//------------------------------//
// OSP: Truth or Daring 
// Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

Daring quietly walked into the living room. Fluffle Puff had already found her spot in between Phoenix and Chrys and was cuddling them both. The fluffy mare did not cast a glance in Daring's direction; the discussion they just had may as well have not happened. Daring sighed and leaned against the edge of the couch. Everypony had been listening to Tuxley's story and hadn't noticed either of them until now.

"Daring!" Dan shouted as she joined them. The human got up from the floor and briskly walked over to her. "So, about that car chase with Big Rover, that was pretty exciting, wasn't it?"

The archaeologist looked unnerved. "I guess…? It was really dangerous, put a lot of bystanders at risk and could've done serious damage to the town or us but… sure?"

The human's smile was undiminished by Daring's uncertainty. "Dangerous indeed, for us because we were there."

"And for the town, too…" Daring added.

Dan's smile actually got a bit wider. "Exactly, the whole town was in danger! This was a major threat and we took it out as a team! Working together, Daring Do and the Danfenders of Equestria save the day!"

Chrys leaned over to Twilight. "Does that sound like a book title to you?"

"Yeah," Twilight answered. "And he put his name in it, too. Probably had this idea for a while."

Sitting on the couch next to him, Blast Powder groaned. "Auugh, just pitch it to her, ya dolt."

Daring raised an eyebrow. "What are you two getting at?"

"Oh, nothing," Dan shrugged. "I was just wondering if maybe you'd like an idea for a new book."

"Ah," Daring nodded. She smiled humbly back at him. "Well, uh, I appreciate your enthusiasm and your support. It does mean a lot to me but I don't really take requests."

"Awww," Dan's smile drooped. "But think about what it would mean to all of your fans!"

"The ones throughout the country or just in this living room?"

"Both!" Dan declared. "I'm kind of a big shot myself around these parts. Twilight! How many times have I saved Equestria since I've been here?"

"Intentionally, none."

"That's right- three times!" Dan waved the number in her face. "And let me tell you, your readers would just love to hear some of the things I've been involved in."

Spike waved. "Leave out the parts about my sculpting!" he said, blushing. "They're not finished yet… and I require my privacy."

"I'm it would be an instant best-seller all over Equestria!" Dan said. He turned back to the group. "The Dantastic collab with Daring Do herself! Dan meets Daring Do- the Amazing Team! Daring Do and the Danfenders of Equestria! Doesn't that sound like a hit?"

Twilight and the others stared back at Dan, stunned into silence. Phoenix rubbed his neck as he usually did, Blast Fuse and Blast Powder sported dual expressions of contempt. Fluffle Puff uttered a single "Thppth." Slowly, Chrys's hoof raised. "I'd read it."

Daring smirked. "As fun as that sounds, I'll have to decline, I'm sorry," she said, walking around to the center of the group. "I don't just write about things that happen to me; I write for a reason. I want my readers to understand the reason why I do what I do. I want them to recognize the places I go, to connect with the ponies I meet and be inspired by the things that I discover. I write to generate an interest in our world so that ponies will be passionate enough to explore it themselves and create a feeling of adventure that resonates throughout Equestria."

"Wow," Dan said, taken aback. "That is truly admirable, Daring."

"It really is," Twilight agreed. "It's really noble of you to want to share your experiences in a meaningful way."

"I kind of feel the same way about my games," Phoenix added. "I want people to believe in justice and the process of law and order when they, well, play as me. That's why I give the best performance I can." (Even when they make me do Marvel Vs. Capcom. Justice can exist in a fighting game, too!)

"One thing though," Dan said. "Where does Mountain Daring Dew come into all of this?" The uncertain eyes that were on Dan just a minute ago returned and suddenly found themselves on Daring herself.

The explorer mare blushed. "Well… uh… you know, adventuring isn't cheap. I have bills to pay, too and sometimes the books don't cover the cost of everything. So, couple years back, I signed up to be the mascot for the Pepsi Corporation's new Mountain Dew flavor. The royalties are pretty nice."

Dan gasped. "SELLOUT! SELLOUT! You're a sellout!!"

"What?!"

"Dan, calm down," Twilight cautioned.

"You sold out your brand for money!" Dan pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You sold out YOURSELF for money! What are ponies going to think when they read your books now that you're working for freaking PEPSI?! What if they make you put ADS in your next book?!"

Chrys giggled. "I don't really think a 'Daring Dewritosgate' is really likely at this point."

"Thpp thppth thppth-thppth thpp." Do not give them any ideas.

"Hey, I'm not a sellout!" Daring defended herself. "Nothing I've said or done affects the integrity of my writing. And I like Mountain Dew. Sometimes. Just because I do a couple endorsements doesn't mean I'm compromising my character in any way. I'm a pony, not a brand."

"Oh, but you're both now," Dan fired back. "You're a role model for ponies all over Equestria, especially young mares maybe looking into exploring on their own."

Daring folder her hooves, hovering in a way reminiscent of Rainbow Dash. "Yeah? Your point?"

Dan smirked. "What if the CMC start drinking Mountain Daring Dew just because you're the mascot? What if… it starts an obesity epidemic? Rampant high-blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol levels, and it's only the beginning! They could do it with other products, too, even worse stuff!" The archaeologist looked away. For the first time, it seemed like it was something new she was considering. Everypony was silent around her. "Something you hadn't thought of, huh?" Dan put a hand on her shoulder.

Daring looked down. "I had thought about it. But after my own expenses, the profit I make goes to paying back towns like Ponyville. The places I go, the ponies I meet, they get directly affected by my actions, too and not always for the better. I try to be careful but sometimes I cause property destruction and even interfere with other ponies' lives whether I try to or not. I send them money to repay their damages."

"Oh," Dan said. "I… see."

Twilight, Chrys and all the others looked down as well. "I guess there is a lot of destruction in those books."

"Yeah," Chrys said. "Just think about all those artifacts broken in Daring Do and the Ancient Antiques of the Arboreal Atrium."

"Or the priceless vase in Daring Do and the Priceless Vase."

"Or the Indiana Jones franchise in Kingdom of The Crystal Skull." Twilight quirked an eyebrow at Chrys. "Well, that was priceless to me!"

"Well, I guess a soda sponsorship doesn't really hurt anything. Not like it's some poison joke cigarettes or something," Dan remarked, rubbing his own neck. 

The pegasus smiled. "Thank you for understanding."

"Anyway, you want us to show you around the place?"

Daring looked around the main atrium. "Yeah, it looks like there's been some remodeling since I was here last."

"Heheh, remodeling's one way to put it. Rearming is another," Dan said with a grin. "Let me give you the grand tour!" he said, putting a hand on the mare's shoulder and guiding her up the stairs.

Dan showed Daring throughout the house. They began their tour by going through the library's various sections for books. When Dan first arrived in Equestria, he didn't have a job but after many trials he eventually became the bookkeeper of the graphic novel section and other reference materials. But, that is a story we will get into more in the prequel.

Behind the living room in the north half of the ground floor was the library's main bookshelves. "This here's where we store most of our books. Some books, we use the DDS for but some stuff we just have alphabetized. Your books are in the D section for Daring Do!" Dan exclaimed.

"Heh, never would've guessed that."

"Hey, you might even want to autograph a few copies while you're here," Dan suggested.

The pegasus smiled. "I think I might be able to do that."

"You could even autograph some of the clop."

"Heh, yeah I cou-wait, what?" Daring's eyes went wide.

"Clop!" Dan waved his hand outward. "We got tons of clops. Even a lot of it dedicated to you and all your adventures. Talk about your excitement," he said, grinning.

Daring's face turned a shade of crimson that seemed to spread over her entire body. "I-uh, I-ull, um…"

"Ah! Here's one right now," Dan reached for a book.

"Oh, no- no no no no, you don't have to-"

He presented the book to her. "Bet you didn't know they did condensed versions. Your very own 'clop!"

Daring read the cover. "Daring Do Encyclopedia… oh. I see, this is what you meant."

"Haha, kind of daunting, isn't it?" Dan said, hefting the huge book. "Gonna get me my own one of these days. Fill it full of exploits and whatnot. Ah, nothing like a good 'clop."

"You like… encyclopedias?"

"Of course I do!" Dan declared. "I learn a lot of things from encyclops. And brochures. They're tremendous sources of information and some of the most reliable texts on just about every subject imaginable. I even like those science fiction encyclopedias; they're great for learning all that nerd stuff really quickly."

"Nerd stuff, indeed," Daring nodded.

"Yep," Dan put an arm around her shoulders yet again. "And back there's the mature fiction section," he said, pointing to a doorway blocked by a curtain of beads.

"I'm less comfortable now…"

Dan shrugged. "You get used to it. Anywho, let's see the rest of the house."

And Daring's comfort continued dropping as Dan showcased the newest features of the Golden Oakes.

"You hooked the ion cannon into the city's power grid?!?!" Daring exclaimed upon entering the command center and Dan explaining the finer workings of the defense system. "Do you have any idea what kind of energy draw that thing has?"

"Eeyep, a big one," Dan said, leaning against the controls. "Took out a whole fleet of griffons with it."

"You shot them down OVER the town?" Daring asked. "How… how is the town even still here?"

Dan shrugged. "Got lucky."

"LUCKY?!" Daring flew right up into his face. "LUCKY?! Those ships are huge! They could've destroyed the entire town!"

"But they didn't."

"They could've blown up half of Equestria!"

"But again, they didn't."

Daring began to shake. "This… this is the most irresponsible thing anyone in Equestria has ever done!"

"I know," Dan nodded. "Tough to top, huh?"

"You're insane!" she shouted, storming out of the control room. "You call me a sellout? AT LEAST I'M NOT CRAZY!!"

Dan scratched his chin. "I prefer the term unconventional but hey, I've been called worse."

"UURRRGH!" she huffed, already down the hall.

Back in the kitchen, Twilight and others were having tea with Tuxley.

"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Tuxley," Twilight said apologetically, "but we really don't have any plans on cooperating with another museum at this point."

"I see…" Tux said, lowering his tea cup. "While your decision is a bit of a disappointment, I do understand it. You will consider the offer still on the table, yes?"

Twilight smiled. "I will but, it's still one I can't agree to."

Tuxley nodded. "Very well. I thank you for your hospitality."

Daring stormed into the kitchen and marched right up to Twilight. "You."

"Me?"

"You're in charge of this place, aren't you?"

"Uhhhh…"

Daring glanced at Chrys. The changeling waved her hooves dismissively. "Hey man, I just work here."

The explorer rolled her eyes. "Who's the one who gave Dan permission to… put all these weapons on a public property?"

Twilight raised her hoof. "Meeee… I guess. But the library's not public; we own and operate it ourselves. It used to be public, though but I went ahead and bought the deed when we renovated it to approve Dan's… modifications."

Daring's jaw dropped. "You… approved of all of this? You KNEW he was going to install a freaking huge cannon?"

The purple mare nodded innocently. "Yes?"

"And you did this KNOWING what kind of damage it could cause to the town?!"

Twilight looked at her cup of tea, as if to see some kind of answer in the liquid. "You never know what's going to happen. Not for sure, anyway. There's a truth that power always finds a prominent position… but that doesn't mean it's always going to be abused."

Chrys, next to her, was looking down into her own cup. Her reflection stared back at her just as Twilight's stared out of her own. Twilight placed her hooves over Chrys's and the two leaned against each other for a moment, friends.

"You really think HE is the safest place for this kind of power?" Daring asked in disbelief.

And Twilight nodded. "Nobody's perfect. And he wouldn't even be the first to admit it."

"No, he wouldn't," Chrys added, giggling slightly.

"But he cares more than most. About us. He valiantly defends this town and if he breaks things, when things get broken, he's the first to try and fix them," Twilight continued. "There's always a better way, a "best" action you could take. But sometimes, it's more important to have someone brave enough to make an action and face the consequences and accept the responsibilities of that action, no matter what it is."

Chrys nodded. "That's not the kind of person that can do everything… but it is the kind of person who can do something."

Twilight smiled. "And with his friends, he can do anything."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Dan asked.

Both of them grinned. "Someone close to us."

"Ha, yeah, I'll bet," Dan walked over to the kitchen table. "So, Dare-bear, now that you've seen all our operations, whaddaya think?"

The archaeologist looked at all of them and then sighed. "I… I don't think I'm in any position to judge," she said. She clutched a pin on her coat pocket in one hoof.

"Sounds like an A-OK to me!" Dan delightfully declared. He grasped the edges of the table with both hands. "Now, would you like to hear about our latest plan?"

"Plan?" Daring asked.

Dan flipped the table upside down, the ponies and reptile quickly levitating or grabbing their tea and plates before the sudden shift could send them to the floor. On the other side of the table were drawings, notes and a detailed diagram of a base.

"What is this?" Daring asked.

"We call it Operation: Sucker Punch. It's our plan to strike back, to start taking the fight to Vice Grip. This is how we start taking back Equestria."