Series 1) Daring Do and the Alicorn Secret Saga

by AlmanacP

3) Daring Do and the Search for the Golden Key

Author's Note:

This is the third book in the Alicorn Secret Saga

This is where thing's begin to change, loyalties are affected and a dangerous game starts between Daring Do and those she faces.

I hope you enjoy this book, and if you like it, then tell me what you thought. And even if you don't like it, tell me anyway. Can't improve if you don't know where you go wrong. ^-^

Daring Do and Search for the Golden Key

Walking upon the cobbled ground beneath her had never before been so unnerving and daunting to Daring as it did today. The Pegasus closed her eyes, the deafening sounds around her were both familiar and alien after so long.

Daring Do opened her eyes and gazed up at the college of her past.

This was where she had learnt her trade.

This was Clopsdale Academy of Archaeology!

There was a certain someone here that she needed to see.

Entering the door Daring Do found her way through the corridors to her old classroom, the place even smelled like it used to, a mixture of sweat, old socks, and the thirst for adventure and discovery (which weirdly smelled like cinnamon).

Peering through the door window Daring looked upon a lecture, the room was filled with teen fillies and colts, all rapt to attention at their teacher’s words. Daring listened to the lecture, and smiled as she found it to be one she had heard before.

“What is your most important tool to have with you in a dangerous tomb?” The teacher’s voice asked loudly with the hint of a smirk.

“A flashlight!?” A young filly asked loudly.

“Your whip!?” A colt answered with an unsure voice.

“A sword!” An enthusiastic young pony called from the middle.

“Your notebook.” Daring Do chimed in from the door, walking down the side of the lecture room, all eyes turning towards her. “Well, two things really, your notebook, and your quill.” She grinned, looking to the shocked expression on the teacher’s face, a face that soon softened into a smirk.

“Why a notebook?!” Said the enthusiastic pony, sounding offended.

“Because if you’re smart, you’d have already filled your notebook with all the information you could find out about the tomb, letting you be ready for anything you might find inside.” She said, smiling at the teacher. “A true adventurer always knows that their knowledge and mind must always be sharper than any sword to survive.”

The teacher turned away from Daring and looked to the rest of the class. “I want a two hundred word essay by next week on the dangers of being unprepared, and the importance of information, titled, ‘The Quill Is Mightier Than the Sword’. Dismissed”

Daring watched as the students file out and soon they were alone.

“Diane.” The teacher smiled.

“Beatrice.” Daring greeted before the ponies embraced each other as old friends.

“How have you been?” The teacher asked softly.

Daring Do looked her up and down to see how the years had affected her; her blue coat had lost a lot of its shine, but a spark was still within those yellow eyes of hers. Her red mane still swayed down her shoulders, lush as it ever had been, but now sporting small grey hairs.

This was Beatrice Bravely Blue, this was the legendary adventurer that had inspired many a colt and filly into the field of archaeology, this was Daring Do’s old teacher.

“Pretty good, got myself some new pieces lately.” She smiled, seeming to be proud of herself.

Bravely Blue smirked. “So I’ve heard.” She said as her face twisted into a knowing smile that made Daring uncomfortable. “A nice answer to the class question by the way, too bad that lesson didn’t serve you on your trip through the jungle a few weeks ago.”
Daring’s heart stopped and suddenly she felt her cheeks warm as shame made her flush pink. “Oh…you heard about that.”
Bravely Blue nodded.

“You went running straight after a rumour, right after handing over a priceless artefact, didn’t look after said artefact leading it to get stolen, while you yourself spent months soaked in a monsoon, eating berries, and eventually falling into an ancient city where you were almost killed by a black griffon.”

Daring shuffled her hooves nervously; Bravely Blue always had a way of making her feel like a young filly again.

Daring sighed, shook her head and pulled herself up. She was a great adventurer now; her name was on the lips of hundreds of thousands of ponies worldwide! She wasn’t a filly anymore.

“I’m not a filly anymore.” She said, her voice squeaking more than she’d meant it too. Clearing her throat she looked to her old teacher. “I’m a great adventurer; sure I could have prepared a little better, but I came back with the prize, discovered an ancient long lost city, and found something that I think you might be interested in.”

Bravely Blue just smiled. “Well then young mare, let’s see if you can peak my interest.” She said, the soft smile once again turning into a smirk.

Daring took that challenge and pulled out the rubbing of the poem she had found in the ancient city.

Laying down and weighting down each corner of the rolled up paper she let Bravely Blue see the rubbing. Her old teacher’s eyes lit up upon seeing what was before her, her lips moving as she read silently.

“It’s Ancient Equestrian as I’m sure you can see, but I can’t read it personally. I can only make out bits and pieces, I figured with you being the foremost expert, you could help out.”

She chuckled. “Of course I can, no one beats me in translations.” She said grinning. She laid out the paper and began to read aloud. Halfway through she stopped and looked over the rest. “Some is missing, but I recognise some of this. Let me continue.” She said, reading the rest of what was written. She paused afterwards and hummed gently.

“This doesn’t make sense…unless…”
Bravely Blue turned to Daring.

“The surface you got this from? Was it a collection of golden tablets?” She asked curiously.

Daring nodded. “Yeah, they were all positioned together and on a wall.”

Bravely Blue grinned and ran to a cupboard; opening it up she dove in and began throwing out artefacts, a vase of untold price smashed nearby and Daring grit her teeth at the carnage. Soon there was a loud “Gotcha!” and she burst out, dragging with her a golden tablet.

Daring suddenly remembered it; this was the artefact Daring had seen in the newspaper clipping when she was just a filly!
Bravely pulled out a pen and paper, began analysing both, there were several “Aha!”’s and soon the page was filled. “I got it!” She grinned. “You have two thirds of a poem here. This is it in Ancient Equestrian, as best as I can manage.

“Septem Objecta insunuent,

Magia dirigi ad divina,

Bullas est senex et plenus mendaciis,

Quibus videlicet ius aliud quod dividit.

Draconum invenitur in templis avaritia,

Sed ubi deficiunt venator mures succedunt.

A clavis aurea viam reseret,

Circulos intra cæruleum ad Sinum.

Patera possessor est cordis

Magna est scriptor magicae custodiam vasi unguibus.

SPATALIUM in A ter clusit et signavit,

Sequuntur videlicet sola mures.

Cornu sense de osse manet,

Equestri coloribus cæruleo queritur.

Ultimam partem, non dici potest.”

Daring do stared at her; her Ancient Equestrian really wasn’t very good.

“And all that means?” She asked curiously.

Bravely Blue once again smirked.

“You really should have paid attention in class.” She chuckled.

Clearing her throat, Bravely Blue looked at the notepad and began to speak.

“Seven items must entwine,

For magic to steer towards divine.

An amulet old and full of lies,

Another that’s right which wit divides.

A jackal found in temple’s greed,

Where hunters fail but prey succeed.

A golden Key to unlock the way,

Within the blue at circle’s bay.

A goblet holder of the heart,

Great magic’s vessel with talons guard.

A bangle locked and sealed in thrice,

Follow the wit of the lonely mice.

A horn of old from bone remains,

Equestrian colours, the blue complains.

The final piece cannot be told,

But found by those of bravely bold.

“…and that’s where it ends, Diane. It looks like there’s a final verse, but we’re missing the piece.” She said, turning to Daring Do. Daring pondered over the poem.

“What’s it sound like to you?” Bravely Blue asked. The air was thick with the buzz of excitement. Daring Do looked over the poem on the notepad, and looked back to the rubbing she’d made, a grin spreading slowly over her muzzle. She knew exactly what it sounded like. It sounded like ADVENTURE!

Daring Do looked at the large ship before her, she grinned to herself.

“Another day, another adventure!” She said, running towards the ship and charging up the walkway and onto the deck.
After much deliberation, Bravely Blue had figured out that the Circles Bay reference was in fact the ancient sunken city of Circulos Cæruleum, originally known as the Blue Circle, and the location of where Bravely Blue had found her own golden tablet all those years ago.

There had been an ancient temple, locked and bound and covered in ancient writing that had been too damaged to translate, and Bravely Blue had never been able to gain access. But Daring Do was sure she could.
Why?

Because she’s Diane Daring Danger Do, explorer extraordinaire, and professional adventurer. She’d make her hoofprint in Equestria greater than Bravely Blue’s ever had been!

“I’m gonna be the best there ever was!” Daring shouted out for all to hear, proclaiming her glory. “Better than Bravely Blue!” She shouted confidently.

“Hello Diane, dear.”

The voice behind her made the young mare squeal in fright and turn to face her old teacher now standing before her.
A flush boiled up in her cheeks as she looked at her teacher and the smirk on her face. “Erm, s-sorry.” She said, shuffling her right forehoof sheepishly.

Bravely Blue didn’t say anything; she simply turned with a swish of her tail and left Daring Do to feel embarrassed and awkward.

The awkwardness didn’t last long as the sea air blew through the pony’s mane as the ship set sail. Daring grinned, ran along the deck, right to the edge and jumped!

The air soured around her body, her wings set out and for the first time in a long time, Daring Do enjoyed a flight!

Salted air blew through her mane as she skimmed the water, running rings around the ship, testing her speed, her manoeuvrability, going faster and faster and FASTER!

She charged up, let herself fall and landed perfectly on the deck of the ship.

“This is gonna be awesome!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Daring spent most of the ship ride in the dining area with Bravely Blue, her pith helmet on a chair nearby as they talked excitedly about the upcoming trials. Bravely Blue shared her knowledge of the dark caves and underwater caverns that awaited them, as well as the many traps and how to get past them. They were ready and better prepared than Daring Do had ever personally been.

With Bravely Blue and her invaluable insight and experience with where they were going, Daring Do was certain that they could not be beaten.

That night Daring Do crawled into her hammock, her pith helmet on the table beside her. Daring closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her, dreaming of the adventure to come. But little did she know that dark shadows had crept into her room the moment her eyes had closed, silent and dark they crept through the night, closer and closer to where Daring Do lay.

Suddenly there was a bang; one of the shadows had knocked the pith helmet to the floor.

Her eyes had opened and just in time, as a rope swung out to bind her, she dodged up, the rope passing under her, she dashed to the side, only to be faced by one of the shadows, there was a deep growl and Daring found herself gazing into glowing yellow eyes as she was backed into a corner. She couldn’t see a way out, and indeed, for once, there wasn’t one.

The rope bound her wings and hooves down, and she was dragged from the room.

Daring Do was pulled up onto the main deck; shadowy shapes surrounded her until lightning struck as a storm raged around the ship. Hard rain now battering down, and within the light of the flash Daring Do looked up into the ape-like face of her arch enemy, Ahuizotl!

His menacing grin stared down at Daring and she began to fight, trying to get free of her bonds.

“I’ll get you for this, Ahuizotl!” She shouted.

“Don’t struggle girl, you may have bested me last time, but now I have leverage.”

He waved his claw towards the rest of the deck as lightning flared up again and Daring’s eyes widened. The entire crew had been taken hostage! And among them, bound tightly and gagged, was Bravely Blue.

“Beatrice!” She shouted and glared up angrily at Ahuizotl. “You won’t get away with this!” She shouted menacingly. Ahuizotl laughed in time with a lightning flash, his figure shadowed in the glaring light for an instant.

“But I will, and you’re not going to stop me. You’re going to help me.” He smirked.

Daring Do looked up at him and her face twisted into a grim smile. “Help you? Why would I ever do that?”

At another flash from the sky Ahuizotl’s monstrous animal pets surrounded the captives, the lynx flashing a sharp claw near Bravely Blue’s wide eyes.

Daring Do gasped. “N-no! Don’t hurt them! I’ll do it!” She shouted in panic. The animals stopped and turned to Ahuizotl who then turned to Daring Do, his face drawn into a wide grin.

“You’ll what?” He asked coyly.

Daring lowered her head and resigned herself to the moment. “I’ll help you.” She said softly, the words bitter in her mouth.

Daring Do looked down at the water.

The storm was over, everything seemed calm, but the blissful blue sky couldn’t alleviate the dark in Daring’s heart.

Behind her, her mentor, friends, and compatriots in this adventure were bound and staring at her. Bravely Blue shook her head, begging for Daring Do silently to not to give into Ahuizotl’s plan. He wanted Daring Do to go down to Circles Bay, find the ancient temple, and retrieve whatever lay inside. According to the poem, it was some form of golden key.

Ahuizotl was behind her; he leaned in, his stinking breath upon her face. “You could never beat me Daring Do; I will rule the world. And now I have your friends, you will help me make that happen.”

Daring Do glared. “Why do you want what’s in the temple, anyway?” She asked.

“You mean the Golden Key? Well, keys may come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have a singular purpose, and what is that?”

Daring Do cocked her head. “They open things?” She asked hesitantly, feeling this might be important.

Ahuizotl cackled. “That they do…now go!” His foot struck her flank and Daring yelped as the water rushed up to meet her as she fell.

The icy cold ocean surrounded Daring as she sank deeper; she forced herself not to panic and just swim down.

Circles Bay loomed before her, a grand sunken city with an old temple in the centre. She guessed that’s where she was meant to go.

Bravely Blue had told her of each trap, every obstacle, she could make this, she could bring back the key!
First there were sharks!

When they came at her from all sides, she glared and swam down. They instantly gave chase, but Pegasus wings worked underwater too. She used them to pull herself along, diving under where the second obstacle would be; an underwater rope trap. She grabbed it and tugged, causing a large round boulder to be launched from a tube to sail through the water, striking one shark in the side and knocking it into another. Daring Do used this opportunity to get down to street level. She was running out of air so she stopped off at a corner, unstrapping a rope that had been attached to her pith helmet. Keeping a hold of it with her hoof she leaned up. She’d trapped some air in it, making sure to clog the holes first, but kept it strapped to her head so it didn’t float off. It was a personal air supply…but it was only good for one deep breath. She took that deep breath, put the hat back on and swam as fast as she could towards the temple.
The great building loomed before Daring, a great monolith that was a testament to the ingenuity of a time long past. Daring tried to admire the building’s form but she didn’t have time, heading quickly for the entrance she gazed over the writing that covered the door and walls.

She couldn’t figure it out. She thought back to the poem.

‘A golden key to unlock the way,

Within the blue at circles bay.’

Her brow furrowed. ‘“Within the blue”?’ She thought, ‘that’s a strange way to say it.’

She smirked; there were blue spots all over the designs, and over one was a black mark that might have been missed, but it was surrounded by blue. It looked almost like a drawing of a miniature black door.

She smirked as best she could under the water and pressed her hoof on the spot. The door began to open and suddenly she was pulled in!

The door opened and then closed again, the inside filling with water and Daring flew in, only to cough and splutter. The inside of the temple was dry! Or at least, had been until she opened the door, but still…there was air. Stale, disgusting, dusty old air…but it was air nonetheless, and she breathed it generously.

Daring Do looked around her, there was no smell of dark decay within this place, and it smelled almost clean. Old, but clean. She began headed towards a single opening surrounded by designs of griffons. A curious design, she noted.

Walking into the darkness, it opened up. Several of the traps outside Bravely Blue had thankfully dealt with on her first escapade here all those years ago, and the good thing about tombs is that old traps don’t reset themselves. But no one had been in this tomb, the traps hadn’t already been set off, and there was every chance she was walking into grave danger.

There was a dark tunnel before Daring Do, and every step felt dark and oppressive. She felt a single bead of sweat glide down the nape of her neck as she placed one hoof in front of the other.

Suddenly a bright light flashed and she had to shield her eyes, gazing into a great hall where there was a singular pedestal in the centre of the vast room. She began to take a step, and then stopped herself with a roll of her eyes. She looked down, and smirked.

“How original.” She scoffed out loud, grinning.

The ground was covered in squares like back at the sapphire stones temple, but instead of animals, these depicted simply, large blue rings that overlapped other squares. There seemed to be a pattern and she grinned again. “This is easy; I just need to stay on the blue.” She placed her hoof down on one of the squares that had part of a blue ring on it, the slab fell away instantly and she barely caught herself from stumbling forward. The floor had given way to a huge chasm below. She gulped and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay, that is original.” She said, wiping her brow. “So if it’s not the blue circles…then what?” She sighed, stroking her chin with her hoof. “A golden key to unlock the way, within the blue at circle’s bay….within the blue…within? As in, inside?” She said, the pieces clicking together. Within each circle was a single slab that wasn’t touched by the blue rings, she stepped on that one next, her eyes clenched tight in fear before she noticed it was taking her weight. She had to be on the slab INSIDE the circle…she had it! She climbed into the circle, and jumped to the next one, this was much easier than it had been at the sapphire statue’s temple; this time her wings were working perfectly, and she had perfect balance. She could fly over to get the key for sure, but this air had no draft or breeze to use, so she’d have to flap a lot harder to get the lift she needed. In addition to that, she was already tired and heavy with moisture in her fur from swimming in the ocean water; she couldn’t guarantee she had the energy to make it all the way. So she hopped, skipped and jumped from place to place, getting closer and closer.

Daring Do landed, breathing heavily as she reached the large slab of the pedestal. She approached and looked at the Golden Key.
It was, of course, gilded with gold and embroiled with patters and designs, but it was such an odd shape.

Daring Do picked up the key without much thought, but then the temple began to shake, the roof crumbling in and ocean water pouring into the room!

Ahuizotl watched the water from above; he turned back to his captives.

“Soon Daring Do will retrieve the key, and then I will be one step closer to my ultimate goal. And then, all the world will bow.” He said, cackling. “Tell me, little Bravely Blue, do you think Daring will manage?” He asked. The pony tied up in the corner shrugged; she didn’t seem very distressed. “Undoubtedly. I may be a good adventurer, but that mare’s always had luck on her side.” She said confidently. “She’ll be back, and with the key.”

“You said it, sister!” Daring Do’s voice shouted out, from the masts up high she swung down on a rope, her hooves out as she struck Ahuizotl, his shocked face knocked back as her rear hooves dug into his face with great force. Ahuizotl was sent flying back, his claws scratching along the deck to slow his slide. He looked up and glared as Daring Do hurried to Bravely Blue.

“I’ve got you!” She said, untying her friend. She smiled.

“Thanks, Diane.” Bravely Blue smiled. Daring Do turned back to Ahuizotl.

“Now to take you down!” She shouted before a sudden and shooting pain flashed over the back of her neck, causing her to fall down. She looked up hazily into the face of Ahuizotl and Bravely Blue, her friend’s face pulled into a dark smirk.

She had been betrayed.

Daring Do woke up on a raft; she looked around, alone out in the ocean.

The ship was gone, her satchel was beside her, but all it had was a compass and a note. Everything else was gone, including the Key. Daring took out the note and blinked hazily to read the words.

‘Dear Diane Daring Danger Do,
It is with great regret that I bring our friendship to a close. You see, you can no longer offer me what I seek.
Ahuizotl has promised me what you cannot: the ultimate knowledge. And knowledge is our trade, is it not, young filly?
I do hope you understand. Consider me leaving you on this raft a kindness; I could just have easily let you drown.
Yours sincerely, faithfully, and nevermore,
Beatrice Bravely Blue

PS: Thank you for telling me on our journey the location and whereabouts of the Goblet, I doubt you realised it was one of the pieces, but it is in fact the most important. Goodbye.

Daring Do looked at the paper, letting it go to sail into the wind. She closed her eyes.
Bravely Blue, her friend and mentor, had joined Ahuizotl. She didn’t know what to do….no. She knew EXACTLY what to do!

She was Daring Do! She would find out their plan, find the pieces that the poem spoke of, and stop whatever Ahuizotl was planning! She’d done it before and she’d do it again!

Another day, another adventure, another journey, another challenge, another chance to prove herself!

And so Daring Do resolved to continue and overcome her hardships, because that’s what an adventurer does! When the going gets tough, an adventurer takes it head on! She braves the storm! She leads the way!

Daring Do would never back down!