ground and waved her tail at him. “Come on Bravely! I’m right here.” Bravely lunged toward Daring, who flew out of the way just before he snapped his jaws at her. “Ooh, you’re so close Bravely! So VERY close!” “Stop that!” Bravely roared again as Daring ascended back into the sky and out of his reach. Gilda growled as Daring continued to evade every griffon that was chasing after her. “She’s too fast! We need something to pin her down!” “I got something ta pin her down alright!” an older griffon shouted as he flew up next to her. “I brought my throwing mace! An’ here’s a sword for you, kiddo!” “Thanks Grandpa Gruff!” Gilda cheered as he tossed her a sword, which she then threw at Daring. Other griffons soon caught onto their idea and began throwing pitchforks, swords, maces, arrows, and griffon scones at the fearless thief. “Now we’re talking!” Daring said as she began to spin her tail into a twister. Every weapon that got close enough to her was blown away by her tail-twister. “Ha, ha! I’m invincible! A whole kingdom literally on my tail and not a single one of you can – OW!” Daring grunted as she bumped into Rainbow who had flown ahead of her and blocked her path while Daring was distracted. Gilda was next to tackle Daring and the two friends proceeded to drag Daring, kicking and flailing all the way down. Gilda’s parents, several angry griffons, and Bravely soon caught up to them. “Well, well, Doctor Do. Once again your fearlessness has made you foolish. Only this time, your speed and your dumb luck was not enough to save you. Return the idol you have stolen from these proud griffons and surrender!” Bravely ordered as he and a griffon guard pulled out some hoof and wing-cuffs. Daring winked at him. “Ooh, bringing out the hoof-cuffs already? And with an audience too! You’re just as bold as you are brave, Ahuizotl.” “Stop! That!” Bravely growled. “For once, could you NOT pretend we are a married couple?!” Daring gave him an adorable smile. “Oh but my Bravely Blue, I love you so! I even got you a ring.” “You got me several stolen rings, you kleptomaniac!” Bravely growled. “And I will not allow you to steal anything else. Return the idol!” Daring sighed. “Oh all right. It’s in my bag. If one of you griffons could get your sharp, pointy claws off me then-” “Yeah, I got it,” Gilda said as she pulled the bag off Daring’s back and dug around in it. “Boy, you’ve got a lot of stuff in here. Wait, I think I’ve got the…the…” Gilda’s parents, grandfather, and Rainbow all stared at Gilda with concern as she shuddered violently. “You okay kiddo?” Grandpa Gruff asked. “S-so c-c-cold…” Gilda whispered as she collapsed onto the ground, her body shivering and her eyes glowed green and red. Her talons were wrapped around a very large necklace with a glowing bell on it. “Gilda!” Her parents rushed over to their shivering daughter and tried to rip the necklace out of her claws. The instant they did so, the green and red glow faded from Gilda’s eyes and she stopped shivering. “Ooh…what was that?” Gilda said as she stood back up. She gulped as she watched several griffons rip the necklace away from their friends, only for one griffon to fall under the same curse after the other. Grandpa Gruff ripped the necklace away from Rainbow, and she hurried over to her friend to figure out what was happening. “Dash, are you alright?” Rainbow shuddered. “That bell on the necklace…when I touched it I saw something…awful. I think it’s got a fear spell on it.” “I think you’re right? I saw Griffonstone and Peaceville in ruins. That thing is dangerous.” “What, this thing?” Daring said as she picked up the necklace. Amongst all the confusion, the griffons who’d been restraining her had let her go free as they tried to help their friends. “I don’t feel anything.” She tucked the necklace back into her bag, next to the Idol of Boreas. She then flew high into the air and waved at them all. “Better luck next time Ahuizotl!” She blew Bravely a kiss before she turned around and flew far away from Griffonstone. Bravely’s fists clenched with pure rage as he screamed at his retreating foe. “DARING DO!” Rainbow winced. “I know Doctor Do has given him trouble in the past…but it feels a lot more real when it’s…real.” Gilda growled. “No. She won’t be giving him trouble this time. Don’t worry Bravely Blue, WE’RE coming with you!” Bravely blinked as Gilda and Rainbow gave him confident smirks and smiled. “Many thanks for your assistance Miss Gilda, Miss Dash. With our combined might, we WILL defeat the devious Doctor Do and reclaim your Idol. This, I promise you people of Griffonstone!” Gilda’s parents and grandfather smiled as Rainbow and Gilda picked up Bravely and flew in the direction Daring had fled. “Go get her, kiddo!” Grandpa Gruff cheered. As the pegasus and griffon carried him under his arms, Bravely looked up at the two of them. “Um…you will not reveal my secret identity to anyone, will you?” Gilda raised an eyebrow. “That was a secret?” Bravely blinked in shock for several seconds before he shrugged. “I suppose it was not.” Apple Bloom sighed as she finished explaining the whole situation to the two teams. “And that covers just about everything.” The Equestrian Rainbow Dash and Daring Do had agreed to come with the Cutie Mark Destroyers on their journey back to Everfree. When Zecora and her class came back through the mirror and returned to Peaceville, the Cutie Mark Destroyers and Apple Bloom led them to Clear Crystal Caverns. With the other Element bearers out of town, Diamond believed the best person they could turn to for help at the moment was Sunset Shimmer. Gilda had a very similar idea. She, Rainbow, and Ahuizotl came up with a plan to catch Doctor Do, during the flight and then train ride to Peaceville. In order for their plan to work, they needed magic and crystals and the best mare to turn to for that was Sunset. So the two groups arrived at Clear Crystal Caverns around the same time, only for Daring Do and Bravely Blue to snarl at each other as they both mistook the other for Doctor Do or Ahuizotl. Sunset had separated the two with her magic and waited for Diamond, Apple Bloom, Gilda, and the two Rainbow Dashes to explain what happened. Bravely sighed as Sunset lowered him back to the ground. “It would seem I owe you an apology Miss Do.” Daring sighed and offered him a weak smile. “That’s got to be the first time I’ve ever hear Ahuizotl apologize. Call me crazy, but I believe your story.” Bravely smiled. “Very good. I look forward to working with you.” He stepped forward and shook Daring’s hoof. The two Rainbow Dashes slowly smiled as they examined each other. Equestria Rainbow’s gaze drifted to her counterpart, then at Gilda, and then back again. “This place just got two hundred percent cooler.” Everfree Rainbow grinned. “You know what the ONLY thing that could make this day better is?” “Watching Daring Do smash Doctor Do’s face into a wall while she says ‘stop hitting yourself’ over and over?” Gilda suggested. “OOH! That’s even better!” Everfree Rainbow chuckled. Bravely chuckled. “I agree, it would be MOST amusing. Daring Do, could you please make that image a reality?” Daring giggled. “I’ll try.” She turned to Sunset and asked, “So what’s this plan you guys have to trap Doctor Do?” Sunset levitated a small glowing crystal in front of them. She frowned in concentration as she cast a spell over the crystal and smiled triumphantly as the crystal transformed into Gilda’s Element of Zeal. “Perfect.” Early morning the next day, hundreds of griffons were gathering around the Griffonstone palace as they put their plan into action. Sunset, Bravely, Daring, the two Rainbows, and Gilda’s family stood amongst the crowd as Gilda went over the last few details with the griffon’s king. “Okay as long as we’re just sitting here waiting I’ve got a question. You seem to know Daring – I mean Doctor Do pretty well. What’s her story?” Everfree Rainbow beamed. “Ooh, it’s such an cool backstory! I’ve read Bravely Blue’s books fifteen times by now but I’ve never heard it straight from Bravely Blue’s mouth! This is going to be super awesome!” Bravely sighed. “The true story isn’t very different from how I portrayed Daring in my books. Although perhaps…I was a little more generous with my winning streak. The truth is Doctor Do has beaten me just as many times as I’ve beaten her. I’ve been able to reclaim several treasures she has stolen or discovered many an ancient tomb before she did…but there are still treasures that she has hidden from the world forever. And of course, I have been unsuccessful in arresting her.” “So we’re equal in this world? I’m…not sure how to feel about all this,” Daring said. “Was my other self always like this or did something happen?” Bravely sighed and began his tale. “I was born in a village just outside of the Everfree kingdom. My mother, she desired a daughter instead of a son. She had planned to name me Ahuizota, but once she discovered I was male she named me Ahuizotl in her bitterness. Which as you might imagine, would be like naming a unicorn ‘Pony’ or naming a griffon ‘Griffon’.” “Yeah, an ahuizotl named ‘Ahuizotl’…I wondered what that was about,” Daring mumbled. “Indeed. My parents, they loved me as much as they could despite my mother’s desire for a daughter. My childhood was fairly normal and I grew up with the same hunger for adventure, power, and world domination that any ordinary boy would have.” Daring gave him a weird look while Gilda and Sunset nodded in response to his story. “Um…most colts I know don’t grow up wanting to take over the world,” Equestria Rainbow said. Bravely raised an eyebrow at her. “No? How odd. Are they not at least power hungry?” “I don’t know! Do I look like a boy to you?” “Well your voice is a little raspy…” Gilda’s mom cheerfully said. Equestria Rainbow growled at her before she turned back to Bravely. “Can we get back to Doctor Do now?” “Yes, of course. I eventually traveled to King Sombra’s School for Academics and buried myself in my archaeology studies. It was there that I met Amy Katherine Do. Born to a pegasus stallion named Derring Do and a unicorn mare named Julia Yearling.” Bravely sighed at the memory. “They are good people. They didn’t deserve what happened next. “As an ahuizotl, I was considered the weird one when I arrived at the school. Even though Everfree is a very loving country, there were still some bullies who teased me. Amy came to my defense and we became good friends. I always admired her bravery and intelligence and it was in fact I who gave her the nickname Daring Do. She was a fast learner and quickly obtained her doctorate. One day after many hours of researching in the library together, she became obsessed with the secrets in a book and expressed her desire to travel to the Forest of Fear in search of the ancient Temple of Destruction. I tried to warn Daring how unbelievable foolish it would be to travel to such a location but she was playful as always, treating it like a game. “Within the Forest of Fear is where she encountered the creature that changed her life forever. The Frostfear spider.” “The what?” Daring asked. “Here, there’s a picture in the book,” Everfree Rainbow said as she pulled out her copy of Bravely Blue Meets Doctor Do and flipped to a page. Equestria Rainbow and Daring backed up in shock at the illustration of a gigantic, hideous spider. “The Frostfear spider is a very rare creature; they are almost extinct. Three times the size of a pony, they hunt for prey in the darkest of jungles. Due to their infamous reputation and hideous appearance, anyone with a brain would flee at the sight of the monster. But the Frostfear spider’s greatest weapon is their venom. They can inject their prey with the poison or simply spit the venom at the prey until it seeps into their skin. Anyone who comes into contact with the venom has their concept of fear ‘frozen’ in their minds. It erases the creature’s natural fight or flight response and turns them into a fearless fool, even to the point where they do not remember what the word 'fear' means. The prey will then turn around to fight the spider and often become its meal. “However, Daring was faster and craftier than any monster. She was turned into a fearless fool yes, but she was successful in defeating the Frostfear spider. She returned to me with bags full of treasure and incredible stories. “But even though she retained her courageous and kind attitude, her altered mental state became clear to me. She stopped caring about risks…and eventually she ceased caring about laws. “She became the world’s greatest super thief. Stealing treasures not for knowledge or even for money but for FUN.” Bravely sighed as he finished his explanation. “She is not in control of herself. She cares only for the thrill of the hunt now and she is not afraid of who she hurts.” Daring shuddered. “That’s the scariest story I ever heard. I really hope that spider doesn’t exist in my world.” Equestria Rainbow sniffed and rubbed her eye. “Poor Amy…” Everfree Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “You going to be okay?” “Yeah! I’m not crying! There’s just dust in my eye…hey look! The speech is starting!” “Attention Griffonstone! The immortal King Grover has an announcement to make!” a griffon said to the crowd. King Grover hovered down onto the stage. He was larger than most griffons and wore a bright gold crown. Among his dark feathers were a pair of pinkish white feathers and dark blue feathers. The king claimed that these feathers were a gift from Celestia and Luna back when they were princesses and that by attaching them to his back, he had gained immortality. Nobody knew if he was telling the truth but considering how old he was and that they couldn’t find any other explanation, the griffons accepted the story. “A great tragedy has befallen our kingdom. The Idol of Boreas was stolen yesterday, and much of our pride with it. But does this mean the end of our race? NO IT DOES NOT!” King Grover shouted. “We are a mighty kingdom, united by our friends, allies, and family! And it is with the help from these friends and allies that I present to you a treasure to fill the holes in your hearts! Step forward, Gilda!” Gilda walked onto the stage and bowed before the king before she addressed the crowd. “What’s up Griffonstone? I’m Gilda. When I was a kid some of you knew me and some of you didn’t. But you should ALL know what I’ve done by now. I became friends with a group of pretty cool creatures and saved the world a dozen times. And here’s the proof.” She placed her Element on the pedestal before her. “When combined with the other five Elements, these fancy necklaces have more magic than anything else in our entire world. My Element is called the Element of Zeal, which is like super loyalty. I’m loyal to my friends, my family, and my kingdom. That’s why I’m giving my Element to you, the people of Griffonstone. I hope it brings you the same kind of pride it’s given me.” “Mine mine mine mine mine mine…” “The trap is set,” Bravely said. “Doctor Do was fearless enough to steal the Idol. Even if she knows this is a trap she won’t be able to resist stealing an Element of Redemption.” “Mine mine mine mine mine mine…” “Once she steals the fake Element, the tracking spell I placed on it should lead us to wherever she hides it. Hopefully that’s where the Idol will be, along with any other treasures she’s stolen,” Sunset said. “Mine mine mine mine mine mine…” Daring nodded. “It’s a brilliant plan. We’ll need to put up a fight to make it look convincing before she let her go. We’ll also need to…does anyone else hear that?” “Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine…” With a burst of speed, Doctor Do flew up to the stage, yanked the fake Element of Zeal away, and flew off. “MINE!” “There she is! Grab her!” King Grover ordered. Doctor smirked as three pegasus ponies and an army of griffons chased after her. “Ooh, hello there beautiful!” she shouted to her counterpart. “You from the mirror world? Don’t worry, I’ll be back to chat with you once I stash this somewhere safe. We have so MUCH to talk about.” “You’re not stashing that Element anywhere! Give it back, Doctor Do!” Daring shouted. “How about I give you this instead?” Doctor Do reached into her bag and pulled out the same bell from the other day. She gave the bell a mighty shake and smirked as beams of dark magic shot out from it. Several griffons were knocked down to the ground and trapped within cages that materialized around them. “Whoa! I can see why he wants this thing so much!” Doctor Do chuckled. She rang the bell again and grinned as Bravely was trapped within the cage that appeared around him. “Better luck next time Ahuizotl!” “DARING DO!” Bravely roared. He pulled at the bars with all his might and was rewarded when he was able to rip the cage apart. But by that time, Doctor Do was too far away. Doctor Do cheered as she flew back into her secret hideout. “Oh yeah! Daring Do is undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable!” She giggled to herself and began sorting out her stolen treasures. “Let’s see…the Element goes here, the Idol goes there…aw man, now I don’t want to sell this thing,” she said as she examined the bell. “Well…I could always sell it to the guy, take the money, and steal the bell right back.” She chuckled. “What’s the worst that could happen to me?” Just as she said that, Gilda, King Grover, Daring, and the two Rainbow Dashes all crashed into her hideout and tackled her to the ground. “We’ve got the Idol!” Gilda cheered as she held up the Idol of Boreas “And I’ve got everything she’s stolen from the museum!” Daring announced. “At least…I hope that’s everything.” Sunset teleported into the room with a flash of magic, bringing Bravely with her. “Good work everyone. Mission accomplished.” Bravely smirked and walked over to Doctor Do, pressing his tail hand on her back. “Once again your fearlessness has made you foolish-” Doctor Do rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time sweetheart.” She gave him a smile and said, “Seriously though, congratulations. You beat me again, even if you did need a LOT of help this time. I guess we’re tied now?” “Wait, seriously? That’s it?” Gilda asked. Doctor Do giggled. “Of course, kid. Not everyone is the next Eternal Twilight or Pink Demon you know. I’m not interested in taking over the world or anything like that. I’m just looking for a bit of fun. What’s wrong with that?” Daring glared at her. “Is it true about your parents? Is it true that you were friends with Ahuizotl? And you gave all that up?! How can you be so selfish?!” Doctor Do’s smile faded. “I asked them if they wanted to join in the game but they said I couldn’t play! They said it was 'against the law' to steal from museums! I just wanted to have some fun.” She turned her head around to Bravely and said, “Ahuizotl…Bravely, baby…you know I love you.” Bravely sighed. “There was a time when I loved you too Amy…but too much has happened. You need help Doctor Do and I need my friend back.” “My brave and blue best friend. I know you’re mad at me but I never stopped being your friend Ahuizotl,” Doctor Do said with a smile. “Which is why I’m sorry about this.” With her teeth, Doctor Do grabbed a crystal that was lying on the ground and crunched it with her mouth, shutting her eyes tightly. A blinding flash of light filled the room and Doctor Do took the opportunity to grab the bell. “You win this round! But I’ll get you next time Bravely!” Doctor said before she kissed Ahuizotl on the head and flew far away with the bell. As the light faded away and their sight returned to them, Bravely Blue growled. “Another day, Daring Do. I will hunt you down and bring you to justice.” He smiled at the others and said, “And hopefully I will not be alone.” “You won’t be. If you ever need our help again, you just let us know,” Gilda said as she shook Bravely's hand. King Grover bowed his head to Gilda as she gave him the Idol. “Once again, you have made your kingdom proud of you Miss Gilda. With the help of your friends we have reclaimed the Idol of Boreas and our kingdom’s pride with it.” “This could make for a pretty good book, right?” Equestria Rainbow said as she nudged Daring and gave her a hopeful smile. Daring chuckled and put her hat back on, telling Rainbow that she’d think about it. “Another win for us,” Sunset said. “Still…why’d she leave all these treasures to us and take that bell with her?” “Who cares?” Gilda asked with a shrug. “It’s just a bell.” “But it can trap people in cages. And didn’t you say it had some kind of fear spell on it?” Sunset asked. “Oh yeah, forgot about that. But hey, we’ve got King Sombra, Nightmare, and Pinkie on our side,” Gilda said. “I guess you’re right. Still…I’ve got a bad feeling about that bell…” Sunset mumbled. Doctor Do touched down beside the abandoned shack and knocked on the front door. “Hey, anyone in there? I brought your fancy bell!” The door opened and a cloaked creature stepped out. “You’re on time. That’s…good, I suppose.” The cloak obscured every detail about the person who had hired her to bring the bell back to him. Doctor Do couldn’t make out any features of the creature, except that he was a quadruped. Still, she was getting paid to bring this bell to him and while she didn’t care about money, she still liked the things it could buy. “Follow me please. My…master…” the creature shivered a bit as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth. “He…he wants to talk to you.” Doctor Do shrugged. “Sure.” She followed the creature into the shack and into a small room in the back. He pointed at an object sitting on the table and closed the door behind her. Doctor Do walked over to the table and raised an eyebrow at the block of dark blue stone that was sitting there. “This is…just a rock.” She stared at it for a few more seconds before she took the bell and necklace and dropped it over top of the rock. “Are you a…magic rock? Hello, anyone in there?” she tapped the side of the stone. The bell on the necklace glowed at the same time the stone did. The dark blue material began to melt into another shape until it resembled a skull with horns. “I…am…awake…” “Really? Sweet. I brought your bell, buddy. Can I have my money now? Of course it doesn’t need to be money, if you have any other magic beam shooting treasures I’ll accept those too,” Doctor Do smiled. The skull’s eye sockets glowed red. “Where…is…your…terror?” Doctor Do frowned in confusion. “Ter…er? Say that again, I didn’t hear you the first time.” “There…is…venom…in you…” “Wait, hold on…something is coming back to me…” Doctor Do scratched her head. “Okay terror sounds like…fear…and scared…I think?” She shook her head and smiled. “Nope, still can’t remember. Funny, I know what fearless means but I still can’t even remember what fear means. I look it up in a dictionary and I think I’ve got it but somehow it doesn’t stick, ya know?” “A…pity…no matter…I have…other uses…for you…” “Hold on there buddy. We had a deal and now you need to pay me. Unless she has a deal with someone, Daring Do works alone. So you had better pay up first because I’m not interesting in making any more deals.” “Terror…is gone…from the ponies…I…will bring…it back. My kingdom…will rise…once more…” “Oh cool, you’re a king? That’s the second one I’ve met today. Although that brings up a good question: who are you?” Doctor Do asked. “I…Am…GROGAR…Fear…me!” Doctor scratched her head again. “Okay, I caught about half of that. Who’s Grogar? And what does that word mean again?” “You…will know…soon enough…you will ALL know…soon enough…” The bell, the skull, and the skull’s eye sockets glowed brighter than before. With a flash of light, Doctor Do and the magic skull were gone.